《Finding My Baby Daddy (Pandora and Benjamin)》 Chapter 1 She never expected that her beloved husband, Derek, would put on such a wild performance with another woman right in front of her office building, like something out of a crazy movie] Pandora took out her camera and snapped evidence of her husband''s affair, then promptly filed for divorce. That damned man even had the audacity to me his infidelity on her being a sessful career woman.] "Jerk." Pandora muttered as she continued sipping her whiskey in a Las Vegas bar. Just then, a man, six-foot three, dressed in an expensive suit, approached her. Little did Pandora know, this encounter would change the course of her life forever.] -0 Mrs. Pandora Preston hadn''t had a moment to herself in almost a month. She had pulled a twelve-hour shift at work already and when she got home, she would have to clean the house, do shopping, make dinner, and take care of all the bills. By the end of the month, Pandora didn''t know how much longer she could hold on. A jerk at work didn''t think a petite five-foot-one and twenty-eight-year-old woman should be the creative director. Being the nice ''gentleman'' that he was, he had decided to let his opinion known... in front of all her coworkers and clients. His ideas were from the middle ages, but what bothered her was that nobody stood up for her in front of the smelly, balding man.]] To add on top of that, when she stood outside the restaurant for their weekly ''date'', she found that her husband had not arrived, and he wasn''t even picking up his phone like he was supposed to. Pandora sighed, remembering that he had also not mowed thewn like she had asked him to and the Karens in the neighborhood were going to knock on their doors soon. Now, you might be wondering why her husband Derrik was being shown in such a bad light, but you will be appalled to know that he was not working and never picking up his weight in the household.[] It had been six months since he was fired from hisst job and he hadn''t attended even one interview. Pandora was beginning to doubt that he was even looking for work. All Derrik did when she broached the subject of getting him into herpany was that he would look like a fool and less of a man because his little woman'' would be his superior at work. Mind you, Derrik was six-foot five inches and towered over everyone. He was thest person who should feel emascted.] The restaurant Derrik had chosen for their date was situated on top of someone''s house. It overlooked a few apartments and Pandora wondered how Derrik had found such a cozy ce. She was seated near the window and stared out after looking at her watch again. Her husband was fifteen minuteste. The blinds of the apartment she could see were wide open. Throw them, she could see directly into the kitchen and some woman was surely using her kitchen. She was awash with lust, oblivious to the eyes on her while a huge man stood in front of her, his ass bared to the world as he thrust into her. Pandora was jealous for a quick second, remembering theck of action in her marriage bed.[] Pandora''s stomach dropped when the woman stared in horror through the window, realizing she had forgotten to close the blinds. Her lover followed her horrified gaze, looking over his shoulder.[] The first words Pandora uttered through half-formed thoughts were: "These assholes."]] A woman gasped and turned to her. "Miss, please watch yournguage. My son just heard you."] Pandora ignored them and cursed under her breath as she raised her phone and started taking pictures. She snapped photographs constantly, thanking god that she had invested in a phone with a camera that could pass off as a telescope.[] The woman and Pandora''s husband scurried out of the kitchen, scrambling to dress. Her vision tunneled and she got out of her seat, ignoring the scandalized woman. She raced down the stairs and to the next building where she knew her husband and his mistress were. No guard was stopping her and Pandora grinned as she burst into the building. The elevator door opened, revealing the hastily dressed woman and her husband, stepping out. Pandora stopped short.]] "Caught you." Pandora vaguely noticed the presence of a handful of people in the lobby leaving and entering the building, taking their mail They stopped their mundane activities to watch. The woman froze, but Derrik took two steps towards her, palms up. "Pandora, calm down."] "You''re a bastard," Pandora growled. "And you, do you know he has a wife and he is trying for a child with her? Me?" she addressed the other woman. "Pandora..." the woman said shakily.] There were gaps around them as Pandora spoke, "So you did know he was married and still fucked him."] "This is my apartment building and you are embarrassing me," the woman hissed Pandora jerked back. "Oh, I am embarrassing you? You should have remembered that when you were screwing my husband with the windows open, making sure I saw you two.... because you guys knew for damn sure that I was going to be there."] "Mackenna, please..." Derrik said. "Step back." He sighed and turned to Pandora. "This is your own fault. You were a nag and I got sick of you"] Pandora swallowed the agonizing tightness in her throat, pushing back the sting in her eyes and the mortification his words caused her. She refused to cry in front of the cheating pair. "Is that so? Am I a nag because I asked you to contribute to the house?" she asked "It''s not a big deal," Derrik started but Mackenna cut him off.] "It wasn''t a mistake. Why do you think you two stopped having sex? He doesn''t want you! What''s more, I know all about how you climbed to the top of yourpany. You have no talent and you can''t even have children. Years of trying and you can''t even give him a baby? Meanwhile, he and I have been together for three months, and I am two months-"] "You should stop talking while I am still calm. Thest thing you want is to be handed your pregnant ass by the woman you called barren. And that sick jerk you im to love? He is going to be on the market and single very soon. I hope you enjoy having a bum hanging around all day." With a final re, Pandora turned and put the phone to her ear. "Do you know awyer who can help me get divorced?"] Chapter 2 Looking back at her marriage, Pandora could see that Derrik was always baiting, her into arguing with him. He was searching for reasons to walk out on Pandora but had never gotten around to leaving her. Why? He saw her as his ie provider, cleaningdy, and chef. Moreover, he got to bang her as a perk. There was no love there.] It wasn''t finding out that Derrik had cheated that made her realize how poorly he had treated her since they got married. It was a month after. Derrik came to her work with a bunch of flowers, wishing her a happy twenty eighth birthday in a loud voice before pping the signed divorce papers on her desk. He had then promptly turned and left with his head held high.] It had been a year since then and the only thing remaining to be finalized was hisst name which she was still using "Let''s get you lingerie for your Vegas tour," Kiera sang as she pulled Pandora into a luxury underwear store[] Pandora scoffed and reminded her friend, "I will be in and out of business meetings while I am there. What use do I have for fancy lingerie?¡°] "Pandora, it''s Vegas. Vegas! If you don''t open your box, how is everything going toe out?" Kiera stated, wriggling her brow.[] Pandora rolled her eyes at her friend. "Such a wittyment."]] "Listen to me. No one will know you in Vegas, so you can have as much fun as you want. Getid with some hot guy on your birthday to make up for the shitty birthdays in thest decade. It''s the beginning of a new era... you have to celebrate it by getting railed politely!"] "That sounds like an awful idea."] Keira pped her arm and picked up a baby doll. "If you had listened to me and not married Derrik, you could have said my idea was awful. And you will look hot in this." She put the baby doll in front of Pandora''s body and gave her a little wink. "Well, I am thinking of changing my surname back to Leonard. Remove every trace of Derrik from my life," she said. Keira went silent for a few minutes. "About time. Nice to have you back, Leonard!" She hugged Pandora tightly.] "I won''t be Leonard until after Ie back home. Everything is booked under Preston for the trip." "You best believe I will have it set up for you as aing home gift." Then Kiera dragged her to the nearest salon and gave her aplete makeover.[] When she got home, she checked her mail. She only found a letter which must have been hand delivered. She knew it was from Derrik the moment she saw the handwriting. Dealing with her ex husband always made her groan.[] Derrik was unhappy with the division of property. Pandora had been awarded the house, its contents in the entirety, and their newest luxury car. All Derrik got was his meager belongings, the second older car they had brought right out of high school, and the bed that Pandora refused to touch even with a ten-foot pole.] Derrik thought he deserved more and tried to me Pandora for his mistress Mackenna''s miscarriage. He even told the judges that he cheated because Pandora couldn''t have a baby. She had to exin to the judge that she had been diagnosed with scar tissues in her ovary. The doctor had told her she had a chance to be pregnant, but that it would be a long try.] But no matter how much they tried, she never became pregnant. It caused her a lot of pain, but she would never wish something to lose their child because of what they did to her. Pandora dropped the letter in the trash without even opening it. There could be nothing important in it that affected her life any longer. Maybe to Derrik and his mistress, it meant something, but to Pandora... it was trash.[] Pandora tiptoed, trying to get her bag into the overheadpartment, She was a slip of a girl, and the only thing her giant ex was good for was lugging around luggage. "1,et me," a male with an English ent said. Pandora let go and his hands took over. She turned to the man and only saw his chest. When she looked up at his handsome face, she smiled and nodded. "Thank you."] "It''s alright, love," he said. Pandora slid into her seat and buckled in. The man slid in next to her and turned.] "I should introduce myself if we are going to sit next to each other. I''m Milton." He held his hand out and Pandora nced at the other one and noticed the wedding ring. "Pandora,¡± she replied and Milton grinned at her.] "Going to Vegas for business or pleasure?" he asked.] Pandora cleared her throat and eyed the strangely friendly man. ¡°Business,¡± she said promptly. He pressed his lips together and nodded. "I am going to meet my wife and her family in Vegas," he told her happily.[] Pandora bit back a groan as she realized this man would eat her ear out throughout the flight. At least he spoke about his wife... he wasn''t trying to hit on her. "This is my wife," he carried on, showing her a picture of a tall woman. "Her name is Alexis and she is the love of my life." The conversation carried on and Pandora slowly eased into it. Milton revealed that he was a police officer and he could tell she was divorced by the little white line on her ring finger and that she had a messy divorce.] At the end of the flight, Pandoraughed when she found out they would stay in the same hotel. "I am telling you, Pandora. You shoulde by and I will introduce you to my family," he said and handed her a card. "Remember to have fun."] He winked at her and bolted off towards the exit, where his wife would be waiting to pick him up. "Sure, if I can get out of bed after working all day," she told herself. In the end, Pandora was so frustrated after a grueling day of business, that she showered off the grime and picked one of the outfits Keira had stuffed into her suitcase. She headed down to the bar and slid into a lone seat. "What can I get you, sugar?" the bartender asked.[ "A gin and tonic please," she said coolly as she looked around the many couples and groups around her. The bartender ced her order down and charged the bill to her room. She walked into the casino and sat down at the poker table. Surprisingly, she met Milton once again there.] They got into a conversation with Pandora spilling her guts about how upset she was her ex-husband wasn''t as sweet as him. At that moment, the two of them decided Pandora should meet a stranger and finish her dry spell. Still, Pandora had yet to meet Milton''s wife and family. Something abouting to Vegas being a yearly family holiday. The next few days were a constant struggle of trying to prove to chauvinistic men that she knew more about her specialty than then. She also knew how to pick her battles because she allowed a few jokes to slide. She couldn''t die on every hill she felt ufortable on. "What are you doing today?" Kiera asked on the third night. "Having dinner in my room," she sighed. "I sense some sadness in that sigh of yours. What''s wrong?" Kiera asked.]] "Just that the guys I have met so far haven''t made me want to spend time with them."] "As happy as I am that you want to pick up a man, I need to remind you that you are not picking a guy to date, Pandora! You just have to bang them once!" Pandora chuckled ¡°Stop sulking. I am not telling you to fall into bed with just anyone. Dang, you don''t need to sleep with anyone. But have fun. Get some guy to buy you drinks and make you feel like the goddess that you are." "Kiera, how will I find a guy who makes me feel like a goddess when you already do it for me?" Pandora joked.[] "Stay back, woman. As happy as my boyfriend would be to watch us together, I don''t swing that way. And it''s been a year. I think it is overdue for you to get out there."]] Pandora didn''t respond.[] The bitterness in her heart hadn''t lessened in the slightest. Everything that had happened up until today filled her with pain.] She wanted to let go, to get rid of all this messed-up nonsense. "I will talk to you tomorrow. Now go out and have fun." The words made Pandora smile. After hanging up, she looked at her watch. It was after six. The perfect time to walk into the night. "Let''s do this!¡± she told herself and headed off to the bathroom to get ready. When she was done, she took a selfie and sent it to Kiera.] [Damn it. You''re making me reconsider my previous words. Make me proud, girl!]] ? (24) Chapter 3 Pandora shook her head in amusement and checked herself onest time before walking out. All the way down the lobby, men turned their heads and ogled her.[] It didn''t take her long to find the club Milton had rmended to her. She entered the club and looked around, hoping she would see him. When she didn''t see him, she headed to the bar and ordered again.] After a few minutes, a guy approached her and smiled. "Would you like to dance?" he said.] "Sorry, I''m not up for that." The guy left, leaving her to her alcohol. Still, she was not drunk enough to bust out moves. "I need a shot," she told the bartender.] "Out for a good time?" the bartender asked.[] "I think so..."] The bartender cocked his head and rmended a drink. "Ask for Royce if you want a drink. I''ll take care of you"] "Thank you, Royce. Keep the drinksing," she said, tapping the bar.] As Royce ced down Pandora''s drink, she felt someonee up behind her. "Royce, can I have some Jack?" the guy said and Pandora found herself chuckling, she didn''t know why. "Something funny?" the husky voice said into her ear. She could smell a hint of whiskey on his breath.] "I''ll have a Jack too," she told the bartender and pushed her shot away.[] "Thought you were doing shots? You''re cheating if you go down to Jack."] Pandora shrugged. "My friend here reminded me that I can change my mind." She said, cing her hand on the man''s arm.[] "Oh, am I your friend now?" the guy said. "I am not sure I like that. We don''t even know each other''s name. "Dora," Pandora said, not giving her full name.] The guy cocked her head. "Fake names, is it? Call me Nemo then, because I sure as hell am d to be found by you"]] The joke did so well with Pandora that she threw her head back inughter. She calmed down and looked at the guy. Her breath caught in her throat and she hissed under her breath. "Fuck me," she blurted out as she got lost in his piercing grey eyes [] "Do I hear an offer?" he asked, his eyes dancing over her body.] "Maybe?" She couldn''t see how nicely he was built because of how covered he was.] "On what?" he asked deviously as he leaned in.[] "On what you look like under that leather jacket," she answered.] He frowned and looked down. "I suppose I won''t be sad to see it go." He slid it off, revealing an arm full of ink. It was so hot that she eyed the paintings hungrily. Tuck me,'' she thought. "I am nning on it," he replied to her thoughts. Pandora had always had a thing for ink but Derrik never got anything and forbade her from the same. "What do you say? Like what you see under the jacket?] I just wanted to know if you are in good shape, but now I am fascinated." The mystery man turned to the bar and yelled, "Royce! A bottle of Jack!" Finally, his eyes found hers. "Join me?" he asked and Pandora nodded numbly. "See you, Royce," she said without looking at the bartender. She took the man''s hand and followed him without another word.[] Pandora had already looked at his left hand to make sure there was no white line or a ring on there.[] As they spoke, she realized that they were from two opposite parts of the country. She felt her heart drop a little, knowing that this man was really a stranger and she would never see him again.[] He seemed to sense it. "Don''t be sad, Dora. We have tonight."[] Pandora chuckled before nodding.[] His handsome face was utterly captivating, especially with the way his strong chest rose and fell beneath his shirt as he spoke, exuding masculine charm. His deep gray eyes, like gemstones, sparkled with intensity.[] "I know just the thing to cheer you up." In an hour''s time, Pandora was straddling hisp and kissing him. The man kissed her back right away, pushing his tongue inside her mouth.] "Dance with me," he urged as he removed his lips from her. Without waiting for an answer, he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the dance floor.[] As their bodies moved together, she felt his other hand move to her side and his lips moved to her neck. He kissed her jaw, making her weak in the knee.]] "Please.....¡± she said, her stomach burning with need.[] "Yes, ma''am," heplied. He pushed her out of the dance floor and pressed her up against a wall, kissing her the whole time. She felt both his hands on her and at that moment, she suddenly remembered the bottle of Jack they should have had. She soon forgot all about it when he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his body. She gasped when she felt him push his underwear to the side and stroke her inner thigh.[] "Please take me," she said yet again. Pandora had never felt this way before. This man could use his fingers. She had to say, they were doing God''s work at this point.[] "Do you want me to?" he asked, pulling away a little from her.[] "Do what?" "Do you truly want me to take you?"] She looked at him deeply and nodded. He went back to kissing her, slowly going to her neck and chest. He was surrounding herpletely. She heard the sound of his zipper and her eyes popped open. She finally realized that they were still in the bar, but away from everyone. Her eyesnded on Milton who was with his wife, looking around.[] "Eyes on me, baby," he said, entering her. Pandora gasped and clung to him.[] "Oh god," she sighed and tugged at his hair.[] "Hold on tightly. This will be quick. But once we are done, we will go back to my room so that I can taste every bit of you."] Pandora nodded dumbly. "I want to taste you, too," she told him, spurring him up. He swallowed her cries until it was time for him to grunt in release. "Come on, baby.." he said, rubbing her leg as he set her down. "We have time and I want you all to myself."]] He wrapped his hand around her shoulder and guided her out of the back door. "I want your real name and I want you to say my name when youe all over me," he said firmly.[] Pandora nodded, making him grin and kiss her. And then both of them stopped by for another drink.[] -0 Pandora''s mouth was as dry as the Sahara Desert. She was sure a migraine was a better option because of how badly her head hurt. She stopped the rm and then fell asleep once again.] Soon after, she heard her phone ringing and picked it up grumbling. "What?" she tried to respond normally, but it came out as a pained cry. "Are you still sleeping?" Keira asked, clearly perplexed.[] "I would be if you didn''t wake me up so surely," she grumbled. She wanted to hang up and go back to sleep. "Woman! You have to check out. Do you want to pay extra or be locked in?"]] Pandora bolted out of bed at the words. She looked at the clock and remembered that she also had to catch a ne. She could have missed the ne if she didn''t have another important meeting to attend at the office the moment she touched down. "Damn it!" she yelled and stumbled out of bed. She hung up the call and started to walk. "Why am I so sore?" she groaned when her legs almost gave away. Her head was filled with a night of drinking, dancing, and a man kissing her. "Oh, shit..."] Again, she got some shes and unlike with Derrik, they made her tingle with desire. "I had sex," she whispered and plopped back on the bed. She rubbed her face, trying to remember the guy''s face, but all she could think of were grey eyes and tattoos. She also remembered the name ''Nemo,'' but that was just a joke. She forgot to ask him his name! "No time for this!" she reminded herself and moved to the bathroom. She scared herself at the horrible condition of her face. Her makeup was running. She had to scrub herself to get the filth of the night before out of her pores. With it, the feel of the mystery man''s warmth also washed away. Almost. She picked up a stic ring ced right beside her phone and she shook her head. She threw it into her purse and frowned at the thought that she didn''t know why she would have something like that with her. But she didn''t have time to think too much about it.] As she got into the cab, she saw Milton walking out of the hotel. His wife was talking to a man on the side. She shook her head, knowing she would miss her flight if she spoke to Milton. So, she slid into the cab and asked the driver to rush to the airport[] irst divorce 4 It was almost nine at night when she arrived home and Pandora felt like she would die from exhaustion. She let herself into the house and dumped the bags near the door. She kicked off her shoes and dropped them down to the floor beside her luggage. She was just about to crawl to the stairs when she heard a knock on the front door. "I''ll pretend I didn''t hear that," she muttered to herself and went towards the staircase.] "Pandora!" She frowned when she heard Derrik yelling from outside the door. He began to pound on it, making her groan.[] "Nothing important, it seems. Just a lunatic knocking at an odd hour," she said to herself and moved to the door, knowing Derrik wouldn''t leave without seeing her face. She only managed to pry the door open when Derrik pushed it open and barged in. Pandora stumbled, shocked by the force he had used. "Finally came home, I see!" he yelled and crossed his arms over his chest. "You look like a slut with that hair color. What? Are you trying to look good now? You''re already divorced and nothing can help with that face of yours." He snickered sarcastically.] "What I have been doing or how I look is no longer your business. Cut the crap and tell me what you want."[] Derrik red at her before rolling his eyes. "Did you get the eviction notice I sent you? You need to move out immediately; I need the ce." Pandora pressed her fingers to her forehead, hoping the headache would lessen. She didn''t have the energy to fight with him. "Not going to happen. This is my house... the court gave it to me. Go cry to someone else because I ain''tplying with your void eviction notice," she said firmly. She opened the door, needing him to get the hell out of her house. If possible out of her life, too. "Still as stupid as ever," Derrik spat out so harshly that Pandora was sure he had hated her for all the years they were married. "Don''t you unt your money all the time? Use some of it to buy a ce of your own. This is a family home where a couple who will have kids should live." Pandora scratched her forehead, trying not to respond to him as she wished. But mincing words was not good for her health. She had wasted enough time on this man.[] "The doctor told me I could get pregnant if I tried. It seems part of the problem is also with you... and what mistress of yours? Take care..." She stopped with a grim look. "This is my house. Now leave."]] Derrikughed incredulously. "You''re right. This shitty house and you go together. I deserve a much better ce where I can raise my children. How about we sell the house and go our separate ways." He waved between the two of them. "We will never see each other ever again." "Even if I sell the house, you won''t get a dime from it. This is my house. That I bought with my money. The money I spent a lot of effort making... of course, you wouldn''t know what that feels like, would you?"[ Derrik snorted. "Ah, if only you had put in as much effort into our marriage as you did your work and house... Maybe we could have actuallysted." Pandora rolled her eyes. "If you actually loved me and not the money you are drooling after right now, we could have been happy." she corrected quickly. "Wow. How did you expect me to like you when even your parents abandoned you? I''m not a saint, Pandora." "Out," she hissed through her gritted teeth. "Get out this second!" she yelled louder this time. "You''ll do well handing the house over before I drag you back to court. Mackenna and I are trying for a baby and we need a house to raise our family." Derrik responded angrily, knowing he was getting on her nerves then. "Then get a job like a normal man and pay for a house," she sneered.] "Well, I can''t because I have to look after Mackenna. We need all the help so that the baby is safe." He stopped talking and looked at her menacingly. "Oh, I understand now, you don''t want me to have children because your broken body can''t have any."] She shook her head, having enough of his nonsense. She pushed him against the chest and toward the door. "You are pathetic, you know that? You can go around telling your sob story to everyone, but at the end of the day, I will be getting this house. I promise you," he said before storming away. Pandora mmed the door shut and locked it. She sank to the floor and tears started to drip down her face without her permission. It was strange how a year of her life couldpletely change how she felt about the man she thought was her soulmate.[ The love she had felt for Derrik had slowly morphed into hatred. A hatred so deep that the tears were short-lived and it gave her the energy to get off the floor, head upstairs and change for bed.] "This house is mine. I gave him ten years of my life and I won''t let him take away another moment of happiness from me."[] With that mantra in ce, she closed her eyes and dreamed. Her dreams were gued with taunts from Derrik and Mackenna. She tried to push them away, but she tumbled instead. She waited for the fall to hurt but two strong arms wrapped around her protectively. "Hey, I''ve been looking for you," the voice said. "Why did you leave me without saying goodbye?"] Pandora turned to look at her face, but she couldn''t see him. She recognized those piercing grey eyes of his. She looked down and saw a swirl of tattoos on his arms.] "Wh-who are you?" she whispered.] "Did you forget me? It''s me, Dora... Nemo." Even though she couldn''t see his face, she could tell he was smiling. "Don''t worry. I''ll find you," he promised before disappearing.] Pandora awoke feeling rested and happier than she had when she went to bed.] Chapter 5 "Spill," Kiera said, wriggling her brows at Pandora the moment she sat down.[] "What?" she asked, looking between Keira and Sia, her friends from high school and college respectively.] "Don''t act coy. You had sex. It''s written all over your face," Sia said smugly and Kiera nodded rapidly. Pandora''s mouth dropped open in shock. Was it really written on her forehead? How tense had she looked before? "No, I didn''t," she answered stubbornly. "Yes, you did. I swear we will torture it out of you if you don''t start speaking."[] Pandora frowned at the two and motioned at the server. "I need some coffee before my lips open," she announced. In no time, the coffee was in front of them and Pandora had taken her first sip.[] "You''ve had your coffee now. What did he look like?"] She squeezed her eyes shut. "I don''t remember." When she opened them, she saw the look of worry on her friends'' faces.] "Did someone hurt you?" Sia asked urgently.[] "No." She shook her head before cing her hand over Sia''s. "We were both drunk... so drunk that I don''t remember how he looked." She stopped and remembered the bits that were still embedded in her mind. "I know he was tall, somewhat muscr, and had beautiful tattoos all over his arm."[] She bit her lip when she remembered his smoldering grey eyes. "And his eyes were grey. Other than that, I don''t remember exchanging names." She gulped. ¡°It was good. It was so good that I came a number of times. But that is all I remember."[ Sia and Kiera shared a smile. "Were you safe?" Kiera asked and Pandora''s eyes moved between the two of them.[] "I don''t even remember what he looked like. You expect me to remember if I used protection?" She dropped her head in her hands when she realized how risky her move had been. "How was I so stupid?"[] "Pandora, you are fine. But still, you should get checked out, okay?"] She was twenty-nine, had only been with two men in her life, and was going to get tested.[] "We''ll get checked out right with you," Kiera told her. "The nurse at the local clinic is so hot. I hope he is working." She smiled with a dreamy look on her face.] "Damnit, Kiera. You''ve got a boyfriend... do you remember Ron or not?" Sia yelled and pped Kiera''s shoulder.[] "So what? That doesn''t mean I can''t enjoy looking at a handsome man. I am not cheating on Ron. And he knows I find nurses hot." She shrugged. Pandora snorted because if Kiera wasn''t her childhood friend and she didn''t know better, she wouldn''t know if Kiera was in her right mind or not.] Sia extended her hand to Pandora. "Come on. Let''s go to the clinic and get this over with."]] -0 "Miss Leonard," the nurse called. Pandora waved at her friends and walked into the room. She had decided that since she needed to get her routine check-up the next month, she would get it over with in one go. "I will be doing your exam today. If you can change into this ady on the table, I''l get my assistant and be back in a few minutes. Pandora undressed after the door closed. Momentster, the nurse was back with someone in tow. As she set out to do the exam, she exined each step to Pandora. "Everything looks clear. We will have your results in a few days. Now, we just need to do your blood work." Pandora nodded and the nurse helped her sit up. "As it has only been a few days, you will need toe back for a pregnancy test."] She gulped and shook her head. "There is no need for that." The nurse stopped what she was doing and turned to Pandora. "I can''t have kids." I''m so sorry," she muttered, taking the needle out of Pandora''s arm. "You will receive your results back in a few days but you do need toe back in three months time for another blood draw and test. It''s just procedure."] "If anything unusual pops up, juste back. You can get dressed now; we''re finished for the day."] Pandora sighed as the nurse walked away and slowly got dressed. She was surprised to find Sia and Kiera both waiting for her.]] "Come on. It''s girls'' night out!" Sia said, picking up on her horrible mood.[] As they munched on an extremely cheesy pizza and sipped on their wine, Kiera went back to the topic of the mysterious man. "Tell me more. How was it?" "I don''t remember!" Pandora protested. "You remember some stuff. I can see it in your eyes. They ze over when you think about him," Kiera said, reminding her just how well her friends knew her.] She licked her lips and took a moment to form the words. "His body was... firm. And I remember that he made meugh and smile and feel good." She shook her head and bit her lip. "I just knew he was more worried about making me feel good than getting off himself." She shook her head a little. "I felt... wanted." She didn''t have any other words to exin what she had experienced.] "I think we need to track this guy down." Kiera''s eyes sparkled with determination. Their eyes met and Pandora raised her brow to ask how. "Any man that makes you smile like that... I need to see him and I want him to be beside you and keep that smile on your face." "It was a one-night stand with a stranger, Ki. Nothing more." She didn''t miss the sadness in her voice as she said that.[] Kiera frowned and opened her mouth to argue, but Pandora stopped her.[] "All I remember is the joking nickname we shared. I don''t even know what his real name is. Of the millions of people in Vegas that day... how do you think I can find him?" She was unable to hide the pain of how true her words were.[] "Dora..." Sia whispered sadly. "It''s fine. I''ll be just fine."] "Enough moping around!" Kiera pped her hands and jumped up. "You don''t need a man. All you need is Sia, me, and your very ''personal'' assistant. Kiera produced a brand-new vibrator and handed it to Pandora. "This is your birthday gift. Bted happy birthday, bitch." sheughed.] Even though Pandora rolled her eyes, she felt grateful that the vibrator was in a sealed box. "This is what every girl needs. Besides her two best friends, that is,¡± shemented, agreeingpletely Chapter 6 Pandora groaned, still feeling tired after ten hours of sleep. As she sat up, she felt a wave of dizziness ovee her. Before she couldy back down, her stomach turned. She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, hoping and praying she wouldn''t puke on the floor. She hunched over the toilet and heaved. Nothing really came up. She didn''t have time to be sick. And she willed her body to stop without much result. When the retching finally stopped, she dragged herself to the sink to clean up. Still, her stomach felt ufortable. As the day passed, she felt worse. Nothing seemed to help with the nausea she was feeling. She tried to force down the lunch before resting her head on the desk, hoping a short nap would make her feel better.[] Sleep made everything better, right?] "They pay you to sleep at work?" she heard Derrik say. She jumped at the sound of his voice, but it was her stomach that made it worse. She covered her mouth and looked at him.] "What?" he said irritably, staring her down.] "I want to puke just looking at your face," Pandora said bluntly.[] "Don''t get cheeky with me just because you''re having a terrible day." Derrik''s smug grin made her feel terrible. Here," he said, throwing a stack of papers on her desk. She looked through them angrily when she realized he was trying to force her into selling the house. "What is this? Derrik, don''t you understand? You''re not getting my house and I am not going to give you the money either!"] Derrik''s next words were loud enough for everyone in the office to hear. "You''re a selfish piece of shit. Sitting here, all high and mighty, but you look ugly and all wrinkled. You make me sick. What the hell did I see in you?" He paused for a second before resuming. "Now that you look exactly like you did while we were married, you''re all ugly again. The fake extensions did make you look a little better. Why did I ever want a worthless and ugly woman like you?"] "Get out," Pandora gritted out. She felt her colleagues looking her way. "Because of you, my girl lost another baby," Derrik said, this time his voice a whisper. She could hear the pain in his voice, but she didn''t give a damn about what Derrik felt. "That is none of my problem." She picked up the papers and threw them in the trash. "Get out right now. And if I see you here again, I will get a restraining order against you. Did I make myself clear?" she challenged.] Derrik narrowed her eyes but he didn''t move a muscle, defying her. Pandora picked up the phone and dialed the security head. "Get this piece of shit out of my office. Make sure to let the other security detail know that he is no longer wee here."[] "We are not done here, Pandora!" Derrik hissed as he was pulled out of her office by security.[] Pandora had to cover her mouth and she slowly sat down on her chair. She tried her best to breathe through her nose, willing the nausea away. -0 Pandora sleepily walked to the front door, knowing that Keira said she would take her to work. It had been three weeks since she woke up feeling sick and it was not getting any better. In fact, she felt worse than before. She almost got into an ident the night before because she felt woozy while driving. Opening the door, Pandora allowed Keira in before moving to her couch and lying down on it.[] "It has been three weeks. I think it is time you went to a doctor," Keira said as she felt her head.[] "It''s just a bug," Pandora muttered weakly and then pressed her lips together when she saw her friend frowning down at her. "What did the clinic say about your tests?" Pandora blinked because she had no idea what the other was talking about. "Last month you got tested for STDs remember?" Pandora slowly sat up. "I never heard back from them. Damn it, I must have missed their calls. Do you think he gave me something?" she yelped as her heart started racing. Keira looked worried but ced a fake smile on her face. "Let''s go to the doctor''s office and get you checked out, okay?"] "I can''t. I need to go to work," she said, knowing if she didn''t get on the road, she would bete to work... again.] Keira shook her head. "I am calling your boss and taking you to the doctor."] Pandora groaned, deciding it was best not to fight in her condition. She curled up, and closed her eyes. Her eyes drifted close as she heard Keira speaking to someone on the phone.[] "Hey," she said, pushing Pandora''s hair back. "You need to get up and dressed. Your doctor''s appointment is in an hour."] Pandora nodded and slowly sat up. Her eyes drifted to the clock and she found it was almost two in the afternoon. "Oh no!" she muttered. "It''s fine. I called in for you. Now get dressed."] Pandora shook as she thought about how she had not taken a sick day in all the years she had been working. She went to her room and grabbed some loose clothes. Keira helped her into the car and drove slowly to the doctor''s office, making sure she didn''t feel sick again. Pandora was thankful that she didn''t need to wait with other patients and was ushered into the doctor''s office. "I checked your results and the tests came back clean. Do you think you could be pregnant?" the nurse asked. "I saw that you didn''t do the follow-up." Pandora shook her head at the nurse. "That''s not possible. I have a history."]] "Let''s do the test, just to be clear."[] "Stranger things have happened," Keira said and the nurse just hummed. "Give me a urine sample and we can go from there?" the nurse prompted.[] And Pandora did just that. After a few minutes of wait and Pandora frowned as the nurse looked at the pregnancy stick with a smile. "Just as I thought. You''re pregnant."] The nurse ced the test down on the table beside her to see. Pandora''s eyes fell on the positive sign on it. "I can''t be," she said, her voice barely over a whisper. Her eyes flitted between her friend and the nurse, who both looked ecstatic. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She remembered a story where a woman got a false pregnancy test positive and ended up having cancer.] "It must be cancer," she sobbed out. She looked at the nurse who was shaking her head. "Ma''am. It''s not cancer," she replied. "The stories you hear online are about a man who had cancer and took a pregnancy test. It''s not the same thing Pandora, just take a scan and you will know what is going on, right?"II The doctor isn''t here today, but I am a licensed technician. I can sign you up and perform the scan for you." She paused. "I want you o calm down so that we can take a look and see what is going on. Okay?"] andora sighed before nodding. Soon, she was pulling her pants off and sitting on the table. The nurse prepped her and told her what o expect. Pandora gripped the bed as the scan proceeded.[] The nurse made humming noises before she stopped moving. "There you go," she murmured and turned the screen for Pandora to see. Do you see that?" she asked as she pointed at the screen.[] Yes," Pandora said, nodding. She frowned as she looked at the bean-shaped mass. "What is it? Is that the cancer?" she asked.[] The nurse frowned. "That''s your baby," she corrected.[] Pandora looked at her and then back to the screen, feeling a sob rip out of her mouth.[] (n Chapter 7 Keira helped her sit on her couch and walked away. Pandora knew she was still in the house because she could hear the other move around the house. She was speaking to someone, but Pandora had no idea who it was.[] "Here, have some tea," she said, cing a cup in Pandora''s hand. Her hands lingered. "You got it?" she asked and Pandora looked down before tightening her grip on the cup. "I''m going to have a baby?" she questioned, still thinking that the universe was ying a cruel joke on her. "You are," Keira confirmed.] "This is real, right? It''s not a joke."] "No, it''s not a joke." Keira rubbed her shoulder.[] "I''m going to be a mom?"] Keira squinted, reevaluating Pandora''s sanity.] "Derrik and I tried for years and nothing happened. I didn''t even mistake myself to be pregnant. But I sleep with a random guy and I am immediately pregnant?"] A stranger whom she didn''t remember, whose face she had forgotten, let alone what his name was.[] "What''s wrong, honey?" Keira asked, worried.] ¡°I don''t know who my baby''s daddy is. I am going to end up like those girls on reality television whom weugh at to relieve stress."] "Stop, Pandora. It''s going to be okay. What do you know, we could ce an ad on Craiglist or Facebook and find the man," Keira stated bluntly. Pandora''s sobs stopped abruptly and she red at her friend. "What are we going to write? A recently divorced woman went to Vegas for work. She wanted a good time and went out to club, got drunk, and slept with a stranger whose name she doesn''t know. She does remember what his eyes and his body look like." Pandora scoffed. "Give the date and ask him to call the divorced slut because she has some shocking news for him?"] Keira frowned at her, but Pandora raised her head and stared at the ceiling. "How am I supposed to find him? I don''t know how I could do it without feeling any cheaper than I already do. He should know, even if he runs away after hearing the news. He has a right to know that he has fathered a child, right?"[] Keira sighed and pulled Pandora into her arms. She didn''t have any of the answers, so all she could do wasfort her pregnant and distraught friend. -0 "I have an appointment with Dr. Parks?" Pandora said to the woman behind the desk of the hospital.] "What''s your name?" she asked without looking up.[] "Mrs. Pr-" She cut herself off and cleared her throat. "Leonard," she said as the woman looked at Pandora over the rim of her sses.] "Well, Mrs. Pr-Leonard "Pandora frowned at the snide sound of her voice, but because she felt terrible, she chose to let it go. "You will need to fill out these forms." She shoved a clipboard into her hand and then looked back down at her screen Pandora sat down and filled in her details. At the mention of her next of kin, she put down her father''s name. Her father who had another family. She wrote and let out a small groan, knowing she would have to tell her father. She knew her father would support her, but the man was conservative. Marriage came before babies in his mind.[] "Mrs. PrLeonard?" a nurse called and then confusion overcame her. "Am I reading your name right?" she said.[] Pandora cast a disdainful look at the woman behind the desk. She clearly knew it was a slip of the tongue, but she still screwed with her pregnant patient. "My surname is Leonard," Pandora said as she stood up.[] The nurse nodded before motioning for her to join her down the hall. Pandora followed her into the room.] "Doctor Parks will be with you for a new patient consult. Please wait a few minutes."] The nurse walked back out and Pandora started looking around. Her usual doctor had retired and Dr. Parks had recently taken over her position. She didn''t know the man but she did see a picture of him on the desk. She lifted it up unconsciously and ignored the pang of pain in her heart as she appraised the picture. It looked like the doctor''s wedding photo. She doesn''t look old enough to be married but the stunning man next to her looks at her with fondness. The man was definitely older by a few years.] "Sorry I took so long," a man says, making Pandora jump. She turned to see that she didn''t have the woman in the photograph. Instead, the handsome man who looked fondly at the woman stood before her.] "Hello," Pandora stuttered and stood up quickly as he walked in her direction. ¡°Hello, I''m Doctor Parks,¡± he said immediately, holding his hand out for her to take. She went to take it and groaned inside when she realized she was holding his photograph. "I''m so sorry," she muttered before cing the frame down and then going back to shake his hand. "I''m Leonard... Uh... Pandora Leonard," she cleared her throat. She pressed her eyes closed when she heard himugh. He must have known about the little slip- up outside.[] "Please take a seat, Mrs. Leonard."[] "Pandora," she told him quietly. It had been almost a month since she had changed her name but it still sounded weird to be called by her maiden surname. Doctor Parks nodded and picked up her paperwork. He looked through it while Pandora appraised him. He didn''t look much older than he did in the photograph, so it must have been taken a year or two prior. His head tilted up and she got the feeling that he was looking at her, but with his thick, tinted sses, Pandora couldn''t be sure. "All your paperwork is in order. I see a history of severe endometriosis, so we will need to keep a close eye on how your pregnancy proceeds. Today, I will look you over and check everything. I would also like to perform a scan and draw a blood sample. How does that sound to you?" His smooth voice made her feel dizzy and weak.] "Sounds good," she agreed quickly. With how good his voice sounded, she would agree to anything he asked her to do.] "Please get changed in the small room there. Once you are done, go through the other door into the examination room," he ordered while pointing to a door. Pandora got up quickly and changed into the ugly down. When she walked out, she saw him and the nurse already in the examination room. They charted her vitals and the nurse walked away momentarily. "Do you mind if I draw your blood myself?" Dr. Parks asked and she frowned at him. "Most people don''t like doctors to draw their blood because we don''t do it as often as nurses. I like to keep my skills up to par and do it once a day. One never knows when it wille to use " looking at her, but with his thick, tinted sses, Pandora couldn''t be sure.[] "All your paperwork is in order. I see a history of severe endometriosis, so we will need to keep a close eye on how your pregnancy proceeds. Today, I will look you over and check everything. I would also like to perform a scan and draw a blood sample. How does that sound to you?" His smooth voice made her feel dizzy and weak.] "Sounds good," she agreed quickly. With how good his voice sounded, she would agree to anything he asked her to do. "Please get changed in the small room there. Once you are done, go through the other door into the examination room," he ordered while pointing to a door. Pandora got up quickly and changed into the ugly down. When she walked out, she saw him and the nurse already in the examination room. They charted her vitals and the nurse walked away momentarily. "Do you mind if I draw your blood myself?" Dr. Parks asked and she frowned at him. "Most people don''t like doctors to draw their blood because we don''t do it as often as nurses. I like to keep my skills up to par and do it once a day. One never knows when it wille to use." "Carry on," Pandora urged, feeling at ease with him. When he stuck the needle into her, she turned her head to the nurse. The woman was definitely swooning because the expression on her face was dreamy. "With that done, I can examine you and then we will perform the scan. Most doctors sent patients to a tech, but I like to do it myself for my higher-risk patients. Please lie down on the table," he said, offering her a hand to help her lie down on the bed.] She followed his words. Even the part where she had to put her legs up on the stirrups. She was well-groomed but that didn''t mean she wanted to be stared at. Chapter 8 "If you are ready, we can begin with the breast exam?" he asked but she got the feeling that he was staring at her. Pandora looked his way but his head was not positioned in a way that he could look at her. "I will be touching you now. My hands are warm." "That''s fine," she said nervously. "It will be hard for you to do the exam without touching me."]] His soft hands touched her breasts, sending tingles throughout her body. He took his time as he pressed and moved his fingers over her. Once he was finished, he covered her back up with the sheet provided. Of course, by this point, her nipples were hard and tenting the sheet in two spots.] "You have a small stature. Is your husband tall?" Dr. Parks asked.[] Pandora frowned, looking up at him. "He''s-" She cut herself short as Derrik wasn''t her husband any longer. How did she answer that question? The doctor obviously didn''t need her exnation but she was curious as to why he needed to know how tall Derrik was.] "Is he over six feet?" Pandora nodded, still confused.] "I ask because if the baby''s father is taller than six feet, there is a high chance that your baby will be hig. Due to you being so small added to the fact that you have scar tissue from surgery, you may have trouble with natural childbirth."] "Oh," she whispered, trying to remember how tall her mystery man was. She was brought out of her thoughts as she felt Dr. Parks'' hands move the sheets up her leg. She gasped softly and squeezed her eyes closed.] "Are you alright, Pandora?" he asked, but she could feel his warmth on her skin. Her eyes sprang open. "Yes," she said and he grinned at her. His smile made her heart race and herdy bits felt like they were being tickled. They definitely wanted his attention.] "I will need to insert this to do a pelvic exam, and then we will use an Internal Doppler to get a look at baby Leonard, okay?"] Pandora felt the blood drain from her face, knowing that the good doctor would know that she was aroused. She cursed internally. "It will not hurt," he said with a small but reassuring squeeze of her hand. "Okay, here we-" He cut himself off, and even though he couldn''t see his face, she knew he had found out. "Go," he finished after a skipped beat.[] "Okay, Mrs. Leonard," he said, sounding oddly and overly professional.[] "Pandora, please," she said in a low voice, ducking her face down. She didn''t know how this situation was going to work. She had embarrassed herselfpletely in front of her doctor. As he finished the pelvic exam, she felt him remove the device. She heard him moving things around and she could only nod as he told her that he was going to insert the Doppler next.[] "Pandora,¡± he said, still sounding professional, but there was a hint of softness to it then. "This is your baby," he carried on, but Pandora was unable to look his way. §­ "Pandora, you need to look at the screen," he called in a softer voice. Pandora closed her eyes and moved her head up, only opening them again when she was sure she was looking at the screen. "What''s that?" she asked, seeing a small doting and going. "That''s the baby''s heartbeat." Dr. Parks grinned and her head snapped in his direction, forgetting all about how she was trying to avoid him "That''s the baby''s heartbeat." Dr. Parks grinned and her head snapped in his direction, forgetting all about how she was trying to avoid him. "Really?" she gasped. "My little bean has a heartbeat?" She felt her heart flutter more as she looked at his smile.[] "Bean?" he repeated. "Yes, would you like to hear it?" She nodded and he pressed a switch. The room was filled with the sound of thumping. "I''m going to have a baby," she blurted out. She covered her mouth and held back a sob. "It sounds a bit like rain falling on metal, doesn''t it?" shemented with her hand still over her mouth.[] "Pandora, are you okay?" Dr. Parks asked and she nodded before shaking her head. "Just-" She felt tears leak out of her eyes. "I never imagined I would get pregnant," she told him. "Bean is going to be okay, right? I won''t lose bean, will I?" she pleaded.] She watched as his brows furrowed and his head shifted to the nurse beforeing back to her. "Everything looks good but there is always a risk, Pandora."] After everything she had been through. All the years of trying for a baby and failing miserably, she could only cry. Her mother walked out on her, Derrik cheated and they divorced. But none of those things hurt as much as the mere thought of losing her baby. She wanted to tell Dr. Parks that she was okay, but all that came out was a quivering sob.[] "Why don''t you get dressed and I will meet you back in the office," Dr. Park said with more warmth than Derrik had used during their years of marriage. His kindness made her pull herself together. She knew she could trust this man with her baby. She felt his hand touch her arm and she looked at him. His eyes locked with hers and she felt a strange connection moving between them. She still couldn''t see his eyes clearly, but she knew they held softness and love in them. "Go ahead and get dressed," he said quickly and dashed out of the room. 1. om. "Let me help you up," the nurse interjected as she guided Pandora into a sitting position.] Once she was on her feet, the nurse let her go. Pandora walked back into the changing room. After getting dressed, she knocked on the door to Dr. Parks'' office, and he told her toe in.[] "Please take a seat, Pandora," he said, sounding professional again.] "I''m sorry for being so emotional," she apologized for her inappropriate behavior, but also her crying. Chapter 9 "Have you lost a baby before?¡°] She shook her head. "After the diagnosis and surgery, I was told that the chances were slim that I would get pregnant." Dr. Parks sighed before nodding. "I take it that you have been trying for a while, then?"] "Yes, we tried for years, starting as soon as we got married. But nothing and now-" she said but stopped herself from blurting out her dirty secret. She felt his hand touch hers and she opened her eyes to see a silver wedding band on his finger. The image of him being so happy in his wedding photo hit her again and only made her cry harder. Again, she asked herself why she had to choose and marry an asshole. "I can''t promise that everything will be okay, but I will watch over you. I would like to see you every week until you give birth. ording to the scan, you look about eight weeks along. That means you have another seven months to go." Pandora agreed, feeling a little better that he was willing to watch over her so carefully.] "Do you work?" he asked, removing his hand from hers. "Yes," she replied.] "Make sure they know and take it easy. I will let you know when you should stop working but let''s say around seven months for now, depending on how big the baby gets." Pandora nodded as he raised an eyebrow. "Keep your stress levels to the minimum."] Pandora let out a snort and when she noticed his curious expression, she shook her head. There was no way she would tell him that her ex-husband was adamant about making her life a living hell. And she had no idea who the baby''s father was or how to find him.[] Dr. Parks gave her tips on how to ovee morning sickness. He said that she would eat small amounts and often. In the end, he made an appointment for her to see him the following week. "Have a great week, Pandora," he said, offering her his hand. She took it again and her body was hit with desire and need. She wanted his hands to be all over her. "Bye," she squeaked out.] ''He is married!'' she yelled at herself as she walked out hastily. She let out the breath she was holding when she was finally out of the building. "I should change to another doctor," she muttered as she slid into her car. Her phone beeped just as she pulled on her seatbelt. "Hey, Kiera."] "How did it go?" Keira asked impatiently. Ana chuckled a little, knowing that she wanted toe along to the appointment but couldn''t get time off work.[] "He wants to see me every week," Pandora informed. "And I got several copies of photos." She looked at the scan photos again.] "Does it feel real now?" "Yes, more so because I heard Bean''s heartbeat," she said, making Keira gasp ¡°That''s it, I don''t care about work. Next time, I aming with you. If they don''t give me the day off, then I am calling in sick. Your G "Keira... you need to be at work. Your office can''t run without you," Pandora reminded I took this job thinking I would have an easy life and loads of benefits. They were tricking me! Pandora giggled as Keira whined about her job on the call I have to go. Some troublemaker brought fireworks into the girl''s locker room. I need to put some sense into them," she sighed. "Well, see you this weekend," Pandora said before hanging up] She headed back to work. No sooner had she arrived than she headed to her boss''s office. Aron was her boss in name, but in truth, he was her father''s age and had taken her under his wing long ago. He had be a dear friend and even wanted to introduce her as his god daughter. Of course, none of the staff members knew of this [] Pandora insisted on doing her job silently and staving off anyone thinking that she used underhanded means to get her promotions. Her talent was what got her to the top of thedder.[] "Afternoon, Pandora," Aron, her boss, smiled as she walked in.[] "I thought I should tell you that I am pregnant." His face seemed to drop as he looked at her. "I''m two months along," she whispered.] "You went back to Derrik?" he asked and she shook her head.[] "It''s just someone I met and we hit it off..." she trailed off and waved her hand. "What does this man say about the pregnancy?"] "Well... I lost his number and he is out of town. So, for now, he doesn''t know."] Aron raised a brow, almost as if he didn''t believe a word she was saying. "Does your father know yet?" Of course, as a trustworthy elder, he would go there. And Pandora didn''t want to answer that question.] "I n on telling him tonight." "Parents hate not knowing what is happening in their children''s lives. He might get worried because you will sound off until youe clean." "I will tell him tonight," Pandora reassured him.] "Good. Let me know if you need some time off. You haven''t been looking good these past few days."] "Thank you," she responded snarkily.] "My mother looked better at her funeral than you do. And she was dead for a while by then," Aron retorted.[] "Okay, you need to stop," Pandora muttered, standing up. "I just tell the truth ast see it," Aronughed as Pandora waved her hand and walked out. She did notice that her colleagues looked quite a bit worried about her. Maybe she did look awful after being sick. What happened to getting a glow- up while pregnant? Why was she not one of the more fortunate ones? Pandora could only wonder. Still, she would follow Doctor Parks'' advice and cross her fingers. Hopefully, his tips would help her feel better Chapter 10 Pandora looked at her dad''s house, taking a few deep breaths, trying to muster up the courage to go inside.[ ''I am a grown woman with a job, a car, and a house!'' she told herself, but she also had that small voice in the back of her mind repudiate. ''Did you forget the ex- husband whom your father asked you not to marry?''] Pandora groaned, knowing she was about to start her engine and just leave with how conflicted her thoughts were.[] She jumped when she heard a sharp knock on her car''s window. "Sorry." Nina smiled as she looked through the window. Pandora let out a nervousugh and opened her car door. ¡°Is everything alright?" Nina asked as she looked her stepdaughter over.[] "Yeah," Pandora muttered and shut the door.[] Nina and she walked to the house the older woman shared with her father. They had known each other since high school. They went from being close friends to raising Pandora together. Nina''s husband cheated on her ten years ago and Pandora''s father, Walter, stuck by her side.[] Her father had just retired from being a prosecutor and started his ownw firm around the time and Nina became one of his first clients. Of course, Nina couldn''t stay with her estranged husband during a divorce, so she asked Walter if she could rent a room in his house. And as months passed, the two fell in love and got married. This was a few months before Pandora''s marriage fell apart. "Hello, dear," Walter said, looking up from his paper. "Pandora?" he carried on when he noticed his daughter. He put the paper away, frowning. "You look terrible." Pandora rolled her eyes before sitting down. Why did people think it was okay to point out that she didn''t look as lovely as usual? Wouldn''t they assume that people who looked like crap probably felt like crap as well? She somehow doubted anyone wanted to be reminded that they looked like hell had frozen over.] "Is there something wrong?" Nina asked and touched Pandora''s hand.[] "Not really," she whispered.[] As her eyes stayed on Pandora''s, she frowned.] "What''s wrong? Do I need to call the doctor?" her dad inquired frantically.[] "No, Dad. I already saw the doctor," she said. This information further worried her father.] "How bad is it?" ''Depending on how bad you think it is to have a daughter who is divorced and pregnant. At least, I am not dying, right?" Pandora thought about her response before taking a deep breath.] "I''m pregnant," she let out the news finally.[] Walter just looked at her, his brows pulled together. His mouth opened but he quickly closed it to rub his fingers over his chin. He looked thoughtful and confused. "How?" he asked, seeming that it was the only word he could say after a long time.[] "Dad, I think you are old enough to know how babies are made," she joked] Walter crossed his arm and gave her the look. The same look her prosecutor father had used to make grown and hardened criminals confess their terrible crimes. The look made her buckle and spill all her secrets [] "I was drunk and met a friend in the bar. One thing led to another." She knew she was not telling him the truth, but it wasn''t a Her father looked away from her and sped his hands in front of him. "I have never been fond of Derrik, even less after what he did, but if you are going to have a baby with him. I will get over my hatred for him."] Of course, her father sensed that she had lied, but he had gotten the contents wrong. She couldn''t believe Walter thought she would allow Derrik to touch her. It was bad enough that they were in the same city. Never again would she share her body with that man.] "That was a lie. I hate that jerk and always will. I can''t help but think of ways to kill him if I see him again. But, I will make sure my grandchild will never know of my hate for his father."] Pandora couldn''t help herself anymore and let out a snort. She walked over to her father and hugged him. ¡°It''s not Derrik''s,¡± she said. When she pulled away, she saw her father''s curious look. She let out a deep sigh and said the truth. "I was drunk and met someone I only knew little about. One thing led to another and now-" She waved her hand around her stomach.] Walter rubbed his face before he spoke. "I love you, Pandora. And we will support you no matter what. But I think you need to call this man and tell him about the baby. Who knows, he might be your happily ever after."] Pandora snorted and he tapped her arm gently. Just trying to give hope to my daughter. I also want hope that my daughter will marry a good man and have a baby on the way."] "I was married, Dad, no baby... but married. Now, I don''t have a husband but a baby on the way," she chuckled. It was a good exchange, in her opinion.[] "I am here for you," Walter said, kissing the side of Pandora''s head.] "So, I can be excited then?" Nina asked, pping her hands in excitement.] "If you must," Walter answered, sounding nonchnt.[] "Of course, I should!" Nina eximed, hugging Pandora to her. After she got home, Pandora ran a bath. She had just propped her head on a bath pillow and closed her eyes when a loud bang made her jump. She looked around the room as her brain tried to work out what it was. The loud thumping sound came again, but this time she was able to determine that someone was knocking on her front door.] Her heart pounded as there was a third round of knocking. This time, it sounded more like they were trying to break her door down Chapter 11 She quickly got out of the tub and put on her bathrobe before grabbing her cell phone. Instantly, she jumped as it started to vibrate in her hands. She hissed when she saw Derrik''s name shing on her screen. She pressed ept to answer the call and forewent all formalities when she spoke. "That better not be you at the door!" she stated as she went to the window.[] "Get your ass here and let me in!" Derrik sneered.]] "Fuck you," she hissed out and disconnected the call. Right away, she dialed the emergency number. "I warned the asshole, this is on him," she muttered as she waited for someone to respond. "Pandora!" she heard Derrik yell and he started pounding on the door again.] "What is the address of your emergency?" The monotone male voice asked over the phone.[] ¡°Pandora!¡± Derrik yet again bellowed followed by the pounding on her door.[] She stated her address, her voice breaking. "Answer the fucking door, you stupid bitch!" Derrik screamed again, continuing to pound on the door.[] "What is the nature of your emergency?"] "I need the cops. There is a man trying to break into my home," she informed quickly.[] "Pandora!" Derrik yelled again and she looked down through the window at him.[] "Are you alone?" the operator asked.] "Yes." "Pandora, let me in or I swear to God!" Derrik sounded so angry that she was worried about her safety. "Ma''am, is that him yelling in the background?"] Pandora closed her eyes, hating that the abusivenguage was being heard by someone she didn''t know. "Yes, it is him. He is my ex-husband. Please, I have asked him to stay away several times. He will not leave me alone and I am pregnant," she cried. She covered her mouth, hoping to stop babbling. The operator didn''t need to know all that information.[] "Ma''am, calm down. Take a slow and deep breath," the man encouraged.[] Pandora nced out of the window and saw Derrik re at her. His fists were clenched and he called her more derogatory names. "I am not going anywhere until you get down here, let me in, and talk to me."[] Pandora shook her head and ryed the words to the operator.[] "Someone is nearby and they will be with you any minute now. Stay on the line with me until they arrive. This is for your protection. The recording is picking up on the things he is yelling." Just as he said those words, Pandora saw the shing lights of a police car.[] "You called the police on me, you stupid bitch?" Derrik yelled at her. "They are here," she whispered as the police car pulled into the driveway.] "Thank you," she muttered before disconnecting the call. She looked out of the window again and saw two officers walking up to Derrik. She sighed softly and walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs. She made it to the front door just as a soft knock was made on it.[] She looked through the viewfinder and saw an officer''s head. She unlocked the door and pulled it open.[] "Hello," he started but paused. "Pandora?"]] She frowned as the cop removed his hat and revealed his face to her. A smile spread across her lips and she breathed in relief. ¡°Milton." "What? You really are a whore. Why the hell would you call the police? We just need to talk!" Derrik hissed at her. "Sir, I have asked you to shut up," Milton said, looking over his shoulder. "Do you want us to arrest him?" Milton carried on after turning to her.] Before she could speak, Derrik responded on her behalf. "No, she doesn''t. Pandora, we need to talk about the baby."[] She swallowed having no idea how Derrik had found out. ¡°I can''t believe you could be so selfish as to get pregnant when Mackenna and I just lost our second baby. This will not bring me back to you. Your stupid games only make me more disgusted with you."]] The hate in Derrik''s voice was so clear that Pandora would have known he hated her without himying it out so clearly. "You''re nothing but a washed-up slut," he carried on with a sneer.[] "That''s it. You''re under arrest," Milton responded as he approached Derrik. "What the hell for?" Derrik remarked, trying to pull away from Milton. "You are causing a disturbance," Milton answered. Derrik tried to pull away yet again. ¡°Stop resisting arrest or I will add it to your charges!" "You are not going to arrest me-"] Milton cut Derrik off mid-rant, by pushing him down to the ground in one swoop. Once the handcuffs were on his wrists, Milton pulled him to his feet and led him to the cop car. He left his partner to deal with Derrik and returned to speak to Pandora. "You should think about getting a restraining order against him."] Pandora simply nodded because she couldn''t form words.] "Come to the station and see me tomorrow," Milton carried on and ced a card in her hand. She looked down at the card and noticed that he was supposed to be working in the station and not patrolling. "Have you leaped out of your office to not do boring work?" she asked, barely able to hide her sob. "Yes, I enjoy going out and making sure my officers are doing their jobs properly. I have to learn all the new tricks, you know," he chuckled. "Now, get some rest. You are safe tonight. He will not be out of jail until tomorrow morning. And I will see you then." Milton gave her a reassuring smile before walking back to the car. As they drove away, Pandora could feel Derrik''s re the whole time.] She went to close the front door and was shocked to see the muddy footprint clear on it. "That asshole," she gritted out through her teeth. She shook her head and closed the door. She locked it carefully and left cleaning the footprint from the door for ater time. Chapter 12 "Where is my bracelet?" she asked herself as she looked through her jewelry box. She groaned, unable to find it. She closed her eyes, trying to remember where she hadst worn it. But she wasn''t fully awake and after a night of no sleep because of Derrik, it was hard to function. Just as she was about to give up, she imagined the bracelet on her wrist. She could feel someone touching her softly and with so many emotions that it made her whole body tingle from that one spot on her wrist.[] "Where did you get this?" a smooth voice with the smell of alcohol asked, and her eyes sprang open.[] "Vegas," she dered and she shuddered. She moved to the closet and got her bag. She took out the small jewelry bag she had taken with her. She dumped everything out and grabbed her bracelet. As she put it on, a silver ring caught her eye. "Where did thate from?" She lifted it up to inspect.[] It was a simple silver band. She frowned at it and turned it around in her fingers. Suddenly, what looked like an engraving caught her sight. She held the ring close to her ring and read the inscription.[] ''Nemo and Dora.'' It also mentioned a date and the letters B on one side while a P was on the other.[] She swallowed and her hand closed around it. She knew it was something that her mystery man had given her.[] "I know it''s not much, Bean, but I will keep looking for him, I am going to keep this safe for you." She looked through many chains and found a silver one which would go well with the band. She slipped the ring through it before putting it around her neck.I[] She looked at herself in the mirror and could almost imagine ''Nemo'' behind her, kissing her neck.[] ''I''ve never felt like this before,'' he would whisper as his heated breath warmed her neck. Slowly, the illusion disappeared, leaving her alone in the room.] "Come on. Let me remember something!" she said, looking up at the ceiling. "After this terrible year, it''s only getting better. If I can divorce a psychopath sessfully, finding a random man would be easy!" she said out loud to give herself some hope.[] She walked out the door, only stopping to pick up her jacket, and then headed to work. She had only been at work for an hour when someone walked into the office. She looked up to find the boss'' assistant. "Pandora, Aron wants to see you."]] She nodded, grabbed her tablet in case she needed it, and moved away from her desk. She walked into Aron''s office and greeted him.] "Pandora, you don''t look very well today and your assistant handed in your paperwork so you could leave early. What is going on here?" "I''m fine. I just need to step out and go to the police station to file a restraining order. As you know, the city and paperwork take forever," she mumbled and Aron''s eyes opened wide. Pandora groaned, "I''m sorry. I am really tired because I didn''t sleep wellst night." She knew that her brain wasn''t working properly still.[] "What happened?" Aron asked, rather frustrated.] "Derrik decided to make a fool of himself."] And the restraining order you are filing is against Derrik, correct?] Pandora nodded. "I should have listened when everyone told me to do it right after he served me the divorce papers. I am doing it now." Aron raised a brow. "Get this handled immediately. Once you are finished at the police station, head home, and sleep. I want you to take the next two weeks off and rx."[] Pandora protested but her boss wasn''t allowing her a chance to argue. "Pandora, you need to take care of that baby. You have not taken a break in the years you have worked here and you have to take care of yourself. Now. Off you go. I don''t want to see you for two weeks. If you show your face in the office for work, you will be suspended."] "You wouldn''t do that. I am your best employee," Pandora challenged, making Aron grin.]] "You are, which is why I need you feeling your best."[] Pandora walked back to her office and picked up her things, feeling better knowing she had a few days off. She walked into the local police station and headed to the desk.] "Ma''am," the police officer greeted.[] "Hi, I am here to see Milton," she paused and produced the card out of her pocket. "He is with the Special Victims Unit." The officer nodded at her. "Your name?" "Pandora Leonard."]] He nodded again and picked up the phone. He looked over her as he spoke into the phone and then hung up. "If you will take a seat. He will be right down."] Pandora moved over to where he pointed and sat down. She was looking around and almost jumped, not having heard the door open beside her. "Pandora." "Hi," she said, standing up. "Come on in," he stated and grinned at her. She looked him over, seeing that he was back in in clothes. Well, a suit, but still in clothes. "Not wearing the uniform?" she asked as they walked.[] Miltonughed. "I only wear one if I have to go out. I am trying hard to get the point across that people are in danger if policemen walk around in in clothes."] Pandora raised a brow. "Anyone in a suit can approach you saying they are a police officer and hand over a badge. Do you know what a real one looks like?" Pandora nodded in understanding. This was the same with prosecutors and other government officials, but the police held a sort of brutal power that people feared. So, being mistaken was dangerous. "I do know what an official badge looks like, but only because my father was a prosecutor. One of the things he ground into my head was to ask for ID, and then call the station they im to be from. You always need to check. But that is not all that he taught me. He always told me not to pull over for an unmarked car or open the door to anyone without a warrant."] Chapter 13 "See! You don''t pull over for an unmarked car. Simrly, you shouldn''t be talking and going with a person who doesn''t have a uniform on. Part of why I am in the Special Victim cell." Pandora looked at him yfully. "Well, I shouldn''t be talking to you right now."[] "Here it''s fine. This is the police station, after all." "You have a point. I am taking that you wear a uniform to the first meet and greet. Then once they know you are the real deal, you walk out wearing a suit. It''s a bit like a superhero, isn''t it?"] ¡°Batman. I like batman, thank you," he said.] "Of course, the best detective in theic universe."] They walked into his office and Milton pulled out a seat and gestured for her to sit down. Once she was settled, he pulled out a seat to sit down next to her. "Your ex was let out an hour ago. He was not happy. But I did make it clear that he would be in trouble if he went anywhere near your home or work." Relief overwhelmed her. "Now, we need to work on the restraining order. The first one will be temporary and for ny days. The judge has already issued it and it was shown to Derrik before he left custody this morning. Now, we need toplete additional paperwork and I will present it to the District Attorney. We have to prove the need for the order and you will have to appear before a judge before the temporary restraint order runs out."] "Okay," she said, agreeing. But she felt like she was wasting his time for this. "Pandora, he doesn''t need to physically hurt you to be abusive. From what I sawst night, he has been abusing you mentally and you weren''t aware of it before you divorced him. Moreover, hisrgeness is intimidating and he seems to unt it pretty well. That is intimidation."] A tear slipped down her face and she quickly wiped it away. "I am not sure who he is any longer. I knew our marriage was not perfect but I took all the abuse because I didn''t understand how I... a woman with such a high-paying and powerful job could be abused, you know?" she shook her head. "I was lying to myself. I don''t have any love for him anymore and right now, he could drop dead and I wouldn''t blink an eye."] Milton smiled. "That is not a bad thing, Pandora. It means that you know you are more than what he offered you or ever gave you. You are moving on." He squeezed her hand and then leaned over to grab the paperwork. "So, let''s go through this together, shall we?"] It took a few hours to get the paperworkpleted and sent to the District Attorney. During the time, Milton told Pandora about support groups avable for her and also gave his personal phone number. She was instructed to call him right away if Derrik showed up within a hundred feet of her. He exined that all the charges were sent to the DA''s office that morning and they were trying to push for more than just the restraining order. Of course, Pandora understood these legal matters. She knew that her father could expedite all of it, but she didn''t want to bother him with her matters. "Call me even if you want to chat." he said and led her to her car. He opened the door for her. "In fact, I will text you if there is any development on the case. The no contact order started before Derrik was released this morning and he was served the papers in the courtroom "Thank you again," she chuckled. "It''s no problem Factually enjoy serving papers in full order personally"] closed it for her. Forever the gentleman. She waved at Milton before starting the car The whole thing made her nervous, but she also felt relieved at taking this important step. She felt safer.] 0 "What''s up?" Keira said as she walked into Pandora''s house.[] Hey," Sia smiled following Keira inside. "We thought that since you are still feeling unwell, we should cancel our monthly night out and make it a girl''s night in!" she eximed.] Relief shed through Pandora and she slumped back into the couch. "Thank you," she whispered, knowing the girls liked to dress up and party. That night, she didn''t feel up to it, but she didn''t want to ruin their fun either. She was d they were doing something indoors instead.] "I brought some food. We just need to heat it up." Keira said.[] "And I bear non-alcoholic mixes that won''t disappoint," Sia added.] "If it is apetition... I also brought a hard drive full of pirated movies." Keiraughed making Pandora look at the little box she was holding up. "Don''t judge me. You''re going to have a baby soon and you need to start saving money on entertainment. Babies are expensive!"] "I am financially well-off, I don''t need to teach my kid morally ambiguous things," she argued and her friend lifted her brow. "Do you even know what that means? You''re too upright of a citizen," she sighed. "I like to keep my naughtiness reserved for the hot men in books," she retorted. "Speaking of hot guys... I just remembered that I am in a sexual drought." "Pandora, you had sex a few months ago, remember?" "But I went more than a year without it," Pandora protested. "It''s not like I can go out casually either," she added, rubbing her stomach.] The conversation quickly diverted to her doctor''s appointment. ¡°So, what is your OBGYN like?" Sia asked, and Pandora''s face became hot. "He seems... nice," she cleared her throat, making the two friends look at her curiously. "Wait. Do you have a crush?" Keira giggled. Can Chapter 14 "Of course not. He''s married," she said with a nervousugh, which everyone picked up on.[] "Okay, spill," Keira demanded.] "During my exam, I-" she stopped talking. "You what?" Keira prodded.[] "I got aroused,¡± she whispered, her face hidden in her hands. She closed her eyes and dropped her eyes, her embarrassment building as the girls started tough. "Do you think he could tell?" Sia asked after controlling herughter.[] "I am sure he did. He was down there." She pointed downward. "And I was really wet."] "How wet are we talking?" Keira asked excitedly. "I would have been a water slide if I got any wetter." Theyughed, making Pandora groan. "But he didn''t say anything. I am grateful for that." Sia took hold of her hand and made her look. "Come on. A lot of women be turned on, more so during pregnancy. I am sure he has seen and dealt with that situation before. Don''t be embarrassed."] Pandora nodded, trying to feel better about the situation. "Anyway, it is better than drooling over twenty-year-old assistant teachers," she teased Keira. Keira rolled her eyes. "I can''t help it if I hot teaching assistant is ced under me," she interjected.[] Pandora raised her brow at the way she said the word.[] "My care. Nder my authority. Damn it. I just need to fill out his paperwork and write reports. The guy is hot but I am taken, remember?" "You know what?" Sia perked up. "I know just the thing to get us perked up. Pandora, remember the steampunk artist whose work you were fascinated by? She has a showing up and I got some for the three of us. From what I hear, a lot of hot men will assemble there. If not Keira, who is already taken, the two of us can feast our eyes on her predominantly male viewers, right?"] She smiled deviously. "Why are you leaving me out from sightseeing? Do you know much about her?" Keira asked.[] "Just that she is our age and her name is Lexy. Oh, she is married to a doctor," Sia said with a shrug. She pulled out the website for the show and passed it along to the other girls. "She''s so pretty," Keira smiled and Pandora''s eyes went to the picture of the artist. It was the same woman in the picture with her doctor. "Her husband is my OBGYN," Pandora informed.[] "Of all the people," Keira gasped.[] Pandora felt guiltier about what had happened. "Do you think I should apologize at my next appointment?" "What? No, leave that conversation alone, Pandora!" Keira hissed. "I don''t think it is a big deal, not unless you get turned on every time he touches you "Don''t you dare wish that on me. I don''t trust the universe not to y such a cruel joke."[] Sia became the voice of reason. "Think of it this way. A person on a vegetarian diet gets offered a free stake. Of course, it''s enticing, but it is entirely on the person to decide if they bite or not. So, your doctor is the one who decides where he stands. He is the one who is married. He is the one who made the vows in front of everyone he knows and God. You owe his wife nothing. You, of all people, should know that, right?"[] "I know it, but I feel differently. He is married and that means he is off-limits. I may not me Mackenna for what happened, but she is not meless. She knew Derrik was married and she could have walked away, making him choose," Pandora argued.] "Just like you did when you found out?¡°] "I didn''t give him a choice. I threw him out as soon as I found out. I am pretty sure if Derrik was allowed to choose, he wouldn''t choose me." Keira sighed softly. "Pandora, I don''t think you made him cheat on you, so stop being so hard on yourself. You did the right thing by kicking him to the curb." She paused again. "And you are right. Mackenna wanted him and she was relentless in her pursuit, too."] "I still say Derrik was the one who broke his voice and this is on both of them, but he still broke the vows between him and Pandora," Sia said. "Just wait and see how it goes with your new doctor. If you think your attraction is bing a problem, then we will find another OBGYN for you. Our priority is to have youfortable throughout your pregnancy."] Pandora blew out a breath as the girls kept their eyes locked on her. "Okay." The rest of the night was spentughing and watching movies. They fell asleep around two in the morning and slept well into the next afternoon. When they finally got up, they headed out for brunch at their favorite restaurant.[] They were in the middle of a conversation when Pandora''s phone started ringing. "It''s my dad," she told them. "Put it on speaker. It has been so long since I spoke to Mr. Leonard," Sia said. She clicked on the speaker button with a smile. "Hi, Dad, you''re on speaker," she warned right away. "You must be with your friends," he said quickly, sounding odd.] "Yes, I am." Pandora frowned and looked at her friends. They must have picked up on his tone as well because they were frowning, too. "Do they know that you had to call the cops on Derrik?"] Pandora gulped when she heard the gasps. "No, they didn''t," she admitted. She shook her head at the girls, silently asking them not to say anything at that moment.] "I can''t believe you never called me," her dad carried on, sounding angry and upset. "I didn''t want to worry you. And I got a restraining order against him. The officer who is dealing with the case handed it to him yesterday when he was released from jail." Chapter 15 "I don''t like how I needed to hear from the DA that my daughter was threatened. You had better report him if hees near you or even tries to make contact with you again. I mean it. He is not all there in his head, I think we know that by now." ¡°Again, I''m sorry. I promise I will. I n on getting a full restraining order, too,¡± she said, hoping to amend the situation and make her father less worried [] "I am not happy about this, Pandora," he stated. Pandora closed her eyes, knowing he was just worried about her. "So, what is the officer''sst name?"] "Dad," she moaned out. Her father wanted a full report on the officer in charge and would probably give a stern talk to him.] "Don''t argue with me on this, please. I want him to go over and check out your security at the house. I need to know my daughter is safe. If you''d rather Ie down and do it myself, say so."] Pandora cleared her throat. "You don''t have to do that, Dad. Milton already said he would check over the house and the perimeter for me."] "Milton?" "Is that the name of the officer?"] The two questions came simultaneously. Pandora answered them patiently.[] "Okay, I will give this Milton a call. I love you," her father said.]] "Love you, too, Dad."] "Girls, keep my daughter safe," he told the friends before hanging up. She didn''t look up at any of them even when she felt their stares piercing through her skull.] "Pandora," Keira said with authority, making her look up. "You should have called me."[] "I didn''t want to worry any of you. He just came over upset about the baby," she said, rubbing her stomach. "Who the hell told him?"] Pandora shrugged. "I don''t know, but he was banging on my door and yelling. I had enough of himing by whenever he wanted so I called the cops and reported him. It''s dealt with now."[] "Should I ask Ron to take care of Derrik? I know I offered before..." Ron was Keira''s boyfriend.[] Sia nodded in agreement.[] "He will be happy to do it as long as you say the word. I am up to waxing that hairy bastard and making him feel pain, too. After we get done, we can go downtown to a seedy tattoo artist and have a dick tattooed on his head so that everyone in the world knows what he really is." Pandora burst out intoughter. "I''ll keep that in mind."[] 0 Pandora was feeling more and more nervous as she waited to be called in to see Dr. Parks. She was relieved that Keira was unable to make it. She really didn''t want her friend to witness her embarrassment. At the same time, she would rather have someone with her for support It seemed like Pandora was the only single pregnant girl in the waiting room.] "Mrs. Leonard," a nurse called and she looked up. Pandora stood up quickly and followed her. She was set on a scale and then sent to the bathroom with a cup to fill. Once she was done, she returned to the hallway and was led to the same office asst week.[] "Mrs. Leonard," Dr. Parks greeted as she walked over to the chair in front of his desk. "How are you this week? Is the morning sickness any better? I had an eventful week, but it has settled down. My boss gave me some time off to help me rest. As for the sickness, it''s not better. Actually, it''s getting worse. I feel so hungry all the time, but no matter what I eat, it justes back up."[] Dr. Parks hummed as he listened. "You are still in the early stages of your pregnancy but if you want, we could try an injection to help. What do you think?" Is it safe?" she whispered. She watched as Dr. Parks'' eyebrow furrowed for the fraction of a second above his sses. "I wouldn''t suggest a remedy that isn''t safe," he said. Pandora nched at his words, knowing she had offended him and his experience by posing that question. I''m sorry."] "Mrs. Leonard," Dr. Parks called softly.[] ¡°Yes?¡± she managed to say in a normal tone, but she kept her eyes cast down.] "Pandora?" His voice sounded a lot closer this time. She heard a sigh before a pair of ck shoes came into her view. "Can you look at me please?" She turned her head to the side to find him kneeling beside her. Her arms started to tingle and she knew right away that he was touching her. I get that question a lot in my practice. You don''t need to worry about offending me." As he spoke, her eyes went to his sses, wishing they weren''t so dark- tinted.] Why do you wear tinted sses?" she asked.[] I have irritation of the eye. Visual stress gives me bad headaches. My tinted sses help ease the strain. I wear these a lot as they are my prescription sses. I found that yellow works best for me. It''s light enough that it won''t distort anything or stop me from performing as your doctor." She nodded and felt her nipples harden at his proximity. She watched him swallow and then drop his hand to his side. "Again, don''t be sorry," he stated and she responded with a weak smile.[] "No, I am really sorry. My emotions are all over the ce. To top things off, I haven''t slept well in the past few days." Dr. Parks'' face remained in a hard line as he slowly stood up and walked to his side of the desk. "I think the injection is imperative. It is the best option," he carried on as if nothing had happened. "We will try it today. Give it half an hour and try to eat something. If it doesn''t work, call the front desk ande back again tomorrow. It could take a few tries for the medicine to start working." Pandora trusted his judgmentpletely. "Here is some information on the injection," he said handing her a leaflet. "Read through it. It will make you feel better." He stopped. "Shall we go She stood up and followed him into the exam room Chapter 16 "Please remove your jacket and lie down," he instructed. She did just that and the nurse walked in. "Can you move your top up a little and your pants a little down?" She adjusted the article of clothing like he asked and watched as he washed his hands at the sink. When he walked back to her, he rubbed his hands together. "I am warming them up," he informed her. "Don''t people say that cold hands make a warm man?" Her words made her chuckle slightly. "I think they do, but moms don''t appreciate it when my hands are cold. The gel is cold enough for them as it is."] "Derrik''s hands were always so warm. I was bothered by them. I mean, who likes holding a hot te all the time?" she muttered and Dr. Parks hummed and went on with his exam.[] "Your little Bean seems to be doing well. I am going to use the Doppler to listen to its heartbeat." Within seconds, she heard the galloping sound again and she closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. "Sounds good," Dr. Parks affirmed and she opened her eyes to look at him. He cleaned up her stomach and then held out his hand to help her sit up. "Can you roll up your sleeves?"] She moved her sleeve up. He wiped her arm with an alcohol pad. As tingles ran up her hand and across her chest, she bit her lip and fought off a groan. He made quick work on the injection and ced a bandaid over the spot.[] "Is it normal for a pregnant woman''s sex drive to increase?" she asked as she rolled down her sleeves. "Yes, it is quite normal," he answered right away.] "What about reacting to simple touches?" she asked keeping her eyes away from him.] "Touches?" he repeated as if he didn''t understand.[] "I find that I am bing sensitive... I am turned on more and more, even by simple touches," she muttered and her face turned red.] "Yes, that is normal as well. Your body has a high amount of hormones right now, so things will change drastically. If things are not as usual, don''t worry too much. My advice is to enjoy it," he sounded a little strange as he spoke. Pandora looked at him. "Would you like an appointmentter in the day next week?"] Pandora frowned as she put on her jacket.[] "That way, Mr. Leonard cane along, too?" Pandora furrowed her brow in confusion. Her father hated doctors'' office and there was no way he would want toe to his daughter''s pregnancy checkups. There were some things a dad shouldn''t know about their daughter, so why would Dr. Parks think that he woulde along? "Your husband is okay with this, right? With you being pregnant?" Dr. Park''s question finally put her thoughts in the right ce.[] ¡°He is fine. Sorry, Ick sleep,¡± she muttered quietly. For some reason, Pandora didn''t want her doctor to know that she was divorced and had random sex with a guy she didn''t know. That, too, in Vegas. There was only so much embarrassment she could handle. At that point, she had reached her limit with the good doctor. "Pandora," he called and she smiled, looking at him. "You need to rest. Sleep is the most important part of your routine right now." He stopped and sighed a little. "Call my office and let me know if the sickness continued." And just like that, the softness in his voice was gone and he reverted back to being a concise and practical doctor. "I will She walked out of the office and stopped in her tracks when she saw Mackenna sitting on the bench, crying into her hands. "She''s not my friend. She is not my problem" she told herself as her feet dragged her in the other woman''s direction. "Everything alright, miss?" she found herself asking. Mackenna looked up at her in surprise and then nced at the office door behind her. Her eyes snapped back to Pandora. "No, nothing is alright!" she yelled out. "I am meant to have a baby. It was mine and..." she waved her hands around and dropped them in herp. "Why do you get to keep a bastard child and mine was taken away from me? That is not fair!" she screamed.[] "Mackenna," she said, raising her hand but the other just sneered at her.] "It should have been you that lost your child, not me. I know who the father of my child is, but you don''t," sheshed out. "You should have walked away." Pandora chastised herself. "It should be me who is pregnant. I deserve a baby. You don''t. Why do you get to have one?" "Miss Smith!" came a harsh voice, making Pandora jump. She turned to see Dr. Parks looking worried, but his mouth was pressed into a harsh line. "What?" Mackenna yelled at him. "You are the one responsible. You killed my baby." "Miss Smith, you have been asked repeatedly not toe here. We are all sorry for your loss but it has nothing to do with me or this establishment. "Yes, it was. You''re just lying. I was pregnant and I know it." Mackenna sobbed. "Why are you taking my babies away from me? You were not pregnant. You had a condition called a phantom pregnancy, which could be brought on by stress and grief of losing a child the year prior." Fuck you, asshole!" Mackenna screamed. "I hope you''re happy, you whore," she sneered at Pandora before walking away way. T''m sorry," Pandora sighed and rubbed her face. "No, Mrs. Leonard. I am the one who is sorry. She hase here multiple times over the past month. You are not the first patient she has harassed. Today was enough proof to seek a restraining order we requested. The police might contact you and ask for your statement. If you don''t feelfortableing here again, I will understand and refer you to someone else. Cun Chapter 17 A range of emotions shed across his face.[] "Do you not want me toe back?" she asked, wondering if he was implying that he was notfortable with having her around. He was giving himself an out to not look bad.] He revealed a sad smile. "I would be saddened to lose you as a patient just like any other patient here."[] Pandora nodded, sensing there was more to his words than met the eye. Still, she ignored it. "I would like to continueing here. And I am sorry for my inappropriate behavior earlier." She bowed.] Dr. Parks let out a light chuckle. "You have been wonderful, don''t worry. Today will be enough to keep Miss Smith from stepping foot in the clinic again. I will see you next week. Be sure to call if you continue feeling sick."] Pandora agreed and watched her turn and go back to his office. For some reason, she felt as if her embarrassment from earlier had been lifted slightly because of that interaction.[] -0 She arrived home and found an unknown car parked in the driveway. She pulled out her phone, prepared to call the police if anything happened. Slowly, she got out of the car, her eyes trained on the unknown car the entire time. Just as she reached the front, the door to the other car opened and Milton stepped out.[] "Milton," she sighed, relieved.] He smiled. "I have been given direct orders from your father toe and check your home."] Pandora shook her head and let out a sigh as she unlocked the front door. "I''m sorry. My dad sometimes forgets that he isn''t a prosecutor any longer."] "Once a prosecutor, always a prosecutor. I have it in good faith that your father is a great man and was an even better prosecutor fighting for people in need," he said as he walked into her house. "He still is," she stated, feeling proud of her father''s reputation within the ranks of the judiciary. "Would you like some coffee or tea? I n on having some tea," she said. "Sounds good to me. I''ll have whatever you are having. I''ll just take a look around if you don''t mind." He didn''t wait for her to respond and started to inspect each corner. Pandora walked into the kitchen and started making a pot of tea and some snacks. It had been forty five minutes since her injection and she knew to try and eat.[] ¡°Everything looks good, but I noticed that you don''t have a security system installed. I have a friend who owns a local security systempany. He can install one at a much lower price than any otherpany will charge you."]] "Really?" she asked, cing down the tea and snacks in front of him.] "Yes, really," he chuckled. "You don''t have to feed me, but this looks tasty."[] "I just pray my stomach feels the same way and keeps it down," Pandora willed the words to be true.[] "I hope so, too. So, tell me, Pandora. Did you enjoy your trip to Vegas?"] She swallowed the tea harshly. "Yes. I learned some things I can use at my job and the seminars were enlightening... if I listened closely. How about you, did you enjoy your two weeks with your wife and family?"] Milton grinned. "I am still enjoying the aftermath of it. Did you ever go to the club as I said?"[] She shook her head because she was drawing a nk on what happened that night. Just in case, she lied rather than him finding out that she had done something embarrassing.[] Vicod! This remains between the two of us," he said conspiratorially. "Alexis and I have been there an hour at most one of the nights, enjoying ourselves as we waited for her brother and sister to join us. Her sister joined us but the brother simply called and said some gibberish. He was so sloshed that none of what he said made sense. My wife just put him on speaker."] Pandora kept staring at him in confusing, unable to figure out what was so amusing about his brother-inw being drunk as a skunk.] "Anyway. He kept picking up the phone, bbering and then hanging up. We tried to put our minds together and finally realized he said he got married!"] Pandora gasped and Milton nodded with a huge grin.] "Didn''t you say that Alexis'' brother was dead against your marriage in Vegas? You didn''t even know each other long before that." "So, you can imagine how shocked we all were. We couldn''t believe it but when we ran to check, there were just so many ces to look around... we split up. Our other sister found them but he had already gotten married to some girl who looked like she was in herte teens." He snorted. "Anyway, they were too drunk to talk and she took them to the hotel room. The girl refused to go, but it turned out she was staying at the same hotel. So, my wife''s sister left them in the room to sleep it off. The next morning, we went to his room and the bride was missing. She didn''t leave a trace of herself." "Holy hell. You have to be kidding me!" Pandora was horrified, whereas Milton looked like he was enjoying the story a little too much. "It turns out, he met some girl at a bar and decided on a whim that he would marry her. He took her to a chapel and since then, I have taken great pleasure in asking my brother-inw how his wife is doing."] Pandora pped his arm but he just shrugged.] "You don''t understand, my brother-inw, B-"] As he started to utter the name, Pandora covered his mouth, silencing him. "I don''t want to know his name or what he does. All of us live in a big city but the world is small. I don''t want to run into him and have this story ying on my mind on repeat." Chapter 18 "I mean, if you would be all right with that. I would call an ambnce for you, but that would take a long time, and having a father who works in the ER, I tend to not use them unless it''s an absolute emergency."[] "If you have the time," she tried not to smile at his rambling. Dr. Parks smiled back and shook his head a little. "That is where I was meant to be today, anyway. I only came into the office to see you because you called." His face flushed with color. "They called me to say that you wereing in. They should have sent you directly to the hospital to see me instead of booking you to see the other doctor."[] He walked closer to her and reached out his hand. "Stand up slowly," he said as he guided her up. As she stood, it came to her that she had never walked into the room.] "How did I get in here?"] "Luckily for you, I was right behind you and was able to catch you as you fell. I carried you in."] She groaned and her face heated up. "I am so sorry," she almost whined.] "Again with your apologies. Do you apologize so much at work too?" She shook her head.[] "I don''t embarrass myself constantly there."] "Well, you shouldn''t apologize for something you can''t control."[] "It''s still embarrassing," she moaned and before she could say another word, he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her to his side so that they could walk. "What do you do for a living, Pandora?" he asked.[] She told him and saw that he was looking at her in surprise. "Let me guess, my upation has you surprised?" she didn''t need to ask to know what he was thinking. "Somewhat surprised but I don''t doubt that you are talented in your field. I did assume you worked in media ormunications because you are so put together. Your hair up, nice dress clothes and sses. Just just have that personality."] She scoffed but this was something she had heard several times before.[] "I am not mocking you, you just look like a sweet and well-read woman." She didn''t feel as if he was being condescending. "My car is the ck one," he stated. Her eyes scanned the parking lot and were drawn to a motorcycle. Pandora slyly wondered if she could ever have something like that between her thighs. It did turn her on and she remembered what Dr. Parks had said about being easily aroused. She pulled her eyes away and saw a ck mercedes parked right beside it. Dr. Parks opened the door and helped her in before jogging to the other side.] Chapter 19 As he drove, he took deep breaths. Waves of nausea hit her.] "Slow, deep breaths, Pandora. Nice and easy," he instructed her.[] "When I was training to be a doctor, I was put in each department for rounds. One day I was in the aftercare for surgery and the patient was in bed. A training nurse was looking him over when he asked her if his testicles were still there. The nurse was shocked but kept her wits about her. She replied that she was not sure if that was part of her job. The man looked at her and pleaded. This time the nurse was concerned that he would get sick. She pulled back the covers and held his penis in one hand and his testicles in the Pandora didn''t know where this story was headed but she was intrigued "Everything is still fine, the nurse told the patient. The man smiled at her and then told her he had asked her if his test results were back."] Pandora dissolved into a fit of giggles. "Did that really happen?" she questioned. He only winked at her in response[] "What made you choose OBGYN?"] He looked at her before turning back to the road. "I love kids, and love the whole pregnancy thing. To me you''re not a mom to be, you''re already a mom. Your baby is here and now." He removed his right hand from his steering wheel and ced it on her bump. "I know that''s a strange way to think of it," he said softly as he removed his hand. "But these are precious moments that I enjoy being a part of." She nodded and held back a sob when she recalled that Nemo would be missing out on so much. Even if she did find him, he would already miss out on so many important moments.] "I didn''t mean to upset you," Dr. Parks said, looking concerned.] "It''s not you. Just..." she stopped talking and cleared her throat. "I''m still overwhelmed by everything." "It gets easier as your hormones start to settle. If it''s okay with you, I would like to do another scan on you when we get to the hospital." "Yes, I would love that. I would feel much better seeing Bean again," she said with a smile.] He pulled into the car park. "Please stay here," he said with a stern look. She watched him walk into the hospital and closed her eyes hoping she wouldn''t get sick in his car. "Okay, Pandora," he said as he opened her door. "Just take it slow from the car and into the wheelchair." Her head snapped to him and then into the wheelchair behind him. She groaned at the fact that the sudden movement made her nauseous. The thought of being wheeled around in a wheelchair didn''t help matters, either.] "It''s just in case you faint again," he reassured.] "Tine,¡± she whined like a child. "But you have to push me really fast so that no one sees me." She pouted, making Dr. Parksugh out loud. "When we get to the department," he agreed on that condition. Pandora pped in appreciation. "We now have you and the baby on board. Safety is on. And we take off."] He kept a hold of her until she was safely sitting in the wheelchair. He kicked his car door closed. The entire way to the hospital and to the elevator, he walked slowly rst divorce 20 "You ready?" he asked and Pandora looked around at him. He wiggled his brow and she grinned, nodding. The door to the elevator opened and he looked both ways. His smile broadened and then he ran down the hallways with her giggling in the wheelchair the whole time.] "Doctor Parks?" someone called, making hime to a halt, ending the exhrating ride.[] "Yes?" he answered. Is this Mrs. Leonard?" a woman asked but there was a lightness in her voice.[] "Ah, Emily, this is Pandora Leonard. Pandora, this is Emily." It took Pandora everything not to groan. She recognized the woman immediately "Pandora?" Emily sounded surprised to see her. "Hi," she carried on.[] You know each other?" Dr. Parks asked.[] "We went to the same high school." Emily answered for both of them.[] "Well then, Emily, can you take her to her room and get her settled? I will be in to hook up the IV myself in a few minutes. I am going to go and get the scan equipment ready for me to do a full scan on her," Dr. Parks said before his eyes fell on Pandora. "I will be right back." She nodded at him and he turned and walked away.[] "I am a little surprised to see you here," Emily admitted, her voice soft.[] "You are not the only one," she muttered as Emily wheeled her into the room.[] I heard about Derrik and you breaking up. I am surprised you stuck it out with him as long as you did."[] Pandora frowned a little and Emily helped her stand up. "We are not in high school any longer, Pandora. But for what it is worth, I am sorry. Not only for what happened with Derrik, but for how I treated you in the past."] Pandora bobbed her head as the other helped her sit on the bed. She made quick work in helping Pandora get her clothes off and into. a hospital gown. She was about to walk away but turned. "Out of sheer curiosity, howe you are written down as Mrs. Leonard?"] Pandora tried her best to answer. "I identally went to say my married name, and quickly corrected it, but never corrected them on me no longer being a Misses. It doesn''t help that it''s sort of embarrassing to be divorced and pregnant with the dad not being around. I mean, I''m old enough to know better."[] Emily ced her hand on hers. "I need to correct your paperwork and don''t worry, the doctors don''t look at those things. He will not notice and neither will the nurses. Just so you know this... it is moremon than you think. You are a wonderful woman, and I know you will be an amazing mom. You need to get rid of the crap that Derrik put in your head over the years." Her voice was filled with so muchpassion that it took Pandora a moment to connect this woman with the snarky bully from highschool.[] "Thank you," she whispered to her and she winked in return. Emily left the room and came back a few minutester with a wristband. "Dr. Parks called. He will be with you soon."[] Pandora bobbed her head in acknowledgment. "Do you want some food or any ginger ale?" "Please," she replied desperately. It had been a long time since she had eaten something. Pandora returned with a couple of cups and toast a few "Eat slowly and try not to worry if it will stay down or not."] "So, what have you been up to these past ten years?" Pandora asked, trying to make conversation.[] "I''ve be a nurse. The pay isn''t great but I do love my job. I am currently dating someone from our ss and he would be jealous if he knew you were here." Pandora shook her head. "Is it Taylor? You can tell him but why would he be jealous?" she asked. Emily looked at her with shock.[] "He had a huge crush on you throughout high school."] "No way." Her mouth dropped open. "You must have known. He was always following you around like you had abandoned him."] Pandoraughed lightly again and shook her head.[] ¡°He still thinks that you are the one who got away. Maybe I shouldn''t tell him. He mighte running," she teased.] "He was always into you in my opinion. That''s how I guessed with one word from you," Pandora stated.] "If you say no. I just can''t believe you didn''t know-"]] Pandora cut the words off by covering her mouth and looking frantically for a ce to throw up. Emily grabbed a basin and rubbed her back as she brought up everything she had just eaten.[] "Sorry," she said before taking a deep breath.[] "Don''t be silly. This is part of my job," Emily stated, handing her a warm wash cloth to clean her face. After cleaning her face and rinsing her mouth, she rubbed her sore tummy.[] "How is everything in here?" Dr. Parks asked as he walked in.[] "She just brought up some toast and ginger ale," Emily reported.[] "Okay. Pandora, do you feel up to seeing little bean?"] Happiness radiated from her. "Yes, please." "Back in the chair." Emily and Dr. Parks helped her and they walked along the hallway. After settling her in, he spread the warmed gel on her belly and then put the wand against her skin. He moved it around and hummed along with it. She watched him push some buttons. He hummed again and she felt that this scan was taking much longer than the one before.[] "Just as I thought. I found you, you little rascal," Dr. Parks sang out and Pandora swallowed and looked at Emily, who was smiling happily. "Found what?" she asked and Dr. Parks looked at her with a huge grin.] "Not what, Pandora, but whom," he said. Pandora grumbled. "Too tired," she told him.[] Not what, Pandora, but whom," he said. Pandora grumbled. "Too tired," she told him.] "I found Bean''s partner in crime."II Pandora couldn''t follow what he was saying.[] "You''re having twins, Pandora," he said, turning the screen around to her. And sure enough, there were two bean shaped things there "Oh my god!" Pandora eximed, covering her mouth.[] Chapter 21 "You ready?" he asked and Pandora looked around at him. He wiggled his brow and she grinned, nodding. The door to the elevator opened and he looked both ways. His smile broadened and then he ran down the hallways with her giggling in the wheelchair the whole time. "Doctor Parks?" someone called, making hime to a halt, ending the exhrating ride. "Yes?" he answered. "Is this Mrs. Leonard?" a woman asked but there was a lightness in her voice. "Ah, Emily, this is Pandora Leonard. Pandora, this is Emily." It took Pandora everything not to groan. She recognized the woman immediately. "Pandora?" Emily sounded surprised to see her. "Hi," she carried on. "You know each other?" Dr. Parks asked. "We went to the same high school," Emily answered for both of them. "Well then, Emily, can you take her to her room and get her settled? I will be in to hook up the IV myself in a few minutes. I am going to go and get the scan scan equipment ready for me to do a full scan on her," Dr. Parks said before his eyes fell on Pandora. "I will be right back." She nodded at him and he turned and walked away. "I am a little surprised to see you here," Emily admitted, her voice soft. "You are not the only one," she muttered as Emily wheeled her into the room. ¡°I heard about Derrik and you breaking up. I am surprised you stuck it out with him as long as you did." Pandora frowned a little and Emily helped her stand up. "We are not in high school any longer, Pandora. But for what it is worth, I am sorry. Not only for what happened with Derrik, but for how I treated you in the past." Pandora bobbed her head as the other helped her sit on the bed. She made quick work in helping Pandora get her clothes off and into a hospital gown. She was about to walk away but turned. "Out of sheer curiosity, howe you are written down as Mrs. Leonard?" Pandora tried her best to answer. "I identally went to say my married name, and quickly corrected it, but never corrected them on me no longer being a Misses. It doesn''t help that it''s sort of embarrassing to be divorced and pregnant with the dad not being around. I mean, I''m old enough to know better." Emily ced her hand on hers. "I need to correct your paperwork and don''t worry, the doctors don''t look at those things. He will not notice and neither will the nurses. Just so you know this... it is moremon than you think. You are a wonderful woman, and I know you will be an amazing mom. You need to get rid of the crap that Derrik put in your head over the years." Her voice was filled with so muchpassion that it took Pandora a moment to connect this woman with the snarky bully from highschool. "Thank you," she whispered to her and she winked in return. Emily left the room and came back a few minutester with a wristband. "Dr. Parks called. He will be with you soon." Pandora bobbed her head in acknowledgment. "Do you want some food or any ginger ale?" "Please," she replied desperately. It had been a long time since she had eaten something. Pandora returned with a couple of cups and toast a few momentster. "Eat slowly and try not to worry if it will stay down or not." "So, what have you been up to these past ten years?" Pandora asked, trying to make conversation. "I''ve be a nurse. The pay isn''t great but I do love my job. I am currently dating someone from our ss and he would be jealous if he knew you were here." Pandora shook her head. "Is it Taylor? You can tell him but why would he be jealous?¡± she asked. Emily looked at her with shock. "He had a huge crush on you throughout high school." "No way." Her mouth dropped open. "You must have known. He was always following you around like you had abandoned him." Pandoraughed lightly again and shook her head. "He still thinks that you are the one who got away. Maybe I shouldn''t tell him. He mighte running," she teased. "He was always into you in my opinion. That''s how I guessed with one word from you," Pandora stated. "If you say no. I just can''t believe you didn''t know-" Pandora cut the words off by covering her mouth and looking frantically for a ce to throw up. Emily grabbed a basin and rubbed her back as she brought up everything she had just eaten. "Sorry," she said before taking a deep breath. "Don''t be silly. This is part of my job," Emily stated, handing her a warm wash cloth to clean her face. After cleaning her face and rinsing her mouth, she rubbed her sore tummy. "How is everything in here?" Dr. Parks asked as he walked in. "She just brought up some toast and ginger ale," Emily reported. "Okay. Pandora, do you feel up to seeing little bean?" Happiness radiated from her. "Yes, please." "Back in the chair." Emily and Dr. Parks helped her and they walked along the hallway. After settling her in, he spread the warmed gel on her belly and then put the wand against her skin. He moved it around and hummed along with it. She watched him push some buttons. He hummed again and she felt that this scan was taking much longer than the one before. Just as I thought. I found you, you little rascal," Dr. Parks sang out and Pandora swallowed and looked at Emily, who was smiling happily. "Found what?" she asked and Dr. Parks looked at her with a huge grin. "Not what, Pandora, but whom," he said. Pandora grumbled. "Too tired," she told him. "I found Bean''s partner in crime." Pandora couldn''t follow what he was saying. "You''re having twins, Pandora," he said, turning the screen around to her. And sure enough, there were two bean shaped things there. "Oh my god!" Pandora eximed, covering her mouth. Chapter 22 Pandora was lying in the hospital bed, where she had been hooked up to an IV for over an hour. She still hadn''t wrapped her head around the truth that she had two babies in her belly, not one. Dr. Parks exined that they were lying back to back and were identical, sharing one centa. He also said that was why he had missed seeing one of the two babies on the first scan. "Have some lunch, Pandora," Emily said, walking in with a tray. She ced it down on the table and then wheeled it over to her. "Do you want me to call your father?" she carried on as she poured out some steaming water over a tea bag.. "No, I will do it," she answered, her voice sounding far away. "Just press the buzzer if you need anything, okay?" "Okay, Pandora replied as she walked out of the room. "Come on, Pandora, pull yourself together," she said harshly to herself. She moved from the bed, and got her cell phone out of her bag, before sitting back down. "Shit," she hiss seeing that she had over ten missed calls from Kiera. She tapped Kiera''s name, calling her back. The phone connected before the first ring could finish. "Pandora!" she heard a yell from the other side. "Keira," she hissed as she rubbed her ear. "Don''t scold me. I got back to hear that you called my office sounding wretched. So, I called you back immediately but you didn''t respond for over an hour. I was so worried that I was just about to call your father and put people out to search for you,¡± Keira ranted, but Pandora knew she was just worried. "Sorry, I wasn''t near my cellphone. I got admitted to the hospital because I passed out at my doctor''s office," Pandora told her friend as she took a tentative sip on the tea that Emily had made her. There was rustling on the other side as if Kiera was moving around. "What? Are you okay, what about the baby?" she asked, breathing hard. "The babies are okay." Pandora smiled and shook her head. She gave her friend a moment to let that information sink in. "Thank the lord. I am on my way already. Just headed to the parking lot. Do you need me to bring you some clothes?" There was a stunned pause before Kiera spoke again. "WAIT A MINUTE. What do you mean ''babies''?" Pandora chuckled at the fact that it took her a few seconds to process the most important part of her sentence. "I''m having twins," she said. She couldn''t control the happy sob that made her voice shake. ¡°I don''t know what to do. How do I cope? For so long I couldn''t even have one and now I''ll have two. What the hell am I going to do? How is this possible?" Keira let out a soft sigh. "Aren''t you the best at looking or deals at the market? You got yourself a buy-one-get-one-free deal this time around. I told you to read everything in the small print, didn''t I?" she clucked her tongue and broke out into giggles. Pandora followed into theughter. "Thanks for theugh. I really needed it," she said once she calmed down. "That''s my job... making my precious Pandora smile." She paused. "Okay, I am on my way. I will stop by your ce and pack you a bag. I''ll see you in a few, sweets." Pandora hit the end call button and hesitated as her finger hovered over her father''s phone number. She didn''t want him worrying about her when she would be just fine. But she also wanted him to know... he was her father. She bit the bullet and pressed dial. "You''ve called Walter Leonard," Nina said cheerfully. She had obviously not seen the caller ID before picking up. "Hi, Nina. Is Dad around?" Pandora asked. "He went out with a couple of friends today and forgot his phone at home." Pandora looked up and smiled, silently thanking whatever power was looking over her for the favor. "I''ve been put into the hospital by my doctor. He thinks I am dehydrated," she exined quickly. "Oh honey, is the morning sickness that bad?" Nina asked, sounding worried but still calm. Yes, but the doctor said it wasmon to have this level of sickness because I am having twins." Nina was quicker to catch onto the new information. "Twins? You''re having twins?" she yelled excitedly through the phone. "Yes," Pandora smiled. "This is amazing news, dear. I am so excited. I will call your dad''s friends to let him know. This news cannot wait until hees home. You should expect him tomorrow." Pandora whispered, knowing that Nina knew she didn''t like being coddled and hovered over. "Thank you, Nina." She sighed. "I''ll try to keep some food down now." "Okay, sweetie. Try to get as much rest as you can. You know what I say, sleeping makes everything better!" Pandora disconnected the call and brought a small spoonful of soup to her mouth. She could only keep the soup down for twenty minutes before it came back up. "Little ones, why don''t you like this food?" she asked, rubbing her now aching stomach. "No good?" Emily asked and Pandora shook her head. "The soreness you feel is from throwing up and heaving. Dr. Parks asked me to give you a toothbrush and paste, it should help you feel a little better. I brought you a clean gown, too," she said with a wink. Pandora chuckled, taking the things gratefully. She was happier about brushing her teeth than wearing a hospital gown. She moved to the bathroom and took a shower. She sat in the shower on a chair Emily put in there. Once she was done, she wrapped her hair in a towel and brushed her teeth. She held back a groan as she put on the new hospital gown. She was only wearing it because she didn''t have a nightgown of her own yet. Plus, the IV in her hand need to be dealt with. Chapter Comments POST COMMENT NOW SHARE 2 Chapter 23 Finally, she ited her hair and Emily helped her into the bed. "Get some rest, Pandora," she ordered as she moved out of her room. Pandora closed her eyes, hoping Nina was right and sleep would make everything better. "Pandora," she heard someone singling. As the voice stopped, she felt someone touching her face. She pped the hand away and she heard the person chuckle. "Pandora," they sang again and she frowned because the voice sounded a lot like Ron, Kiera''s boyfriend. She opened her eyes and sure enough, he was smiling at her. "What?" she asked slowly, sitting up. "Keira got stuck at work with an emergency. Sia is also booked all of today, so I came instead. I''m the only bum you know, girl." Before Pandora could say a word, he was speaking again. "I brought you some clothes and a real nightgown... None of these hospital things,¡± he said, passing her the bag. She was surprised to see that none of it was hers. It was all new with tags. "Thank you," she said, smiling at him. "I know your night clothes are falling apart and you don''t want these people seeing you in a miserable state. I refuse to acknowledge you in those clothes." Pandora narrowed her eyes at him but he just smirked at her. "I would insist you put on some skincare, but I don''t think there''s much point. Nothing could hide that rough look you seem to be rocking." "Pandora," a harsh voice called, cutting her off before she could snark back at Ron and his usualmentary. Ron turned around just as Dr. Parks came into view, but strangely he was ring at Ron. "I see you are busy at the moment; I wille backter on to check on you," he said, still sounding angry, "I brought you some juice to sip and hard candy to suck on." He ced a bag down on Pandora''s bed and he gave her a smile. "Thank you," ," she whispered, but it was toote as he had already walked out of Pandora''s room. "What was that?" she asked, looking at Ron, who had an ''oh shit look on his face. "I think he thinks I was meaning what I said to you about looking rough." Ron chuckled, shaking his head. "But, in my defence you do look like shit, and I really don''t think makeup would help." Pandora shrugged and then nodded at him. "I have to agree, not that I feel up to putting any on, anyway. Give me a few minutes to change," she said, holding up the bag. She pulled out the nightgown and smiled. ¡°Thank you, God, for giving Ron the understanding of what I like, and what Kiera likes, is on the different ends of the spectrum. She loved her friends deeply but she knew there was no way they would have bought her a in nightgown if they had the chance. Even with her sick and in the hospital, they would have tried to have her in a baby-doll nightie of some sort, she was sure. She walked out and Ron was sitting on her bed with a chair in front of him. "Come on, Pandora, and I''ll fix that knotted mess of yours." She smiled and a light chuckle broke out of me. "I tried to braid it," she told him and he rolled his eyes. "I know that Kiera has excellent hairstyle because you learned how to do it for her." Ron chuckled lightly and beckoned her over. "I''ll give you the royal treatment. Only one time, okay?" Ron brushed her hair and then pleated it. Even with him being the one who did all the work, Pandora couldn''t help but yawn. "Okay, back to bed with you. You''ll need your rest because the girls are alling up tonight," Ron said as he helped her back to bed. "I will see youter, babe, he said before patting her head. Pandora mumbled a goodbye as her eyes drooped. She was brutally awoken when someone roughly shook her. "What?" she mumbled, opening her eyes and seeing Miriam, Derrik''s mother, ring down at her. She pulled back from her and tilted her head. Miriam, what are you doing here?" Pandora questioned, still unsure if she was there or if Pandora was dreaming. "Yes, it''s me, you bitch! I really can''t believe you got my little boy arrested!" she yelled at Pandora''s face. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she tried to wake up all the way. "The wholemunity knows about your whoring ass, getting pregnant and trying to trap my boy." Pandora held back her re by pressing her lips together as the door opened behind Miriam. "Mrs. Preston, you have to leave," Emily said as she walked into the room. "I''ll do no such thing!" Miriam yelled. "Leave, Pandora hissed out at her. "You''re nothing without my boy. I intend to make sure your life is hell, for what you''ve done to my baby boy. You and the bastard inside of you will know the meaning of the word hell," she yelled at Pandora again. "What the hell is going on in here?" Dr. Parks asked, making Pandora cover some of her face with her hands. How many times was she to be embarrassed around this man? "I''m just trying to get this woman out of here," Emily said as she pulled on Miriam''s arm. "Let go of me, you''re nothing more than a floozy, too. If anyone should leave this respected hospital, it should be this low-life whore. She isn''t worthy of this ce, and I''m sure she''s faking it for sympathy like always. This is just another one of her games. I bet she''s not even pregnant!" "She is, and you have been asked to leave," Dr. Parks hissed out. "You''re not good enough, and will never be good enough for my boy," Miriam spat out at her, then turned around and stormed out of the room. Chapter Comments 5 Chapter 24 Pandora felt her heart beating strangely. It was almost as if it was trying to escape her chest. The room felt so much smaller than it was as if someone took half the size and took all the clean oxygen with it. "Pandora, slow breaths," Dr. Parks said and she shook her head. It was always clear that Miriam didn''t like her, but she never liked any woman her son went with. Pandora never took it personally, but to have here to the hospital and say those things. "How did she know I was here?" Pandora asked, ''Someone I trust must be talking to Derrik. Who the hell would do that? her mind screamed at her. ¡°Pandora!¡± Dr. Parks yelled, drawing her out of her thoughts. "It''s okay. I''ll make sure she doesn''t get in here again. He stopped and swallowed. "She was downstairs when I brought you here this morning. I saw her again this afternoon when I was having my lunch; she asked what ward I work for. I didn''t think anything of it... I''m sorry." Pandora shook her head at him. "It''s okay, a lot of people have those inws from hell," she tried to chuckle out, but it came out more like a sob. "I''m still sorry," he said. "Really, it''s fine, Dr. Parks, she told him as she wiped her face. ¡°Benjamin,¡± he said and she frowned looking at him. "My name is Benjamin," he shook his head and closed his eyes. He pushed his sses up as he rubbed his eyes, and she found that she was disappointed that his sses were back in ce before she was able to see his eyes without them. "You can call me Benjamin when talking to me." Pandora nodded at him and he smiled. ¡°So, are you feeling better?" Pandora shook her head a little. "Lie back down and get some sleep; I''ll make sure Emily keeps everyone out of your room." "Thank you, Benjamin." His name seemed to flow out of her mouth as if it belonged there. Benjamin''s smile brightened at the sound of his name. He helped her lie down and even went as far as to pull the covers over her. Pandora was on day four of her hospital stay, where the rest and IV had made her feel better. She was still unable to hold down much of anything. Having been trapped in the hospital room for four days, she talked Emily into letting her take a walk, without the IV connected, down to the cafeteria. She sat at a table, looking around as she ate some watermelon, when two women caught her eye, mainly because one of them was her doctor Benjamin''s wife. The older woman pulled out her seat and sat down, clearly unhappy. "Come on, Maa, Benjamin''s wife said and she couldn''t help but look their way. "Maisey, we were meant to all be celebrating today. It''s the day you joined the family, but that boy of mine forgot. I cannot believe that he forgot! He''s the reason you joined our family, and he forgot!" "It''s just a day, and you know Benjamin, he''s just so caught up in his work. Don''t worry; he''ll make it up to me." The older woman, Benjamin''s mom, just hummed. "Maybe so, but there is still the fact that I know he is hiding something from me. There''s something going on, and mark my words, I will find out what it is." Maisey giggled and covered her mouth, trying hard to hide it. "You all underestimate me and my detective skills." "Nah, Maa, we all know what you''re capable of, and that''s why we love you." Maisey stopped and looked at her cell. "I need to get to work; tell Benjamin that Ilove him, and I''ll see him tonight." Maisey stood up and kissed her mother-inw''s head. Almost at the same time, Pandora''s stomach started the tell-tale signs that she was going to throw up. She leaped up and ran, knocking into Maisey. "Sorry," she muffled as she had covered her mouth with her hand. Running to the women''s bathroom, she was happy to see there was a free stall. She only just made it in there as she threw up again, and again. Pandora groaned as she finally stopped and just stayed on the floor curled up. "Here you go, dear." Pandora jumped and turned to see Benjamin''s mom standing there with some wet paper towels. "Thank you," she smiled at her and wiped her face clean. She started to stand, but swayed at the same time as Benjamin''s mom wrapped her arm around Pandora''s waist. She leaned over her, flushing the toilet for Pandora. She once again muttered her thanks and she guided Pandora to the sink and helped her wash her hands. "What ward are you in dear?" she asked, sounding so motherly, the kind of voice Pandora never had in her life. "Benjamin''s my doctor," she got out feeling her lip wobble. She frowned at Pandora and she shook her hand at the older woman and then covered her face. "Sorry, I seem to have lost the ability to control my emotions from the moment I found out I was pregnant." Benjamin''s mom chuckled. "I was like a raving lunatic when I was pregnant both times, so I take it you know my son Benjamin?" Pandora nodded as the woman helped her walk. "He''s my doctor." "Well, I hope he''s taking good care of you both?" His mom carried on with a smile. "The three of us," she amended. "I just found out a couple of days ago I''m having twins," she couldn''t help but tell the gentle older woman. I hope they''re okay; all this sickness can''t be good for them, and I waited so long." She stopped her word vomit by taking a deep breath. "Oh, I understand... my Benjamin was a twin, and I lost the second child, so I do understand. But now times have moved on, and not that I''m boasting, but my son is one of the best baby doctors around." Status: Ongoing Chapter 25 Pandora chuckled but nodded at her. ''As for the sickness, it''s just a part of it. I''m sure your own mom has told you this already, but ites with the territory." Pandora dropped her eyes and shook her head. "My mom is not in the picture," she said without pause as if she could tell her anything. Benjamin''s mom stopped walking and hugged her tightly. "Oh, my dear child, I am so sorry." Pandora patted her back, feeling a strangely warm and unconditional love from her hug. Benjamin''s mom pulled back and winked at her. "Come on, dear. By the way, I''m Lana,¡± she said as they started walking again. "Pandora, she replied, smiling back at her and she gave Pandora a small nod. "Mom? Pandora?" Benjamin said as he saw both of them walking toward him. "Ben, this poor girl was sick in the bathroom. I am just helping her back up here." Benjamin gave Pandora a frown and took over from his mom to hold her up. "I think we need to try another injection," he said and Pandora nodded at him. "You''re lucky that she needs you, or you and I would be having words," Lana said, keeping the smile on her face. "What. Why?" Benjamin asked. "Family lunch ring a bell?¡± Lana hissed and Benjamin''s face paled. "Shit... I''ll call her as soon as I am done." "She said to say she loves you and she''ll see you tonight." Benjamin nodded attentively. "Pandora, dear, I hope to see you again," Lana said in a nicer voice than what she was using when she was talking to her son. "Thank you and you, too," Pandora replied and she walked away. Benjamin chuckled and his breath hit the side of her neck, making her feel those tingles again. "Come on, Pandora, let''s get you back to your room." "Your mom seems nice," she told him as he helped her up and into her bed. He hooked up all my IV tubing. "She is... she''s an amazing mother," he said with a huge smile. It lit up his full face, or would if he didn''t have those sses on. Pandora smiled back at him. ¡°I hope to be half as good as your mom must have been, and half as good as my dad is. If I can do that, then Bean and Curd will make it through their childhood happy, loved and secure." Pandora chuckled and pulled his eyebrows together. "Curd, is that what you came up with for the other baby?" She grinned and nodded at him. "Rather original andplimentary, I know." He shook his head. "It''s perfect," he said. "Also, just for the record, Pandora, I think you''re going to make a great mom." Pandora felt her face flush and Benjamin just chuckled some more. ''I''ll get Emily to inject you around five, and then I''lle up here and sit with you for dinner at five. Let''s see if we can get this sickness to go away." "Okay, Pandora said, nodding at him as he stood up. ''I''ll see you at dinner time, Pandora." Emily walked into the room right at five. "Hey, Pandora, she said, smiling as she went through all her stats and then looked at her wristband. ''Where do want your injection this time?" Pandora moved so she could give it on the top of her leg. This seemed to be the least painful ce. "There you go, sweetie. Do you need any painkillers?" Pandora shook her head and Emily gave her a small nod before walking out of the room. She pick up a book and began to read, getting quickly engrossed in 1. it. That must be a good book." Pandora frowned, looking up to see Benjamin standing there. "Sorry," I said as she sat up more and ced her book down. "Enough with the apologies, Pandora," he said. "Sorry," she uttered and then rolled her eyes at herself. "You sure do apologize a lot, mainly for things that you don''t need to." "I used to do it at school a lot. Something about being pregnant brought back that shy girl with low self-esteem." Benjamin hummed in acknowledgment. "I brought up dinner for both of us, if you don''t mind me joining you?" Pandora shook her head at this and tried to move out of the bed, but heid his hand on her, effectively stopping her. "Just stay there," he said with a wink. Benjamin quickly busied himself with setting up dinner and then bringing it over to Pandora. She couldn''t stop her pout seeing that it looked more like a small child''s portion. "We need to try a small amount and get that to stay down first," he exined and she nodded even though she was not happy. "Tell me what you were like at school. I really can''t see you and Emily hanging out together." Pandora snorted. "God no, Emily was a cheerleader, she-" She bit her lip, stopping the ''she made my life a living hell'' froming out. "She had her group of friends and I had mine." Benjamin stopped eating and just looked at her. "She picked on you, didn''t she?" "No," Pandora answered promptly, but nodded at the same time, making him chuckle. Pandora just stared at him, silently asking why or how he knew that. "It''s okay, I know she doesn''t do that now, but I did have a feeling she was, or did bully others." 3 ÞÈ "There''s just a few times I''ve seen her get upset or look as if she''s hurt. We go through a lot of sick pregnant teens up here. Some have been bullied, and their tormentors havee here or caused our patient distress and they end up in here. She always seems to take it harder than one would think." "How long have you worked here?" Pandora asked, taking a small bite. "Just a few months. I did my studying in another state, but fate, should we say, brought me back." Chapter 26 First divorce 26 "Well, thank you, fate," Pandora chuckled and Benjamin joined him. 2 She stopped eating, leaving a little on her te. Right away, she took deep breaths, trying to think of something else. "Lie back, Pandora," Benjamin ordered and she opened her eyes to look at him. ¡°Lie down, and let''s see if we can get you rested enough to sleep." Pandora just stared at him, wondering what he was talking about. "Just trust me," he said. This time, Pandora bobbed her head andy down. "Close your eyes," Benjamin said and then she felt his hands on her stomach. "Just trying to get Bean and Curd to rx." "Okay," she sighed. "Now, you two are going to let your mommy keep this food down. If you do that, then I promise tomorrow I''ll bring something yummy and maybe even a little unhealthy for you." Pandora snorted but her eyes stayed closed. ¡°Hush, Pandora, just go to sleep," he whispered to her, and then she heard him hum a soft tune that made her quickly drift off to sleep. It had been seven weeks since Pandora was admitted to the hospital. After a seven-day stay, she was able to get discharged. Thankfully, she managed to stay sickness-free since the night Benjamin hummed her to sleep. So many monthster, she didn''t just feel pregnant, but she looked like it, too. "Let''s y worst pickup lines said or heard!" Sia said, and Pandora was pleased to hear her real voice, even with her new boyfriend who seemed to be a great guy, sitting right next to her. Pandora waved her hand. "I''ve only been with Derrik, and he never used any lines and I was always too shy." Sia''s new boyfriend, Dank, snorted. "From what I have heard, you seem to be lying." Pandora red at him and then at Sia as the othersughed. "Hey, he''s right. You may not remember, but you had to have given baby daddy some great line, or he gave you some. If not, Sweet and Pea wouldn''t be here. So stop telling fibs and just make up some shit," Sia joked. "Wouldn''t making it up be lying?" Pandora asked and the guys just grinned at her. "Nope, that''s just storytelling at its finest," Dankmented and everyone dissolved intoughter again. Pandora covered her mouth andughed. She noticed someone familiar from the corner of her eyes and turned her head fully to see Benjamin and his wife Maisey. "What?" everyone at the table asked in unison. "Benjamin''s here," she said to them and they looked at her in confusion. "My OBGYN. His name is Benjamin. He''s here with his wife, Pandora whispered to them. "Where?" the girls all yelled and leaned over the table. "Over there," she pointed, "setting up the pool table," she whispered again as she tried to shush them. "Oh, sweet Jesus, he''s hot. Much hotter than you made him out to be," Keira stuttered out, as she fanned herself with a tissue paper. "He''s married," she gritted out. Why don''t we boys have a game of pool?" Ron smirked. "Yeah," everyone yells, as Pandora said, ''no,'' which is quickly lost among their second, round of "yeahs." "Oh, he''s looking over at us," Dank chuckled. Pandora turned her head to the side, trying to have a sly look, and sure enough he was looking at the table. Her eyes stayed locked on his face. "He''s not wearing his sses," she mindlessly said, as she slowly stood up. Just as I was about to walk over to him, and see those eyes she had been desperate to see, he turned to pick up his cellphone. He hung up the call quickly, kissed his wife''s cheek, and then grabbed his jacket before walking out. Pandora pouted over the fact she didn''t get to talk to him, but worse she couldn''t see his eyes from where they were. Why did they have to be seated so far away? "What was that?" Kiera asked. "What was what?" Pandora muttered as she dropped her eyes down. "Ah, I think she''s talking about your almost floating to your Doctor Dreamy, whom you call by his first name," Sia said in her matter-of-fact voice. "I was not," she snorted out, but found that she didn''t even believe herself. "He''s my doctor," she whined to them. "And he''s married," she pouted. "Hmm," Kiera said with her arms crossed over her chest. "Let''s go to an open mic." She sighed, knowing as the rest of them had been drinking, they would be doing that and she would be the only sober one who would be unable to forget. Pandora took some breaths as she stood outside the courtroom. She was waiting for Milton so they could go in front of a judge to get the full restraining order against Derrik. He hadn''te near Pandora since he was arrested, and she had found having that piece of paper gave her some peace of mind. "Pandora, Milton called and she spun around smiling at him, but it fell right away. "Pandora," her dad said. "Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked as she hugged him. "I wasn''t letting my pregnant daughter do this alone." She pulled back, knowing there was no point in arguing with him. "We''ll be first seen," Milton told them as he handed her a hot chocte. "How did you know?" Pandora asked, bringing it to her face, breathing it in. Milton shook his head andughed. "All part of my job, Pandora." "How is that case you were worried about?" her dad asked, and she tilted her head a little because it sounded as if her father had been talking to Milton about other things, as well. "It went well, Walter," Milton said. ******** been talking a lot.'' first ame, they''ve ''Yep, they''ve been talking. Milton Her dad wouldn''t let Derrik call him by name "We got a guilty verdict and he got sentenced for the first three years of their marriage. to thirty years," Milton carried on. Chapter 27 "Good man," Walter said, patting Milton on the arm. "Leonard," a woman called out and she looked over and let out a long breath. "It''ll be fine, I''m right here," her dad said as he guided her into the courtroom. She got to the table she would be sitting at, and Milton pulled out her chair, helping her to sit. "I am so happy my daughter met a guy who knows that he may be born male, and with age, he became a man but chooses to be a gentleman." She frowned at her dad, wondering what he was going on about. Just as she was about to open her mouth to talk, she was cut off by a harsh voice she had begun to hate the sound of. "No guy can treat her like ady... she''s a bitch." Pandora kept her face turned away from Derrik, but her dad jumped up. "Watch it, boy!" "Screw you, Walter," Derrik mocked like a little child. "Move over to your own desk now, Sir," a court officer said, and Derrik huffed loudly and walked away. The court was called to order, and they all rose as the judge entered. Once they were seated again, the judge asked some questions and Pandora answered, exining her case to him as Derrik huffed all the way through it. "I just want what is mine; I deserve at least seventy percent of the house, Derrik whined. "Sir, Ms. Leonard got the house in her divorce, I cannot and would not overturn that." "But she''s nning on renting it out!" Derrik yelled back at the judge. "That''s not your concern if she does. Ms. Leonard, are you renting the home out right now?" "No, your honor, nor do I intend to rent it out. I have two babies on the way. I need my home to provide them with a ce to live." "Yes, you are, don''t lie! I have seen the other people''s mail!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he pped his mouth closed. Pandora closed her eyes, pressing her lips together, crossing my arms over her chest. "He has been messing around with my mail!" she yelled in her head. "You were touching her mailbox, her private, federally protected mail?" The judge asked, not squnding too happy about what Derrik had just admitted. "It''s my mailbox, too; I picked it out at the store," Derrik argued, and she turned her head to look at him, trying hard to work out if he had always been that stupid. "Ms. Leonard, I am granting you a full restraining order. That means you, Mr. Derrik Preston, cannot go near her, her home, or her work. This includes her mail, car, where she shops, and her doctor''s office, anywhere. If you are somece in public, and she shows up, you better stay the hell away from her. Do you understand?" "No... why are guys always on her side?" The judge''s face turned a strange red color as he stared Derrik down. "Please exin to your client the terms of this order, and why it is required because of his harassment of Ms. Leonard." The judge banged his gavel, then stood up and walked away. "Let''s go," Milton said, helping her to stand. "What the hell are you doing, Pandora, fucking all these judges, too?" Derrik hissed but stopped and chuckled. "No, wait, that can''t be it, because you''re shitty in bed. You never wanted to fuck!" He stopped and leaned to the side. "Oh, Derrik, please stop, it hurts," he said while putting on a girly voice and waving his hands around. Milton pulled me behind him. "You better watch your mouth." "Or what, wuss?" Milton just took a step back from Derrik. "Come on, I promised your dad I would join you for lunch." Derrik watched the three of them walk out of the courtroom with narrowed eyes. "He''s an asshole, Pandora. What the hell were you doing with him?" Milton asked and she shook her head at him. "When I figure it out, I''ll let you know." She left her car at the courthouse as her dad drove her to a nearby restaurant, and Milton followed them. "Milton is a nice guy, don''t you think? her dad said, trying hard to sound neutral. "Handsome, I''d say, too." ¡°He is, Pandora agreed, and his wife sounds amazing," she quickly added. "Married? Damn it, I would''ve liked him as a son-inw." Pandora shook her head at him. "Come on, Pandora, at least he''s a good guy, you said so yourself. I just want someone good for you and my grandbabies." "I know, but they''ll have a great grandpa, so I know there will not be ack for a great male role model." "Damn right, and after all that fucker Berrik has done, I think it would be good for you to find a cop or prosecutor to date." Pandora frowned at him. "That way Milton can be in your life as a friend, and his wife, too. I am sure she can join the monthly parties." She snorted but still humored his flight of fantasy. "Hey, Pandora, Benjamin said, meeting him at the front of his practice. "Hi?" I said with a frown, which stayed in ce as she walked into the dark waiting area. "The nurse had a family emergency and had to leave, so it''s just you and I." Benjamin stopped walking and looked down at her. "Is that okay?" She chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, it''s fine, but I should tell you that I am hungry. I mean, really hungry. If you upset me, then I''m going to have to eat you." Benjamin smiled, but it looked a little crooked because of the fact he was biting his bottom lip. She pulled her eyebrows down as she tried to work out what was with him that night. Nothing more was said as they made their way to the scale and then the bathroom. Chapter Comments Chapter 28 Once they were in his office, he spoke again. "Take off your sweater for me." The whole thing came out with a chuckle, but he cleared his throat and carried on talking. ¡°So I can check your blood pressure." She did what she was asked, but Benjamin walked out of his office. Before she could freak out thinking that he had left her alone, he walked back in with two tes of food. "Here," he said as he handed her a te. She looked up at him but his smile stopped her from talking. ¡°I need to feed you in case you try to eat me." Shit, I said that? To a guy? Uh no, a man! Who would take that as a cleanment?'' Her inner tirade went off. Benjamin chuckled again. ''Fuck it,'' she thought, ''this is not the first time you''ve been embarrassed around him, it''s just bing a fact in your life!'' "Stop overthinking and eat, Bean and Curd are hungry. I can tell." "They are," she agreed as she started eating. "This is soooo good," I sang as she stuffed another spoonful into her mouth. "You do know that I will expect this every time I have ate appointment, she joked, drinking some of the milk Benjamin brought her. ¡°Noted and there now will be a meal with everyte-day appointment." Her spoon stopped midway from her mouth, but Benjamin just smirked at her. "Eat," he said, raising an eyebrow. She swallowed and then started to eat again. When she was done, she wiped her mouth with a napkin, and Benjamin started to get to work. "Your blood pressure is fine. Let''s go into the exam room, so you can lie on the table and we can hear the babies'' heart rate." Moving into the room, Pandoray down, pulling her top up a little, and Benjamin ced his hands on him feeling her babies. "Is it strange that I haven''t felt them move yet?" she asked. This was something that she had been worried about. "No, you''re just past four months, but they should be making their presence known in the next few weeks." She nodded but didn''t feel any better. "They are fine, doing great in fact. Stop worrying so much," Benjamin told her softly. "Heartbeat time," he grinned, knowing this was her favorite part. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of galloping ponies under water. "I hope you are not sneaking in drinks when you go out," he said calmly and her eyes opened and she looked at Benjamin. He chuckles a little. "I saw you with your husband and friends the other night, when I came back to the bar." ''Husband? What is he talking about?" "I didn''t know you were such a good singer, though. Your friends were good, but you?" he stopped and gave her an encouraging look. "You saw me?" she gasped and he nodded at her. "I did, but I came back and saw you sing throat. "Everything looks good, Pandora. He held out his arm to help her sit up I''m and then "I can book you for the same time next week?" But you left, she argued. d that I did." Pandora covered her face knowing it had to be bright red by then. He quickly cleared his stand. She walked over to her sweater, putting it back on. "That would be great, she replied. "If you give me a few moments to close up, then I can see you out." Nodding at him, she watched as he moved to hisputer and closed it down. "Did you enjoy Christmas and the New Year?" she asked, making small talk. "It was all right. I had a few births which gave me a reason to get out of a big family dinner." Pandora frowned at him. "I have arge family and then there are the inws thate with it. What about you? Who did you spend the holidays with?" It was just family: my dad, step-mom..." she trailed off. Benjamin smiled at her, but it looked a little forced. "Okay, I''m done, now I just need to hit the lights and turn on our rm." Pandora followed Benjamin out as he switched off the lights as they went. He left her at the door, turned on the rm, and then quickly walked out after locking the door. "Drive safely," he said as he held her car door open for her. "Always do," she told him, making his smile widen. She let out a sigh, but had to hold back a pout over the fact she still couldn''t see his eyes. "What?" Edward asks with a grin. "Nothing," she chuckled, feeling a flushing over her. "Goodnight," she said. "Goodnight, Pandora, Bean and Curd," Benjamin called before closing her door. He stood there, waving as she drove off. As she drove, she checked her mirror, seeing that she had a motorcycle behind her. She stopped at a red light and frowned, turning her head as she could no longer see him behind her. As her eyes slowly moved back around, she saw that he was next to me. Her eyes scanned his bike, and she saw it looked a lot like the one she saw outside Benjamin''s medical office a few weeks ago. Her eyes traveled up the rider''s leg which looked real strong. His ass looked yummy, in a hot guy kind-of-way. She continued looking up his body until she got to his helmet, and she gulped seeing that he seemed to be looking back at her. He pointed forward and she frowned, and his helmet shook from side to side and pointed two fingers to his visor, and then forward. She hummed but turned to see the light had turned green. "Way to go, Pandora! Checking a guy out at a red light,¡± she muttered, fully aware that she would look crazy talking to herself. She drove off and had to slow right down just before her turn. Again, she looked back, making sure she knew where he wass, but yet again, she was surprised this time he hade to a stop and had his sher on, too. She turned and drove the few blocks to her home, and as she pulled into her driveway, the motorcycle and rider zoomed past her house. Chapter Comments Visitor who is Edward? Visitor looks like a typo VIEW ALL 3 COMMENTS > 16 All th SHARE POST COMMENT 7 Chapter 29 A knock on the door awoke her, and she was disappointed because she was sleeping in that day. Ignoring it, she tried to go back to sleep, when there was another knock on the door. Pandora groaned, not wanting to get up, and pulled the covers over her head. Whoever it was that was messing with her special naptime was pissing her off. Her cell phone beeped, so she picked it up and looked at the text. [Get out of bed and down here, I have a gift for you. You''re making mete for lunch with the inws. -Milton] She chuckled and got up before throwing on a sweater and she walked down the stairs. "Hi, Pandora said as she pulled the door open. "Walter asked me to drop this off." He handed Pandora a box and she looked inside to see there was some mace and a new taser. "Why am I going to need a taser?" she asked and Milton just shrugged. "That''s not the best gift," he said and Pandora groaned, knowing this was not going to be good, not with the grin on Milton''s face. "Follow me," he said as he walked back to his car. He opened his car door, and right away she could hear a hissing noise; before she could ask him about it, he was talking. I teach gun handling and shooting. Milton has booked you in for some sses. What day are you free?" "He''s what?" Pandora said through gritted teeth. "I am not going to be able to handle a gun!" she carried on as Milton just looked her way. "And what the hell is that hissing noise anyway?" "That''s Jane," he responded and she looked past him and into the car. She felt her mouth drop open and her hand just pointed inside his car. "Milton, there''s a blow-up, sex doll in your car! Why is there a sex doll in your car?" she asked him as she watched it inting. "That''s my sister-inw, we call her Jane. Jane, this is Pandora." "Hi..." She pped her forehead as soon as it hit me that she just said hello to a blow-up doll. "Milton?" she said in a tone that said ''what the hell''. "What? Come on, this is priceless and funny on top of that." "Jane?" she spluttered, needing to what he was doing. "My brother-inw happens to like Janes." "Okay, but that still doesn''t exin why you have a blow-up doll?" Before she could think the situation could get any weirder, Milton began to speak again. "I got it for him and named it Jane because I can''t call her Jane Doe, right? That just makes her sound like a victim of crime. My sister-inw might be a mystery but she deserves all the respect in the world." Milton looked so proud of his reasoning. Pandora snorted but quickly gasped, covering her mouth. "You''re going to prank him and this is his missing wife?" she asked and Milton grinned, showing all of his white teeth as he nodded. "You''re sick," shemented with a chuckle. "I frigging wish I could be there, but you''re still wicked!" "It''s going to be so good and frigging?" "I''m trying to stop swearing." Milton nodded in understanding. So, does next week work for you?" Pandora shook her head quickly. "No, let''s leave it until after I''ve had the babies; I don''t need to add to my stress!" Milton sighed dramatically and slid into his car ''Fine! Say goodbye to Jane." Pandora giggled once again. "Later, Milton. Bye, Jane." [WARNING: CRUDE CONTENT UP AHEAD.] DERRIK''S POV: I sat in my car, fuming. That fucking prick that arrested me had been sleeping with my whore of an ex-wife. I couldn''t believe she was able to get a guy off. She was a dead fish in bed, so I wondered how she managed to get a guy to cum in her and get her pregnant. I shook my head; this guy really didn''t know what he was in for with her. I hit my steering wheel. I figured he would be gone by now. I loved messing with him the day he called the house phone. When I answered, he thought Pandora Preston may have been a woman he met in Vegas and he really wanted to see her. He sounded so heartbroken when I told him how Pandora Preston was my grandmother and she was almost ny, but as a widow, she might be interested in meeting him, if he''d like. After he had sputtered an apology a few times, he declined and hung up. Now I saw he was back, and this was not how it was meant to be. Divorcing her should have wrecked her. She wasn''t supposed to be able to move on. Why did she get to be happy? She was supposed to be miserable without me! She was a shitty wife and I hated every minute of my so-called marriage to her. She was as worthless as the day was long. Sure she could cook, made a great housewife, and brought in enough money so I didn''t need to work. Working for a living-now there was a joke. I wasn''t made to hold a menial nine- to-five job. I wasn''t made to work at all, not unless it gives me more than a lousy paycheck. It''s not like I couldn''t get a job, but why should I work hard? Why should I get my hands dirty when females could support me? When I was with that stupid bitch, her wages were good enough for me to sit at home, y video games, or y some football with my friends? My wife, or ex-wife I should say, did have a great body on her. It was a shame though that her face and body never really went together. She was only okay looking, but most of our downfall was in the bedroom. Her sex drive and mine weren''t on the same page, not even in the same building. Chapter 30 [WARNING: CRUDE CONTENT UP AHEAD.] At first, way back when we were in high school, it was a disaster. I''d fuck her and, of course, she''d make it a bad experience. Between her yells and cries of pain, she always made me feel as if I was going against her will, rather than fucking. After she had that stupid operation that put her out ofmission for six weeks, things were only a little better. The only time things got better, was when she begged me to have a baby with her. I didn''t want a baby with her, not if that meant she would have to stop working to have it. I especially didn''t want one if I would have to watch it for her. I found my way around it though; after all, it was at least mediocre when she was willing to have more sex. More sex was the only reason I agreed and pushed her so much about it. It was rather funny when I was able to act as if she had failed me each month. I grin shaking my head at howpletely ignorant she is. The stupid bitch didn''t know her morning coffee always had a little extra in it. She always had to have her cup of coffee each morning, so I made sure that it always had a nice strong dose of birth control in it. Womenined that the pill was so hard to get, but that just showed you how stupid they were. The whole sex-when I wanted itsted for three years before it slowly started declining. She became put off by her inability to be pregnant. I pushed Jher too hard a few times, and she finally started to see her true self as I''ve always seen her. It was then that I started to seek pleasure outside of my home. I wasn''t working, so I had plenty of time on my hands. She actually thought I was working, but I was just getting my weekly allowance from my mom, and passing it off as a paycheck. It was never a lot, but it helped when I cushioned my private ount by using hers for almost everything I bought. The more women I met and fucked the more I knew how horrid the sex between us was, but it wasn''t my fault. The frigid bitch was the real problem, and she was self-inflicting her hate for sex into pain. There are only so many times a guy could hear, "Stop... it hurts too much," before he lost it. It wouldn''t be so bad if she would have let me in the backdoor or even sucked me off, but no that would be too demeaning to her. Like that whore knew anything but trashy shit, that was clear by the looks of this hick she had in and out of my house. Two years ago, I met my Mackenna. She was at the park having a fight with her then-boyfriend. He left her there in the park crying, and I galloped in and swept her off of her feet. At first, it was just supposed to be like the other women in my life. I loved to hit it and quit it. Mackenna was different and slowly she fell in love and begged me to let her move in with me, and I wish she could''ve. Mackenna would do just about anything I demanded in bed, so she worked in a pinch. My biggest issue was that she thought I had money. She hade to my home many times with me and loved it. What was not to love-it was a great house in an amazing neighborhood- it was worth a pretty penny, too. Besides, it was so much better than the ce she lived in. Plus, there was my car, which, of course, the fucking bitch took, just like she took my house. Mackenna loved both the car and the house as much as I did. I didn''t understand why that stupid whore got the car; she didn''t even know what kind it was. The thing that angered me the most was that her living in my beautiful house was a joke like her sad, lonely ass was worthy of that kind of environment. The day that Pandora found out about me and Mackenna, Mackenna and I had a falling out. Mackenna wanted more from me, but I told her it wasn''t possible. She wanted us to move, just up and leave. I was mad, so I asked her for a day. I had to have some time to figure out how to sell the house and get the rest of the money out of the bank ounts. The argument made choosing Mackenna so much easier. When I got to Mackenna''s that night, of course, she was mad that I never told her I was married. It took a bit of pretending to care to get back into her good graces, but the fact she was pregnant scared the crap out of me. Having sex with Macky is fun, but I didn''t want some fucking snot-nosed brat making her sexy body fat. I read about a medication I could give her that would cause her body to miscarry. So I got my old football buddy to get me some of it. It was good to have a buddy who owed you, especially when they had a family pharmacy. So with the drugs crushed up in her meals for two days straight, I managed to save myself from that bullet. After that all settled down, I thought life would be perfect. Perfect- there was a joke; because she was upset after learning the thing she was carrying wasn''t there anymore. She cried for days, and my sex life took the biggest hit it ever had. I really should have gotten a medal for going without sex for those two months! Thank God, Macky never came to the courthouse, except the one time she was called to testify. I convinced her she couldn''t be in the courtroom due to her testimony. I was able to keep the knowledge of my financial state from her easily enough. It helped me lie about having to pay massive amounts of alimony. Chapter 31 [WARNING: CRUDE CONTENT UP AHEAD.] When I told Macky, I thought I would have to pay a lot of support, she said she didn''t care, but to do everything I could to keep my home. Of course, I wanted to keep my home, it was a chick ma. I knew I had banged more than a couple of dozen women there. However, that stupid bitch ex of mine had to demand that she get the house. I watch Pandora walk back into the house and it pissed me off. Thezy bitch was staying home again today, in bed, so I would need toe back tomorrow. Since she had been home from her trip, she had really put a crimp in my ns. First, her being homesick made it so I couldn''t spend my days at my house. I was shocked to learn her sickness was from pregnancy. I about fell on the floor when I saw that sonogram picture on her fridge. Then she really had to ruin things by having me arrested and getting the rm system installed. I had been trying daily to figure out how to cut the power without alerting anyone. This sucked especially after the work I did while she was away. I got to enjoy myself because I spent a lot of time in my home. I even searched through her desk and things until I found a lockbox. Using my brute force, I got it open and there was the deed to the house, money, and a copy of our divorce decree, exactly what I needed. I was pissed when I found she had changed the locks, so I broke a window in the back door. Of course, I got it fixed and even got a locksmith out to make me new keys for the locks. It was easy to do and to make it even better. I used the money the stupid bitch had in the lockbox for everything and pocketed the jrest. For four days, I got to enjoy life in my house. I even brought Mackenna here and fucked her on every avable surface we could deface. On thest day there, I cleaned up the mess so she wouldn''t know I was there. The longer I can keep her in the dark, the easier it will be to get the house sold. When she came back, she looked like a used-up whore; she had dyed her hair and cut it. She must have faked-baked herself because she was really tan, which is not her normal pasty pale coloring. She looked like a cheap hooker, rode hard, and put away wet, she was a hot mess. I went out the back door as she came in the front. Right away, I drove my car from where I had parked out back to the front of the house. I got a lot of enjoyment out of the verbal argument we had, but she deserved it. I knew she had been in Vegas by pretending to be a potential client and calling to speak to her at work. Of course, most people go to Vegas for the fun stuff, but she was there to attend a work function. I nced at my watch seeing that it was just after one, as my friends were still at work, and Mackenna thought that was where I was; I drove to my second favorite ce, the slot machines. I pulled up and parked outside the casino. Before getting out of the car, I picked up my cell and speed-dialed the most important person in the world, besides me. As it rang, I cleared my throat, so that I could use my innocent, perfect momma''s boy voice. "Hi, Mommy," I said when she answered. "How''s Momma''s sweet boy?" I grinned, knowing full well she was grinning happily. "Not bad, Momma, but..." I made sure to let out a sigh. "But what? You''re not gonna tell me that girl is still harassing you, are you? I just knew she was a stuck-up, little bitch from the word go. Her mother was so right when she told me that Pandora was a spoiled rotten, selfish bitch. Why in heaven''s name; did you marry her?" I almost had her; I just needed to let out a small sob now. "Uh, I''m not sure, Momma. Why does she have to be this way?" I cried. "Things are so bad right now and I hate to ask... but.. I made sure to trail off so it was not me asking, but her that was offering. "Has she taken more money from you again? Do you need your monthly money early?" "That would help, for a week or so. I wish I could just get on my feet so Mackenna and I can start trying for a baby again. She really wants one, and since the stress Pandora caused made her miscarry, I just-" I stopped for a dramatic pause. "I know that I should marry her first, but we barely have enough for one... well, really not even that right at the moment." "Oh well, I could put an extra five thousand in your ount with the fifteen hundred. I''ll just take the extra from Daddy''s savings ount. I can call the bank and have that transferred right away, so you can pay your bills. The extra should at least help you get started on the important things in your life." She was so easy; every woman never lost the hope and desire for a baby to be born into their family. "Thank you, Momma," I again made sure I added a sob at the end. I needed to have her on my side, after all. "Youe next weekend for dinner, you hear." Yes, Momma. I hung up, giving it a few minutes before checking my online bank, and saw my money was now in my ount. I got out of my car and headed inside to y some slots. "Fucking hell," I growled. This machine was hustling me! "Sir, can you lower the level of your voice?" a security guard said to me, as others stared. I red at the guy. "I was up a thousand, and this fucking, rigged, pile of shit took my money!* "Sir," he said again and shed a worried look behind me. Chapter 32 [WARNING: CRUDE CONTENT UP AHEAD.] I turned my head and sure enough, two more security guards were watching me; these guys were pussies, they could never fight by theinselves. I nodded to hopefully appease them as I deposited another five hundred in the machine. I was due to hit big and there had to be a wining up soon. I hit the bet max button and watched the reels spin, but the fucking asshole put me off my game. My cell rang and I hit the button again. "Come on, five cherries," I said to myself before epting the call. "What?" I said impatiently as I watched the reels spinning again. "Derrik, Mackenna said sounding down. "Babe, I am working, what''s up?" I asked watching for those cherries. The first reel stopped and there was a cherry. "Rick?" "Oh sorry, babe, what''s wrong?" The second reel stopped on a cherry. "I''m sick; can you bring dinner home with you?" I pulled my cell away from my mouth, still watching the reels. Mackenna is kinky as fuck, had a ster body, and she was beautiful, but her wife skills were shit. "Yeah sure, I''ll be home soon," I muttered as I saw that the rest of the spin went well, and I was up five hundred. "Love you," she said.. "Love you, too," I replied, hoping she believed me because I couldn''t deal with another meltdown. Hitting end, I pocketed my cell and fist pumped when I saw my checkout bnce was over sixty-two hundred. Printing the receipt, I went to the high rollers center, to really break the bank. I walked to the five-thousand-to-y slot machine. I entered the ticket and my money loaded onto the screen. I hit the max bet and watched the reels spin. "Come on,e on, yes!" I fist-pumped. That was another ten thousand. Feeling incredibly lucky, I hit bet all and watched the reels spin. As they spun a bunch of people had stopped to stare at me. I was a smug bastard, so I gave them my ''I''m more important than you'' nod, before turning back to the machine. The reels stopped and I was instantly mad. ¡°Fuck!¡± I roared, punching the machine. "Okay, Sir, I think it''s time you left." I sneered at the guard and his buddies before picking up my jacket and storming out. Sitting in my car, I felt cheated. I looked at my online banking ount and saw there were just five hundred left. I drove off heading to the cheap shitty Chinese take-out that Mackenna loved so much. I parked my car next to some guy with a nice piece of metal. "Nice wheels,¡± I said and he looked up giving me a smile. "Thanks, he replied. "What''s her speed?" Before he could answer me, at him. his cell rang, making him groan. "What!" he yelled as he answered it. "No, Milton, I didn''t forget my wife!" I chuckled and looked This guy had tattoos on both arms. I found them disgusting. That''s another thing Pandora always wanted me to do, but I told her tattoos were for gang members and lowlife individuals. "Her name is not Jane!" the guy hissed out, getting my attention again. He snapped his fancy folded cell phone closed before shoving it back into his pocket. ¡°Next!¡± The guy at the counter called and I looked at the guy who stepped forward. He rattled off an order that would be the whore''s idea of a perfect choice. His likes were so close to hers that I snorted, making the guy look at me. "Sorry, that''s exactly what my ex-wife, order. uld''ve ordered." He nodded and I caught the ring on his finger as he paid. He moved out of the way and I ced my As I waited, I stood next to him as he sent what seemed to be an angry text on his cell. Women are so not worth it," I said, pointing at his phone. Thinking the guy was a lowlife or not, I almost understood the misery. He frowned and looked at 1. me. "Most aren''t, but I believe we all have our one, the one we just click with. It''s like you can see the rest of your life y out in their eyes." I shook my head. "You must be freshly married?" I asked and he nodded at me.. "The honeymoon period will fade soon and you''ll be left with a heartless bitch," I told him. "Bad break up?" I let out a soft breath. "No, more like a bad marriage. She was heartless; never showed me any love or support. She was always on me to change and said my ideas and thoughts were stupid." I snort shaking my head. "She always made me feel like I wasn''t good enough, that the things I bought her weren''t good enough. I know I should''ve got out first, but I kept trying, I guess. I ended up meeting my Rosie and this girl is everything. She loves the clothes, the same ones that weren''t good enough for my ex-wife. She makes me feel important, and she wants me." "Sounds like you met a good woman, and had a lucky escape." Nodding at him, I let out a sigh. "Don''t I know it, but my ex got everything, even the house we shared." The guy gave me a sad smile, but his number got called and he walked up to get his food. "Later," I called as he walked out. My order got called, I grabbed the food and drove to the shit hole I had been made to live in. "Hey, babe," I said, kissing her. My eyes nce around the room, seeing she had done nothing all fucking day. I sighed and walked into the kitchen to see there were no clean dishes. Since I didn''t clean up in this shithole, I grabbed the paper tes and dish out for dinner. "Thank you, honey," she said as I handed her a te. "You take such good care of me," I smiled, looking down at my te. If only she knew I made her tes so I could keep her on the pill. "My brother came by, he had an idea." I stopped eating and looked at her. "What?" I hummed so she knew I was listening, well partly anyway. "He thinks you should leave your job." "He says if you''re not working, then you don''t need to pay her any money." Before I could agree, I felt a little sick. I was pretending to go to work every fucking morning. The money my mom had been giving me was only just enough for Mackenna to be fooled that Pandora had been getting the rest. "He said not to worry about money. His work is looking for people, and he could get you a job installing security and pay you under the table." I knew this was sounding too good to be true. If I agreed, then I would have to work! "He said he knows it''s below what you are used to, but it''s installing security systems, fixing the ones that are broke, or helping people who get locked out of their homes." Chapter Comments Kelly Anne shouldn''t it be Mackenna or Macky and not Rosie?? Chapter 33 [WARNING: CRUDE CONTENT UP AHEAD.] I held up my hand, cutting her off. "How can you fix the ones people get locked out of?" Oh, my brother says that every security rm has a back door; so say someone like a child puts in or changes the code, or they forget, the securitypany can still get in." I grinned because I had been wracking my brain on how to get around that stupid security the whore''s jackass installed. "Tell him I will do it," I said right away. Okay, I would have to work a little, but I could get that bitch back, so it was worth it. "Remember that I love you and that karma will get her soon, Mackenna said. I leaned over giving Macky a kiss that deepened right away. She pulled back chuckling. "Come on, babe, I have had enough to eat; now I want you." "Let''s just put this in the microwave and i''ll be right with you. Get up those stairs,'' I said, knowing she ate enough of the pill, but I''d rather she ate more. As soon as Macky left the room and her food was in the microwave, I jumped up the stairs, taking two at a time. "Best yet," Macky hummed out, lighting up a cigarette. "I wish you wouldn''t smoke in here," I muttered, getting out of bed. "Come on, babe," she whined and I rolled my eyes before moving out of the room. "I''m going to eat now," I called out as I walked downstairs. I grabbed my dinner, which was still warm so I didn''t need to reheat it. After eating, I threw away my te and headed back upstairs. When I got there, I frowned, finding Macky in an almost upside-down position hanging off the bed. "What are you doing?" I asked her. "I read this is the best way toy if you''re trying for a baby. I think we did it this time," she giggled. I grinned at her and nodded. "Just wait and see," I chuckled, knowing full well there would be no baby, not with her taking the pill every morning and night like clockwork. "Night," I said, pulling the covers up and closing my eyes. I left Macky to her stupid magazines while lying upside down. The next morning, I was up making Mackenna''s morning coffee. I carried it up to her and woke her up. "Oh, thank you, honey," she hummed before taking arge drink. "This is so good; I don''t know where I would be without my morning coffee." I had to turn to stop my snort. I knew where she would be, she would be pregnant. But she should thank me, she''s not getting pregnant. Losing another baby wouldn''t be good. Thest time she didn''t cope too well. I knew that the pill didn''t work all the time, and not with the amount of fucking we did. The fact that Mackenna had gotten pregnant before proved that. I still couldn''t believe I was that unlucky for her to get knocked up. I was sure it was the bitching that Pandora was doing that made me even more stressed over it. I knew the stress made it take me a while toe up with a solution to solve the problem. I didn''t feel bad about the choice I made, women get to make the choice without the man''s input all the time. I didn''t want kids, and there was no way any doctor was going to be cutting at my dick. I headed over to Mason''s. Mackenna''s brother took me through everything I needed to install a unit and then told me how to switch off our systems without knowing the passcode. I think with this knowledge we should do some bank jobs," I joked and he rolled his eyes at me. "This is our ownpany''s passcode, it''s easily tracked." "Oh," I said, scratching my head. "This is how you put the information in the system." He showed me how to run theputer and I nodded at him. Does this have all our clients in it?'' Yes, he answered without looking at me. ''I''ll leave you to get used to it, and then I''ll take you on a few jobs." I nodded at him and as soon as he was out the door, I clicked in my house address. "Oh, you''re back to Ms. Leonard, are you?" I chuckled, seeing all her information on my screen. "They say paybacks a bitch, I guess we will see what she thinks about it now." It took two fucking weeks for Mason to let me out on my own. The fact that he was Mackenna''s brother meant she would know when I hadn''t been to work, so right then life had been shit. Thank God, he had some extra work and I was able to get out without him. Even better, was that Pandora was not there when I turned up at my house. I walked in, switched off the rm, and then rubbed my hands together. "Let''s see how handy your new boy toy is." I moved to the basement and loosened her washing machine hoses knowing full well they would work for a little bit before flooding the ce. I dropped something special down the toilet so it would get blocked, and then walked into my bedroom. I wanted to rip everything in here apart leaving her with nothing like she did to me, but I was able to resist. I moved to her jewelry box, and opened it, running my fingers over some of the stuff. I grab things here and there, mainly taking the stuff I knew was worth something. Seeing her g jewelry, I grabbed it knowing I could pawn them as she only wore them once a year. She was so dumb she would never know they were gone. Then I picked up the box that held a ne, earrings, and bracelet set. It was really beautiful and I knew it was an antique. Mackenna loved shit like this, so I would give it to her. After doing a few other things, like snapping some photos of the house, I walked out feeling happier than I had in a year. This is so good; I cannot wait to see what she thinks of this. The stupid whore should''ve just given me the house like I told her." Before I left, I checked the mail and found a letter addressed to Mr. and Mrs. B. Parks. What the fuck, so now she was nning to rent out my house, and the people were already moving in? Fuck that, I would really have to step up my game. I ripped the mail up and stuffed it in the trash, snarling over this bitch and her games. so when are they gonna figure out he''s breaking into her house and stealing stuff?? if he has a code to bypass her security system?? Chapter 34 Benjamin sighed before walking into his parents'' home for dinner. He loved them dearly, but since their trip to Vegas, he just hadn''t been feeling the want or need to be around happy couples who made it a point to unt their affection. "Hello, son," his father called and then frowned right away. Benjamin forced a smile on his face. "Hi, Dad, is everyone here?" "Yes... well no. Milton had to drop in on some case he got." Benjamin bobbed his head as he walked into the living room. "Come on Alexis, you have to model it for me, I am your sister," Maisey moaned, batting her eyes at Alexis, who sighed. "Fine, but remember, I just got off the night shift, so I have all the right in the world to act moody!" Maisey nodded as she grinned triumphantly. "Sorry, I''mte!" Milton called out. Anyone who heard him could tell he was up to no good. And they waited anxiously for what was to follow. "I love you and this is not me," Alexis pleaded as she looked at Benjamin. He looked at her and frowned, but she rolled her eyes closed as both Maisey and her husband''s mouths dropped open. "Ben, look who I found for you," Milton sang from behind him. He turned slowly to see Milton holding a blow-up doll. "What the hell is that?" he yelled, jumping away from the sex doll that was naked. "WHO BROUGHT THAT INTO MY HOUSE?" Benjamin''s mother yelled. ¡°Lana, it''s Benjamin''s wife. Isn''t she lovely?" Milton replied. "What? Why are you giving him a blow-up doll as a wife? And why is it naked?" "I thought Benjamin could dress her as he pleased. It is his wife, in the end," Milton told her as he tried to pass the doll to Benjamin. He shook his head and moved farther away from Milton and the doll. "Come on, Ben, she is called Jane," Milton smirked, giving him an evil look. "Stop it!" Benjamin gritted back out at him. ''Why can''t he let this go?'' he groaned internally. "Is this because he told the nursing staff that he is married?" their father questioned as he looked at the doll from the corner of his eye. "This has gone too far. First, you show up with a wedding ring. I mean really? How are you supposed to meet a woman like this, Benjamin?" Lana asked. She even threw her hands up in the air, shaking her head as she walked out of the room, followed by her husband. Once the parents were out of sight, Benjamin punched Milton in the arm. "Knock it off," he hissed. "Is this because I refused to meet the woman who was in desperate need of a good time? The woman that you recently became friends with?" Benjamin interrogated him. "Hey! She''s lovely and you would love her. I am sure of it, but it is your loss. As to why I am going to such lengths... It''s about having fun at your expense." In the end, Milton just grinned at him. Before Benjamin could say a word, Lana called to them toe to the dining room for dinner. Benjamin begrudgingly followed the rest, but his mind slipped back to Vegas. "Look, Benjamin, what I''m trying to say is that I forgive you." Benjamin red at the phone. The stuck-up cow forgives me? Really, she almost destroyed my sister''s wedding! Not to mention her idea of hurting me was to fuck someone else loudly within hearing range.'' She and the whole sex in the coatroom, which most of the guests got to overhear. It was like having a wedding next to a porn studio. "So, how about we get married next August, that gives us a year and there''s no way I am being engaged for more than a year!" "How about no," Benjamin muttered. "Sorry, what was that?" I said no, Raegan, I''m done with you." "No, you''re not; no one is done with me until I say so. Especially not some geeky guy who''s shit in bed!" Raegan yelled back, sounding upset about not getting her way. "If I''m so shitty, why do you want to be with me?" Benjamin countered. "Your money and your looks, of course. Let''s face it, Benjamin, it''s all you got going for you. And don''t be fooled, your looks will disappear over time, but by then, I''ll be entitled to all your money." "Fuck off!" Alexis yelled, taking his cell from him and ending the call. "Next time she calls, don''t answer, Ben! In fact, I''m getting you a new cell number, Alexis said and he bobbed his head and flopped on the sofa. "Come on, Benjamin, she''s a whore. You''ve got a lot going for you. You''re sweet, loving, kind, smart, great with kids, intelligent-" Benjamin snorted, cutting her off. "Yes, a good guy, that''s me. Did you forget? Good guysest." "And that is why smart girls love them," Alexis raised her brow and Ben pushed her shoulder. "Come on, Ben, dress up and we can meet Milton. Let''s show everyone the Ben that no one has seen before." He heard the soft buzzing sound and jumped, looking at his sister. "Trust me," she smiled and he closed his eyes, allowing her to cut his hair with the clippers she was holding. It took her almost an hour to get his hair just right. He looked in the mirror and saw the clothes she had picked for him. It was not only more casual than what he was used to wearing, but it also made him look more muscr. "Shouldn''t I shave my face? I''m all scruffy," he asked, rubbing his chin. ww "No. It makes you look ruggedly handsome," she told Benjamin. She threw the jacket in his direction. "Now, go on." "My sses?" he asked, hoping she would agree. He really wanted to see clearly. "Yes, women love sses." Ben chuckled and took the jacket. After hugging, Alexis winked and walked out. She remained just out of the door when his cell phone rang again. He picked without looking at who was calling. it up Chapter 35 "You''re a loser, and the bitch better stay away from me," Raegan hissed, but there was another voice in the background. "This is how a guy fucks a girl, you wimp," she carried on, but this time, it came out as a moan. Ben hung up, only for the other to call right back. This time, he ignored it. After an hour of constant calls, he knew he had enough. He turned his cell phone off and shoved it into his jacket before walking out of the room. The entire time he walked around, all Benjamin could hear was Raegan repeatedly telling him how boring he was. Walking into the first bar he saw, he settled at the bar and ordered a beer. It was just after his third that he made the mistake of listening to the voicemails from Raegan. He drank a few more beers, and his anger got the best of him. Walking out of the bar, he headed for the bar where his sister and Milton were going to be. About halfway there, he came across a tattoo shop and went inside. "Hey there, I''m just wondering if you have any openings tonight?" he asked the woman at the counter. She looked him over and then dropped her eyes. "I''ve only got time to do a piercing." "Sounds good to me," he said and nodded at her. At that point, he didn''t care what he got done. He just wanted to do something. "Fill this out," she stated and Ben took the form from her, filling in all the information. "I think you''d look pretty smokin'' with your eyebrow pierced." "Yeah," Benjamin said, agreeing without really caring one way or the other. "If you''d like to sit here," she smiled at Ben. He returned the smile, but only due to the manners with which his parents raised him. Taking the paperwork from him, she read it over. She walked to the counter and came back with a silver-curved barbell. He watched her open the packaging on the barbell, forceps, and needle. Once it was all set up and she had wiped his eyebrow, she smiled once again. "Ready, handsome?" "Yes," he said and she leaned in real close. If he had twenty-twenty vision without his sses, her breasts would be in clear view. He was a guy, but her breasts weren''t really his preferred type, anyway. For him, he would rather catch a subtle hint of cleavage, and be left wondering what the rest was. It was like unwrapping a great Christmas present; the hidden gift was better. You could wrap anything up for Christmas, but it was always more fun to not fully know what was under the paper until you opened it. If one was already aware of what was under the paper, then there was nothing left to look forward to. "There you go,¡± she told him, sounding disappointed. Looking toward the mirror, he couldn''t see himself clearly, so he ced his sses back on. He gulped and touched the eyebrow ring. "You don''t like it?" she asked, "No, it''s great." He smiled at her, but he had a feeling it would be taken out as soon as he got home. "It looks good on you, but better without the sses even if they are cool." Nodding at her, he stood and grabbed his jacket. "Thanks," he said, handing her money over before walking out. When he got to the bar where his family was supposed to be, he looked around, but couldn''t seem to see them. "Hi, what can I get for you?" "Has Milton and Alexis arrived yet?" The bartender just looked at her. "I''m Benjamin, the boring brother." The bartender chuckled at him and gave him a nod. ¡°Hi, Benjamin, I''ve heard all about you," he stuck out his hand and Ben shook it. "They''re not here yet, but they normally sit at the middle booth over there." Ben turned and looked at where he was pointing. "Here you go, Benjamin." He turned back to see a ss filled with an amber liquid. "Milton told me you like Jack Daniels." Taking the ss, he nodded and reached for his wallet, but he shook his head at Ben. "This one''s on me." "Thanks..." he trailed off as he didn''t know the bartender''s name. Royce." "Well, Royce. Thank you." He downed the drink and another after that, but this time, he paid. "It''s getting busy, you should move to the booth so they don''t lose it." He nodded at Royce, walking over to the booth, but wobbling a little. "It may be time to cut yourself off," he told himself. He sat down and saw he still had a shot of Jack in his ss. "Maybe after this one," he chortled at himself. He drank it down and looked to the door, hoping the others hurried up. The door opened, but instead of them walking in, it was a small woman. Her looks attracted him instantly and he watched as she looked around the room. She let out a breath and then walked to the bar. His eyes seemed to follow her, and he couldn''t help but wish that he could see her close up, because from where he was, she was beautiful. He made a move to get up but stopped when some guy beat him to it. He took his sses off, not wanting to see him get the girl. A snap made him open his eyes, but they stayed on her, they didn''t move as the guy moved off. He was clearly shot down by her. He let out a long breath and sat back down. He looked down at his sses to see he must have been holding them too tight because they were broken. "Shit," he hissed, knowing he couldn''t wear them and he didn''t have his contacts with him. "Come on, man it up, go to her," his mind chanted and he nodded in agreement with himself. Getting up, he walked slowly to her. As he reached her and looked her over, he couldn''t help but bite his lip. She was so beautiful. Chapter 36 Benjamin felt guilty for having sex with Dora and then running out when Milton and Alexis entered the bar. He just ran out with her like she was a secret. "Wow," Dora giggled and he wrapped his arm around her, stopping her from falling as his eyes scanned her. He noticed that she had a short dress on, so he removed his jacket and put it on her. "What''s wrong?" he asked. She looked up at him and shook her head. "Nothing, just..." she sighed. "I want to have fun. I want to have a night with no regrets. With someone different. Be someone that can and will do anything they want." "I could help you with that. I need to do that, too." "Hey, boring bro!" Benjamin turned to see Royce running toward them. "Can I talk to thedy?" he asked and Ben frowned, but bobbed his head. "No, I wanna go," Dora whined. "You''re happy to go with him?" Royce asked and Dora nodded at him. "Yes, he''s my knight in ck leather armor," she giggled at the end, making Royce shake his head. "Make sure she gets home and she may be a little drunk," he said and Ben just nodded. He waved down a cab and they got on. "Where am I taking you?" he asked and Dora simply shrugged. So, he gave the driver the name of his hotel. "Hey! I''m staying there, too." "You are?" # "Yes," she hummed and then started to kiss him. It heated up fast and their hormones took over. "How about we take it down a notch?" the driver called out. It made them chuckle. "Hey, driver, stop here," Dora yelled out as the driver stopped. She jumped out of the cab. "Give me two minutes," Ben told the man and threw him some money before running after her. "Dora!" he yelled but she didn''t turn around. Ben realized btedly that she wouldn''t respond to the name because it was fake. Dora stopped and Ben moved to her, and then he looked at where she was looking. He swallowed and frowned, seeing her looking at a crowd. They watched a guy on his knee in front of a woman, clearly proposing. "That''s so sweet," Dora sighed and then took hold of the bottle of liquor. She started to take a sip when he snatched the bottle from her. It was not safe. "I''m sorry, I will pay you back for the booze." The sadness in her voice tugged at his heart. "What? No." He didn''t care about a little alcohol. "That''s not it. I don''t want you to get sick." He pushed the hair from her eyes and stared into them. She looked so sad and unsure. "Who hurt you?" he asked. She snorted. "He''s out of my life now." As she spoke, her eyes moved to her hand and Ben could see a faint white line on her ring finger. "How long has it been?" "A long time. So long that I shouldn''t be moping around." He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "I''m sorry." "Don''t be. I am d to be rid of him. You know what? He never gave me his jacket to cover me or ever tried to protect me." "Then he is a fool. I would give you anything you asked for." "What about your heart?" she asked him wryly, Ben swallowed but something in her eyes made his eyes burn. "I would if you gave me your name?" "Pran-do-a" she giggled and huped. "Sadly, still Prez..." Her name came out so weirdly that his fuzzy brain couldn''t make it out clearly. *Come on," he said, pulling her back to where they left the cab, only to find it gone. "Sorry," she muttered and thenughed. "Come on. No better time to walk. The weather is nice." He nodded and pulled her over. "What is your name?" "Benjamin," he answered. She looked up at him and smiled. "I think I will stick with Nemo." Before he could even agree, she was kissing him again. He picked her up and they tumbled to the ground. The two of them walked and talked, kissing for almost an hour. "What do you do for a living?" he asked, kissing her knuckles. "Hmm... What would a Dora do?" she spoke out loud, making Ben shake his head in amusement. "She would be a librarian in a mysteriously hidden old library. So, I work in a library." She turned to him, having no idea that she was talking out loud. Benjamin sighed, hating the fact that she was giving him a fake job, but he knew she was ying the game she had set up. He didn''t think she was trying to be deceitful, just ying safe. Besides, he was sure he could ask her the next day when they were both sober. "Would you like to spend the rest of the week with me? You could meet my family. They are also here," he prompted hopefully. He wanted to make sure she was feeling what he was feeling. Dora''s face dropped and he waved her off. "Forget I asked," he muttered quickly, regretting that he had asked. "No. It''s not because I don''t want to. It''s because I am going home tomorrow." "What?" "I have to go home," she swallowed, and his own heart sank, but he took some relief that she, too, looked unhappy about this. *Then give me your number, and I''ll call you." He knew she was a long drive away from him, but he would find a way to meet up with her regrly. She took his cell and noted down her number, Ben looked at it grinning. "That''s an area code I recognize," he said and Dora nodded at him without understanding. "Then you know which city I live in," she whispered. "It just so happens I live there, too." Dora smiled and then jumped into his arms, kissing him. ''No, this isn''t going to work. I need more than a number from her.'' His head was yelling at him to do something. "Marry me?" he asked as she pulled away. Chapter 37 "What?" she asks shyly but her eyes twinkled with delight. "Marry me," he repeated. "We can''t-" Ben grinned, picking up on the small tinge of hope in her voice. "We can," he said firmly, pulling her along with him. They went to a small jewelry store that was open along the strip and he picked out two bands, paying double for them to engrave them both immediately. As soon as they were done, they headed to a small, nearby chapel. They gave the people their details and driver''s licenses. Ben had to squint his eyes, trying to make out herst name. After a few minutes, it came to him... it said Pr¨¦z. Just like she had said. They asked where the happy couple wanted their official paperwork mailed. They talked and Ben agreed after she told him about how much her house meant to her. The certificate would be sent to her house. Benjamin watched as the recorderdy filled in the information on the papers. "What about your family?" Dora asked. "I will call them." Since they had some time to wait, he called them. But they didn''t understand him. While they waited, they sat there, hugged, and spoke softly. "You two are up," they called to Dora and him. "Ready to be my husband, Nemo?" "Yes, ready to be my wife, Dora?" "Yes!" she moaned, making him chuckle. Hey Benjamin led her to where they were meant to be. "Can you call us Dora and Nemo?¡± he asked and the preacher guy tilted his head. "I''ll work it out," he said with augh. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here tonight to..." Ben tuned out his talking, looking slowly at Dora, who was looking back at him. His arm got tapped and he winked at Dora. ¡°I do,¡± he said, cing the ring on her finger. Benjamin chuckled when they had to tap her arm, too. "I do," she said, putting his ring on his finger. As soon as she was done, he kissed her, only faintly hearing the preacher still talking. "Okay, sign here, but you have to sign the legal name you use," he said, handing him a pen. He signed Benjamin Parks and handed the pen to Dora. "Your turn, Mrs. Parks," he said. He couldn''t help but smile as he watched her write herst name as Parks. The preacher signed something and handed it to them. "This is our copy, the legal copy will arrive in the mail in eight to ten weeks," he stated. They kissed, making their way back out of the hall. He pulled her to the loveseat, cing the paper down so that he could get his hands in her hair. "Benjamin!" he heard get yelled. "Thank God I got here before you got married." Ben pulled back and frowned as he looked at Alexis." "Eh, no, you''rete, meet my wife, P- "Dora," she yelled, making Ben chuckle. "Dora," he said, kissing her. "Hello," Alexis huffed, sounding tired. I know you," Dora said as she narrowed her "Why do I know you?" Alexis looked at her, shaking her head. "I have I seen you before," she countered. "No, that''s not it. Hum... Oh, I know... you look like an angel!" Dora giggled. Benjamin felt a tingle in his veins. He loved herugh. She was so happy and nothing like his ex Raegan. "She is well over her limit. Come on. is time to get her and you home," Alexis scolded, pulling the two of them. "Stop being mean or I will ask God to kick your ass, meanie," Dora hissed out. Benjamin fell down fromughing, taking her with him to the ground. "She is very mean," he agreed with a nod. "Jesus Christ," Alexis sighed. "Will you two juste with me?" "No. I promised a friend that I would go back to my room," Dora slurred. Heughed when Dora took a sizeable swig from the bottle. Taking the bottle, Ben had a big swig before Alexis took it from him. "You will give that back once we get to the hotel. Dora, don''t worry. We are staying at the same hotel, remember?" he told her, standing up. No sooner was he stable than he helped Dora to her feet. As Alexis hailed a cab, Benjamin kissed Dora, feeling more bewitched by her with every passing second. "Hey, no hanky panky!" Alexis yelled. "Get in," she carried on as she opened the cab door. Alexis only allowed Dora in before getting in next to her. "Can''t I sit next to my wife?" "No," Alexis answered and he huffed as he got in. Alexis walked them all the way up to his floor. Ben unlocked the door and grabbed the bottle from Alexis, before picking up his wife. "For God''s sake, be safe!" she hissed as she walked away. He went to tell her to fuck off, but Doraughed, making him look at her. "Sorry, this person I met on the ne said something simr. Only he told me to carry and I thought he meant a gun. Ben only hummed as he moved inside the room and set her down. "Let me make love to you," he whispered to her as he removed her dress. "Take me." The soft touches and caresses of skin-to-skin filled his mind, as they both sumbed to the ecstasy. After several moans, they both shared more of the bottle, and it had never tasted sweeter than the taste after she drank from it. "I will just be a few minutes," she reassured as she moved backward to the door. "But I will miss you." "My room is only two doors down. You keep this one open and I will keep mine open. I just have to grab some stuff for the morning." "Can''t you get them tomorrow? What if you forget me?" # Pall the "It has been a few years since I forgot my night out," Dora stopped talking. st divorce 38 It does happen when I drink a lot of Jack Daniels." "And that is what you have been drinking." he reminded her. She moved away and wrote something down on a pad of paper. "Just take this. I am going to get my belongings, you can keep my dress," sheughed as she put on his t-shirt. He watched her walk out and move to the door. He sat on the floor by the door and watched her go to her room. His eyes rolled closed as he thought about how she looked naked. "Sir..." He frowned and opened his eyes only to see a bellboy looking at him. "What?" "Your door is wide open, Sir," as the bellboy spoke, Benjamin''s mind was filled with the events from the night before. He nced around the room for Dora, but she was not there. He leaped up and ran down to her room. "Dora!" He yelled as he burst through the open doorway, but there was just a maid there looking at him, with her mouth open. "The woman in this room, where is she?" he asked. "She just went downstairs to check out," the bell boy said before Ben sprinted away from him, heading for the elevator. "Benjamin," someone yelled but he didn''t stop. He pushed the button to call for the elevator, "Come on,e on," He chanted as he looked at the floor numbers. It was too slow, so he ran for the stairs. He ran into the lobby and tripped over some luggage. "Benjamin!¡± his sister, Alexis called and he looked around, knowing he was too "I need to find her." "Need to find who?" Milton asked. "My wife," he replied, standing up. Ben walked over to the manager, who didn''t look pleased to see him. "Sir, please go back to your room," he ordered. "Tell me who was in five-seven-nine?" he countered and he shook his head at Benjamin. "Sorry, I can''t." "How much money do you want?" he asked, patting for his wallet. He stopped when his hand didn''t touch his normal attire. He could tell that he was almost naked. All except for his silky boxers. That didn''t make things better. "I am just going to my room and get dressed,¡± he told the manager and walked away, whistling. Benjamin turned but walked into Milton who was holding out some clothes. ''I think you forgot these, he chuckled. "Fuck off, Milton,'' he hissed at the other, not in the mood. He needed to find his girl. "Wait, can you do a police search for her?" he asked Milton, he looked around the room and then at him. "No, I can''t." "Fuck you then, he swore, storming away. He walked into the elevator and got dressed as it took him back to his floor. "Benjam¨ªn, I can''t use my work for you to find some chick," Milton sighed as he walked into Ben''s room. "What room was she in?" ''Five-seven-nine," he told Milton and received a peculiar look from the other. "Are you sure?" "Yes," Ben red at him. "What did she look like?" "Beautiful old." - a sun-kissed tan, dark brown eyes, her hair was long, straight. She had a husky voice; she''s about five-four or five, about twenty-two-three years "Anything else... where did she work?* Benjamin thought about it. He knew that he had asked. What did she tell him again? "She worked in a library, Ben informed Milton as he remembered. "Oh, Milton muttered, looking disappointed. "What?" Ben snapped. "I thought maybe it was my friend, she has a simr first name, but she''s way short only five-two; she''s older, like twenty-nine, and she''s pale as a ghost. Besides, she was in another room, so the other direction from your room. Benjamin rolled his eyes, knowing Milton had been on at him to meet this chick he talked to on the airne. Ben refused because Benjamin''s tastes and his were so different. "Where are you, Dora?" he whispered. His eyes fell on the table, and he saw a piece of paper sitting there and he moved to it, picking it up. ''Hey, this is a very drunk note to remind you that Nemo is your man, he''s going take care of us.'' He pushed the note away as it didn''t give him much to go on. Then, he remembered that she had given him her number. It had been a home phone, which was great. People never changed their home phone numbers, especially in a day and age when home phones had gone out of fashion. Benjamin grabbed his phone and clicked on the name Dora, smiling as it rang. "Hello," a gruff voice answered. Benjamin opened and closed his mouth, swallowing. The following conversation told him that the only woman living in the house was the man''s grandmother. If he wanted to hook up with her, the man was sure the older woman would be pleased. Benjamin closed his eyes, feeling defeated. "No, I must have gotten the wrong number," he answered and then hung up. It had been a week since he returned from Vegas. Everyone was curious about his ''wedding''. No matter how close-lipped Benjamin was, rumors flew around the hospital. He looked down at his ring and sighed. Even with her being gone, he still couldn''t bring himself to take it off. Okay, Benjamin, how are we going to find her? She gave you a number. But it must have been entered with other details, right?'' With that in mind, he started going through all the possibilities but still came up nk. "What now?" he asked himself. "Marriage certificate," he said with a snap of his fingers. It took him a good few months to get to the right chapel and they agreed to send him a copy, telling him they already had his address down, but it could take up to ten weeks. "Hold on, Dora. I will find you," he whispered, wishing she could hear him. Chapter 39 It had been months and Benjamin hadn''t gotten any closer to finding Dora. He had even called Royce, who didn''t remember her, but said that she might have paid with a card. Benjamin walked into his office. "Sorry I took so long," he said to the woman who was sitting at his desk. She turned on him and he swallowed. She looked like his Dora. ''She is too pale,'' his mind argued. ''If she is pregnant... it can''t be.'' "Hi," she whispered as she stood up. He noted that her voice was simr but not the same. He picked up her paperwork, seeing she had filled out her medical history, but her husband''s name had been left nk. He would have to make a note to ask him at their next appointment, but that information was not as important as hers at that stage. He ran through some of the information and questions. He noticed she didn''t correct him when he said Mrs. Leonard, but she checked single. He figured she was newly married. Once they were done, he asked her to move to the examination room. There, he drew her blood and then got her to lie down so that he could examine and then scan her. During the exam, he asked a few questions about her husband, such as his height, She answered him and he moved on to the more abrasive exam. It was clear to him she was turned on. It was notmon, but had happened in the past. However, it was the first time he was turned on, too. It was such a surprise, he was barely able to wrap it up to do the scan. As he proceeded to insert the scan inside of her, he found out just how turned on she had be. It only stopped him for a few seconds before he carried on, only finding that she was embarrassed, and therefore, shying away from him. He had to almost force her to look at the screen so that she could see the baby. "What''s that?" she asked. "That''s the baby''s heartbeat," Benjamin told her, grinning. "Really, my little bean has a heartbeat?" she asked him with a twinkle in her eye. "Yes, would you like to hear it?" She nodded at him and he switched it on, but the sound tugged at his own heart, like it never had before. She eximed and he found himself worrying, not sure what had bothered her. The following conversation made him worry. The pain was clear on her face, making him feel weak and scared. He asked her to get dressed and meet him at his office before rushing out of the room. *Please, God, don''t let her lose Bean," he said over and over again. He was not sure why it would kill him-he just knew that it would. And that was nothingpared to what the loss would do to her, and that scared him too. "Time to act like a doctor again,'' he reminded himself firmly. It had been a week since he saw Pandora, and she and the babies had be his favorite patients. He loved seeing the babies on the screen and more so, he loved seeing Pandora. His attachment to all of them had grown. "Where is Pandora?" he asked the woman at the reception when he saw she was not in the sitting room. "She hasn''t turned up." He frowned and moved back to his room. He grabbed his jacket and bag and headed over to her house. He had be overwhelmed with the feeling that she or one of the boys was hurt. It was not the first time he had been worried about her. Two months ago, she was very ill and came to get an injection. He arrived just in time to catch her as she fainted. Her useless husband was a no-show, and he had to drive her to the hospital, not that he minded. They found out that part of the reason she had been so sick was that she was expecting twins. Later on that day, Benjamin found out the other reason... her husband. He arrived but was verbally abusive to her. Then his mother showed up and ripped right through Pandora, and it was clear this was where her stress was He was so wound up thatter in the week he forgot the family lunch to celebrate Maisey''s birthday. As soon as he got Pandora sorted, he called Maisey to arrange a night out for just the two of them. Of course, Pandora just happened to be there, and he spilled to Maisey about his attachment to her and her babies. It turned out, Maisey was already clued in when Ben''s eyes stayed on Pandora the entire time she and her friends were singing. Then just the week before, she had an appointment, thest appointment of the day and he ended up following her home. Thankfully, she didn''t know it was him, due to the fact he was on his motorcycle, but he couldn''t help but feel like she was checking him out at the traffic lights. He parked outside her home, seeing her car parked in her driveway. He moved to the door, knocking on it. He heard a thuding from inside the house. "Pandora, it''s Benjamin," he yelled. A few minutester, she opened the door, looking paler than he had seen her in a while. She was wet and looked worn out. ''What the hell is going on here?'' he screamed in his head. tz Chapter 40 Turning on the music, Pandora started to give her home a good spring clean. She knew she was a little early but she was already halfway done so there was noining. She just wanted itpleted, so she could start getting her babies'' room ready for them. She took the load of clothes that Derrik left in her home down to theundry room and threw them into the washing machine, to get washed. There was nothing wrong with them and since Derrik had been an asshole, she would just drop them off at the local homeless shelter. She headed back upstairs to get on with cleaning the spare room. Derrik used it as an exercise room. During the divorce, he got all the weight machines and other stuff he needed, even though he hardly used them after he had lost his initial interest in them. She tried to get him to sell those things years ago, but he refused to part with them because they were ''his.'' The more she thought about their marriage, the more she knew it was much more horrible than she had ever admitted to herself. Pandora looked at her watch to see that she had another thirty minutes until she needed to leave for her appointment with Benjamin. She headed back down to the basement, knowing a load of washing should be done. She wanted to get them in the dryer and start a load of nkets before she left. She only made it halfway down the steps when she saw the whole floor was flooded. ¡°What the hell?¡± she asked out loud. Moving quickly down the stairs, she had to wade through the water to get to the washing machine. The water was spraying up from behind the washer and everything was soaked. "Shit!" she yelled and sped her head. "What the hell do I do now?" she asked out loud. "Turn off the water, stupid," she mumbled to herself, "And electricity," she carried on. Knowing there was too much water for her to even look for the water main, she moved to the power box, and without thinking, pushed the main off. Thankfully, she did not get shocked, but that seemed to be the only luck she had right then. Wading across the basement, she moved back upstairs, knowing she needed a plumber, immediately. Grabbing the phone book given by the housing association, as she dripped water all over the floor, she looked through the pages. Between being wet and cold, the overwhelming need to pee had her rushing off to the toilet. "Bean, Curd, please leave Mama''s dder alone, she has to take care of a huge mess," she begged. She took care of her needs and flushed but instead of the water going down the drain, the toilet started to back up and water started going all over the floor. "What in the heck? Come on!" she yelled. She washed her hands before heading back to the kitchen. "Okay. Find a plumber. Fast," she told herself. Flicking through the pages, she saw emergency services and called the number right away. Thankfully, her cell was charged, as the power was off. They told her they were on the way, but it could be up to two hours before they arrived. After hanging up, she aded back down the stairs and the water looked deeper than it was. "I will need to do this the old-fashioned way." Going to the cleaning closet, Pandora grabbed her mop bucket and headed back to the basement. She started tracking up and down the steps, filling the bucket and carrying it up to dump it out the back door. The steps were a mess, and she was soaked, but she kept at it, though she was fighting a losing battle. She was on her seventh trip through the to spill the contents of the bucket all, tchen with a bucket of the floor. water, when her doorbell rang. She was startled by the bell and slipped slightly, causing her "Shit!" she yelled in a huff, as the bell rang ¡°Pandora, it''s Benjamin," she heard called through the door and she turned pale. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I''m okay," she called back, opening the door I pulling it open. "You didn''t turn up or cancel your appointment, and I got worried about you," he informed and his eyes dropped as he looked her over. I''m sorry, I should have called... things are such a mess." "What happened?" ¡°My basement flooded, and then my toilet backed up and flooded my bathroom," she sobbed out, finally breaking down from too much stimtion. "Come on," Benjamin reassured, helping her into the house. "Have you turned off the water?" Pandora shook her head at him. "The water is too deep, so I was trying to empty it with the bucket." Benjamin''s face hardened. "You''re pregnant. You shouldn''t have been doing that." "I had no choice. The plumber isn''t going to be here for up to another hour." Benjamin stood up and moved away from her. "What, where are you going?" she asked him loudly. "To turn your water off." "No, don''t do that," "Why not?" "Because you''re my doctor?" Benjamin stared her down but she just returned the stare back at him. There was a knock on her door, but she kept her stare locked on him. As the second knock came, Benjamin huffed and walked off. Getting up, she followed him to see that he had answered her door. "Basement," Benjamin said as he let the plumber in. "Where can I examine you?" he asked, turning to face her once more. His voice was soft and kind, but it didn''t match the strained look on his face. She was so taken aback that she couldn''t help but stutter, "What?" "The babies, I was here to make a house call, to check on you and the babies." "We can go up there," Pandora chuckled and just tilted her head towards the stairs. "Go ahead and go up and get ready. I''ll make sure the plumber doesn''t interrupt us." Chapter 41 Again, she was taken aback, but the words and his tone of voice didn''t match. She shook her head and got to her room. After removing her water-logged shoes and drying off, she got dressed. Pandora sat on her bed in her fuzzy pajama pants and a tank top, waiting. Finally, Benjamin tapped on the door and peeked inside. "Hey," he said with a smile as he walked in. "Lie back and I''ll take a look at things." Pandora did what he asked and he rubbed his hands together. He sat gently on the bed beside her. "Have you felt the babies moving around yet?" he asked and she shook her head at him. Benjamin gently slid her tank top up and ced his warm hands on her tummy. "Why are you still wearing your sses?" she asked. He tilted his head up and she knew he was looking at her. ''I''ve had a bad headache, all day," he answered. Pandora frowned at him, but he shook his head at her. "Sorry about all this, then." It''s not your fault, my brother-inw is being a prick, and I am about to beat him to death," Benjamin chuckled a little at the end before dropping his head. "Hey Bean, Curd, have you two missed me?" As if they were answering him, Pandora felt them move against his warm hand on her belly instantly. Gasping, she sped her hand over his. "They just moved. I felt them," Benjamin looked at her and then down at her stomach. "Say something to make them move again," she pleaded with him. "I don''t think it was..." Benjamin got cut off by the babies moving again. "I think they like you,'' she stated in a mere whisper. "All babies like me, Benjamin boasted. "Heartbeat time." Pandora let out a sigh, hearing her favorite sound. Both sound great," Benjamin stated. "And I am going to leave this with you," he told her, holding up the heart rate machine. "With this, you can listen to them whenever you want. Just return it once the babies are here." Pandora bobbed her head at him, as she got herself fixed. Benjamin helped her back down the stairs and looked worried about leaving her. "I''ll be fine," she told him, but the pained look on his face remained. "Hey." She jumped and turned to see Ron standing there, just looking between Benjamin and her. "I better go," Benjamin announced, sounding more like a doctor. He gave Ron a curt nod and walked right out. "Why was the doc here?" Ron asked, but before she could answer, the plumber appeared. "Strangest thing I''ve ever seen, the hoses on the washer were all disconnected. The plumber showed her a picture on his cellphone. "Oh, okay?" She frowned as she wondered how that could have happened. "I''m going to hook up a pump and work on emptying the basement right now. While it empties, I''ll work on the bathroom issue." He walked out of her home, and Pandora looked back at Ron. "What''s going on?" he asked. Before she could speak, the plumber was back with arge hose, which he was dragging along behind him. "My washing machine flooded my basement, my toilet backed up, and who knows what else is going to go wrong." "Well things doe in threes as long as it''s not this water leaking," hemented, touching her bump, "we''ll deal with everything else. He gave her a hug and then pulled back. "Why is the kitchen floor covered in water?" "I was trying to empty my basement and dropped my bucket." Ron tilted his head. "Next time... call me. You are in no shape to do shit like that!" "That''s what Benjamin said, she told him. "I think he likes you." Pandora shook her head at him. "He''s married, she reminded him. "Yeah, so? That doesn''t stop a guy from liking another female." "Don''t start, Ron, she hissed out through her gritted teeth. It was thest damn thing she needed to hear amidst the utter chaos. "I said he likes you, Pandora, not that he wants to fuck you. There''s a difference, sugar." Pandora just looked at him as she pulled out the mop to start cleaning up the floor. "Hand over the mop," Ron said firmly as he pulled it from her hands. "Now, do I think he likes you? Yes, I do, it''s clear in the way he acts around you. But that doesn''t mean he''s going to act on his feelings or that you''d take him up on it if he did. I was just pointing out that I think he likes you as more than just a patient." He shrugged. "So I need to find a new doctor?" she yelled out, mainly because she didn''t want to. She liked Benjamin. If she admitted to it, she liked him too much. She groaned and covered her face as some very bad thoughts came to her mind. "I''m a homewrecker," she whined. Ron stood staring at Pandora. It took him a few seconds to move. And then, he was hugging her. "Have you considered that he may just like you as a friend, Pandora? Don''t listen to me. Besides I''m a dimwit, remember?" He tried to use humor to patch up the horrifying epiphany he had given her. Pandora snorted as she remained in the hug. "What if you are right?" she wondered. "What if he doesn''t want me to be his friend?" "You are not a homewrecker, Pandora Leonard," Ron said firmly, hoping the words got through to her. "If he really loves his wife, he is not going to step out on her. Real men try to fix their homes and openly talk to their wives first. Besides, as long as there is a ring on his finger, I doubt you would take him to bed." What Ron said was correct. "No, and not just the ring either, these guys too," Pandora responded, rubbing her bump. "There you go. No harm done. You would never do anything like that, anyway." Pandora nodded and wiped her face as Ron started to clean up her kitchen for her. Chapter 42 While Pandora was not at work, she was trying to use all her inte stalking skills to try and find out who and where Nemo was. Still, after weeks, she was drawing up a nk. Just as she was about to switch off theptop, Bean and Curd started moving around. "Hey, you two, I am not giving up. I just don''t have enough information to find him tigh around. now," she said as she rubbed her belly, but they kept moving "If ites down to it I''ll make a stupid tiktok and ask the inte to find him. I swear to you I will find him." For some ungodly reason, she ended up on Craiglist, the holy grail of ads and ''find my mystery person'' posts. She groaned at some of the posts. They made her cringe and they weren''t even about her. But there was one ad that caused her to grit her teeth together. [My Brother-in-Law and the runaway bride. 1, along with my wife and her family took a short vacation to Vegas.] Pandora tilted her head a little. The situation sounded somewhat familiar! [We-apart from my brother-inw, let''s just call him X, were having a great time. We hit the tables and slots and took in a few shows. We had nned a Jnight out, and we went to our favorite club. X was supposed to meet us there, but I had my doubts as he tells me every year he hates the ce.] The pieces fell into ce. Milton was probably bored at work and posting this funny post to humor himself. Pandora continued to read. [But he never showed up. Instead, my dearest brother-inw went off and got married. So,te or very early in the morning at a chapel in Vegas called, Destiny''s String, he was married. The bride, who I fear suffered from a case of rash decision while being sloshed. She woke the next morning, seeing my brother-inw as he normally is, she must have got scared. She fled the scene. For now, I got him a recement wife, we call her Jane, but he thinks she is full of air. He keeps leaving her lying around, which is making her feel deted! Now, you may ask why I am sharing this with you, well here it is, X is in need of a good few dates so if you feel you could put up with him, send me a text and I''ll arrange something. Please note there is no refund in this, as this is a free offer! Oh, if you are his long-lost wife... please feel free to respond as well.] Pandora had a goodugh and shook her head. Thements under the post were hrious. So much so that she couldn''t help but type out a response. With a smile, Pandora hit send. Pandora felt as if she was falling asleep. Aron''s mother-inw passed away and today was her funeral. Since Aron wasn''t in thepany today, Pandora had to oversee some extra work, Not that she minded. Aron had been picking up after her for the past few months. Today was good for her, she felt as if she had repaid him. Sadly, most of the day, it was one thing after another and nothing seemed to go right. The clients werete, files were missing, Bean and Curd kept making her run to the bathroom every five minutes. Due to everything that went wrong, she was running on an empty road at midnight, trying to get herself home. The roads were terrible because the rain was pouring down and she could barely see. "Come on. Turn green!" she yelled at the light that had been red for what seemed like forever. She was so tired, and the fact she felt like she was starving yet again, meant she couldn''t just go to bed when she got home. "Atst," she grumbled out as it changed. She only got a few meters down the road when she heard a loud pop sound and the car made some weird thumping noises as it pulled to the left. Pandora put on her shers as she moved slowly to the side of the road. She got out of her car, threw her hood up, and walked around the car. ''Are you freaking kidding me?" she yelled as she red at her t tire. "You picked tonight of all nights to do this to me?" Shivering, she back in the car and grabbed her cell. Dialing for roadside assistance, she listened to the ringing. "Hello, thank you for calling Roadside Assistance, how can I help you?* "Yes, this is Pandora Leonard and I have a t tire." "I''m so sorry you by a t e, Ms. Leonard, give me a moment to pull up your ount. She went through the formalities of answering all of the security questions. "I''m sorry, Ma''am, it seems that your insurance has been discontinued." AR Pandora pressed her lips together, to stop the ''no it has not!'' froming out. ¡°I have been with you for ten years." She was able to stop herself from swearing but she was unable to stop herself from hissing and ranting at them. "That''s true. You had been with us for over ten years, Ma''am, but your husband canceled your policies with usst month," the woman snapped back. "My what canceled what now?" Pandora yelled at her. "Your husband canceled the policies." The woman had the audacity to click her tongue at Pandora. "Since I am divorced with a restraining order against him, I would like to know WHO gave him ess to my ACCOUNT that I PAY for. YOU better get your boss right NOW!" "There is no need to yell at me," the woman said, sounding as if she didn''t give two shits about Pandora''s demands. "There is nothing we can do for you." Chapter 43 Pandora heard a click, and she pulled the cell away from her ear and looked at the screen. The woman had hung up on her. Groaning, Pandora ran her fingers through her hair. "I will deal with this shit tomorrow, or else I may be the first person to get a restraining order against calling roadside assistance. Now, I need to deal with changing a damn tire." She huffed and got back out of her car, making her way to her trunk. She opened the trunk and started pushing things out of the way. She pulled out the tire cover and grabbed for the different objects. Holding the instruction card in her hand, she searched for the thing to lift the car. She finally found the jack and picked it up. "Well you''re not what I want right now, but you''ll have to do," she said to it. She plunked down the jack on the wet ground and lined it up. After finally setting up, she followed the instructions about loosening the bolts on the tire. "Oh, mother of God," she yelled. "What the fuck! Are these damn lug nut things glued on?" she asked out loud, though she was alone. She put the long bar-like tool on it again. She pushed it down as hard as she could, but her hand slipped and she cracked her knuckles on the ground. "Son of a bitch!" "Pandora?" she heard behind her and gulped, shaking her head. She must have been hearing things. "Pandora, what are you doing?" She turned her head to the side to see Benjamin running her way. "Yeah, of course! ''You'' woulde across me right now. And what does it look like I am doing?" she yelled at him. He raised his brow at her. ''It''s not his fault!'' she reminded herself, making her feel guilty immediately. "I''m sorry," she blubbered out. "I am tired, and I haven''t eaten since three... and someone fucking glued this lug nut thing on," she sobbed, throwing the wrench down. Benjamin snorted but quickly covered his mouth. "Why didn''t you call roadside assistance?" "Because my damned ''husband''," Pandora make air quotes when she said ''husband''. "Canceled all my policies a month ago. The fucker. Benjamin sighed and moved to her. "Let''s get you off the ground," he said as he helped her up. "My car or yours?" Pandora looked at him in confusion. "To sit in while I fix your t tire." She shrugged, not caring what he was going to do. "Okay, mine it is then. Benjamin walked to his car and even opened the door for her. After sitting, she closed her eyes and hummed as the door closed. "Pandora," she heard and slowly opened her eyes to see that Benjamin was looking down at her. He did have sses on, but they didn''t seem to be as tinted. "It may be best if you let me drop you home," Benjaminmented as he touched her face. Pandora shook her head and rubbed her eyes, knowing she needed to stop trying to concentrate on his eye color. She just wanted to see his eyes for once, look at him as they had an actual conversation. "I''m okay, I only live a short five or so minutes from here," she assured as she slowly stepped out of his car. Benjamin''s hand reached out to immediately help her. "Please," he whispered, making her look at him. "Please let me drive you?" Pandora chuckled and shook her head at him. "Really... I am okay. It''s just been a long day, and the fact you''re up thiste must mean you''ve had a long day too." The entire time she spoke, Benjamin just looked pained. "I''m going to follow you home then. Pandora started to refuse but his hand cupped her face, stopping her. ''Let me do this?" "Okay," she gulped and bobbed her head at him. He walked her to her car and helped her get in. As soon as her door was closed, she watched him run through the rain, back to his own car. She started the car up and drove. For the majority of the drive, her eyes seemed to be looking more in the rearview mirror than in front of her. She pulled up outside her home, and Benjamin followed suit. She frowned as he walked to her door with her. "I''ll call in some food to be delivered. You go on up and get washed up and changed. I''ll be up to look you over in about twenty minutes." She stood there with her mouth hanging open as Benjamin took his jacket off and started to make a call. She shook her head but soon found that she was following the directions he gave her. "Two house calls in one week, you''re lucky you''re my favorite two babies,¡± Benjamin said happily, looking toward Pandora''s bump as he walked into her room. She had to bite her bottom lip to hold back the sigh she wanted to let out when Benjamin''s hands touched her bump. "They sure are active," he said, looking at her, his tinted sses back on his face. "They must be making up for lost time, huh?" "No, it''s you, they just like you, she stuttered out, feeling a little amazed at how active the babies had be. Benjamin just dropped his head from her view. "Okay, I want to check your blood pressure, hemented and she held out her arm for him. "It''s high," he informed and she looked at it and then at him. "I would like you to go into the hospital so we can monitor it." "No," she protested immediately. "It''s just because I got worked up, and haven''t eaten." Lack of food drops blood pressure, he argued. "Yeah but being pissed off increases it." ¡°Pandora, Benjamin sighed in frustration. 13 "I''m fine, really," she pleaded with him to understand. It only made Benjamin groan and run his hand through his hair in frustration. Chapter Comments Chapter 44 "Is your husband due back tonight?" he asked. Pandora frowned and shook her head slowly. But this only made him look more worried than before. "Pandora, I would like someone to be here to watch over you tonight." She gasped, stopping her movement, and started to agree with him instead. "I could call someone?" She tried to make herself sound sure and confident, but it still sounded like a question. "Okay, you do that. Come by my office tomorrow so I can look you over again." can''t. I am working early and most likely will be therete too. My boss'' mother- inw passed away." Benjamin scratched at his head. "Fine. I''lle to you. Where do you work?" "There''s no need,'' she protested. "Yes, there is." Th "No." "Pandora! I found you in the rain. You were crying and trying to change a goddamn tire. You''re doing all of this because your ''husband-" Pandora was taken by surprise that Benjamin spat out the word husband and did the same air quotes she had done earlier, "-canceled your insurance. You haven''t eaten in nine hours and your blood pressure is up. So yes, there is a fucking need." She opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say to him. "I''m sorry," seemed toe out, but Benjamin''s face just paled. "No, I am sorry. The swearing wasn''t-" She covered his mouth with her hand to silence him. "It was needed, and I warned you, I''m not a good patient." She chuckled, dropping her fingers from his mouth. Her eyes moved back to his and she found she was yet again disappointed that his tinted sses were in ce. Benjamin and she fell into silence as they looked at each other. The doorbell ringing made them both jump and he turned to leave the room. "That should be your food," Benjamin informed softly before he darted out of the door. "What the hell was that Pandora?" she asked herself out loud. "You better not let him check your heart rate right now. It will be off the charts. Get your shit together girl. He''s married! HE IS MARRIED," she reminded herself over and over until she heard himing back. "I wasn''t sure what to get you, Benjamin began speaking as he walked back into the room with three tes covered in food. "So I went with my usual order at my favorite Chinese ce." Pandora looked at the te and hummed loudly. This was the spread that she would order for herself, as well. "Oh, you better pull up a chair fast, and no crying when I eat more than you," she warned him. Benjamin stared at her for a moment, waiting for her to take the first bite of food before he allowed a relieved smile to escape. ±±›g ''Come on, grab your chopsticks and dig in. I can eat this all on my own, but that can''t be healthy so help a pregnant girl out. Besides we don''t want to get too fat or her doctor might have to tell her off." Benjamin chuckled but then he grabbed the chair from the corner of the room and pulled it up next to her. He sat down. "Your doctor would tell you off your weight gain is good. Besides, if he has a problem with it, tell him to fuck off, or you''ll eat him too." Pandora snorted but continued to eat. "I already made ament like that to him once, if I said it again, I''m sure he''d call the police on me," she joked between bites. Benjaminughed. "I am sure he wouldn''t call the police on you." She could tell he was staring intently at her. "Plus, I bet you''re one of his favorite patients." Pandora felt her heart take off and her face heated up. "You''re the babies'' favorite person,'' she stated. She cleared her throat, knowing she needed to get off the topic. Tell me more about your training?" Benjamin took a swig from the bottle of water he had brought up with the food. After swallowing, he slowly recalled his life as a med school student and how interning and residency had been for him. The storiessted until Pandora was done with the food. Humming sleepily, Pandora scratched her nose. She turned in her bed and hoped that if she stayed on her side, she would stop the feeling of needing to go to the bathroom. "Bean, Curd, just give mommy five more minutes," she grumbled. Her dream changed to her using the toilet and she groaned, knowing she needed to get up. ¡°Hush, sweetie," an unexpected voice said. "We''ve got a few more minutes," the voice carried on. She tilted her head, knowing she was slowly waking up; the voice sounded too real. Pandora opened her eyes about halfway and gasped, pulling back and seeing the mop of male hair. "What the..." she trailed off as she sat up. Her bed buddy bolted up, as well. "Benjamin?" she asked. Her dder quickly reminded her that she needed the toilet. "Move, I need the toilet," she told him and she scampered out of bed. "Shit," Benjamin hissed. "I am sote." Pandora looked at him, and then looked at her rm clock, seeing it was ten o''clock already. "Oh no, me too!" She moved quickly into the bathroom and took care of her needs. She should have washed up but stepped out of the bathroom to let Benjamin in. "Bathroom''s free, she called while brushing her teeth. She spat and dried her mouth before walking out, allowing him to walk in. "Thanks," he replied. Pandora wiped her mouth clean with one of her face wipes and then started to apply her makeup. "Do you have a spare toothbrush?" Benjamin asked and she looked at him in the mirror. "Yeah, in the bathroom cab, second shelf." He nodded at her but didn''t say anything else as he turned, walking back out of her room. She moved to her wardrobe, pulled out her clothes, andid them on her bed. "I am getting changed," she yelled, hoping it was loud enough for Benjamin to hear. Chapter 45 Pandora pulled her clothes on quickly and then turned to the door. "I''m dressed," she called out, moving back to her mirror to touch up her makeup and hair. "You look nice," Benjamin said as he bent down to look in the mirror. He pushed his hand through his hair, trying to fix it. "Comb?" she offered, handing one to him. "Thanks," he smiled, taking it without reserve. Her eyes flickered to his as she watched himb his hair. Putting her own in a messy bun, she moved to put on her jewelry for the day. "What?" Some of her jewelry had been moved. She looked at each of the boxes and right away, she knew there were pieces missing. "What''s wrong?" Benjamin asked softly as his hand touched her back. "This looks like it has been touched," she said, pointing at her boxes of jewelry. "And there should be more? She turned and looked at him, to find that he was frowning, looking down at it. "Could your husband have moved it? Maybe you put some of it somece else?¡± Pandora shook her head at him. "My grandma''s set is not here and I wore it not that long ago," she gasped out and started to move more of the things around. "I don''t give a shit about the other stuff, but that has to be here.* She opened each of her boxes in hopes she may have changed the boxes it was kept in, but it was nowhere to be found. "Pandora, Benjamin whispered, taking hold of her hand with his. "Calm down." She shook her head vehemently. "I can''t, it''s gone. She helped raise me when my mom left she... she and Nina were my mother figures. It''s all I have left of her. "It''s okay. It has to be here," he reassured her and then looked down at her other stuff. "But call your husband first, maybe he took it to get cleaned or fixed. Are you sure you didn''t put it somece else?" Pandora let out a shaky breath. Benjamin was wrong. Derrik had never done anything like that for her. And she remembered putting it elsewhere. "What if it was stolen?" she said mostly to herself. "Has anyone had ess to it? Been up here?" She shook her head before a thought struck her. Then she nodded. "There was one person but he is a cop and I know it was here after he came by!" she exined. "And what about me?" Pandora''s lips pulled down into a grimace and then she red. "I know you didn''t take it." A small smile yed on Benjamin''s lips. "Has anyone broken in?" She said no. "Then it should be here somewhere, right?" "You''re right," she exhaled all the stress built up in her body. Still, she felt like there was something wrong with her jewelry not being there. "Be calm and check all the possibilities before stressing. If the missing pieces don''t turn up, then report it." "I have a security rm, and it would have gone off if someone had broken in or tripped it!¡± Benjamin hummed but it didn''t seem like he agreed with her. "Time to go. I have no tie for this," she said, pulling back from him. She looked at her watch and almost screamed when the clock read eleven. "I have to get to work quickly." ¡°Breakfast first,¡± Benjamin insisted, keeping one of her hands and leading her down the stairs. TI don''t have-" Benjamin covered her mouth, stopping her from finishing what she was saying. "Make time," he ordered. "You are alreadyte, what are ten more minutes going to do?" She stared at him bbergasted as he sat her down at the kitchen table. He moved around her kitchen as if he had been cooking in it forever. "A hastily put-together breakfast," hemented with a tinge of dissatisfaction as he ced a te down in front of her. It had a fruit bowl and toast. With it a ss of milk. She smiled at the te and then at him, noticing that he had prepared some toast and coffee for himself. They ate in silence, both seeming to nce at one another from time to time. The questions for him were on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to know what had happened the night before, but she didn''t want things to be awkward between the two of them. Benjamin cleared his throat when she finished. "I need to get going," he announced, sounding disappointed. "But I will be at your office around three." She walked out of the house with him. She got in her car and watched as he slipped into his. She waited until he drove off, and then took off herself. "FUCK!" she yelled. "I don''t have insurance. God damn it!" She exhaled deeply, knowing she needed to calm down and get to work before she could deal with insurance. She sighed with relief when she parked at work. She hated driving without insurance. And this was the first time she had ever done it. Walking into the office, she grunted at the pile of work sitting on her desk, waiting for her to finish them. "Car insurance first!" She called the agency and demanded to speak to the manager. She sounded like a Karen, but she had no other option. It took over an hour before her insurance was covered and they even gave her two months of free services because of the mishap with the cancetion. The supervisor seemed horrified by the fact that her car had broken down on a rainy night and the customer service agent had hung up on her. The fact that she was pregnant seemed to make things even more worrisome for the supervisor. Once Pandora ended the call, she pulled out the first file on the desk and began working. "Pandora." "Yeah?" she answered without looking up. "I take it I was right and you haven''t gotten away for lunch yet.¡± Pandora frowned. She looked up and found Benjamin standing at her office door. "Go and pee in this," he said firmly, holding out a cup to her. Chapter 46 "Pee? What do you think I am?" "Pregnant," he stated nonchntly. Pandora grumbled as she snatched the cup from him. By the time she walked back, Benjamin had set out a bunch of food and drinks on the table. "What is all of this?" she asked, feeling a lot hungrier than she had been moments ago. The smell of food wafted in her direction, making her stomach grumble pitifully. "Lunch," Benjamin replied without looking at her. "I didn''t know this was part of your services, Doctor Parks," she chuckled. "This is a special treatment reserved for patients I like!" Benjamin retorted with a wink before he took the cup from Pandora. "You know... I am grateful for this andst night. But you don''t need to look after me," she whispered. She was touched by his gesture. The sad fact was, Derrik had made her coffee every morning for all the years they were together. That was the only thing he had contributed to their rtionship. "Someone has to do it," he insisted while he looked at the stick he put in the cup. "I need to take your blood pressure. You have some protein in your urine." "I don''t know what that means. Is that a bad thing?" she questioned, sitting down. "It could be. We will need to keep a closer eye on you." Pandora swallowed, worried about her babies. Absentmindedly, she started to rub her belly. She closed her eyes and prayed silently: ''Please, God. Don''t take them away from me.'' "Pandora." Pandora opened her eyes slowly and found Benjamin looking at her. "I promise you... I will take care of all three of you. I will do everything in my power to see that all three of you are okay, but I''ll need your help. "What do I need to do?" she asked eagerly. E + 59.2 € "Eat more regrly... I am talking about every two hours." Pandora bobbed her head quickly, urging him to continue. "You must reduce your stress levels, and pass tasks that cause you stress to others." Pandora let out a long breath, knowing thetter one was, and would be harder for her. "Lastly, the thing I see you fighting me the most about..." She closed her eyes, waiting for him to say what she knew he was going to say. "Less work. I would like you to only work between the hours of ten and four during the day and no more than Monday through Friday." Her eyes sprang open. "That is six hours of work a day. Thirty hours a week," she grumbled. "If you want me to eat every two hours, that would cut away at my working time. I would be eating three meals a day and get a maximum of five hours of work done. That is uneptable." ¡°Pandora.......¡± Benjamin started off softly but got cut off by Aron, who spoke over him. "Yes, that will be arranged. I already have her maternity leave booked from May first of this year to May first of next year!" "You what?" Pandora stuttered. "You''ve been here years and have only ever taken two weeks off a year. You''re well overdue for some real time off." Pandora stared at Aron with her mouth open and he just winked at her. "Now, Doctor, this girl is as stubborn as the day is long, so feel free toe by and let us know if she needs to start her maternity leave earlier." "Well in truth, I don''t expect her to carry the babies all the way to June. Right now I''m hoping to get her to at least the third week of May. So, she should be finishing up here on the twentieth of April. The demand came in so easily that Pandora was shocked. "I will implement the change in schedule, don''t worry about that. Now, I will let the two of you to get back to lunch. Once it is over, could you make sure she gets to her car safely? After all, she worked reallytest night and the night before." "Thank you, I will." Benjamin smiled but it quickly dropped when he turned in her way. "He seems lovely," hemented. *Oh, now you can see me? For a minute, I wondered if I had disappeared by the way the two of you were behaving. Like I was not there." "Eat. Then I will take you to my office and I will administer another scan." She stared at him. "No charge. It is on me, of course. And that is only if you eat properly." "You need to stop sweet-talking me," she muttered as she ced food on her te. "This is considered sweet talking? Either your husband is more of an asshole than I first thought or you reallyck attention skills." Pandora grunted in response, knowing well that her ex-husband was indeed the biggest asshole that ever walked on the beautiful earth. "I have never been one to gain the attention of men. Derrik was the only one that ever seemed interested in me." "You only ever dated Derrik?" Benjamin stuttered. "It''s sad, isn''t it? But we started dating really early..." she trailed off. When she said it out loud, she realized how much time she had wasted on the man. All the opportunities she had missed. "Pandora," Benjamin gripped her hand and said. She gave him a weak smile before dropping her head. "The food is really good," she changed the topic, pointing at the food. Benjamin, continued to scrutinize her, but she gave him a pleading look to move on. He sighed before nodding silently. "Are you done?" he questioned after she had eaten almost as much as he had. "Yes," she smiled, standing up to help clean. Once the extra food was packed away, Benjamin walked her to the car. "I will meet you at my office, remember?" "Of course, I remember. I get to see these two again," she chirped contently as she rubbed her belly. Chapter Comments 4 POST COMMENT NOW SHARE Chapter 47 Chapter 47******** Benjamin closed the door of her car and headed for his own. Pulling into the parking lot at his office, she saw Benjamin standing outside his car. When she turned the engine off, he opened her door and gave her a warm smile as he extended his hand. His hand stayed on the base of her back as he guided her into the clinic. She held back a groan and a pout when she saw the clinic was busy. Benjamin chuckled and she could feel his breath right next to her neck. "I already booked a scan room for you. It was my n to get you out of your office today, one way or another," he imed proudly as he guided her all the way through the reception area and into the hallway. There was a part of her that knew she should be unhappy that he was nning on tricking her from the beginning, but the fact that she was getting to see her babies out of his plot overruled any displeasure she could have felt. "You know the drill," he said as she sat on the bed. She lowered her pants a little and pulled her top up, so it was just under her bra. Benjamin applied the gel, and she squirmed from the coolness of it. "Sorry, I didn''t have a chance to heat it up. Now let''s see where those little rascals are, shall we?" He put the wand against her gel-covered skin. ¡°There they are," Benjamin informed, smiling broadly at the screen. Just let me do a few checks, and then I''ll turn the screen to you." Benjamin looked at the screen, but as the smile stayed on his face, Pandora knew not to worry. "Okay, Mommy, here they are," he said, turning the monitor in her direction. "Wow, they''re so much bigger!" she muttered in surprise. She covered her mouth as they both reached out and sped each other''s hands. "They''re holding hands, she noted, sobbing. "I don''t know why I am crying, but that''s..." Pandora trailed off, feeling stupid for crying. Benjamin chuckled and leaned over her. He wiped her tears and handed her the tissue. She looked toward him as the babies started to kick her. Pandora sped his hands eagerly. "They''re moving," she told him and ced his hand t on her tummy. It never failed to amaze her when they did that. "I can feel them," Benjamin said with a light chuckle and a twinkle of excitement in his eyes. Pandora believed that he was used to feeling babies, so he must have felt differently. "Do you want to know if they are boys or girls?" Pandora gulped and kept her eyes on the screen for a long time before speaking to him. Besides babies-healthy babies, no. I don''t want anyone to know... You know, a surprise on the big day." Benjamin nodded in understanding. "So your husband will be there, I assume?" ''No! I''m going to give birth alone. There will be no one there to share it with!" "Pandora?" Benjamin called in a raised voice as his hand cupped her cheek. She shook her head at him. "It''s just going to be me," she chuckled, trying hard not to start sobbing again. "So it looks like the surprise will be for you only." Benjamin''s thumb started to stroke her face as he looked at her. He looked pained but there was some guilt there, too. Pandora wondered why he was feeling guilty. ''Because he knows the sex, stupid. Pandora hissed at herself internally. "You know what sex they are, she said with a groan, putting it out into the open. "I''m sorry, but in my defense, I do have to check out the babies fully," "So it''s just me, who "Yeah," Benjamin admitted. urprised?" can''t have that, so what are they? I want to know at the same time as you, so tell me," she demanded in a whisper to him. He stayed looking at her, and his hand moved up her face as he rubbed her forehead. "Boys, they''re boys." Pandora nodded thoughtfully. "I''ll need to think of some good strong names for them. She looked up at him before continuing. I only have one name in mind, so I need a few more." "What name is it that you already have in mind? Benjamin asked as he cleaned her up. Tack." She grinned, knowing that whichever one was born first would get the name Jack, as a namesake. After all Jack Daniel was part of the reason they are here. Moreover, she couldn''t, in good conscience, name her son Nemo. The poor boy would be bullied for his whole life. "He must be important to you, this Jack, you are naming one of the babies after him,¡± Benjamin stated, and she nodded seriously. ''Benjamin has been looking after you. He may be as important in this whole thing,'' she reminded herself. "Do you have a middle name?" she inquired as he helped her sit up. "Micheal," he informed. Benjamin Leonard or Micheal Leonard? "Micheal," she whispered, knowing it sounded good.. "What?" Benjamin asked, looking at her in confusion. "My second baby will be called Micheal after my fantastic doctor. That is if you don''t mind?" Benjamin swallowed at the new information. Emotion overcame him as he struggled to speak. "I would be honored if you would name one of the boys after me, but you should discuss it with your husband. He is the father, after all." Pandora swallowed and then sighed. "You''ve shown me a lot more support than he has done in all the years we were... been together." Benjamin grabbed his hair before looking at her intently. "If you are unhappy and he is mistreating you then you have to leave him." She knew that it was time for her to go. She was ready to tell him it was just her. But that would lead to questions, and then she would have to tell him she slept with someone she couldn''t even remember. Chapter Comments Chapter 48 she called the man Nemo and she was sure it wasn''t his name. She was sure she would never get over that embarrassment. "I should go and let you get to work. I don''t think that being the only patient could keep a doctor''s lifestyle going," she joked to lighten the mood. "Yeah, I need to see more patients or how will I heat my pool? Benjamin yed along. ''See you in a few days," he said, giving her a pointed look. "You will, more so if you keep feeding my fat ass." Benjamin rolled his eyes. "Make the appointment before you leave. I already have a slot set aside for you, so you just need to confirm at the front desk. That way, when we''re finished, I can take you out for dinner." He paused as she made her way to the door. Before she could walk out, he made onestment to put a smile on her face. "And you don''t have a fat ass!" Pandora moved around her kitchen, cleaning it. But a small squeaking sound stopped her. She nced around but couldn''t see anything that could make the noise. "What will I have tonight?" she sang as she opened the fridge and peered inside. She grabbed some vegetables and chicken, but the squeak came again and she turned her head in search of the source. She shook it off and moved to her cutting her. First, she washed her veggies. One of the carrots ran away and rolled to the floor. Pandora slowly bent at the knee to pick it up. The squeak came once again, but this time the source of the sound was right in front of her. She saw the small mouse staring at her. "What are you doing here?" she asked. It kept staring at her before scampering off. "Why the hell is there a mouse in my kitchen?" she wondered out loud and looked around the floor. Pandora felt fear creep up her spine. She gasped and clutched her heart when a huge rat appeared. She would have taken the small, cute one any day. The grotesque rat stopped and sat there, no shred of fear at facing such a big human. "Scram, Pandora whimpered, waving her hand at it. She picked up the wooden spoon and threw down near the rat, making it move away. "I have a mouse and a rat? I am not cooking anything in here," she carried on, picking up her cell and running to her living room where she stood on the sofa. "Ron speaking." "Ron, I need you," Pandora muttered, her eyes fixed in the direction of the kitchen. "Every woman needs me, Pandora, but what is it that you need me for?" Ron chuckled at her. "I have a cute little mouse and a huge ugly rat that took up illegal residence in my kitchen, and I''m starving, she told him in one breath. "You want me toe and cook them?" Pandora closed her eyes, flipping him off in her mind. "No,e and get them out of here for me, and bring me some food to eat with you. Oh, and hurry!" Ron snorted, but he was cut off by Keira. "He is on his way, Pandora," she said softly to her. "Thank you, tell him to use his key, my feet aren''t leaving this sofa until he is here." "No problem, you want to stay at our ce tonight?" "No, I am okay. Just..." she stopped, letting out a dramatic sigh. "These past few months, it feels as if it''s one thing after another with this house." She let out a soft breath. "Keira, I had some jewelry missing: my grandma''s ne set. I feel as if I am losing my mind. Yesterday, I stopped off at the store, and I didn''t get milk because I was sure there was a full carton. When I got home there was none, so I went back out, only for the carton to reappear in my fridge when I came home with another one?" That does sound odd, I''ll call Sia and we''ll have a girls'' night in. We''ll alle over and have a search party and sleepover. We''ll get the house sorted, watch movies, and have girlie talks. Don''t worry, Pandora, we''ll find your grandma''s jewelry." Pandora smiled, feeling grateful. At least she had some damned good friends. "You sure? What if the rat wants to stay?" "Pandora, my friend, I stayed there when Derrik was with you, and let''s face it; no one is as big of a rat as he is!" Half an hourter, her front door opened. Honey, I''m home," Ron sang as he walked in with his hands full of bags. "You eat, me catch animal." Pandora snorted at the caveman voice he was using. "Me go bang-bang," he said, bringing out a long bat. "Ron," Pandora put on a warning tone. "I just want them out, not dead." Ron swung the bat down and then leaned on it. "Thising from the girl that is currently eating a cow?" he used. Pandora waved him off and he chuckled as he made his way to her kitchen. She started to eat when there was a huge crash. "I will deal with thatter. I will die if I don''t eat now," she reminded herself as another crash happened in the distance. "Hi, Milton," Pandora smiled as he walked into her home. "This is probably nothing but..." she trailed off, and he just winked at her. "Why don''t you tell me what has been happening?" She let out a soft groan, knowing that she was about to sound like a crazy pregnantdy. "I think some of my belonging are being tampered with and are missing. I have got jewelry that is missing but I can''t work out how that could be. And there is also the fact that food, milk, and things like that keep disappearing and showing up in odd ces." Chapter 49 hen she was done, Milton''s lips twitched a little, and she knew he was having a hard time staying in cop mode. "Go on,ugh," she dared him with a pout. "But I don''t care about the other stuff, it''s the jewelry that is upsetting me, some of it belonged to my grandma and it''s gone." Milton ced his hand over hers. "Do you have photos of the missing stuff?" "My father was a prosecutor, remember? I took photos of everything. I keep receipts and insurance records, too," she said in the mocking tone her father would use. "Oh, speaking of insurance, Derrik canceled my car insurance. I only found out because I had a t tire and called them, and they wouldn''t send out roadside assistance because I was no longer a customer." "Was this before or after the restraining order?" "Both, it was six weeks ago, so after the temporary one, when you arrested him, but before the more permanent one." Milton hummed. "I''ll still be speaking to him about it, make sure all your bank ounts, home, and everything else that was in joint names is now in your name only. Have them note all your ounts to show there is a restraining order against Derrik and he is not to ess any information. Then set up a passcode for every ount, that must be given to ess the ounts." "I will, she sighed, just wanting the bullshit with Derrik to be over. "I''ll make a pot of coffee if you get those photos." Pandora shook her head in disbelief. "I''m beginning to think you onlye here for the coffee!" "Well, you do have my favorite kind." "Yeah, the kind you get all to yourself since I can''t have it," Pandora snorted but carried on walking out. She got the lock box that held all her photos and information she had on each item and walked back down the stairs. "Warm cocoa for the pregnant woman," he said, cing the mug down. "Did you know that your shoes were in the fridge?" Pandora tilted her head, looking at him and he pointed to the table. "What? Why the hell were they in there?" she asked him and he just raised his brow at her. "I haven''t worn them since I have been like this," she said, waving her hand at her baby bump. "Milton, this is the stuff I''m talking about. Either I am losing my mind, or..." She stopped talking and just stared at him. "Or some fucking evil prick is fucking with me. Last week, I had a rat and mouse in here, yet there was no opening that they could get in by. The week before that, my washing machine hoses loosened themselves from the water pipes and flooded my basement. At the same time, my toilet was blocked by-" She stopped talking and covered her face in embarrassment. "By what?" "Arge sex toy," she whispered. Milton''s eyes widened and she made a face at him. "I have sex toys. Derrik was not the best in bed. He was very handsy, and rough. She felt her face heat up. "Not that you need to know that. I know guys like it that way, pulling hair and ramming it in, all that." She shook her head knowing she needed to stop talking to Milton about her sex life orck thereof. "I have sex toys, yes, but this one was not one of mine. I certainly wouldn''t flush it if it was but it was scary and not mine. The one they pulled from my toilet was this huge ck dildo and it wouldn''t have fit in me, so I''m not sure how it was forced into the drain." "Pandora," Milton stopped her, sounding too calm for what she had just revealed to him. ¡°I agree things are odd. I am going to check your security again and then look at the pawn shops around here for your missing jewelry." "Thank you,¡± she whispered gratefully and he gave her a huge smile. "No problem, I enjoy your tangential rants." She rolled her eyes at him. "You look like you enjoy other people''s misery." As soon as she said those words, she was reminded of the Craiglist ad he had posted about his brother-inw. "Reminds me, what is up with that Craiglist ad?" Oh, my brother-inw found it. And he was not happy..." "You can''t me him. You were shading all his life choices." Milton just smirked. "Well, he was the one looking for cats to adopt in Vegas. And he didn''t even live there!" he snorted. "Are you sure he was looking for cats to adopt? Maybe it was a euphemism for gettingid." Pandora shrugged. Milton nearly sprayed out his coffee. "Why didn''t I think of that one?" he eximed. He pulled out his cell phone and started typing a message. "Wait, are you telling him that?" Pandora whisper-yelled. "Don''t worry, I have protected your identity for your safety," he joked as he turned his phone to show her the text. [My friend Jane just asked if your wanting to adopt cats in Vegas was your idea of looking for new pussy.] "Why are you calling me Jane?" Pandora groaned. "Well, for one, you wanted your identity protected. And two, he really gets pissed off over the name Jane ever since I got him the doll." "And you question why," she said with a shake of her head. As if on cue, Milton''s phone rang. He looked at it and chuckled with pleasure. "See?" He handed her the cell phone. [Milton, I swear to God I will kill you. Knock it off before you start missing your teeth and your family jewels. It has been six months and the joke isn''t even funny! And one final thing, I don''t want to date your friend Jane. EVER.] Pandora sighed and stood up, clicking on reply. "What are you doing?" Milton called as she hobbled out of the room, typing. She just managed to get to the bathroom, shut and lock the door when Milton knocked on it. Chapter 50 The entire time she typed, Milton called and yelled at her through the bathroom door. [Hi, this is the Jane your brother-inw mentioned in hisst message. For what it is worth, I am truly sorry for the cruel pranks he is ying on you. If you do want to get him back for it, you should know people in government jobs get into an embarrassing situation far more easily than us civilians. A good batch of spiked brownies should do the trick, in my opinion. If you want to really screw with him, put the fake wife he gifted you in the trunk of his car. Anonymously report that you saw someone put a girl in a truck. That way he will get pulled over. I would personally love to see how he would get out of that one. Just so you know, I am deleting this text so he can''t see it. If you do respond, make it quick. You have three minutes. I am on your side, brother-inw.] Pandora bit her lip as she started to watch the time. After two and a half minutes, she started to feel a wave of sadness. Suddenly, Milton''s cell phone beeped, and she saw the message was from the same number. [Those are excellent ideas, if I may say so. I like your way of thinking. It''s time I get back at the evil bastard. By the way, I know most of Milton''s friends, have I met you before?] Pandora smiled and deleted both texts before walking out of the bathroom. She handed Milton his cell. "What was that about?" he asked, crossing his arms. Wothing for you to worry about." "Pandora?¡± he pressed but she simply shrugged. "I am an officer of thew, and a detective, Pandora. I will find out and if you have given him any bright ideas, then you, mydy, will be my prey," Milton warned with a psychotic grin. "You''ve got the whole psycho look going on." He just chuckled and nodded. "You have been warned. Later!" Pandora woke up and rolled over, hoping and praying that it was not six in the morning. She looked at her rm clock and sighed in relief. It was only one in the morning. She closed her eyes once again, overwhelmed by the need to eat pickles. "Really? You guys are hungry? The need to eat pickles only seemed to get stronger. "Okay,¡± she told them as she rubbed her bump. She moved into her kitchen and opened the food cupboard but did not find any pickles. "Damn it." She looked down at her colorful butfortable yoga pants and picked up a sweater to throw on top. "Thank God our local store''s open twenty-four-seven, Eh?" she spoke to herself as she got into her car. She drove the twenty minutes to the store. By the time she arrived, she was no longer wanting just pickles, but: crackers, cheese, and chocte ice cream, as well. Pandora picked up a box of grapes and threw one in her mouth and ced the rest in her cart. She got to the pickles and grabbed a mix of different kinds because the thought of several to pick from at her convenience sounded like a good thing. Grabbing the cocktail-sized gherkins, she opened the jar and ate one as she moved around the store. "Pandora?" She turned with a smile and saw Benjamin standing there, looking at her with his mouth open. "Want one?" she asked, offering him the jar or gherkins. "No thanks?" he replied, speaking like he wasn''t sure what she was asking him. "Suite yourself," she shrugging, plopping another grape in her mouth and then taking another pickle from the jar to eat as well. You''re food shopping at half past one in the morning?" "Yep, Jack and Micheal..." She had been calling Bean and Curd that since she decided on their names. "...woke me up because they wanted a bunch of things. I couldn''t say no to my babies, now Ould I?" she pouted. You are the strangest pregnant woman I have ever looked after." Pandora felt a wave of embarrassment but shook it off. She shrugged instead. Getting embarrassed around Benjamin was no longer umon. He seemed to find her in the worst situations, so it was time she got over the awkwardness early on. You seem to be in a good mood?" I am. My brother-inw got fed some old-fashioned karma. And I also had a great day, no sick mommies and not one of the six babies I delivered today wereplicated cases." Pandora gave him a pleased smile. ¡°I take it that is why you''re here sote?" "Yeah. I just finished, Benjamin informed as he looked around the store. "Looking for someone?" she questioned, making him turn back to her. ''Your husband, is he here?" Pandora sighed but shook her head at him. ¡°No, I''m alone," she told him truthfully. "He shouldn''t have let you go out thiste by yourself, what the hell is he thinking?" She gulped, feeling guilty that Benjamin was getting so worked up about her husband, when in fact, she was alone and that was no one''s fault but her own. "Benjamin,¡± she called softly, gaining his attention. "I''m fine, I''m sort of used to this now." "You shouldn''t be, you should have someone to look after you. Them," Benjamin imed passionately as his hand reached out to touch her bump. Just like always, the babies started moving. "I think they''re saying hello," she stated with a sweet smile. Benjamin knelt down and she frowned at him. "Hey, guys, you know I get the midnight snack cravings, really I do. But in the future, for me, could you not have your mothere out to the store alone thiste?" Pandora felt her heart skip a beat over what he had just said and done. To be the girl he was married to must be amazing. She felt her heart sink as her brain reminded her that he was married and she was very much alone. Chapter Comments Chapter 51 Her brain, of course, went on to lecture about how he was out of her league as well. Her heart relented, reminding her brain that a guy who was even half as attentive as Benjamin had been would be amazing and she sighed again. "You alright?'' Benjamin asked, picking up on her sadness. "Yeah, it''s just the hormones," she replied, wiping a tear that escaped her eye. Benjamin walked around the store with her and even walked her back to her car. As he put her shopping in the backseat, she noticed a motorcycle parked just down from where she was. "You going straight home from here?" he asked and she nodded at him. "Okay, I''ll see you on Monday?" Again, she dumbly nodded in agreement before getting into her car. She pulled out and drove toward the street. Looking back, she saw Benjamin standing exactly where she had left him. Smiling, she turned back to driving, losing sight of him as she pulled out of therge lot. She got stopped at a red light and nced in her rearview mirror. She saw the motorcycle from the parking lot behind her. Just like thest time, it seemed to be her co-pilot on her way home. No sooner had her car reached the house than the bike zoomed away. "Strange," she mumbled as she walked into her kitchen and made herself a light snack. She headed up the stairs, taking her snack with her. When she got there, she found the book she was reading no longer sitting on her bed or side table. She huffed and turned to walk back out. She flipped the switch for the hall light to go on, but it stayed off. Letting out a bit of a frustrated sigh, she watched the floor as she made her way to the steps. Unable to see the steps, she kept her head down and took one at a time. As she got near the bottom, her foot caught on something, and her body moved forward. She grabbed the banister, trying to stop herself from falling, but it seemed to turn awkwardly to the side. The breaking of the banister and her slipping caused her to fall down thest two steps, with one of her legs behind her. "Shit," she hissed when she came to a halt. She rubbed her belly, hoping the babies were fine. As she stood up slowly, a sharp went through her. Pandora took some deep breaths as she slowly made her way the couch. "Boys, are you both okay?" she asked them but they didn''t move. "Boys,e on, move for mommy," she sobbed out at them, but again they seemed to stay still. She covered my mouth. "It was just a little fall, they stopped moving when Benjamin left, she reminded herself. "If he was here they would move," she chuckled a little, trying to reassure herself. ?? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? [0] ?? Looking at the house phone, she grabbed it and punched in Benjamin''s number, praying he was the one who answered. "Dr. Parks," Benjamin answered, sounding tired. Pandora felt a wave of guilt. "Is anyone there?" he carried on, and she involuntarily sobbed. "Pandora?" She covered her mouth, shaking her head, having no idea how he knew it was her. "Pandora, has something happened? Are you okay? The boys?" he asked frantically. "I fell down the stairs," she cried out to him. "I asked them to move but..." She stopped talking, taking a few deep breaths. "Pandora, I''m on my way, just st stay put." ''I''ll need to unlock the door," she said, still crying. "Your husband can do Benjamin hissed. "No, no husband, not there," she mumbled to him. "Who is with you?" No one." "Okay, Pandora, I am on my way." Nodding, though he couldn''t see it, Pandora hung up and looked toward her front door, She knew she needed to get it open for him. "You can do this," she told herself. "Just take a few steps at a time." She got up and wobbled slowly to the door. She got it unlocked and only made it a few steps before the pain in her ankle made her sit on the floor. "Pandora?" she heard before there was a knock on her front door. "It''s open," she called out, and Benjamin came sting in. He frowned down at her. "Come on," he said, helping her stand. He got her to the couch and touched her bump. As if on cue, the boys started moving. "I knew they would move for you," she sighed, relieved that they were moving. She could feel Benjamin''s stare. When she looked at him, she saw that he was just watching her. Pandora shook her head. "Sorry, I didn''t... I was scared," Her words came out as a sob. Benjamin enveloped her in a hug and started to shush her. "Pandora, you can call me any time, I mean it," he whispered carefully to her. She sniffed and Benjamin pulled back. "I think it will be best if I take you up to your bedroom, and then look you over. You''ll be morefortable there, and I''ll have room to examine you fully." Benjamin helped her walk to her hall, and he checked the switch. "It must be blown out," she told him as he flicked it off and on to see if it would work. "I figured as much," Benjamin chuckled, but there still seemed to be some strain in his voice. Once they made it to her room, he helped her to sit and pulled at his hair. "Do you mind if I examine you?" he asked, avoiding her eyes. "Yes that would be fine," she replied immediately as her mind pondered how far over the doctor-patient policy line they had crossed. He started at her head, looking for bumps, and then moved down to her shoulders. She was fine until he got to her hip and she moaned in pain. alittle. "Can I have a look?" Pandora agreed and turned on her side as he pulled her bottoms down a irst divorce 52 "That looks nice," he hissed, "but I think it''s just carpet burn and bruising." He carried on his inspection of her leg. When he got to her ankle it was by far the worst of her issues. "This is badly sprained. I''ll get my bag and wrap it up for you. Is..." Benjamin stopped talking and seemed to swallow back the words. "...your husband due back soon?" He had to force the words out "No, he''s not,'' she replied calmly. Benjamin returned a nod with the same intensity. "Just give me a few minutes." Benjamin came back with his bag and wrapped up her ankle and then ced an ice pack over it. "I''m going to listen to your heart rate, take your blood pressure then we''ll look over Jack and Micheal?" Pandora nodded, loving how he was so much like her in the way he called the babies first by the pet names she gave them and now by the names they would have after birth. "Your blood pressure is a little, up, he sighed and then moved back to her bump. "Boys you need to stop giving your momma scares,¡± he told them sternly. They just kicked at his hand, making him smile. "I know you got a fright too, and that you''re sorry, but try and watch out for her, okay?" And again they kicked at him. "Keep this up Doc and when they are here, and not sleeping for me, I''m going to be calling you." Benjamin looked at her with a smile. "Make sure you do, I love seeing the babies I deliver, and I''ll be over here in a heartbeat." Benjamin and she only stopped looking at each other when the babies moved around as if they were reminding them they were there too. "I think you are fine, and they are fine. But you need to stay off of your feet, and since your husband can''t be here then I''m going to stay over." Pandora was about to argue but he covered her mouth, leaning over so that their faces were as close to each other as could be separated by his hand. "Or I will take your ass to the hospital." Her eyes flickered to his, trying hard to see them through his tinted sses. She was beginning to hate them with a burning passion. "Fine, but only if you take the bed in the spare room so you arefortable." Benjamin grinned and nodded in agreement. Pandora went to move out of her bed to take him, but he pushed her back. "Off your feet," he warned with a look that said ''don''t push me. "Fine, the kitchen is in the same ce asst time, help yourself, and the spare room, just down on the opposite end of the hall from here," she said pointing. Benjamin chuckled before winking. "There are extra nkets and stuff in the hall closet, help yourself if you need extra." "I am sure I would have found it without your help. Benjamin walked out. With that, Pandora yawned, lying back, and closed her eyes. Stretching, Pandora got out of bed. But As "Pandora!" Benjamin huffed. "Stay off your feet!" He carried on as he put her back to bed. soon as she ced her weight on her feet, she was sharply reminded of the night before. ¡°Benjamin, I need to pee, wash, eat,¡± sheined and he pulled back looking at her. "Right,e on." She looked at him as he held his hand out. I''m taking you to the bathroom, so you can pee and wash up. Once you''re done in the bathroom, I will bring you back here and make your breakfast." She shook her head to protest but he cut her off. ''Fine, then hospital it is." That is ckmail," she squeaked out, making him shrug. If it''s the only way I can keep you off your feet, then so be it." "You''re mean," shemented. But the cheeky grin he responded with didn''t make it any better. *Come on, you''re not the only one who''s hungry." in helped her get Benjamin helped foot." get out of bed. The entire way to the bathroom, he took on all of her weight. "Now, call for me when you''re done, do not stand on that "Yes, boss," she retorted with some sass but smiled at him at the same time. After taking care of her needs on the toilet, she stood carefully on only one foot as she got her pants up. Once she was done, she called for Benjamin, and when she did, she couldn''t help but be a tad snarky. "Yeah, you got your way on this one, but I''m not usually this obedient." Benjamin snorted as he again took on her full weight, helping her walk. "Believe me, Pandora, I know you''re not the obedient type. She rolled her eyes at him as he ced her back in bed. "What is it with men needing and wanting women to be obedient?" Benjamin ran his hand through his hair as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "I think a part of the need and want, is so they can feel like they are the alpha of their family." Pandora snorted as she shook her head a little. A man can be alpha without needing a woman to bow at their feet." "Maybe, but let''s face it, women are slowly knocking us men to our knees, yet they get to be one of the most important people always.* She tilted her head at him and he ced his hand on her bump, "You get to be the ones who bring life into the world. For me, the whole alpha thing is more about protecting and safeguarding the most important people in my life." She ced her hand over his, and Jack and Micheal started to move. Benjamin''s body seemed to slide behind her own. He changed the hand he had on her bump to rest on her side as his other moved under her own hand. Chapter 53 I love feeling them move around," she whispered as her head rested on his shoulder. "I know that I am going to miss this, but at the same time, I can''t wait to meet them face to face." She felt Benjamin''s smile as his breath ghosted over the side of her head. "It is amazing." Pandora hummed as she thought over what he said. "Do you have kids?" she asked. Benjamin cleared his throat loudly a few times. "No, not yet." "Do you think it will feel the same for you when your wife is having your baby? You must deliver so many do think you''ll still feel the magic?" Benjamin seemed to be quiet and she turned to look at him. "It''s always magic, but I hope when it''s my own, I will feel a connection, unlike anything I''ve felt before." They fell into their usual stare but her stomach grumbled loudly, breaking the moment. "I''ll get you breakfast." "Can''t Ie down for it? I swear I''ll stay on the couch," she begged, giving him her best puppy dog eyes. He chuckled and moved back to her. "Fine" he hissed as he lifted her up. ¡°Benjamin,¡± she shrieked, not having expected it. "My way or no way," he stated and she rolled her eyes and waved her hand for him to walk. "W No "Careful on the stairs," shemented as they went down them." "I have fixed it, it looked as if someone pulled up your carpet, just enough for someone to trip. The banister was just unscrewed from the wall at the top and bottom." "What? that''s odd," she whispered, finding it unsettling more so with all the other crap that had been happening recently. "Not sure," Benjamin replied, cing her on the couch. She watched as he picked up a throw and covered her. Less than twenty minutester he came back with two tes of food as well as some drinks. "Here you go," he said as he handed her the te. She started eating and watched as Benjamin looked at her. He opened his mouth to talk, but looked away silently, only to do the same thing a few minutes "Everything okay?" she inquired. "Pandora, if your husband is harming you in any way, tell me and I will help you get away from him." "What?" she stuttered. "The... Pandora, he doesn''t seem into the fact you''re going to have a baby. He hasn''t been to any appointments. When you talk about him, you look hurt, rejected, and scared. After this fall, I''m worried about you, about them," he admitted. "Benjamin..." she started to say but got cut off by Ron walking in. "Hey," he spoke, looking between Benjamin and her. "What''s going on?" he asked, but Benjamin stood up quickly. "Nothing, I was just looking her foot over. As I told her she needs to stay off her feet for a few days,plete bed rest." Ron nced at Pandora with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, Pandora, before I leave, some guy Daniel dropped by, but before I could go get you, he left. I forgot to tell you." Pandora nodded at him and went to open her mouth but Benjamin grabbed his jacket. As he walked past Ron, he red at him and left, shutting the door behind him. "What did I do?" Ron eximed, looking between Pandora and the door Benjamin just walked out of. "I don''t think your doctor likes me?" Ronmented, walking all the way into her living room. "The girls don''t think you should see this, because they''re worried it will cause you unnecessary stress, but I think it would be wrong to keep from you.* Pandora frowned at him and he sat down next to her. "You know I love you?" She rolled her eyes but nodded at him. And I think of you as my sister?" She kept bobbing her head, but inside she was wondering where he was going with the conversation. "So, just trust me and stay calm, okay?" "If you want me to stay calm, you may want to get on with this, because you''re starting to make me agitated." Ron took out hisptop and switched it on. After a few seconds, he passed it to her. Pandora noticed right away that hisputer screen was on Craigslist. The ad was called ''Bedroom set for sale''. "Okay, so that is Craiglist; I don''t need a new bedroom set," she said, giving Ron a look of annoyance. "Just read it, Ron stated. "For sale, a bedroom set witch-" she stopped reading and shuddered over the misspelling before turning to look at Ron. "Did you want me to see an idiot''s bad grammar?" "No, start over and read it withoutmenting on the spelling or grammar." "Okay. For sale, a bedroom set which consists of a wooden, double bed, fluff-top mattress, two end cabs, chest of drawers-like five drawers-and a wardrobe." Pandora read out loud and looked over at Ron, unsure why this ad would cause her stress. "Okay. What''s going to stress me out, besides the spelling and grammar?" "Look at the photos and the name the ad is under." 1% 19 9 She looked back at the screen and clicked on the photo tab. "Wait... that looks... it looks a lot like..." she trailed off as she saw the seller''s name was her own. "What?" she yelled. "It says sold! Why does it say sold?" she asked him. I don''t have to actually sell it to whoever agreed to buy it, do I?" Ron looked at her, and then held up his finger and walked out the room. Pandora looked back at the screen, seeing there was also an ad for Derrik''s exercise equipment, which again, had a sold sign on it. "What the fuck is going on?" she asked out loud. "Pandora, I don''t want you to freak out," Ron started slowly. "Remember that you are pregnant. "What? Lately, when someone says don''t freak out it''s usually a sign that I should,¡± she ranted, having started to panic the second he asked her not to freak out. "Your spare bedroom ispletely empty." Chapter 54 "What do you mean empty?" She tilted her head at him. "It''s empty, as there''s nothing in there- nada. There''s not even carpet in the room anymore," he said slowly with his eyes staying on hers. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Benjamin slept therest night," she carried on but Ron just gave her a sympathetic look. She jumped up, but fell back down as a pain shot through her ankle. "Hey, sit back down, Ron pleaded as he rubbed her back. "I want to look; it has to be there!" "It''s not," Ron replied, sping her hand. "I may be a twat at times, but there''s no way I would miss a whole bedroom set." She turned and looked at him. "Where the hell is it and who put this up?" she asked, pointing at theputer. "There''s more, Ron whispered. "What?" she asked and he sighed. "This was a bad idea," he said under his breath, pulling at his hair. "I was on a dating site the other night putting up a fake profile for Keira." Pandora gave him a displeased look, but he chuckled lightly. "Anyway, I was looking at other females'' profiles to get a feel of the shit they put up. He stopped and looked at her, but she just stared at him because she had no idea what he was going on about. "While I was on there, I came across your profile. "My profile? I don''t..." She stopped and red at Ron. "You better not have made me one!" she yelled at him. "I wouldn''t do that to you, Pandora. Keira, yeah, of course, I would. Don''t get me wrong, I love Keira and all, but she''s fucking scary when she''s pissed. I just love to pull her chain, you know that. Besides, I know she will sit beside me andugh at the guys who message her. But you, you''re like my little sister." Pandora snorted but nodded at him. "I wouldn''t do this to you. I know what Derrik put you through and there is no way any of the yahoos on there are good enough for you." Pandora let out a shaky breath. "What''s on it?" "You don''t have to look." She covered the top of Ron''s hand. They may not have always been the best of friends, but over thest three years he had been with Keira, and more so over thisst year, he had be a dear friend. He was one person she knew always had her back and would watch out for her. "I do, I need to see," she told him. War and shout a Ron sighed and leaned in, giving the side of her head a kiss before picking up theptop. He tapped a few times and then turned the screen around to her. The first thing she saw was a photo of her that seemed to have been photoshopped. It was her head on another body in underwear, posing clothes sizesrger than her usual size. There was also something strange about her face, it looked distorted. She looked away from the photo and started to on the sofa. Her body looked chunky-not pregnant-just obese. She looked to be at least ten to twelve read the profile. Her name, ,birthd and height were given properly. But the next bit spoke about how she was fat and selfish and rich but liked to humiliate people for a living. Thest bit about all her friends being lesbians and freaky caught her off guard. Especially the mention of Ron. He was made out to be the beard and the fairy boy who ould be the shoulder to cry on when the girls were on their periods. Thenguage was so degrading and Pandora gasped. She felt her eyes widen. "I would never!" she said, looking at him as she shook her head. She would never say such awful things about her friends. The grammar told her who did. This was Derrik, but why... why would he do this?'' she asked as she started to sob. "This is getting to be too much, Ron. I just don''t know what to do. I didn''t cheat on him. He cheated on me. I fucking gave him every part of me for so many goddamn years, and this is how he repays me?" she yelled, no longer feeling sad, but rage. "Why won''t he let go? Why is he now bringing you, Keira, and Sia into it?" Ron shook his head and pulled her into his arms. "Come on, settle down. Your mood swings are giving me whish," Ron chuckled at the end as if he was trying to get the mood lightened. "I''m giving you whish? What about me? I am the one that''s going from one extreme to another," she groaned. "Now I need the toilet!" Ronughed and picked her up. "I can walk!" she muttered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "No you can''t... the doc said so, and he''s already pissed at me for some reason." Pandora sighed in defeat and let him carry her. He ced her down in front of the toilet and moved to the door, keeping it ajar. ¡°What do you say about a slumber party? I can call the girls toe. You can do each other''s hair, give each other massages, paint each other''s nails, watch some films, and eat a load of junk food?" Pandora wanted to make a snarkyment but his idea was wee. "Sounds good... and I am done." Ron walked back in, giving her a wink as he helped her to the sink. "That''s my girl, and I can''t wait. This will be my first slumber party." She turned to look at him with her brow raised. "I have to be here, I mean, I know Keira can be butch, but there''s no way she can carry you safely; so I''ll need to be here. You need your fairy boy, right?" he said, making light of the dating profile he had shown her. Chapter 55 She shook her head. "As long as you know there will be no pillow fights in our underwear, we''re all good." "Can''t we just pretend there will be?" Pandora chuckled and rolled her eyes as he picked her up. "Now show me the room." ''You sure you want to see it?" he asked her, stopping outside the spare room. "Yeah." Ron kept a hold of her as he opened the door. Just as he said, the room was empty; not only was there no carpet but the wall hangings were also gone. "We should call that police guy you know, Ronmented as she nodded in agreement. Ron helped her back downstairs and she sent Milton a text asking him to drop by. Not even an hourter, Milton was walking through her door. "Hello,¡± he greeted as he eyed up Ron. "Milton, this is a friend of mine, Ron. Ron, this is Milton, he''s the detective I told you about." "How are you?" Ron asked confidently. "I''ll show you the room." Pandora pulled her eyebrows down in disbelief as Ron swaggered out of her living room. "He''s not going to cut me up into little pieces is he?" Milton asked. Pandora snorted loudly before shaking her head. ¡°Nah. Besides, he knows I freak out at the sight of blood, so you''re safe for now anyway." "Come on now, good detective," Ron yelled and Milton took a deep breath. "This is what you''ve trained for," Milton mumbled, and she covered her mouth,ughing as he walked out of the living room as if he were walking into a high-risk situation. It took Milton and Ron an hour before they came back to the living room. + "What the hell were you guys doing up there?" she asked, looking the two misfits up and down. "Talking, Ron answered with a sly grin. "Talking? Is that what you pretty boys call it now?" Both Ron and Milton gave her the same look. It was so simr, one would think they were both sides of the same mirror. "For thatment, you can''te to my photo shoot." "Your what?" Pandora asked. "I am doing a photo shoot for his store, to get more male clients." Pandora already knew that Ron was looking to bring in more clients, so she just nodded in understanding. "This fine detective here gave me an idea." "That was?" she asked, giving him a will-you-spit-it-out look. *Imagine sexy firemen, policemen, EMTs, sexy men, in various sexy fields of work. Pandora hummed as what Ron said came to mind. "But what has that got to do with your business? Also, it looks like you are asking for female clients, doesn''t it?" she asked, still not getting it. "As long as I get more clients," he said casually. "Women will love it, talk about my shop, and their men wille, or the women will bring them. Women will lead them to me by their dicks. At hisstment, Pandora lost it and started tough. "No," she squeaked out as she calmed herself. She wiped away the tears that had sprung from her eyes. ''I need to be there, please," she begged. "Because right now what I imagine and what I''ll see that day, I know it''ll be a great day." *Then be a good girl," Ron grinned slyly at her and she nodded obediently at him. ''I''ll make some coffee, and let you two chat, Ron continued, before walking out. "Sp? she whispered to Milton, not really wanting to deal with any of it. How did he get into your house?" Milton asked and she shrugged her shoulders. "I haven''t a clue. When he left me, I changed all the locks, and added the security rm," she stopped talking. "I know it''s him who''s doing this." I believe that, too, but the DA will need proof, and from what I''ve found at this point, it''s you doing it all yourself." She looked up at him as her mouth dropped open. "Pandora, wait... I know you''re not, but the profile was made from your IP address," he said, giving her a pointed look. "I had someone go to the person who bought your belongings, and they only saw a woman that sounded a lot like you in the description." She shook her head at him. ¡°So far, the only thing not matching up is the woman didn''t seem as far along as you are," he said, pointing to her bump. "It''s the same for the dating website, the IP address that was used to make it is yours." "That''s what you were doing up there?" she muttered, turning away from Milton. His hand came under her chin, and he turned her head back around to face him. "Yes, but we were mainly talking about the photoshoot. Pandora, I believe that this is somehow Derrik''s doing, but I need to prove it. I think we should change your locks and passwords on the security system andptop, and get you a new IP address." Pandora groaned but nodded in agreement. "There''s a small part of me that''s saying fuck it, give him the fucking house. This isn''t worth the shit he is putting me through. That maybe he''s right. I didn''t put enough into our rtionship." She stopped and looked at Milton. "I swear I tried, but through the years we were married, he only worked all together a year at the most. Money was so tight, that I was working up to sixty hours a week. To me, we still weren''t making enough to rx. At first, it was because we... I wanted a baby and I wanted to spend time with him or her after she was born. I knew we needed enough put away so that I didn''t need to rely on Derrik keeping a job. When we couldn''t be pregnant, this ce became my baby," she said, waving her hand so he knew that she was talking about her house. "All the spare time and money went into it..." She stopped talking again as she tried to calm herself. Chapter 56 "But just... he was slowly destroying it. He has taken years from me. I can''t look back on good memories anymore because I see now what I failed to see then. I can''t even make new ones." She rubbed her tummy as Jack and Micheal started to move around. "This is meant to be a happy time for me. A good time, but I have spent so much time feeling tired, sad, and so goddamn alone. I''m scared shitless of how I am going to cope on my own with two babies. On top of all that, what he''s doing to me is cruel beyond words." "It is, but mark my words, he will slip up, and I will arrest him. It may take time, but you have my word. As for this house, I know that you worked hard on it, and spent a lot of time buil building this up, but it''s just a house. You can make a new home anywhere you decide to live. Maybe you should consider selling it." Milton leaned over and hugged her. "As soon as I''ve got this prick dealt with, you''ll need another cop to deal with, because my ass is already in over the line when ites to you." With that, he kissed the side of her head and sat up, winking at her. "And I just know my wife will love you; you''ll have to meet soon." "Good, I could use another girlfriend." "Yeah, you girls do need fresh meat," Ronmented as he ced down their cups. She looked in hers and saw it was cocoa. Thanks, Ron." "I could do with a cop on my side, because I am a thread away from saying sorry, Pandora, and beating the living shit out of Derrik. I''m honestly just waiting to make good friends with a damn goodwyer." "If that''s all you need, then know that my brother Luke is one of the best. The fucker has even managed to get off a couple of guys I arrested," Milton bated with a grin. "Is that a fact?" "No!" Pandora yelled, holding up her hand. "You can''t, Ron. My dad would make sure you got into more trouble." Ron just hushed me. "Stop getting your panties in a twist, you know I can take on the ape. "That''s not the point, Ron. I need you here, you''re going to be an uncle," she reminded him. "Hush, don''t worry, I''ll leave him be for now." Ron gave her a look and she knew that he was just waiting for a dark-alley moment. However, knowing she had enough stress in her life, she let it go. Ron, Keira, and Sia helped her change all of her locks and passwords. Milton had dropped in again to say he had a word with Derrik who vowed he had done nothing, and Pandora was just out to get him, or Ang in crazy." The security team hade by as well, but Keira and Sia took her out for the day. Since Ron didn''t want her house to be left unupied, he asked a girl that worked for him, to house-sit while they were there. There were three men who turned up and did a full check of the system, but they came up nk about how someone was getting around the security. Milton said that a patrol car had watched the house, and even stopped by and checked on them to make sure they were doing their work. Due to all this and feeling more stressed, Pandora changed her evening appointment with Benjamin to first thing in the morning. Of course, she was runningte, so she had a quick shower, opting not to wash her hair. She got dressed in the closet and pulled her hair up in a messy bun. Limping down the stairs, she pulled on her jacket and gloves before heading out the door. "Hi," she groaned, noticing that it was the woman from her first day who was back behind the desk. "I have a nine o''clock appointment?" As she spoke to her, she looked at Pandora, and her face had this odd look of shocke over it. As her mouth dropped open, she stood up. Hello? Pandora called as she started to feel ufortable with she was looking at her. Without saying anything, she stood up and walked away. She got to the door of the hallway and looked back at her over the shoulder. Pandora gave her the best bitch face and she closed her eyes, shaking her head, and then just stared at Pandora. She opened her mouth to ask what the fuck her problem was, but she dashed down the hallway, "What is it with the mean girls? Why do they have the ability to make someone feel so small with just a look?" Pandora asked out loud in the empty waiting room. She heard footsteps followed by what sounded like Benjamin''s voice. "I am sure you are mistaken. Pan... Benjamin''s voice trailed off as he looked at Pandora with horror. "What?" she yelled out. Benjamin opened and then closed his mouth. ''Pandora, you''re blue," he stuttered. She huffed. It was not like he could see that she was sad. "Maybe I''m a little sad but I wouldn''t say blue!" Benjamin shook his head at her. "Come with me,'' he muttered, moving toward her. He took her hand and then started pulling her. Instead of going to his office, he pulled her into the bathroom. *Benjamin?¡± she asked and he pushed her to where the sink was. But his eyes seemed to be bouncing all over her. "Look?" he said to her, "Look in the mirror." He nodded toward it. Pandora sighed and looked at the mirror. She felt her body jump back a little. Thankfully, Benjamin was standing behind her, so she didn''t fall over, but she ended up in his arms. "I''m blue, half my face is blue!" she shrieked out loud as her gloved hand moved to the mirror, touching it. She even rubbed the mirror to make sure nothing was on it. She tilted her head to the other mirror, seeing she still appeared to be blue. "Benjamin, I''m blue!" she yelled. "Why am I blue?" "I can see that, calm down." "Calm down!" she yelled, cutting him off as she turned in his arms. "I am freaking blue, like a damn smurf." Benjamin''s mouth twitched and she pped his chest. "Benjamin, if I wasn''t pregnant, I wouldugh with you, but I am, and I am blue." She felt her chest get tighter as it came to her that she was heavily pregnant. "My babies, Benjamin, what... why?" Benjamin wrapped his arms around her and seemed to slide her to a nearby chair. ¡°Hush, Pandora,¡± Benjamin said as he seemed to ce her on his knee. ¡°But I''m blue,¡± she told him again like he could forget he was talking to an oversized smurfette with brown hair. Chapter 57 Benjamin pushed her hair out of her face as he whispered for her to calm down. "I think I should have something that will remove the dye, paint, or whatever it is. There is a shower here," he told her as he wiped her tears. "Maybe someone was ying a joke, and you got the wrong bottle?" he suggested like he was trying to figure out how it had happened. "Who would y a joke where someone turns blue?" she asked silently and her mind came up with one answer. "Fucking Derrik!" she hissed. "How the hell did he do it?'' The only thing she used that morning was body wash and moisturizer. As she didn''t turn blue on Saturday, that only left Sunday that Derrik somehow had gotten into her house. The only people that were noted to have been going into her home were security and they were checked out by the police! "Come on, we should get this washed off," Benjamin whispered, but he sounded as if he was holding back his anger. ''I need to call in to work," she sobbed as he helped her to stand. "That''s if I still have a freaking job." "I''m sure you will; your boss seems to care for you." "Yeah, he''s my godfather, and the best friend of my father," she told him, only finding it a little odd. She never told Derrik about how close her father and Aron were without being forced to tell. Derrik actually used her of sleeping with Aron at one time, because of how rapidly she had been promoted in thepany. "He''ll understand," Benjamin said again, leaving no room to argue. He sat her in his office. "Take your gloves and jacket off, I will be right back." She took her jacket and gloves off and right away, she saw her hands weren''t blue. Moving her pant legs up, she saw only the side of her left leg was blue. Letting out a sob, she pulled her arm from her sweater and noticed her upper left arm was blue. The majority of her left side was blue, as well. "Let''s see if I can get this off, or at least lessen it." Benjamin brought out a cloth from a basin of water and knelt in front of her. He started to rub her face and neck with the cloth. He was so gentle with her that it was almost breaking her heart as well as healing it. His eyes shed to hers. "You smell," he stated and she was instantly taken back a little. She forced out a chuckle and tried not to cry. "Hey, I showered right before I came here." "What? No, I don''t mean it in a bad way. I mean you smell like Blue Raspberry Kool-Aid." Pandora turned her nose to her left shoulder and sniffed. He was right. That was exactly what she smelled like. "How would that get on my skin?" she asked. "Well, one time, when I was at football camp- "You went to football camp? she questioned, interrupting him. "Yeah, when I was old enough to help out at camp, I attended. Anyway, this one boy was being bullied and one of the pranks yed on him was putting Kool-Aid powder in his bed. He looked the same, only some parts of him were blue, just like you." Pandora frowned while thinking over what he said. "So Derrik has sprinkled blue Kool-Aid in my bed?" Yes! her mind answered as she asked the question. "Fucker," she muttered with a sigh. "It''s mostly off your neck and face, go in and use my shower to wash up and I''ll check you over," Benjamin said, sounding as if he was talking through his teeth. "When you are finished,e back in here. I''ll use another room for the time being." Pandora moved to his shower, taking more time and care to wash than she did that morning. When she was finished showering and dressed, she stood at his door. Seeing Benjamin, she noticed that he seemed to be in deep thought. Hi," she said, hoping to not interrupt him. "Hey, feel better?" She nodded at him and he jumped up, moving over to her. He helped her to a chair by his desk and as she sat down. He knelt in front of her. *Pandora, if he is abusing you, you''d tell me, right? I mean, I swear that I''d help you get away from him." "What?" she mumbled, feeling confused. "Your husband Derrik, if he is hurting you then.... Pandora''s mouth dropped open. Yes, Derrik had been harassing her, and in that regard abusing her. It was just not the way he thought. She opened her mouth to exin, but he covered her mouth. "I know that I am stepping way over the line, but you could stay with me, I have arge home. It''s more than big enough for you and the babies. You''d be safe there, at least until you found somewhere else to go." "Benj-" She only got the start of his name out when the door burst open. "Dr. Parks, there''s an emergency at the hospital. It''s Maisey, she''s been in a car crash," the nurse said. Benjamin leaped up, looking worried. He looked back down at Pandora." "Go,'' she told him, but she found that she needed to reassure him with her eyes. He nodded before starting to look frantic. As he moved to the door, he held his cell up, and she moved quickly with him. Dad, how''s Maisey?" he asked as he struggled to get his jacket on. So, Pandora moved to him, holding it open. "Fuck, that''s bad, he mumbled, pulling at his hair. "I am calm!" he yelled out as he brought out his car keys. "I''ll be there soon. Don''t worry about me, I always drive safely." Knowing the look of fear and shakiness, she snatched the cell from him. "Hi, I''m Pandora, and I will drive him to the hospital. Which hospital should I bring him to? Okay, I will get him there, no worries," she quickly said, pulling Benjamin toward her car. "Get in," she ordered him as he just looked at her. "You are a doctor, and this is safer and you know it." He nodded and opened the door, getting in. Only then did she give him back his phone. "Yes, Dad, someone''s driving me," Benjamin hissed out but sounded upset. "She''s going to be okay, right Dad?" Pandora closed her eyes, feeling the pain in Benjamin''s voice. She looked up at the sky as she started her car. "You have to save her, she prayed to the heavens and her own body wanted to cry.. She knew this because Benjamin was an amazing man, and loved his wife deeply. ''Is that the only reason why? a small voice in her head asked. Chapter 58 DERRIK POV: [WARNING: CRUDE CONTENT UP AHEAD. PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.] Just as I posted Pandora''s household items on Craiglist, my cell started to ring. I looked at it and saw Mason''s name. The man was always breathing down my throat about something or the other. "Yo," I said 1. ng. "Derrik, you'' been gone for three hours!" he yelled at me. "I had some trouble the truck. I''m on my way back now," 1 I told him smoothly. "Just get back here," he huffed. He knew I was bullshitting him, but he wouldn''ty me off. Macky had him wrapped around her little finger, and as long as she thought I was working hard, I w I quickly logged on to a few porn sites before I cleaned my dish. I knew I wouldn''t get away with leaving a dirty dish in the sink. She was too much of a neat freak not to wash up after using something. I needed to take everything I could m her before she figured out that I was doing all of this. I walked out of the house still hungry, so I headed to a fast food store to get something to eat before going back to work. "Derrik, Mason yelled when I arrived ed at the office. "What?" I asked him, feeling really bored with the stupid fucker. "Don''t fucking ''what'' me! The CEO is noticing that you''re only doing an hour of work at most a fucking week, ''rick." I just looked at him. What the hell w he getting at? "You are getting paid for forty hours. They''re going toy y you off if you don''t pull your head out of your ass." I rolled my eyes at him. "They can''ty me off, I a was afraid of him? am not on their books," I reminded him and his face hardened, but it just made me chuckle. Did he think I *My job is on the line, too, ''rick." Did he think I gave a fuck about him? This was about me what was owed to me. This was about my revenge. If he got in the way and had to pay, so be it. "Who the hell are you?" Mason asked, giving disgusted look. "I am the man that your sister lets do anything he enjoy it." wants her, whether that is fuck her up the ass, spank her, or treat her like a slut, and boy does she Mason moved to me, but I just smirked at him, blowing him "Hey, babe," Macky said as I walked in. I groaned and felt kise as I walked away. leap off of the floor, trying to get me. "Thought you were going to clean this ce up?" "I was too tired, babe, she pouted at me. I looked at her, seeing that she was dressed and looked like a model ready for the runway. "Did you at least make dinner?" "I thought you could take me out for the night?" she mumbled and swung her hips as she walked up to me. Why didn''t she get that 1 hated going out to some overpriced restaurant? I could use that money on a night out at a strip club, and let''s face it, I would have more fun there, too. "How about we stay here and I take you to bed?'' I smirked evilly, knowing how to make her change her mind. ''Besides, you don''t want me to take you out to a restaurant that has high-calorie foods. You''re already looking at little fat." I grabbed her tummy harshly to make sure I got a hold of a few inches. Macky looked down at her tummy. Yeah, it''s just that I have been feeling so down. I''ve only gained a few pounds," she whispered and I stroked her face. "I know, but a few pounds will lead to a few more, and before you know it, you will be in the same size clothes as what my fat ex wore." "She was a size eight, Macky huffed out at me. I know... but she did nothing about it. I gave her a disgusted look. "God, I hated touching her or seeing her naked; really, babe, tummy rolls are not sexy." Macky covered her tummy and I knew that I had gotten her to change her mind. "But if you want to go out-" Macky didn''t even let me finish before she covered my mouth, kissing me. "No, I''m not hungry for anything, except I am hungry for you," she smirked at me. I smiled at her and then gripped her by the hair. I arrived at my real home just as the ex was leaving. I moved quickly into the house and started packing up the spare room. I gave the strip club I frequent a call and asked if they could send over the fat stripper with brown hair. "Hi, I said as Brownie looked at me. She had always had a thing for me and had wanted me to fuck her for years. But she was at least four sizes bigger than my ex, and anything over a size six was just in gross. However, today was her lucky day. "I need a favor and in return, I am going to make you scream, do you agree?" She smirked at me. "As long as you have me screaming first, we''ve got a deal." "Get dressed in these clothes," I said, throwing her something of the pregnant bitch''s. "Remember, you''re pregnant," I reminded her and she walked downstairs, starting to get ready for the people who wereing to buy the shit in the spare room." Two hourster, I am three thousand dors richer and fucking Brownie again; this time on the stairs. "This has been worth it," she told me, making me smile. "I may ask for you the next time I am at the club," I said winking at her. She moved away and I waved at her as she walked out the door. Turning around, I ripped the carpet up a little before heading upstairs to rece the bulb with a burned-out one. As I left my home, I felt somehow lighter knowing soon, it would all be mine, or at least the money from selling it would be. Either way, I would be happy as long as it was no longer hers. Chapter Comments Roberta Jones do her neighbors not notice something fishy?? or tell her anything?? VIEW 1 COMMENT > 1 Chapter 59 DERRIK POV: [WARNING: CRUDE CONTENT UP AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.] It was early when I arrived back at Pandora''s and I frowned seeing the car was still there. "Maybe falling down the stairs hurt her badly and she''s just lying there, my mind said, giving me hope. Quietly, I walked into the house and I jumped seeing a guy in his boxers and t- shirt looking at me. "Hey there, Pandora is still sleeping. She had a bad night," he said. My eyes seemed to move from his face to his arms as I took in the tattoos. I knew this was the guy I spoke to with the kickass motorcycle. I knew she was a whore, but this guy was a lowlife.. Maybe I should inform the children''s service social workers of the kind of people she was hanging out with. Once they saw this prick, they would take her bastard child away. "Do I know you? You look familiar..." he asked, giving me a strange look, more than likely because I was standing here, grinning at him. "Nah, tell her Daniel dropped by," I said before turning to walk out and moving back to the work truck and sitting in it. Within an hour or so, Ron the fairy boy showed up, and the lowlife left. Just after he left, the prick cop showed up. "How many guys are you fucking, you stupid fat whore?" I muttered. "If you told me you wanted to be gang-banged, I would have had a few friends over to do it for you." I drove home, knowing that Macky should be ready for me. I walked into the house and right away, she dropped to her knees to please me. "Did Pandora do this for you?" Mackenna asked me shakily. This shit of hers and the need topare her to other girls was another thing I didn''t understand, but love about women because I could use it against them. "I don''t think the guys would''ve liked to see her naked. Besides, I certainly wouldn''t have been proud to show her off. But you, you will have them all drooling and they will all want to fuck you. They''ll all be so jealous, and I wanna show them I know how to take care of my girl." Macky hummed and started to kiss me. I knew that this girl loved to have guys looking at her and wanting her. This was one of the things that had made her so afraid to gain weight or look any older. "Fine," she whispered, "I''ll be good to you."- I smiled at her. "Good, because it was happening anyway, so I''ll arrange it." ???? ????? "I need you to go to this house and check out the system," Mason yelled at me. I was about to tell him to go fuck himself, but the address caught my eye. "That fucking bitch has to try to mess my fun." "Fine, I''ll go," I yelled and headed over there with another two guys. We were first greeted by a woman I had never seen before, and then two cops looked over our identifications. I held back my smirk because my identification for work had another name on it. When they left, I walked upstairs and sprinkled some Kool-Aid powder all over Pandora''s bed. I chuckled over the fact she hadn''t changed the sheets since I fucked Brownie here a couple of days ago. I spent the rest of the day and night outside just $0 ...eak in and turn off her rm. I loved how frantic she got when she was runningte. At eight in the morning, she limped out looking bluer than I thought she would be. The unobservant bitch didn''t even notice me trailing behind her. I sat outside as she went into the clinic. When a full hour had passed and she was still there, it had me walking up to the door. When I was just about to enter, she and the tattooed freak walked dut. "The tattooed freak is a doctor," I muttered as she guided him whoever was on the phone she was holding. y fucking, nice ass car that she kept from me. He looked down at her as she talked to "Fuck, the tattooed freak-ass doctor is in love with her," I cackled out quietly. "Hmm, I do wonder what the board of directors would say about you spending the night at a patient''s home, especially with her being a whore and all." I got back in the truck and headed to the office. As soon as I was there, I logged intoputer and got the information and phone number to contact the board of directors for the clinic. "Hi, need to make aint," I said smugly when they answered the call. I sat there and gasped in shock as I rhymed off a load of shit to go along with the fact that he was in her home naked. As I ced down the phone, I started thinking of what else I could do. I still had to get that prick Ron, and then there was the cop. He needed to be taught not to fuck with me. As for this doctor, thisint was going to be the least of his worries. Later, I drove past the home the whore was upying and saw my car was sitting outside. Well, if I couldn''t have it, she would find it useless after this. Last time, I put nails in her tires. This time, it would be much harder to fix. I got out moving to it, I opened the gas tank cap. I poured some water, salt, and sugar into the tank. I reached down and grabbed a few handfuls of dirt and pebbles from the flower bed and crammed them in the tank hose opening. The need to pee struck, so I pissed in the tank, too, as I chuckled. "This''ll teach you to give some fucker a lift in my car," I said as I looked at the house. "You should just give in now. Anyone who gets hurt is on you," I carried on. She really didn''t know who she was fucking with and I had just gotten started. Chapter 60 Pandora yawned as she walked out of her house, feeling tired. She got in her car and looked at her cell. There was a huge part of her that wanted to call Benjamin and find out how he was, how Maisey was, but she couldn''t seem to make the call. She managed to get him to the hospital quickly and dropped him off at the emergency room. After he got out of the car, she felt the overwhelming need to go with him. Instead, she allowed him to just go, and she drove around the car park.. After she had found a space, she walked into the hospital and saw Benjamin sitting with his mom and a man who must have been his dad. There was another doctor who looked upset and frantic as he spoke to Benjamin and his family. As Pandora looked to the side of the doctor, she saw a woman who looked a lot like Milton''s wife, Alexis. She quickly summarized that they must be the doctor and nurse who were treating Maisey. With onest look at Benjamin, who started to sob as he hugged the doctor, Pandora walked away. She felt wrong as she walked out of the hospital. She had a strange desire to be there for him. Even knowing his family was there for him didn''t calm her. She let out a shaky breath, remembering the stress she felt. "I''ll call him in a few days," she muttered as she started her car. She was only a few minutes into her journey when her car started to chug and acted as if it was struggling. Her eyes narrowed as she looked in her rearview mirror. Pulling her car closer to the side of the road, the car reacted and she felt it starting to shake. "Come on, don''t die now," she prayed to the car as it stalled and stopped. "Fuck," she cursed, knowing that she was on a busy road. She looked out her window as a car zoomed past her, rocking her whole car. Pandora took a few deep breaths and pulled her cell phone out. She listened to the ring as another car zoomed past her. "Pandora, Aron replied, sounding confused. "My car broke down on the freeway. It won''t start." She stopped talking as a car zoomed close by her. "I''m scared," she said, holding back a sob. "Why will Karma not get off my ass?" ''Pandora, just calm down, I''ll send some of the guys and a tow truck out. Do not try to get out of that car!" Pandora snorted like she was getting out on this road of death. She sped her steering wheel, holding it as another car zoomed past her. Each car zooming by felt closer than the one before, and her car rocked back and forth as each one sped past her. The speed limit may have been forty, but the way they were flying by, left one to believe they were all speeding. Pandora saw blue shing lights, and then an officer got out of his car and walked between her car and the bridge railing. "Ma''am," he said and she looked at him, closing her eyes as another big truck barreled past. ''My car broke down," she told him, letting out a breath. "Okay, stay nice and calm," he asked her as his eyesnded on her bump. ''I have a tow trucking," she informed, just as it pulled up in front of her. "Looks like it''s here, but you''re going to have to get out ande to my car for safety." Pandora shook her head at him. "Sorry, ma''am but it will be safer, and I am right here to help you." He moved to her side of the car and slowly opened the door. She unbuckled, and just as she stepped out, several big trucks rumbled past. The air almost sucked them into the traffic, and she gripped the policeman. He smiled calmly at her. "We need to stay close to the car, okay?'' Pandora nodded at him and he took small steps with her. She looked behind her to see the guys were already getting her car onto the tow truck. The policeman opened the door to the cruiser, and she slid into the passenger seat. She sat forward as much as she could and tried to calm her breathing, "Just breathe nice and slow, ma''am. You can sit here, but you''ll need to put your seatbelt on." She grabbed it but with her shaky hand, it seemed stuck. After she tried for a few seconds, the policeman took over and did it for her. He closed her door, and a few secondster, she heard his door open. She closed her eyes as he started the car and merged into the flow of traffic. He stopped long enough to give the tow truck driver the room to pull out onto the road. "Have you done this before?" she panted as she asked him. She still saw the ck patches and felt panicked. "You''d be surprised," he stated in a calming voice. Pandora still felt nervous and continued to take deep breaths. "Here you are, ma''am." Pandora looked up and saw that they were at the hospital. "Why am I here?" she turned and asked him, pouting. "You''re in shock and pregnant. You should be checked out. Normally, I would have called an ambnce, but due to traffic and the location, I just brought you myself." Pandora groaned but nodded, getting out of the car. She jumped a little when the policeman appeared next to her. "Tell me your information and I''ll get you logged in.'' She told him all of her information and he left her in a chair in the waiting room. "Ma''am," the policeman said, smiling down at her. "I need to go, but they''ll see you soon, take care." "Thank you," Pandora whispered to him and he walked away. She closed her eyes, rubbing her chest. Her heart felt like it was racing. "Pandora?" She kept her eyes closed, knowing that she must be hearing Benjamin. "Pandora!" This time, it was just not her name she heard. She also felt his touch. Her eyes slowly opened to see Benjamin looking at her. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked haggard. "Hey," she gasped out as her breathing still seemed to be off. "How are you?" she asked as her hand moved to his face and up to his hair. Chapter 61 His right hand took hold of her other hand and he grasped her wrist Come with me," he said and she frowned, dropping her hand from his hair. "Benjamin," she quickly shut up as he red down at her. "Your heart is racing, and don''t even get me started on your breathing." She slowly stood but felt a wave of dizzinesse over her. Benjamin''s arm wrapped around her and he pulled her closer to him. ''I''m waiting to get seen... you should be with Maisey," she told him. He seemed to swallow and looked unsure. Suddenly, a cold feeling rippled over her, and she covered her mouth. "I''m going to be Before she could finish her warning, she dropped down to her knees and vomited all over the floor. "Sorry. I''m so sorry. I''ll clean this up," she muttered as she felt Benjamin''s hand run up and down her back. "We here paid staff that will clean it up," Benjamin whispered to her. ¡°Come on,¡± he said firmly. A few secondster, he seemed to get tired of waiting and picked her up. Benjamin gently ced her on a bed and started to look her over without saying a word. "I am going to get an EKG on you," he informed her as he walked out of the room. She swallowed, shaking her head. She felt so much better-safer-now that Benjamin was with her. But deep down, she knew that he needed to be with his wife. She heard her cell ring and sighed before picking it up. "Hey," she whispered. "Pandora, what the hell has happened? I saw your car on a tow truck Keira yelled, sounding frantic. "My car broke down on the freeway... I was so scared," Pandora admitted, feeling the panicing back over her. "What- your car''s only a few years old?" "I don''t know. The policeman that helped me drove me to the hospital, and I have to get an EKG." "Shit! Ron and I are on our way," she told Pandora. Immediately she protested, "I''m fine." "Bullshit, and if Derrik caused this or any of the other shit that''s been happening, then I am going to kick his ass myself!" "Come on, Keira. Derrik wouldn''t do this to the car. Putting the Kool-Aid in my bed or listing the furniture on Craigslist, maybe because those are pranks in his eyes. I just don''t think he''d mess up my car so that it broke down on me. I could have been killed," Pandora gasped. She wanted to believe this had nothing to do with Derrik, but another part of her knew better. Derrik was not the man she always thought he was. "We''ll be there soon." "I have the EKG machine," Benjamin announced, sounding tight-lipped. "You need to remove your blouse and bra,¡± he said as Emily walked in with a gown. "You should be with Malsey, Candora said, trying to make herself sound strong as he taped little round discs with wires on them to her. "She''s fine; my mom and dad are with her," he said as he looked at the machine. "I am riot happy with your heart rate or oxygen fevel," he announced, acting like a doctor again. "Your blood pressure is high as well." Pandora looked at him as he pulled his hair. "Do you think you could give me a urine sample?" She nodded at him, and he passed her the cup, Emily then helped her to the toilet. When she was finished, Emily walked her back to the bed. Once she was situated, Emily moved out of the room with the sample with her. "What happened?" Pandora sighed, knowing that she was going to have to tell him what had happened. The fact that his wife just had a car ident would make it hard on him. She took her time going through what had happened, and she was barely able to keep herself together as she told him about the entire time she was trapped on the road alone. "Fuck Benjamin hissed. "That is literally one of the busiest roadways in the city. You could have been killed." "I know," she whispered. "I think that''s why I am so out of it." "It sounds like your body is in shock-not a good thing on most days, and more so when you''re pregnant." "Pandora!" Keira called as she and Ron burst through the door. "I''lle back in an hour to see you," Benjamin announced as he left quickly. *See, I told you, he doesn''t like me," Ron whined to Keira. "Hello? Pandora almost died, whiney-ass," Keira scolded, pointing at her. It took no time for Keira and Ron to have herughing. "Hey, Emily," she said smiling as she walked in to do another round of checks. "Can I go downstairs for calmer now?" a cup of cocoa, since I''m Emily sighed. "If you take the wheelchair, I''d say yes." Pandora pouted at her and gave her puppy-dog eyes. It didn''t work as she just raised her brow at her in return. "Pandora, your heart rate is still fast, as well as your blood pressure, so a wheelchair or you stay here." "Fine," she huffed and Emily smirked as she walked away. A few minutester, she came back with a wheelchair and helped her into 1. it. "No more than thirty minutes and you need to be back here, okay?" Pandora nodded enthusiastically and Ron wheeled her out of the room and down the hallway. They had just made it to the cafeteria when Sia came running toward her. "Hey, girl," she said, hugging Pandora. "Hi," she replied softly. "I''ll get some coffee and cocoa for the two of you," Ron announced. "Shit, girl, what the hell did you do? And tell me exactly who you have offended to get this bad karma? Pandora shook her head at the other. "I don''t know anymore, but In feels as if it''s only getting hard. I have two weeks left at work, but seven and a half months pregnant, and as the weeks go on, it have yet to make it in this week at all." "Yeah. I''ll tell you, the whole blue thing sounds like Derrik. But do you think he messed with the car? I mean, I think he loved it more than he ever loved you." Pandora shook her head as Sia talked. She still had no idea wh things were happening to her. Chapter Comments Chapter 62 "You fucking sonofabitch!" Panora heard Benjamin yell. Both S¨ªa at she looked around to where the yelling wasing from. "Hey- what the fuck?" Keira screamed, and Sia and Pandora both got up and moved to where the yelling wasing from. Stopping in her tracks, she was in shock to find Benjamin holding aughing on to the wall. ¡°Well, I think I know why he hates me now," Ronmented, looking at her. "Shut up," Benjamin hissed. "You''re a doctor... let him go," Keira said, hitting Benjamin''s armt. "It''s fine, love," Ron reassured Keira, which strangely made Benjamin growl at him. "Pandora, sweetie, are you going tell the good doctor here, that I''m not your husband?" "What?" They all said together. "I think your doctor thinks I am Derrik. Would you please tell him I am not that puke ex "You''re not," Pandora muttered, utterly confused. Maybe it''s time I went back upstairs because..." turned and looked at her with worry. "Are you okay?" She nodded at him and he simply ran his hands down her hair before resting it on her shoulder. "You thought Ron was my husband?" She stopped speaking as Benjamin "He''s not Derrik?" She shook her head vehemently and Benjamin rubbed his face. "Sorry," he whispered and Ronughed. "It''s all right, you hit like a girl." Pandora leveled Ron with a scathing look and he shrugged in response. "Besides, Doc, I want to hit Derrik, too. Now I have a doctor on my side as well as a cop. Every day, I seem to be getting closer to the perfect revenge day." "Ron," Pandora hissed at him. ¡°Dude, he''s a doctor who has drugs, which means I could kill the prick and get away with it." She shook her head in disbelief and started to rub it. "Wait... you want to kill her husband?¡± Benjamin asked, sounding utterly confused. "Her ex-husband," Ron corrected and then his face went white. "So, I''ll go get four coffees and a hot chocte. Why don''t you take her back to her wheelchair," Sia interrupted with a smile. Benjamin nodded at her and wrapped his arm around Pandora. "You''re not married?" he asked her. Not anymore; not for almost a year now." "But..." he asked, touching her bump. It made Jack and Micheal both move. "Long story and not his." Benjamin sighed and she just noticed how tired he looked. "How is your wife?" Pandora asked him and he narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "Maisey... how is she?" "Maisey?" He repeated for confimation. "Why do you think Maisey my wife?" "The photo on your desk, Pandora answered truthfully. He shook his head and grinned at her. "Maisey is my sister." She looked down and let out a gasp. "Really?" she asked, looking up at him from under hershes. He nodded at her and she bit her lip, feeling relieved that he was not married. The relief fell, fast when she still saw the wedding ring on his left hand. "But, you are married, right?" she asked to make sure. "Yes, sort of," he answered and Pandora looked at him. He ran his hand through his hair. ¡°It''s a really long story," he repeated the same words she had used. "And, it''s a story for another time." He fell silent and started to rub her bump. Her hand covered his. She stopped his hands'' movement and lifted it to her face. "Your nails are pink?" Heughed, shaking his head as his hand went straight back to rubbing her bump. was the first to fall asleep. Apparently, my brother-inw was bored, and couldn''t sleep." She snorted and let out a giggle. Benjamin smiled as he watched her. "How is Maisey?" she asked, knowing he was stressed. tough, all of us Parks'' are." As soon as he said Parks, "She''s doing well now. It was a little worrying there for a few hours, but she''s Jack, and Micheal seemingly started to do somersaults, making Benjamin stop talking and just grin as he felt their movements. He looked at her and cleared his throat. "Maisey is going to be okay, thanks for asking." "Here we are," Ron called, stillughing. Pandora turned and looked at him with her brow raised. "Aron just called," he informed, dropping his mischievous front. "Your leave starts now." Pandora groaned but Ron looked way too happy and she knew something else "Nothing; now hush, you''re meant to be lowering your blood pressure." was up. "What else did he say?" She look over at Keira who was looking at her bump, but shaking her head at her. "Sia?" she asked and frowned as Sia, too, was looking at her bump. Her hand went to it and she ced it over Benjamin''s still-present hand. Pandora gulped, knowing that was why they were all looking at her. "Aron''s in with beating the crap out of Derrik. Oh, and he called Daddy Walter about the car, and also told him about you turning blue." Pandora groaned again, knowing her dad would go crazy. "Daddy Walter?" Benjamin asked but didn''t remove his hand. "My dad- he used to be a Prosecutor and Ron has a thing for him. Most people just call him Mr. Leonard, though." "Oh," Benjamin reacted with a smile. "Ben-Benjamin..." "Hey, Dad," he replied as she turned to see the man who was looking in the door at Benjamin and her. Benjamin seemed to realize his hand was on her bump and pulled it quickly off as he stood up. "I''ll be back in your room to check on you in half an hour if you''ll excuse me?" Benjamin didn''t wait for an answer and walked away with his dad, who kept looking back over his shoulder. "Are you fucking your doctor?" Sia burst out, makin Pandora turn and look at her. "What?" I hissed when her friend stared at her, failing to say anything else. "That''s what I''m thinking," Keira muttered, looking at Pandora, too. "Are you both touched in the head? Do you not know me at all? Good Lord, I am not sleeping with my doctor. He may not be married to Maisey, but he is still married." Chapter Comments Bastet told ya VIEW 1 COMMENT > 2 < SHARE POST COMMENT Chapter 63 "Uh huh, Sia hummed judgmentally. Then, she sighed. "Pandora, you and Benjamin... Is it? Pandora nodded, letting her know she had his name right. "The two of you have a connection. You both seem to move together, he was rubbing your bump the entire time he was sitting next to you." "He hit Ron because he saw us kissing and thought he was cheating on you," Keira added. "I''m not even going toment on the looks you give each other," Ronughed. Everything they just said was making Pandora feel guilty. He''s married, she said again. ¡°I''ve been cheated on, and I wouldn''t want to cause that pain to anyone. I...¡± She paused at the thought that she may have alreadye between Benjamin and his wife. "I should find another doctor," she whispered, not liking that idea.. "Pandora,¡± Sia started off but stopped. "Talk to him, tell him." She shook her head. "I don''t know what I feel. I just know that when he''s around I feel calmer and safe. The boys even react to him." "He may have already been separated from his wife?" Ron prompted. "Derrik fucking lost his ring years ago and never wanted another. The fact he still wears his means he still cares and loves his wife. I don''t want to be the other woman. Not only do they usually lose out in the end, but I think I''ve had enough heartbreak tost a lifetime." "Pandora, he may not like you that way; this may just be him, and then this is all a moot point. Your feelings may just be because of how the boys are reacting to him," Ron spoke softly. "We''re just pointing out that you seem closer to him, that''s all. Just calm yourself, and besides, you''ve got what... ten weeks until the big due date?" Pandora nodded. "Then just leave it, and maybe try and not be alone with him, or have him stay over?" She rubbed her head, feeling even more stressed than she already was. "You think I''m flirting with him?" she asked shyly. "No," all three of them stated together, but there was something in their voices that told her they were notpletely truthful. "Sorry, I thought your visitors had left," Benjamin said, sounding shy "You''re her doctor?" Her dad asked, getting out of his seat. "I am," Benjamin confirmed, looking at him. Tm her father, Walter," her dad said as he offered Benjamin his hand. Benjamin shook it immediately. "I''m Benjamin Park "How is she? her dad asked, sounding a little worried. Benjamin''s eyes moved to hers and she gave him a short nod, showing him he could give her father the information. His eyes move off of her and back to her dad. He calmly exined everything and reassured Walter and Nina at the same time. The entire time Benjamin was looking her over, she tried to keep he attention away from him. It was a lot harder when he ced his hand on her bump, and the boys did their usual jumping around. Pandora grabbed her bed sheet to stop herself from touching him. After a few minutes, he left the room. He seems really nice, her dadmented and she closed her eyes "He''s married," she replied. "What?" "Before you try and set me up with him, he is married." She gave herd a pointed look to show him she knew where he was going with this. "Why are all the good guys taken?" Nina snorted and she just gave her dad a ''what-the-fuck'' look. "Come on, you''re my daughter, and he''s a doctor. He''s good looking and the boys like him," her father said matter-of-factly, having clearly picked up on what she thought only Benjamin and she knew. "Just think..." She held up her hand, not wanting to feel worse than she already did. "Sorry, baby, I just want you happy with a guy who will treat you well. She looked at her father and gave him a smile. "I''m okay, Dad. Being single isn''t that bad." Her dad sighed but seemed to drop it, and started to talk about everything he was nning on doing these next few weeks to get ready for the boys. It waster on when he and Nina walked out of her room, that she was alone. But after a few minutes, Benjamin walked back in. He moved to the seat her father was sitting in, close to her head. "Have I upset you?" There was a vulnerability to his voice that she had never heard from him before. "No." She dropped her eyes from his view. "Pandora," he called, lifting her head up. "Tell me." "My hormones are all over the ce and you''re so sweet and gentle with me," she told him and he sighed. "It''s fine, you''re married, I know-" Benjamin covered her mouth, stopping her rejection. "I like you a lot, sweetheart." He stopped talking and his Adam''s apple bobbed. She looked into his eyes and she could see that he was shocked by the term of endearment he just let slip. "But you are my patient right now, and will be until the boys are six weeks old." Benjamin stopped talking again but started to stroke her face with his thumb. There seemed to be an inner debate going on in his head, so she stayed quiet, letting him work it out. "Give me until the twentieth to get some things sorted and I will exin my marriage. I will exin everything to you." She closed her eyes. "My husband cheated on me, and I hated it. I hate that he told some other girl that he loved her. That hurt me more than him having sex with her." She shook her head, knowing she could have already caused his wife simr pain to what she had felt. "My marriage is not what you think, and no one''s feelings are or will be hurt. That''s if I can save you from being hurt. Please, just give me this time so I can sort some things out and see these babies born. You''ll know by then if the feelings you have for me are real, or just hormones." HOW 2/3 "Okay,¡± she whispered and Benjamin smiled broadly Chapter Comments 4 Chapter 64 them. Pandora blew out a breath as she flipped through the shows. She was on the third week of her maternity leave and she was so bored she wanted to cry. The first two weeks weren''t so bad, mainly because she spent the time getting her boys'' nursery ready for It was fully decorated, with new carpet, paint, and wall hangings. Their cribs had been put together and made up with bedding, all ready for them toe home to. But after that, she had nothing left to do. She was not nning on buying any clothes for them for another few weeks. Keira and Sia told her to hold off, buying anything else until after her baby shower, which was next weekend. She knew that he was mainly bored as aside from her appointment with Benjamin, she hadn''t left her house. Subsequently, she gained a bit of weight. But on the upside, no more strange things had happened since her car broke down three weeks ago. She couldn''t believe it when the mechanic said there was water and a multitude of other odd substances in her gas tank. Driving it had destroyed her entire injection system. Along with the injection system, they found other issues such as foreign substances in her oil and transmission. The insurancepany totaled the car, and she was lucky that they paid her its value minus the five-hundred-dor deductible. 1 At first, she was upset, and it took Benjamin more than an hour to calm her down. He gently reminded her it was just a car, and the main thing was that the boys and she were okay. She knew he was right. His sister had broken her back in the car ident that she was in. Thankfully, she was on the mend and should make a full recovery. Benjamin and she had only seen each other at her appointments once a week. But they were exploring the true depth of their feelings. Pandora felt like she was growing closer to him. Her attraction to him seemed to be deepening so much that when she dreamed of Nemo, Benjamin slowly took his ce. She was finding that there was a part of her that wished she had spent the night with Benjamin instead of Nemo. "Thousands of shows to choose from, and still not a freaking thing I want to watch!" she moaned as she started to go back through them again. There must be something to watch. A knock at her door made her frown, and she slowly got up and waddled over to it. She looked through the peephole as the couple knocked again. "Hello,¡± she said, keeping the chain on. "We''re here to see the house?" the woman said, unsure of herself. "You have the wrong address," she told them and they looked at each other and then back to Pandora. The woman looked at a piece of paper and then showed it to her. Right there, in ck and white, was her address written on it. "Can we speak to the owner?" "I am the owner," she replied, sounding short with her. "Sorry, we must have written down the wrong address." She nodded. ''Damn right, you have the wrong house!'' she thought to herself as she gave them a smile and nodded before she closed the door on them. She moved to the window and watched them as they looked back at Her house from inside their car. They drove off and she let out a breath of frustration. She turned back to see Sia pulling up. She got out of her car, and as she opened the door, Sia walked up to her. "Hey girl, I came to check to see how things are going?" Pandora rolled her eyes as she waddled back to her couch. "No sitting; get dressed, I''m taking you out to eat." She groaned but Sia just pointed toward the stairs. Pandora huffed and muttered as she stomped up each step. "Any more of that and you''ll not be allowed to have ice cream!" Sia yelled up at her and she giggled. She begrudgingly got dressed, and she took Sia out to a restaurant. She started to act cagey as she looked around the ce. Before Pandora could ask if she was casing the joint, her mouth dropped open and she opened her menu, ducking her head. "Sia?" she asked, knowing something was up with her behavior. When she just hummed, Pandora leaned over and took the menu from her. "Sia," she hissed again, but Sia put on a smile, looking behind her. "Sia," a somewhat familiar male voice called. She turned to see a man smiling at her. "Hey, Royce," Sia said and her mind drifted back to when she was in Vegas. "You were the bartender," Pandora blurted out as the image of him serving her drinks came to her. "Yeah, I was, Royce said, looking down at her. "He was at the bar that night," Pandora imed as she turned to Sia and rubbed her bump. Her eyes shed with pain and she frowned. "Oh, wait, yeah, alphabet shot chick," Royce said with a chortle. "Your hair is really different though, wasn''t it some other color?" Pandora turned and grinned at him because he remembered her. "Nemo?" Sia whispered out to her. She turned back to Sia, trying to work out why she sounded so hurt. "That''s right! How did things go with you and Nemo?" Royce asked, but she ignored him as she looked at Sia trying to work out what was going on. ¡°Hey, did he hurt you? I did ask you if you were okay to go with him before you got into the cab." "You''re not Nemo?" Sia asked, sounding relieved by it. "No," Royce and Pandora said together. "Did he hurt you?" Royce repeated, and she shook her head at him. "Thank God, you two had me worried there," he said, sitting down. She swallowed and looked at him. "Do you know Nemo?" she asked and he shook his head. Chapter Comments 2 POST COMMENT NOW SHARE 2 Chapter 65 "No, sorry. That night was the rst time I had met him." Pandora let out a long breath, but strangely, she felt relieved that he didn''t know Nemo. "How do you two know each other?" Pandora asked, moving this conversation away from her and Vegas, "She''s my boss," Royce said with a grin, and she looked at Sia, who was to her surprise blushing. "He''s a new employee at my workce," she toldra. A minute go, she was Pandora looked back at Sia, telling her she was sorry with her eyes. acting disgruntled- what was up with that? "Well, it''s been nice meeting you, sort of, again," Roycemented, standing up. "See you tomorrow, Sia," he said before he walked away. Sia turned and watched him, and her eyes moved to him, too. "He has a great ass, right?" Sia hummed. Pandora tilted her head so that she could see Royce''s ass, and started nodding with a shrug. "Yeah, it''s nice." "Nice? That ass is biteable," Sia told her and she raised her brow. "Is he the reason we''re here?" Pandora asked as she looked at him sitting down at Maybe? Pandora just sat there looking at Sia. "Order first, and then I''ll tell you." 2 table with a girl. She turned, looking at the waitress who was making her way over to them. As she ordered, she kept her eyes on Sia. "Well?" she asked as the waitress left them. Sia had broken up with her boyfriend a while back and Pandora knew this guy was eye candy. So... He may have said that he was taking a girl here." Pandora pressed her lips together, knowing that if she looked at Sia, she would spill more. "I really like him," Sia admitted, but Pandora stayed silent and gave her the e-on-spit-it-out'' look. "He broke up with his girlfriend just before he moved here, and some friend of his has been sending him out on blind dates." "Okay?" she said slowly and Sia dropped her head. "Over thest few weeks, we''ve been talking and... fuck... I think I''m in love with him." Pandora''s mouth dropped open over the fact that Sia used the L-word when talking about a guy. That was something she hadn''t done in over ten years. "Sia," she said, reaching over the table, but she shook her head at Pandora. ¡°I..... this is killing me... to see him with some girl that''s half my age." Pandora rolled her eyes at her. "You''re only thirty-one," shemented and nced at Royce who was looking over at us. Pandora''s eyes moved to his date. "She looks around twenty." "Yes, half my age." Pandora snorted, shaking her head. "Half your age is fifteen, and she is clearly older than that." "She is close enough, Sia hissed and pouted at Pandora. "Sia, tell him. Ask him out," Pandora insisted, feeling somewhat confused by her actions. The Sia she knew would have already made a y for him, without thinking twice about it. I''m not sure. I mean, what if he says no?" Pandora felt a tug at her heart as Sin sounded so unsure of herself, and she covered her hand. "Say no to you? Please, Sia, he has been looking at you the entire time he''s been here." "He has? Sia asked with such Hope that Pandora huffed. "Yeah," Pandora nodded at her. "Ask him out," She winked, and Sia looked somewhat happier. She smirked as she ate dinner. So far, Royce seemed more interested in what Sia and she were doing than his date. Much to her obvious annoyance. As for Sia, she moved her seat so that she could take a few sneak peeks at Royce. Once they were finished with their meal, Sia walked her slowly back to her car. They both turned when they heard someone running up behind her. "Hey, Sia, do you think I could get a lift?" Royce asked, squnding out of breath. "Yeah, sure," Sia said and then looked to the side of him. "Where''s your date?" "Oh, she has her own car." "Okay, then, Sia replied, sounding happy. "Where do you live?" she asked as she looked at Royce dreamily. "You know what?" Pandora interjected, having had enough. "What?" Royce and Sia asked without taking their eyes off each other "I''m tired, and I promised Sia a night out because she has been working so hardtely. I''m sure you know all about that?" He nodded at her. "So why don''t you take her out; have a few drinks, and make sure she gets home safely?" Royce nodded in agreement. "What about you?" Sia asked. "I''ll take your car and you can pick it up tomorrow," she informed Sia and the other gave her a silent ¡®are-you-sure'' look. "That should be fine. I can drive us to the pub. I''ve heard it''s a great ce for wine, beer, or cocktails." Pandora snorted over the fact that both Sia and Royce seemed to have forgotten that he was not supposed to have a car there. "That sounds like a great n," Sia eximed, handing her the keys. Text me when you get home." Pandora nodded at her and got into the car. She silently giggled as Sia and Royce watched her drive off. As soon as she was out of sight of them both, she started tough. When she arrived home, she sent Sia a text letting her know I was home safe. Locking up, she headed up to the bed, feelingpletely wiped out. Pandora was eating breakfast as she walked into Benjamin''s office. "Enjoying that?" he asked her with a smirk. "It''s so good," she moaned out. "Want to try some?" she asked, straightening her hand with the bagel out toward him. Benjamin seemed to look at it before shrugging and leaning forward to take a small bite. "Hmm, that tastes a lot better than it looks," heplimented while chewing. "Yeah, well you''ll just have to get your own. The rest of this is mind ''Believe me, Pandora, I know Better than to take food from a pregnant woman." Chapter Comments ?4 POST COMMENT Chapter 66 Pandora red at him as she took herst bite, "How''s Maisey?'' she asked him as she wiped her mouth clean with a napkin. "She''s doing much better and started physical therapy on Monday." "That''s good,'' she smiled at him. "I bet being at the hospital is driving her insane, more so with the fact that she has four doctors telling her what to do." Benjamin just raised his eyebrow at her. "Her personal doctor, who''s treating her," she started by holding up one finger. ''Her husband, Caleb, is a doctor." She held up another finger. Then there your dad-another doctor." She held up a third finger. "Andst but not least, there is you,'' she stated, holding up four fingers. Knowing Benjamin as much as she did, she could just imagine he''d be pestering her to do this and to do that just like the other three doctors. Benjamin shook his head and just gave her a sly grin. "Ease off on her," Pandora told him with a wink. "You forgot my sister''s a nurse, but even out of all of us medical professionals, it''s our mom who has been the worst. Pandora pulled her eyebrows together as he kept talking. "You know what moms are like. They don''t want their babies to be in pain. She tried not to respond in a way that would make him know she didn''t understand what moms were like. "I''m sure she means well," she said after clearing her throat. Benjamin returned her look, and Pandora knew he was waiting for her to exin her odd response. "I wouldn''t know, personally. My mom walked out on my dad and me when I was little. My grandma helped a lot, and so did Nina." She stopped and Benjamin covered her hand, giving her silent support. "What''s sad is I know what being a dad entails because my dad is and was great. But when ites to being a mom, I have no clue, and the whole thought of it still feels almost alien to me. I guess in a way it is good; I know what a good dad is like because little boys need a good dad in their lives." Benjamin stayed silent as his hand moved, almost on its own ord, to her bump and he started to rub it. "Come on, let''s get you looked over," he urged in a whisper. He helped her to stand and kept a strong hold on her all the way to the examination table, where he helped her up. "They''re getting so big, he said, smiling as he felt her bump. "Oh wow, look, it''s one of their hands," Benjamin gasped and she looked down. Pandora smiled, seeing that one of them had pushed their hand out so hard that one could make out the shape through her skin. Benjamin moved his finger and ced it where the hand was. "They don''t have much more room left in there." "Well, they still have a month and a half to go, so they can just stay put and be cramped." "They may not, but ideally you need to carry them for three more weeks. That''s our goal for now." Pandora swallowed and Benjamin looked at her, knowing right away that he had scared her. "They will be okay. I''m not saying they''ll be here in three weeks, but I will be putting you on bed rest. Benjamin sighed dramatically as he winked at her. Sorry, I can''t allow it," he said and she tilted her head at him as he moved his face closer to her bump. "Hey boys, your momma has got it into her head that she can do manly stuff with you. But don''t worry. I''ll be there to kick a football, talk about girls, and tell you where to hide the porn." Benjamin turned his head so that he was looking at her. "I''ll also be here to let your momma know she''s doing a great job at raising you." Pandora''s hand moved to her chest as if it was keeping her heart from beating hard enough that he could see it. "I promise, Pandora, no matter what, I will be there for you three as long as you and the boys need me." "Okay,¡± she whispered, unable to say much else. "I think we should see you again at the end of the week," Benjamin informed her as he helped her to sit up. "And I would like to scan you again then, too." "You know how to get me on board," she giggled and he grinned at her. "Take it easy and remember to call me if you have any problems." She gave him a salute and he helped her off the table and into her jacket. When Pandora arrived home, she was a little stumped when she saw four kids running around ying in her yard. Due to the fact that they were all over the ce, she parked her rental car on the road. "Hey, are you guys lost?" she asked as she got out of her car. "No, this is going to be our new house," the youngest-looking kid said, and Pandora shook her head at him. She let out an odd-soundingugh and looked around for their parents. ¡°Hi,¡± said a harsh voice, and she turned and saw the man from the other day standing there ring at her. "We need to have a look around the house." "What, why?" she stuttered as she looked at him. "Look, we were shown this house three months ago." "You were in my home?" she asked him, feeling her heart taking off, and she started to feel rmed. "Yes, and we saw it against night," he informed and she stepped back from him looking back at his kids. Surely she was not losing it, and why would this guy bring his kids? "I don''t know who showed you this home, but it is mine, and it isn''t for sale," she stated. "I''m not sure who you are, but this is my home. My wife and I put in an offer, it was epted and the final money is being transferred in a week." "No, it''s mine. I haven''t sold my house," she stuttered back to him. Chapter Comments 3 POST COMMENT NOW < SHARE Chapter 67 "It''s mine. I have the paperwork She shook her head at him, but he ust kept talking. "You are squatting, and I will forcibly remove you, he threatened. She took arger step away from him and tried to summon as much anger and courage as she could. "Get off my property now," she said pulling out her phone and dialing Milton. "Fucking junky-ass whore," he whispered under his breath. "We know that you''re just crashing here." She shook her head at him. If anyone was on drugs, then it was him Milton, she sighed as he answered. "I need help! There''s some guy and his family here demanding me to leave, saying they own my home." "You''re calling your dealer?" The man asked, sounding worried. "No, you twat, I''m calling the police! You''re breaking thew!" "Pandora, get inside your home now," Milton ordered at the same time the jerk started talking. "Great, then they can take your squatter ass to jail for trespassing." "I am on my way. I''ll reroute a car to you," Milton continued pulled her back by her arm. sounded like he was running. She got to her door but the guy "You''re not getting in my house," he yelled at her. "Daddy!" seemed to be yelled again as her breath came out sharply. Get away from thedy now!" was yelled with authority. "She''s trying to break into my home," the jerk said, not letting Pandora go. "We said to let her go!" the voice shouted, and the man let her go. Immediately, she got the door open and got inside, locking it behind her. "Great, now because of you, she''s in my home!" Pandora could hear him yell but she tried to calm her breathing down. The yelling from outside seemed to calm down, and she stayed frozen against her front door. It came to her that she was a little out of it when she jumped at the knock on her door. "It''s Milton," she heard Milton say through the door. She cracked open the door to see that he was alone. "I told them they had to leave, Milton continued as she opened the door wider. "What the hell is going on, Milton?" she asked him, he just sighed, walking in. "They have a signed buyers agreement and legal paperwork showing the sale is pending escrow to this house." She shook her head at him. "I wouldn''t and haven''t sold this house, so how can they have it? The deed is upstairs in the same lock box as I showed you before. I''ll get it for you in a few minutes." "I don''t know how this all came about, but we will have to investigate this." Pandora nodded, and rubbed her chest as she got heartburn. "This is Derrik who did this, she hissed, walking away from him. "I thought that guy from today was no one when he came by yesterday. How could they have been in here?" she asked him as she walked into the kitchen. "I''m not sure of that either, but they have been inside of your house They described the inside of your home to me, in great detail. Pandora turned and looked at him. "Pandora, this is not just you, they wired fifty thousand dors down payment upfront for this house." She closed her eyes, feeling somewhat sorry for the family, but that didn''t excuse how the man behaved toward her. ''Coffee?" she asked, opening her fridge. "Please," Milton replied. Her head turned to the fridge as she straightened her hand out to grab the milk carton, but all she could see was a bloody pink thing staring at her. She screamed and jumped back, crashing into the counter. "Pandora, calm down, take nice slow and steady breaths. It''s a pig''s ad, Milton seemed to repeat, but all she could do was look at it. "Pandora, eyes on me," he said slowly as she turned her head to him. "Milton," she sobbed, feeling unable to calm herself down. "Just nice and slow," he said and she shook her head at him. Feeling cold and damp, her eyes shifted down and she saw she was on the flear. "Why am I on the floor?" she gasped at him as she was still unable to take a full breath. "You slipped," he replied smoothly to her. "Did I spill water?" she asked him as the dampness she felt got worse. "No?" There was a new worrying undertone to Milton''s voice. I''m wet, why am I..." She stopped talking as pain ripped through her "I think your water broke," he informed with a fake calmness. "No, it can''t! I have six weeks to go, Milton. They can''te yet," she sobbed, pleading with him to do something. "Come on," he muttered, pulling her up. They only made it to the front door before she was doubled over in pain. Milton rubbed her back as he whispered reassuring words into her ear. Milton ran around to the front of his car, got in, and pulled it right up to the door. He helped her into the car, and before leaving her yard, he had lights and sirens ring. "We''ll get you to the hospital- call your doctor," he said, looking at her over his shoulder. Pandora pulled her cell out but as she went to hit call, the car swerved to the side and they were pulled off to the side of the road. "Pandora," he yelled, touching her. "What happened?" she asked. He shook his head and jumped out as pain ripped through her. She started to pant and panic. "I have a t tire," Milton said as he swallowed. "I''m going to call my wife. She and her brother, who''s a doctor, should be driving down this road because he lives off it." She looked at him as her eyes started to glisten with tears. "It''s going to be all right," he repeated over and over as he held his cell phone to his ear. Chapter 68 "Hey, baby, tell me you and Betamin are on your way home right now." ''Benjamin? Nah, he can''t mean my Benjamin. Wait he said he''s a doctor. There must be loads of doctors named Edward... oh... oh, pain. 2 The contraction that hit her brought her straight out of her mental debate to find that Milton was still on his cell. "You want me to be doing what?" Milton gasped and looked sheer white as if he was in shock. "Pandora, I need to see if I can see..." he said, looking at her, and then down to her girlie bits. He carried on looking at her girlie bits as he narrowed his eyes. Pandra snorted inughter until another contraction ripped through her. If it weren''t so painful, she would beughing her ass off at him. "Milton, you dumbass, I still have my pants on, you aren''t going to see anything until they''re off she yelled at him and frowned as she heard a muffled woman''s voice. "All right, all right both of you, stop yelling at me. I catch criminals for a living, not birthing babies, how am I supposed to know?" Milton hissed, sounding a little embarrassed. Pandora was not sure if it was because she yelled at him or his wife had. "I need to remove your pants," he stammered and Pandora nodded at him. She really didn''t give a fuck as long as her boys were okay. Milton helped her shimmy them down. They were just off when another car''s headlights appeared. "Thank fuck, it''s my wife," he said. "Milton," she heard just as a small ass woman smiled over Milton''s shoulder. "Hi, Alexis," Pandora said as she looked at her, but she seemed to be in shock with her mouth opened as she looks at her. "Alexis, this is Pandora. Pandora, this is my wife," Milton said proudly as he turned his head "And this is-" "Benjamin,¡± she said along with Milton. "Pandora?" Benjamin yelled frantically once he saw her. "What? You just left the office? We agreed on three weeks, not three hours," he carried on as he pushed Alexis and Milton out of the way. "I''m sorry," she blubbered out. "There was someone trying to steal my house and a bloody pig''s head in my fridge," she continued, now sobbing. The feeling of being unable to control her emotions was strong and she was barely keeping herself together. Benjamin wiped her tears as he looked at her, confused. ¡°Let''s check what''s happening; we may be able to stopbor," he said, moving to look between her legs. "Fuck!" he hissed loudly, but she already knew there was no stopping the boys froming. "We need to get her to my car. Milton, you''re going to have to drive us to the hospital. Alexis, you get on the phone with the ER. I need everyone ready, STAT," hemanded, giving her a look. Pandora closed her eyes, not wanting to believe that he thought her boys were in trouble or would be once they were born. "It''s going to be okay, Pandora, I swear to you they''re going to be okay," he told her in a promised whisper. "Oh, fuck!" she yelled as another contraction hit her. Benjamin held her hand and breathed with her. "I''m scared," she confessed while trying to stop crying. "This is my fault. I got so wound up with that man saying my house was his. I should have just given it to Derrik. It''s not worth losing my boys. Please, Benjamin,¡± she said, no longer being able to see him with the tears that were pouring out of her eyes. "You have to save my boys, please," she continued, turning into a sobbing mess. ¡°Sweetheart, calm down; I will do everything I can and more, Benja in promised in her ear. "I promise you, Pandora, that He stopped talking and she felt a fresh wave of tears. Only, this time, it was Benjamin''s tears that hit her cheek. She pushed her hand into his hair, holding him close to her. ''You need to calm down, I know that you are afraid... really, I do. Som I, but please just try and calm down for me and for them." She moved her head a little so he knew she was trying. He kissed her head softly, and then pulled back and helped her move from Milton''s car to his, which was now parked parallel to Milton''s. She let out a gasp when she saw that his back seat seemed to be all set up for her. "Milton and Alexis did this while we were talking, Benjamin told her as sheid back down. "Okay, go,¡± Benjamin yelled as he stared down at her and groaned. "I need my contacts, Alexis," he yelled, pulling off his sses. His eyes flickered down at her and she swallowed, seeing he had grey eyes just like Nemo. "Benjamin!" Alexis called, tapping his arm, and then handed Benjamin what must have been his contacts. She gripped the seat in pain as Benjamin turned away from her, putting them in. "Your eyes are grey..." she trailed off as Benjamin returned to look at her but seemed to be puzzled. He opened and closed his mouth almost dumbfounded, and a new pain ripped through her. She screamed, making him refocus. Looks like Jack wants to make his appearance," he said. Pandora huffed, holding her breath as she tried hard not to push, but it didn''t work, and he came anyway. "Undo your top, Pandora," Benjamin said as he rubbed Jack''s chest. Pandora did what he asked and held her sobs at bay. "Leonard baby one, male, six on the one minute APGAR, breathing slow, but steady," he recorded and Pandora felt confused about what he was telling her. Her eyes shed to Alexis, who was holding her cell as she looked at her. Suddenly, she heard a voiceing from the cell repeating what Benjamin just said. "Here you go, momma," Benjamin whispered as he ced Jack on Pandora''s chest. He kept rubbing Jack''s cheek and his eyes moved to her ne. He picked up her ring and seemed to hold it and then flipped it over her shoulder. Chapter Comments Chapter 69 She looked down at Jack who was snuggling into her. He looked so small and weak. She could feel him breathing, but it felt different slower than it should be. She stroked his small face and he responded by moving. "Is there a chance for you and your husband? Benjamin asked. And Before she could answer, Milton snorted loudly, cutting Benjamin off. He only looked at Milton briefly before he continued king, "I only ask because that''s a nice wedding ring." There was a part of her that didn''t want to talk about Derrik, but she knew Benjamin was just talking to keep her mind off of what was going on. ''I never received a wedding ring from Derrik. She ended up with the one my father gave my mom-" She stopped talking and snorted. "She hated it because he only spent three hundred dors on it. So when she left us, she left the ring, too. My ex-jerk asked me to marry him with a shower curtain ring. I thought it was cute, but now looking back, I can see that he didn''t think I was worth anything more. Jack let out a small whimper, and Benjamin leaned over to look at him and started to rub his chest again. "Five-minute APGAR of baby Leonard one is seven." After Benjamin said that out loud, it was repeated by the person on the phone. "What about the ring on your ne?" he went back to talking to her in a softer tone, seemingly happy with how Jack was doing. "That was from someone important," she told him and Milton gasped swallowing loudly. "Benjamin, it''s hurting bad again," she groaned, and Benjamin rubbed his hands up and down her leg. "I know, it''s just Michealing," he informed her. Just like his brother, he seemed toe despite her efforts. "Alexis, I need assistance. Baby Leonard two, male, five on one minute APGAR, needs help with breathing." Again, Pandora heard the person on the phone repeat his words as her mouth opened, but nothing seemed toe out. "Just hold him," Benjamin soothed, cing Micheal next to Jack. "They''re so tiny," she sobbed as Benjamin moved around. She felt something drop over her, and when she looked, she saw that Benjamin''s shirt was on top of the boys and her. He was huddled over them, shirtless. Her eyes seemed to linger on his arms, which were covered in tattoos. They moved back up to his and she gasped as a memory of her night in Vegas hit her. Instead of seeing Nemo, she saw Benjamin. Everything seemed to slow then, almost as if she was mmed into full-force, panic mode; She just couldn''t think straight. Before she knew what was going on, Benjamin had picked her up and ced her on a gurney, which was moving. But her boys were being whisked out of her arms and away from her. They need to go to NICU. I''ll get you cleaned up and then take you straight there," Benjamin promised her as she tried to follow her boys with her eyes. She was taken into a side room. The door of the room closed, and she could no longer see anyone, let alone her boys. Benjamin helped her to deliver the afterbirth and checked her over. You''ll need a few stitches," he told her, and she just nodded at him. "I can give you something for the pain first if you need it?" She turned her head away from the door and looked at Benjamin. He sounded as if he was struggling to keep himself together. "No, please, I just want to be with them," she replied as she stared at him He must have felt something as his head turned and he looked at her. Just like she thought, his eyes were full of passion, and right then he looked as if he was in great pain. "Are the lights hurting your eyes?'' she asked him and he shook his head at her. The door opened and Alexis walked in, just as he cleared his throat. *Benjamin, can I have a word?" Alexis asked softly and her eyes narrowed at her, and she knew that something was troubling her. "Not right now. I need to get this finished and then check on the boys. Benjamin said, not looking at her. ''I''ll supervise,'' she countered, giving Pandora a smile. "Pandora, how are you? Do you need any painkillers?" She shook her head at her, knowing Benjamin was doing what he needed to do. She needed something to take her mind off of this, so she started to talk to her. "Is it weird that I feel like I know you?" he chuckled to Alexis and she raised her brow at Pandora. "I mean, Milton talks a lot, mainly about you. Unlike Benjamin, he seems to have gotten you pretty urately." "What did he say about Benjamin?" Alexis smirked as Benjamin groaned. "Loads of stuff, just- she stopped and looked at him "Take it this way... you are not what I pictured with what he said about you," sheughed. "I think if he had gotten you more urate, I would''ve known you were his brother-inw." She stopped talking as she kept wondering if it would have been wondering. "I can guess what he said about me," Benjamin said. "I just found it odd he would talk to you about me at all; I mean, you''re my patient and he was investigating a crime at your ce." ¡°I met him before he arrested my ex-husband,¡± she said, wincing at the end, feeling a small stabbing pain. "Oh, where did you meet him?" Alexis asked. On a ne when I went to Vegas; he never shut up the whole trip, she giggled. Benjamin stopped and looked at her. He shook his head and then carried on stitching her up. "There we go, the stitches are in. You needed five. You can take a bath or a shower now if you want?" "Can''t I see them first?" Pandora begged, feeling as if she was going to break down again. "You can just let me find you something to wear," Benjamin jumped up and moved out of the room, leaving her with Alexis. "So you were in Vegas?" she asked and Pandora nodded at her. "Was it for a girls'' weekend out?" "Nope, just a work conference," she sighed, and she snapped her fingers. "Yes, you are the one that was crying, and he thought you were hitting on him." Chapter 70 Pandora felt her face pale and hook her head at her. "1 wasn''t, sweat. Alexisughed and winked at her. "Oh, I know. Besides, he talked about you. He thought you and Benjamin would''ve hit it off, she narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. "Did youe to the bar?" She rubbed her head as she closed her eyes. "Can we talk about it after I''ve seen my boys?" she pleaded with Alexis, but she continued looking at Pandora as if she was trying to figure out a puzzle. "Sure," she said after a few minutes. "Can I call someone for you, like the father?" "If only it was that easy," she muttered. "Can you call my dad and She nodded, but had a shell-shocked look on her face, as Pandora told her their phone numbers. "I have a wonderful hospital gown, some lovely new mommy underwear, and pads," Benjamin said, cing the items on her bed. Pandora looked at him, seeing that he had a scrub top on but she could still clearly see his tattoos. "Thank you,¡± she told him, wincing when she stood. "Could you give girl a hand?" she asked, looking for Alexis. She was no longer there. She turned to Benjamin who was pulling at his hair. "I really shouldn''t, I am already being investigated." "What- what for?" - "Someone reported me as being over-friendly with yo... one of my patients." She felt her heart starting to pick up, and she knew he was going to say ''you'', but stopped himself. She wondered why? Or better yet, who would report him? "What I mean... what?" she repeated and winced yet again. "You need to take something for the pain," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her. "I will after I have seen the boys," she repeated to him. Benjamin closed his eyes and dropped to his knee. Before she could ask what he was doing, he had the panties in his hands. He put her feet in and added arge stic-lined pad down and a big diaper- looking pad on it. He helped pull them up her legs. His thumb trailed the skin all the way up her leg. After those were secure, he helped her pull her shirt offpletely. Grabbing the gown, he helped her put it on and tied the back. He then put another gown on her backward, tying it in the front. ''I''ll get a wheelchair," he muttered. He just about ran out of the room, leaving her feeling light-headed but no longer in shock by his touch. He came straight back and helped her into the wheelchair, cing a light nket over her legs. He pushed her the entire way to the unit but stopped when they got to the double doors. "I just want to remind you that I am here for you. If you have any questions about the boys, ask me." "I know," she said, giving him a weak smile. Slowly, Benjamin moved forward as his hand moved around her neck and into her hair at the back of it. "I know this sounds selfish, and I can''t exin why, but I need to be there for them and for you, he whispered to her. She ran her own hand up his drm and stroked his face. "I need you, too, she told him. I think I need you more than I have ever needed anyone right now." Benjamin pulled back from her and shook his head before wiping under his eyes. Okay, before entering the NICU, we need to wash our hands, he instructed, taking the bottle down from the wall. He put some on her hands and then his own and they both rubbed it in. She scrubbed her hands and arms with the soft stic brush, just as he did. After they both rinsed off, he helped her into blue paper-like gown to cover her from the neck down. "Ready to meet your boys again?" She nodded at him and looked toward the room. Benjamin wheeled her in and moved her to where there were two of the high-tech baby beds closer together. As she passed the other beds, her eyesnded on the small bundles in each of them, and then on the parents at their sides. "Here we are doing," Benjamin asked. Her were. bounced between the two cribs, and she was stunned by just how small the boys "They''re really my boys?" she asked, covering her mouth. They both had on oxygen masks. There were wires all around them, and they looked so tiny. "They are yours; they are the only identical twins in here at the moment," Benjamin informed slowly. "Do you need me to run through everything, or do you want their Pediatrician to do that?" "Tell me," she said. She rolled herself between them and ced one hand up against each of the stic covers over their beds. The wave of uncertainty clouding her mind evaporated, 1 s she felt Benjamin hug her from behind. "Jack, who is on the left, he''s three pounds and three ounces. His breathing is steady, but a little shallow, so he''s being monitored and given a small amount of oxygen. Micheal, however, needs more oxygen. He''s also smaller weight-wise, weighing only three pounds even." Benjamin stopped and cleared his throat. "They both are having their heart rates monitored-" A dinging rm sounded, causing Benjamin to stop talking and he moved quickly to Micheal. He opened a door on the stic dome and started to rub Micheal''s chest. "Come on," he urged as a nurse and another doctor came over. The dinging sound stopped and Benjamin let out a long breath. "What? What was that?" she asked, rooted to her seat. "He''s okay," Benjamin assured, turning her around and kneeling in front of her. "It happens with premature babies. It will happen again, and it will happen to Jack, too." Pandora''s hand covered her mouth and she shook her head. "He forgot to breathe, so the rm sounded. This will happen, sometimes preemie babies forget to breathe, but there''s always someone here at all times. The boys will get through this, Pandora. I know they will because they''re strong just like their mom." "Mrs. Leonard," a woman called softly, and her eyes moved slowly from Benjamin to her. She sat down, took information from her, and then informed her about everything with her boys. She went over what every machine did. "Are you nning to bottle feed or breastfeed?" she inquired. Chapter 71 "Breast, she answered as she looked at her boys. A few weeks ago she was unsure, but Benjamin told her both the pros and cons of both options. "The room across the hall has a chair and a breast pump so that you can express your milk. Make sure youbel the bottles before putting them in the fridge." "What?" she stuttered. ''Why is she talking about bottles?'' "We store the breast milk in the bottles. For now, the boys will be fe through a tube. Once they can nurse, you will start doing that," the nurse replied, and Pandora started to feel as if she had reached her limit. "I''ll show her," Benjamin announced and started to push her chair ou of the room. As soon as he pushed her into the new room, she started to cry into her hands. "Hush, Pandora," Benjamin whispered as he held her to him. "This is not the way we nned it. It wasn''t meant to be like this," she sobbed into his chest, and he sighed, rubbing her back. "I know, sweetheart, I know." She sniffled and then took a deep breath and wiped her face. "Okay, show me how to express my milk," she muttered, knowing full well she needed to get a grip and start dealing with what had happened. Benjamin moved swiftly over to the counter and brought the breast pump. He opened a new attachment and showed her the new sterile bottles. She watched him put it all together and he talked her through the process. Then he handed it to her. "I''ll leave you to it," he said. "Do you have to go?" she squeaked out. He shook his head and gave her a grin, but the door opened and Sia walked in. "Oh my god, Pandora," she cried out, hugging her. "Your dad is on his way; Keira and Ron went to your house to pack a bag for you, she said, taking a hold of Pandora''s hand. "I''ll be backter, Pandora," Benjamin whispered as he walked out the door. "Shit, did I interrupt something?" Pandora shook her head and leaned into her shoulder. "They are so small," Pandora whispered. "And I have to use this so I can feed them." She held up the breast pump. "It''s going to be okay," she told Pandora. "Besides, I may have good news," she said with a forced smile. "Oh?" Pandora hummed as she got her breast out and attached the pump to it. Royce didn''t know Nemo, but he knows Nemo''s sister and brother-inw. He says they live in this city and he''ll contact them ai ask them to tell Nemo you''re looking for him." Pandora closed her eyes as her thoughts swirled over the news. A few months ago, this would have been the best news ever, but now all she could see was Benjamin. "That''s great," Pandoramented weakly, knowing that despite her feelings for Benjamin, Nemo still had a right to know he was a father. More so now that the boys had been born. Pandora? Sia asked as she took hold of her hand. I''m fine." she replied, not feeling fine at all. "No, you''re not, but I''ll let it be for now. Do you need anything right how?" "Just you, Pandora sighed. "I n on sticking around, but Royce is here, too. If you want, I could send him out to get you something to eat or drink?" "No, don''t think I could eat right now." She only managed to express a small amount, which made her break down again. After she calmed down, Sia wheeled her back into the room and they got cleaned up. Once they were clean and in gowns, she introduced Sia to the boys. "They''re so cute," she stated, and Pandora hummed in agreement. Sia looked at her and paled a little. "Come on, we need to get you changed." Pandora frowned and then looked down to see that she had bled through the maternity panties and her hospital gown. "Shit, this is embarrassing. Benjamin brought me this stuff to change into," she pouted. "Well, no worries honey, I think the staff has seen this happen before. Siaughed. ¡°Come on, let''s go and get you washed and changed." Pandora nodded and turned back to the boys. "Momma will be back, she whispered to her boys. Sia took her to the room, where Benjamin said she had to spend the night. Sia got clean supplies from the nurse''s station and helped Pandora wash up. The nurse came in and checked her uterus to make sure it was going down. She also took her vitals and said Pandora was doing great. She offered Pandora pain meds, which she declined. Then, the nurse helped her to get redressed. Keira arrived as they were finishing up, and hugged Pandora right away. She was back in the wheelchair because she wanted to go back to the boys. "Have you had anything for pain?" Keira asked her. She shook her head and Pandora sighed. "I''m getting that nurse back in here to get you something." "No, Keira, I just want to go back down to the boys," Pandora begged her. "Pandora," Keira argued as her door burst open. She turned to see both Benjamin and Royce standing there. "Hey, alphabet chick, congrattions," Royce said, smiling at me. "Thanks, Royce, I may need you to bring me some Jackter," Pandora joked lightly. "Dora?" Benjamin whispered and she turned to look at him. Sia, Keira, you twoe with me because you aren''t gonna believe this," Ron interjected, walking in behind Benjamin and Royce. He winked at Pandora and then pulled the girls out. "Hey, I''m sorry, Benjamin, but I bled through the other clothes you gave me. But the nurse helped clean me up and-" Before she could finish what she was saying, Benjamin dropped to h knees. ¡°I wished it was you, and now I am not sure if I wished so much that my mind is lying to me or not. But Royce said it is you he swears it was you." "What? Swore what was me?" "It was you that I met and married in Vegas." Chapter Comments ?3 POST COMMENT NOW Chapter 72 Pandora''s mouth opened and chesed, bbergasted. She put her fingers in her ears and gave them a good rub. "I''m sorry, I think I must be in shock, overly tired, of hallucinating..... something. Can you say that again?" Pandora smiled, picking up her ne. He twirled the ring between his fingers, and then wrapped his arm around her neck, taking it off. He held the ring up to his eyes and a huge smile broke out on his face. He looked happier than she had ever seen him. He slowly told her his side of the story, even the parts she didn''t remember. "Then you walked into my office. At first, I thought you looked like my Dora, but you were married and your hair was different. I thought your married name was Leonard. I knew my girl wasn''t married to anyone but me, so I dropped the idea of it within a few minutes. However, I was and still am strongly attracted to you. As the weeks and months passed, I stopped thinking about Dora and started to think about you. I needed and wanted to protect you and your boys. I''ll always protect all three of you. My feelings for you started to overshadow what I felt for Dora so much that I stopped looking for her, and I didn''t follow up on the fact that I never got the marriage certificate. But she''s you..." "We''re married?" she asked, finding this surreal how she could forget so much. "We are,¡± Benjamin agreed. "We''re parents?" he frowned as he looked at her. "I don''t remember getting married, but my... our boys were my remembrances." Benjamin''s face paled as he looked at her. "We made them that night," she informed him. "They are mine? Yours and mine?" he asked and she nodded at him. "I wanted you to be him, so badly. I couldn''t find you. To be truthful, I didn''t even know where to start looking," she sobbed to him, feeling stupid since he had been there in front of her all along. "But knew you had the right to know they''re yours. We can have a DNA test performed if you need proof. I know- Benjamin smiled, shaking his head to cut her off. "I''m your doctor. I know they were conceived during the time we were together. Fuck, my mom''s going to flip," Benjamin chuckled. "But I need to fix something and try something." Pandora frowned at him, and he took the ring she was holding and slid it back onto his finger. He then took hold of her hand. She watched as he slid her ring onto her left ring finger. "Perfect," he grinned at her. "Now to try something... it''s something I have wanted to do since I woke up that morning alone." Benjamin looked into her eyes and moved forward slowly. He grinned at her and her eyes rolled closed as she felt his soft breath on her lips. "I think I have loved you since I firstid eyes on you, he whispered, and then his lips touched her own. 1 The first kiss was short and soft, but there was so much emotion behind it that it had her lips following his when they pulled back. The second kisssted longer, and the third lit her up so much that she threaded her fingers into his hair as his arms wrapped around her back, pulling her to him. A sharp pain hit her and she had to pull away from him. I''ll get some pain lers, and then take you back down to the boys, he said, but followed it with a look to say it was either that way or ''stay here and get medication''. "Okay," she answered, knowing that the pain was getting to be too much. "I''m here with you," he whispered, giving her another kiss. Her body followed his as he pulled back. He grinned down at her, shaking his head. "This feels so right, doesn''t it?" She nodded in agreement. "Yes, but you may need to tell me this all again tomorrow, and the next day because 1..." she trailed off, praying that she hadn''t passed ut and this was all just make-believe "How about I tell you every day for the rest of our lives?" Pandora chuckled at him as he pressed her room buzzer. "You''ve never lived with me. I can be really anal about a lot of things Benjamin shrugged. "I can be uptight, too, so let''s just wait and see "Needing some painkillers?" A chirpy nurse said as she walked in. "Please, and could you call my father and tell him that I need both him and David toe up here right away?" The nurse nodded at him and walked back out again. "Who''s David?" she asked, and Benjamin sighed, pulling his hair. "He''s on the hospital board. I need to inform him that you are my wife and that Jack side of things sorted, and also arrange it so I can get some time off of work." "Time off?" she asked even if there was more to his statement that she didn''t follow. and Micheal are my sons. He can get the legal "Sweetheart, you just had two babies in a very dramatic way. They are in the neonatal unit, and I want to be with them, bond with them, bond with you." She nodded in half-understanding and then started to rub her head. "Sorry, of course, you would." "Hey, hey,e on, no more tears," Benjamin whispered as he kissed her temple. He pulled away as someone cleared their throat, and he turned, noticing the nurse was back. She handed Pandora two pills and a ss of water before turning to Benjamin. "Your father said he''ll be here within the hour." "Thank you; we''ll Be in the neonatal unit." As soon as Pandora finished taking the medication, Benjamin wheeled her back down to the boys. Worried about the amount of breast milk she was able to produce, she mentioned it to him. "I was only able to express a small amount of breast milk. I don''t think there is enough for one of the boys, let alone two." "That''s normal, Pandora. It will take a few days, and once your milkes in, you''ll express more. If not then the form is fine. She nodded, but a small snort seemed to escape her, catching Benjamin''s immediate attention. He stopped and knelt in front of her. Chapter 73 "You''re not failing them," he to her. She blinked, wondering how he knew what she was thinking. What you''re feeling is normal, it''s called the baby blues. Most new moms feel low just after giving Birth. Your hormones are all over the ce. You''re not failing the boys at all; all things take time." "Okay,¡± she whispered, unsure if what she was feeling was rted to her hormones. "I''m here, Pandora, and I have my eyes on you, trust me." She sighed in relief and he got up and resumed their way to the NICU. ¡°Stop,¡± Pandora said as they got to the door. "What do we fell them? mean, I had just told them the father wasn''t here." "We''ll tell them the truth, that I am their father. Don''t worry. It''s going to be okay." "You''re what?" someone yelled loudly, and both Benjamin and Panda turned to see Alexis and Milton standing there with their mouths open. "This is Pandora, my Dora from Vegas," Benjamin stated. "We know that; Royce was talking with her friend Ron. Ron wasughing about Benjamin being Nemo from Vegas. Milton said that must have meant... but the babies... are you sure?" "Yes, it turns out we weren''t careful like I thought we were," Benjamin carried on with blush. "Oh God, I saw my nephews being born," Alexis gasped and Benjamin nodded at her. "Can I see them again?" she smiled, looking scary happy and that seemed to make Benjamin groan. He looked down at her, and she just shrugged, nodding at him. She was his family, and that made her the twins'' family, too. "For a few minutes, and remember only two visitors are allowed per patient at a time." "I know," Alexis hummed and walked over to her. "Hi, sis," she kissed Pandora''s cheek. "I''m so d he has found you; he was very heartbroken when you left him the next morning in Vegas," she whispered in Pandora''s ear. Milton stepped forward and she red at him. "You''re a prick, why didn''t you tell me he was your brother?" Pandora asked and Milton just looked at her with a weird expression. "If you two didn''t know who you were to each other, how did you expect me to know?" "You said he was no fun and straightced. Oh my god, Jane," she muttered, remembering the doll, and the texts. "Shit, Etexted you, and he said ''my friend Jane''!" She covered her mouth, feeling so stupid. Her Nemo was so close, but her embarrassment stopped her from finding out the truth." "Damn, that''s right," Milton chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation more than he should be. "You know about that... Jane?" Benjamin asked as his face turned red Let''s just see our boys, and we can n how to get revenge on Miltonter," Pandora hissed. She narrowed her eyes at Milton, but he just winked at her "I freaking love that you''re my sister-inw," Milton proimed as he held the door open and Benjamin wheeled her in with Milton and Alexis behind them. They washed their hands and put on their gowns, before entering the NICU. Pandora was so excited to see the boys. The grin on her face was huge. "Alexis, Milton, this is my sonck, and this is my other son, Miche Benjamin announced as he pointed to each of the boys. Pandora felt her heart flutter at the sheer glee in his voice. If you to can look after my wife, I need to speak to the doctors and nurses for a moment." Benjamin walked away and her eyes followed him. "You lied to me, Pandora," Milton imed in her ear and she turned to him. "You told me you didn''te to the club," he said, giving her a knowing look. "Not now, Milton," Alexis reprimanded, flicking his ear. "Spoilsport," he grumbled and pulled her against his side When are we going to have one?" he asked her, and she shook her head. "Whenever you think you''re ready to take six months off of work took after him or her after I give birth." Pandora snorted when Milton''s face fell at Alexis'' reply. "Fine," he sighed. "If that''s what has to happen then I agree. Alexis turned, looking at him and they started kissing as if no one was around, making Pandora blush at their PDA. "You two, knock it off," Benjamin said, moving to her side. "Pandora, Dr. Parks just told us he''s the father?" The nurse voiced in a way that made it sound as if she didn''t believe her own words "That''s right, he is, and if you can put his family down for visitation as well, that would be great." She nodded at Pandora and started to walk away, and her eyes seemed to go to the Leonard name tags on the beds. "Excuse me, nurse," she called and the other turned around. "Could you change the boys'' name tags to Parks?" Pandora''s eyes flickered to Benjamin, who was grinning broadly. He leaned over, kissing her lips, and right away, her hands went into his hair. "Hey, knock it off you two," Milton mimicked Benjamin''s words from moments ago. Benjamin pulled back and chuckled. She heard the door open and her eyes shed over to see Ron standing there. He walked in and peered at the boys. "They are beautifu, Pandora." "I''m sorry, there are too many people in here, and someone needs to leave. The nurse said softly. "Don''t worry, I''m going," Ron told her and looked back at Pandora. "I put your bags in your room." His eyes shifted from her and he looked at Milton. "Detective, can I have a word?" "Ron?" She called, knowing something was up. "It''s fine," Ron replied but she knew he was just trying to reassure her "Is it my dad or Nina?" Ron shook his head No one''s hurt, well not yet they''re not." Pandora sighed, knowing that Derrik had done something else. "If you can deal with it, then do so," she told Ron as she had enough on her te to worry about. "Don''t worry, I am, he responled. Pandora rubbed her head and let out another sigh. "Itow level-headed is Milton? she asked as she looked between the door that Milton and Ron just walked out of, and Benjamin. Chapter 74 "Does this have something to d with Derrik? Benjamin asked and received a nod in response. "I think he''s done something else. I wish I could freaking prove it was him that''s been messing with my home and selling it. She turned to Benjamin, who looked confused. "He sold my house, I guess. A family showed up and demanded that I leave. By the time Milton arrived, I had heartburn and went to get some milk. In the fridge, I saw this gross bloody pigs head, it scared me and I jumped, hitting the counter." Benjamin''s eyes narrowed and his hands rolled into fists. I''m starting to see why Ron dislikes your ex so much." "Hey, rx and unfold your fists. It''s bad enough that I have so many men including my father, all nning and strategizing to kill him. I need someone to help me stay calm and not worry that everyone ends up in jail. "Hey, you forgot about Sia and me,'' Keira said as she walked in. She harrowed her eyes looking at Pandora before looking at the boys. "Oh, I want one," she cleared her throat. "Hi, Benjamin." The man in question raised his brow and Pandora knew the overly sickly, sweet voice she was putting on, had him nervous. "I need to speak to you, and since I am not sure I can keep it clean, you''ll have to step outside." Pandora stood up and Keira hugged her and made her sit back down. He''s a big boy and I won''t hurt him, just yet. I''ll be back to find out more about my nephews in a few moments." Pandora looked toward Benjamin, who gave her a smile. "Be right back, love," he said and looked at Alexis. Something silent passed between them before he turned and walked out. Pandora let out a soft breath because she trusted her friend not to hurt Benjamin. She looked back at the boys and felt a stabbing pain. She just wanted to pick them up and hold them but she couldn''t. "It''s okay, Pandora. You''ll get to hold them soon," Alexis assured, wrapping her arms around her. She wiped away the tears that fell and dropped her head on Alexis'' shoulder. "I know it''s stupid, but it still feels surreal. It''s almost as if my body knows what''s happened, but my brain is still stuck at another station. I don''t know what to do or how to help them. Do they even know I am here?" Alexis sighed but before she could say anything, there was an rming from Jack''s bed. Alexis jumped up and opened the stic top, tapped Jack''s foot, and the rm stopped. "What?" Pandora stammered, having no clue what just happened as she stood to look into the cot. "He just needed to be reminded to breathe." Pandora rubbed her head and then dropped it into her hands as she started crying harder. "I didn''t know what to do, he needed me and I... if you weren''t here." Alexis took hold of her and ced her back down on her seat. ¡°I''m a nurse and I have worked in NICU before, that''s how I know. You only gave birth hours ago, Pandora. You''re doing fine." She shake her head, knowing she was fucking up. "Stop... you are doing fine; you will learn this, I''ll help you. Benjamin will help, too. You just need to take a deep breath and be calm." Alexis gave her a smile and a wink. ire, have the boys been fed yet?" Alexis asked and the nurse looked at the chart. "Nope, I was just about to do it." "There isn''t enough breast milk for both of them," she told both Ales and the nurse she called ire. ire retrieved the bottle and smiled at her. "No worries, there''s more than enough for the first feed; does Dad want to be here, too? "I''m here," Benjamin responded and she looked to see that he along with her friends were all standing there. But they each looked tense. Benjamin''s eyes dropped to hers and he smiled and leaned over to her. "All is good. I love your friends," he whispered in her ear. "Alexis, could you meet with Dad and David, and tell them my news? Then could you call Mom and Maisey?" Alexis stood as she scoffed. "He''s a grown man who''s still scared of Mommy. How cute," shemented, pinching his cheeks. ''I''ll be backter, Pandora," she said. "Jack, Micheal, remember no matter what Keira and Sia say, I am your favorite aunt." "Yeah, right,¡± Sia challenged with a smile. Alexis moved to the girls and hugged them. "Look after her for me. Feel free to p my brother if he needs to get a hint." "Will do," Keiraughed. "Ready for your first meal, Jack?" Nurse ire asked. Benjamin grabbed Pandora''s hand as they watched their boy take a small amount of her milk. "Is that enough?" she asked. "For now, yes. He''ll get more in a few hours," Benjamin informed her as she looked at the door. "I need to express more milk for them." "We have time," Benjamin reassured. He kissed her head and pulled her so that she was right up against his side. "Pandora, Keira, and I are going to go. We''ll be back tomorrow," Siamented softly. She kissed Pandora''s head and hugged both the new parents. ¡°Later, Benjamin. That is if you survive meeting Prosecutor Leonard," she cackled evilly. Pandora watched them both walk out andid her head against Benjamin''s chest. "My dad will be fine," she muttered but she felt unsure of how he was going to handle this. "I spoke to him on the phone when I was outside talking with Sia. He''s fine, and don''t worry, she was just teasing me." Pandora leaned up and looked at him. "What''s going on?" she asked and Benjamin forced a smile on his face. "We''re dealing with it, don''t worry." She just kept looking at him, knowing this may be bigger than what she first thought. "You have enough to deal with, love, please just let our families and friends deal with it." Chapter Comments 52 Chapter 75 Pandora rubbed her face as she ced her head back on his chest. Im sorry for getting you and your family mixed up in this crap with my ex and his stupidity.". "You''re my wife. The crap you deal with is the crap I deal with. Just like my family is your family, your family, and friends are now mine, too." Benjamin kissed her head. "Benjamin?" Pandora jumped on seeing his mom and dad standing af the door. "Hey, Mom, Dad, this is my wife, Pandora. And these are our sons, Jack and Micheal," Benjamin said smoothly, but his parents seemed to stare between Pandora and the boys. "Dad, I feed a word with you. Mom, do you think you could help Pandora express milk in the room across the hall? I know you would be more helpfulhan anyone else since you''ve been there and done that before." His mom narrowed her eyes, but there was a sh of understanding them and she smiled. "Sure,e on, Pandora. I understand the struggle." She took Pandora''s hand and started to walk with her to her wheelchair. "I had to use the most God-awful pump when I had Benjamin," she said as she helped her to sit and wheeled her out of the room. When they reached the other room, she helped Pandora set up the breast pump. "So you met him in Vegas?" she asked and Pandora felt her face heat up. Pandora looked at the older woman and found her expression soft. There was no judgment whatsoever in her expression, just curiosity. She took a deep breath andunched into what happened. She surprised herself by starting off by telling her about her marriage to Derrik, before telling her what led her to the club that night. When she got to the part about meeting Benjamin, but not knowing who he was, she couldn''t look at her. "Sounds as if fate has given you a do-over," she hummed and Pandora looked at her in shock. "It let you meet him again, the right way. You both got to meet and know each other without the pressure of knowing you were married. Maybe fate wanted to make sure your heart knew that this love was real before you knew what was going on." Pandora nodded in agreement. "I like the sound of that. It sounds so much better than I drank well over my limit, hooked up, and ta-da," she chuckled. She looked down at the bottle and saw that there was still not much breast milk in it. "This is hopeless. It''s the only thing I can do, and I am failing at it, Pandora cried to her. "You''re not failing," Lana said firmly, sounding like the moms Pandora heard on the street. "Can I touch your breast?" Pandora/ looked at her and then nodded. Lana gently started to massage her breast. "The first milk is always the hardest to express; it''s thicker at first and thins outter on. As soon as your regr milkes in, pumping will be easier. I have found using pumps is a trying task. Even after all these years and improvements, there isn''t a pump out there that makes the first-time expression of milk easy. Plus, you also have the fact that the boys are early, so your body has to fully catch up to where it needs to be." Lana stopped talking, patted her shoulder, and then smiled. "There we go." Pandor looked down and saw that the flow seemed to be more constant. "Wow," she heard Benjamin say. She looked up to see that he was standing at the door with his eyes closed. "Mom, why are you touching my wife''s breast?" "Well, son, I was thinking of bing a lesbian and I wanted to know if I was going to like breasts or not. I was just about to touch her ass," she stated seriously that Pandora found herself covering her mouth to keep fromughing. Benjamin''s eyes sprang open and he looked horrified for a moment before he realized Lana was joking. "Ha, ha, so funny. I can take it from here if you want to meet your grandsons." Lana looked at Pandora to ask if she was okay. When she saw the answer, she said, "Wee to the family. Finally, she stood up. "Son," she hissed, giving her a side smile as she did. Pandora knew it was her way of telling her that he had got some exining of his own to do. "Hey, Benjamin smiled as he se down. "I''ve got two months off for aternity leave. I know it''s not a lot, but it''s all I could get on such short notice." She waited, knowing that there was more toe "I can''t be your doctor anymore, but David will take over your care from here on out. He was my mentor growing up, so you''re safe in his hands. He''s eager to meet you, but will do it tomorrow." "Okay," she smiled and switched the pump to her other breast. "Maisey and her husband Caleb want to meet my wife, too." She looked up at him, narrowing her eyes. "You called me that to your parents." Benjamin looked up at her. "What, my wife? Is that okay?" "Yes, but it just feels as if you''re handling this so much better than am." "You just gave birth, and the reason I keep saying wife -calling you my wife-is, that I want to get it in my head that it''s true. I''m scared it''s a dream, and in case I wake up and find this is all a dream I want to say it as much as I can." "I know that feeling." "You have enough breast milk for a few feedings. Do you want to see them again her hair out of her face. "See the boys," she replied matter-of-factly. "Okay, but just for a short while, you''re dead on your feet." "I''m fine,¡± she groaned, making him arch his brow. "You''re not. Let me look after you." Chapter Comments 3 POST COMMENT NOW do you want to rest?" Benjamin asked, pushing Chapter 76 Pandora yawned, feeling her eyes roll closed. "I think it is time to go back to your room," Benjamin told her cautiously. "What? No, I am fine. Besides, my father hasn''t gotten here yet." Benjamin looked at her and sighed. "I''ll see how close he is." He jumped up, pulling out his cell as he walked to the door. "Hi, Mrs. Parks," someone greeted and Pandora frowned, looking at them. "You are Mrs. Parks, right? Jack and Micheal''s mother?" She chuckled but nodded at the man speaking to her. Should she have found it strange being called that for the first time, or be rmed that she didn''t find it as bizarre as she did being called Preston? "I''m the neonatologist in charge of caring for your sons while they are here in the NICU. He offered her his hand and she shook it. "I thought if you had a moment, I could go through everything with you about the boys?" "Can you wait for a few minutes? Benjamin, their father, just stepped out," she asked, looking toward the door in hopes he was on his way back. "Sure, I''ll look them over while we wait." He didn''t wait for Pandora to reply but got to work examining Jack first. Her eyes bounce between watching the doctor and checking the door for Benjamin''s return. Just as the neonatologist moved from Jack to Micheal, Benjamin came back in, making his way to them as fast as he could. "Sorry, I made you wait," he said with a smile as he reached out to shake the doctor''s hand. "These are your babies, Benjamin?" the other asked with his head tilted to the side. "They are and this is my beautiful wife Pandora. Pandora, love, this is Freddy, he''s the best neonatologist in the country." "We''ve met, Benjamin; I just didn''t know she was your wife," Freddy smiled, and then went back to examining Micheal. Both boys are doing very well," Freddy started off. ''Jack is doing a little better than Micheal, but considering their premature and traumatic birth, they are both doing remarkably well. Tomorrow, if Jack is still doing well, I would like to lower the oxygen level and move him to a nasal cann." Pandora frowned, unsure of what that meant. Benjamin sped her hand, making her turn to him. "That means he will have a pair of small prongs to deliver extra oxygen through the nostrils. This is a good thing. It means he doesn''t need the extra pressure to keep his lungs open, but still needs a little extra oxygen to maintain sufficient oxygen levels in his bloodstream." She let out a breath, nodded at him, and turned back to Freddy. That''s right. His lungs are not causing me any concern. But tomorrow and over the next few days, I would like to perform a range of tests that will include examining his sight and hearing as well as running an EKG and drawing blood work. Don''t worry, Pandora, for a preemie he''s doing great, a star pupil.¡± Pandora felt herself smile, but Freddy''s face changed a little. ''I would also like to do the same for Micheal as he has me a little more worried than I am about Jack. She tightened her grip on Benjamin''s hand, hoping her little guy would be alright. "For now, he still needs full support to help him breathe. Also, his heart rate is a little slower than what it should be, so we will continue to monitor his pulse." ''He''s... he''s... is he going to be okay?" she asked shakily. "He''s a fighter, and I am sure it has more to do with the delivery and being early than anything more serious. I have faith in his strength. To tell you the truth, if anyone else had been with you, he would have died en route to the hospital, but Benjamin did the right thing to help him. I''m sure I will know more in the next few days. For right now, he''ll get all the support he needs to help him, and don''t fear because he''s a fighter. Freddy stopped for a few seconds before he started to go through everything the nurse had already told her regarding the incubators and monitors, "We''ll talk more tomorrow," Freddymented, standing up and moving away from her. "Sweetheart, Benjamin whispered softly and she turned to him to see that he was holding back his own tears. "He''s gonna make it; he''s a Parks. Remember you said that Parks are fighters? Just look at Maisey," she assured him. I know you''re right," he replied, kissing her head. Is it okay toe in? Pandora''s father asked, standing a little away from Benjamin and het. "Yeah,e on in and meet your grandsons, Pandora chirped and her father moved slowly to them. "Oh, they are beautiful, just like their momma," her dad cooed. "Dad, this is Benjamin," she introduced him softly. "Yes, we''ve met," he replied shortly. Pandora gulped but her father shook his head. "I don''t want to know the ins and outs, but you are married to him, right?¡± Pandora nodded as her dad hissed. "Yes!" He looked at Benjamin, grinning at him. "Can I just say that I told her you were a great guy?" She rolled her eyes but Benjamin simply chuckled. "Get her off to bed. She looks exhausted. Nina and I wille back tomorrow. If you can give me your parents'' number, I can call them so we can all take turns being here with the boys and Pandora." "Of course." Benjamin took a piece of paper from hisb coat pocket and jotted down the numbers. He handed her father the paper along with a key. "Son, we''re okay at a hotel." "No, sorry- you''re my wife''s father, and that means you stay at our home." Chapter Comments Chapter 77 "If you''re sure? Benjamin nodded firmly and her father took the key and patted his arm. I''ll see you tomorrow, he whispered, leaning into her ear and kissing her temple, ¡°Okay, momma, time for bed, Benjaminmented and she looked at her boys. "They''re safe here. You need rest so you can cope with the uing days." "I know... just... it''s just... I don''t want them to be alone." Benjamin cut her off and knelt down in front of her. "My mom is on her way back now to stay with them for the night and I''ll have my pager. If we''re needed, the boys'' nurse will page me. Pandora frowned, unsure of why he thought that would calm her down. "I''m spending the night here at the hospital with you if that''s okay?" "I would really like that, are you allowed to stay? ''Yes, of course, I may not be your doctor anymore, but I would like to keep a close eye on you, and be here for the boys. Pandora leaned into Benjamin and wrapped her arms around him "Thank you, she whispered, knowing that he had done so much for her and the boys. Benjamin took her back to her room, and she used the restroom and got checked over by the nurse. After she told Pandora she was doing well. Benjamin came back into the room. She looked at Benjamin and then at the bed. "Will you be sharing?" she asked shyly. She had only ever shared a bed with her girlfriends and Derrik. I''m okay in the chair." "Oh, she said somewhat dejectedly. ¡°Pandora, if you want me to sleep beside you, I will. I just didn''t want to overstep- "You''re not, she interrupted. Benjamin nodded and she moved into the bathroom and turned on the shower. "Do you think I could get mere pain meds?" she asked, looking out the door. "Yes, but you need to eat something first. Pandora sighed but knew he was right. She moved back into the bathroom, closing the door before stripping off her clothes. After taking a short shower, de got changed into a pair of her own pajamas and felt better. She walked out to find that Benjamin had also changed into pajamas. He moved to her and helped her into the bed. "My mom dropped off some new pajamas; what she said was better undergarments, better pads, breast pads, and your own breast pump, he stopped and chuckled. "She didn''t like the one in the room, so..." he cleared his throat. "She got you these, too, he held up a pair of fully shippers and a matching rebe "She also brought them drinks, snacks, and dinner because she said hospital food was not as good as her home cooking Pandora felt herself bhish as she got a little overwhelmed by everything she had done. Derrik''s mother hated her from the get-go. Over the years that Derrik and she dated, and then were married, she never once bought Pandora a gift. "Thank you," she whispered to him and he grinned as he winked at her. "She likes you, so don''t worry about that. She tilted her head at him. As I was telling you what she brought, I couldn''t help but remember that crazy-ass woman who yelled at you when you were in here sick." "Miriam... yea, shen Derrik''s mom, and she''s never liked me. I was just thinking about how I''ve known her most of my life and was in Derrik''s life for almost ten years, but she never bought me a candy bar, never mind doing anything like this." pty mother would never be mean to you, she likes you. I mean, she''s nice to everyone, but she truly cares about you. My mom diset e Raegan very much, but she was polite anul would include her in family dinners and parties. As for gifts, she will always buy be something she knew she would use, need, or like. But don''t doubt that my mom did this stuff for you because she likes you and cares for you. Yur mon seems very nice, Pandora told him trathfully. She yawned and felt her eyes start to close Let''s eat, and then we can get some sleep, Benjamin said and she nodded. The removed the lid off the container and she saw what locke & bomemad egg sd sandwich and potato sd 8:07 PM d Pandora slowly started to eat the food, all of which tasted amazing. She only made it halfway through her food, before she became too tired to eat anymore. She moved up the bed andid down facing Benjamin as he moved swiftly around the room, cleaning up. He switched off the light and then moved over to the bed. "Are you sure?" he asked softly and she moved over so her back was to the bathroom wall. He smiled softly as he got in. As Benjaminy down, Pandora let out a soft breath and her eyes closed. She let out a soft hum as she slowly woke up. First, she was hit with the fact that there was something warm under her, but before her mind could question it, a cramping pain ripped through her. "Hey, easy," a warm voice said as she curled up. She groaned, feeling really tired and unable to open her eyes. "My stomach hurts and so do my breasts, she whined just a little. "You need to express some milk, which will help relieve the pressure on your breasts. Your stomach will hurt for a while due to the fact your uterus is contracting back to its normal size." Her eyes flickered open to see Benjamin''s chest. Tilting her head a little, she saw that he, too, looked sleepy, but was watching her. "Okay," she mumbled to him, and he slowly slid out from under her and moved swiftly around the room. "I am going to switch on the lights," he told her and she closed her eyes. Chapter Comments 2 Chapter 78 She then slowly opened them. Feeling the need to use the restroom first, she got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. She took care of her needs as her mind did a fast rerun of what happened yesterday. She washed her hands, feeling weird-not only was she a mom, but she was also a wife. "Did yesterday really happen?" she asked him when she walked back to the bed. "If you''re talking about delivering the twins in a car, and finding out that you''re married to a great doctor who''s also a handsome guy, then yes," Benjamin replied lightly as he handed her the breast pump. Oh, that''s right, where is my handsome husband and great doctor at anyway?" Pandora retorted as she looked around the room. "Hey, wife, I''m your great doctor and handsome husband. You must obey and respect me." She raised her eyebrow at him, and he rolled his eyes. "Fine; you found out you were married to a geek," he muttered, making herugh. "A handsome geek," she added as she hooked up the breast pump. "I knew you thought I was good-looking." "Yeah, but I''ve been pregnant; my hormones have been all over the ce!" "Not when you married me, and allowed me to fu... make love to you." "I was very drunk," she informed him with a smile that made him shake his head. "I was blown away by your beauty both times I first met you." She frowned as she looked at him. "The very first time I saw you was at Royce''s bar. And then the next first time was when I saw you in my office clutching my photo." She bit her lip as he smiled goofily at her. "Maybe if I had had my tattoos and grey eyes showing, you would have let me make love to you that day, too." She swallowed hard as he leaned closer to her. "I wanted to, and the fact that you were so wet didn''t help matters for me at all." She felt her face heat up. "I''m so sorry." Benjamin shook his head at her. "I''m not sorry at all, but I should have known then that Dora was you. I''ve only ever had that reaction to one girl and that''s you. If I had thought about it, I would''ve realized you were the same girl as the one I married in Vegas. Pandora moved forward, kissing his lips. He leaned into the kiss, taking it over, but suddenly pulled back. "Change breasts, Pandora." She looked down to see that she had a good amount of breast milk at that time. She smiled, switched the pump to her other breast, and tilted her head up so Benjamin could kiss her again. It was not long before she was done expressing milk from both breasts. "Would you like toe with me?" She looked up at Benjamin. "I need to take this down to the NICU and I want to pop in to see the boys while I''m there. Do you want toe with me?" ''Yes, of course, I do, sweetheart," he said with a smile. Is it strange that I miss them so much?" "No, they''ve been a part of your life for eight months." "They were a part of your life, too, I know you didn''t know, and neither did 1, but they always reacted to you and your touch." She dropped her eyes from him, not wanting to get any readings from his face. "Do you really think they will be okay?" she asked, changing the subject. She felt Benjamin''s hand cup her face, he tilted her head up so that she was looking at him. "I am not going to lie, Pandora, they have a huge fight on their hands. But I have to believe they will make it. They may develop problems, but I know we-together-can, and will ovee them." she stopped and shook her head. Can you show me what to do? Educate me on what could go wrong with them. I can''t be their mom holding them right now, but I can be a mom by learning what they will need me to do. I will, and you are doing great, sweetheart'' Benjamin kissed her head and smiled as he stood up. Put your breasts away so we can see our boys, but just for a short visit, because you still need to rest." She snorted as she tucked her breasts away, not even feeling remotely embarrassed by him having to remind her. She stood up and he took her hand. Benjamin kept a hold of her hand the entire way to the NICU. When they got there, the first thing they did wasbel and put away the boys'' milk. After that was stored in the refrigerator, they washed up and put on our gowns. Before they entered the room where the boys were, Benjamin took her hand in his again. As she approached the boys, her eyes moved to Lana, who was sitting in between them, knitting. "Hey, Mom, Benjamin spoke in a low tone, making her look at them. "How have our boys been?" "Just two little blips for Jack, and Micheal had five," she said as if she was telling them football scores. "What- what''s a blip?" Pandora asked. "She''s talking about having to remind them to breathe. They are fine," Benjamin assured, pulling her down to sit in the rocking chair. "Oh, Pandora, I am so sorry." She looked toward Lana as she apologized. "That''s what I called them when Benjamin was in here, and he had so many more than what Micheal''s been having in his first few hours." "Benjamin was in here?" she asked as Lana wiped her tears. "Yes, you see, I ended up in surgery when I was seven months pregnant. Benjamin was born first followed by his twin sister, Bernadette." Chapter Comments 2 Chapter 79 Pandora looked away from Lana to Benjamin. She didn''t remember hearing about a sister. "She was stillborn, Lana rified, making her gasp. ''I''m sorry,'' she said quickly and she gave Pandora a gentle smile. "When Ben was in here, I couldn''t handle it to say that he forgot to breathe ten times a day, so I started calling it blips." Pandora nodded at her in understanding. "It does sound much better, just this is all new, I feel..." "Clueless? Like you''re being judged for not knowing the right way to do things, or what to do?" Pandora nodded again because that was exactly how she was feeling. ¡°I felt like that, too. I know it seems overwhelming, and that there is so much to learn with the boys being in the NICU. But, Pandora, I have faith, that you can and will learn and be fine," Lana kissed her head before standing up. "I think I''ll leave you two with your boys. I need coffee- do either of you need anything?" Pandora shook her head and Lana smiled again before turning and walking out of the door. "I am so sorry," she whispered, hating that she was rude to Benjamin''s mom. "What for, love?" She turned to him, and saw he was looking over the chart from Jack''s bed. "I was so rude to your Mom a few moments ago." Benjamin frowned and his head turned to her. "When?" he asked, and she waved her hand. "Pandora, she has been in your shoes. Believe me, if anyone understands how you feel right now, it''s my mom." "I get that but she was just answering you and I freaked out a little bit." "You didn''t, you''re just tired, stressed and didn''t know what- Benjamin got cut off by Micheal''s rm. They both jumped up and Benjamin took her hand in his, and jointly they tapped Micheal''s foot until the rm stopped. "That''s all there is to it, Pandora. They just need a tap or a foot wiggle and that will remind them to breathe." She let out the breath she was holding while nodding at him. ¡°Thank you for showing me," she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder "How are the charts? Are they doing okay?" "Good, they''re both due to eat in about twenty minutes. I say we stay for that and then head back to bed for a little bit. You need your rest, love." She pouted at him. "Pandora, sweetie, you can''t stay with them all of the time. You need to rest so that you can heal, and be fit and able for when theye home with us." ''I know it''s just hard to not be here with them." Believe me, i know. I could spend all day with them, too, but you need to rest. You just gave birth in a moving vehicle. You had two tiny peoplee out of you in a less-than-desirable way. If this went the way we talked about, they would be spending time in the nursery to give you time to recuperate, so this is not really any different. Well, except the way it happened was faster and sooner than we wanted." "But this feels harder.'' ''Because you''re leaving them?" Lana said softly and Pandora nodded. "Take a photo of them to take back to your room. Then, I''ll take two of you and Benjamin to leave with each of the boys. That way you''ll always be together, even when you are resting and healing." "That sounds like a great idea. I want them to know that 1-" she stopped and looked at Benjamin. "That we love them." "They know, Pandora, believe me, they know." She stopped talking and sat down, picking up her knitting from a bag. The nurse came over and fed Jack and Micheal. The entire time, Pandora''s hands were itching to move her out of the way. It felt as if she was stealing the mother''s job. Not that Pandora had the first clue on how to feed them breast milk through a tube. Mom, can you take a photo of Pandora and me?'' Benjamin asked softly handing his mom a camera. He sat next to her and pulled her close. "Smile, Pandora, this is for our boys." She forced a smile on her face and Lana clicked, taking hold of the photo as it popped out. "One more for Micheal," she said, quickly taking another. As she waved them in the air to dry, she passed one to Benjamin and the other to her. Pandora looked down at it as both Benjamin and her images appeared. A small gasp escaped her as she saw that Benjamin was looking at her. While she couldn''t see his eyes, she knew and felt that they had more emotion in them looking at her than Derrik ever had. "These are good, she whispered, even with the fact she had dark rings around her eyes. She looked a little paler than usual, but there was also a happiness in her eyes that made her seem better than she really felt. "Okay, let''s put these pictures in with the boys, and get a picture of them for you two. Benjamin stood up and snapped a photo of each boy, and then set them down to dry as he attached their photos to the stic cover on each bed. "Are you ready to head back up to bed? She looked up at Benjamin to say no but stopped herself. Benjamin looked utterly exhausted. He also had dark rings around his eyes and looked almost asleep on his feet. She cleared her throat, knowing it was not just her that didn''t want to leave, but that he also needed to rest. With all that in her mind, she nodded at him and stood up. See you in a few hours, Mom, Benjamin called as he took a hold of Pandora''s hand. Then he led her back to her-their-room. Chapter Comments 62 POST COMMENT NOW Chapter 80 FLASHBACK: "Benjamin, Mom knows something is up. You will have to tell her," Alexis told Benjamin. "No, I don''t. I am going to get an annulment; therefore, there''s no need to tell her anything," he replied, checking his mirrors as he drove. "Then why are you still wearing the ring?" Benjamin nced at her hand, still unsure why he couldn''t take it off. "I''ll remove itter." "Benjamin, she could be your one." He shook his head at her. "If she were, then I wouldn''t have grown attached to another girl." Alexis looked at him and then frowned. "Benjamin, she''s a patient, and she''s married." "She''s divorced," he gritted out. Some divorced people get remarried again, she may still love him. The babies could bring them back together." "He doesn''t care about her or them. Besides, she said they weren''t his," he stated. Alexis just shook her head. "You''re seeing this only from the way you want to see it. What about the father of the babies? I''m just asking that you look at the whole picture, she may still care about him." He started to tell her to stay out of it, and that she knew nothing when her cell rang. "Hey, honey, I thought-" Alexis stopped talking and grasped his arm. "We''re ten minutes away from there, keep her calm. Benjamin, Milton just got a t and his car is off on the side of the road." Before he could even respond to her statement, she continued. "One of his victims of domestic abuse is in his car and she''s in activebor; she''s about two months early." Benjamin nodded at her as she told him where Milton was. "Tel! him to check and see if she''s crowning," Alexis repeated what he said to Milton. Just after she finished, he could hear a muffled woman''s voice yelling in pain, but he couldn''t make anything out. Milton, you idiot! You have to take her pants off to see if she''s crowning! And I told you to keep her calm," Alexis gritted out. She looked at Benjamin and shook her head, rolling her eyes. His brother-inw gave him a lot of shit, but he was a good guy deep down. But clearly, after that day, he would have to assume his head was full of rocks. Benjamin couldn''t believe he attempted to look and see if she was crowning without removing her pants. "That''s them," Alexis stated. Benjamin pulled the car over to the side of the road and Alexis ran to Milton''s car as he got his bag from the backseat. "And this is..." The others seemed to fade when his eyesnded on Pandora looking scared, with tears tracking down her face. He couldn''t seem to say a word to her. "Benjamin," his name dropped from her mouth in a mix of pain, fear, and relief. The rest was a blur of him getting back into his doctor persona and praying and hoping everything was going to be okay. Finally, he lifted her out of Milton''s car and she looked at him almost as if she didn''t understand how it got there. Benjamin got in and told Milton to drive. As the car moved, it became too dark in the car to see even with the lights on. Benjamin barked at Alexis for his contacts as he took his sses off. He nced at Pandora, and yet again, he saw Dora. He shook his head, knowing that over thest few months, more so since he found out she was divorced, he had wished that it was her he had met, made love to, and married in Vegas. "It''s her, it was her, his mind chanted, sounding angry that he did not believe it. But it couldn''t have been her, could it? He opened his mouth and then closed it quickly as Pandora almost doubled over in pain. As he went to look for something for her to put on, he berated himself for his thoughts. "She can''t be Dora. This is stupid-just because you want her to be can''t change reality," he mumbled to himself and pulled at his hair He put on a clean pair of scrubs, and looked at himself in the minor, "You''re fucked," he told himself, knowing that it was toote. He couldn''t save his heart from her of the boys. If and when they didn''t need him anymore, it was going to break his heart. Chapter 81 He walked back into Pandora''s room, and Alexis gave her a sad look. She knew he was deeply in love with Pandora. He showed Pandora the gown, pad, and underwear that he got for her, and she asked for help as her eyes scanned the room for Alexis. ''You''re in trouble if you help her, but you''re already over the line; what''s a little more?'' He groaned and dropped to his knees, helping her with the panties they used for new moms. He then helped to remove her top as his eyes flickered to her. He saw a warm soul. ''I could kiss you right now and die a happy man,'' his mind shouted. His eyes flickered from her mouth to her eyes; the pull was strong and he felt himself move closer. "Fuck!" his mind yelled. "I''ll get you a wheelchair," he muttered, knowing he needed to get away from her. He wheeled her down, stopping as he pleaded with her to let here in to watch over them with her. When she told him she needed him, too, his heart leaped with the hope that just maybe, they could make this work. He pushed her into the NICU, cing her chair between the boys. As he told her what was wrong with them, he found that he had to breathe deeply. He just wanted to hold them and be with them. He wanted to make everything better; he wanted to make it all okay and he couldn''t. As he took her through everything, Micheal''s rm sounded and he jumped up quickly. For the first time, his heart didn''t stay calm; it just about leaped out of his chest. He wiggled his foot but it didn''t work so he moved his hand to his chest and kept shuffling him. When the rm stopped, he closed his eyes, stopping the tears that wanted toe out. Still holding back his tears, he turned and exined to Pandora what just happened. The fact that he saw the heartbreak and worry on her face only added to his own. He knew that he may have to step aside as her doctor. He couldn''t look after her like he needed to and it was killing him. "Benjamin." He wiped his tears as Emily walked in, frowning at him. "What happened?" He shook his head at her, but she roiled her eyes and ced a cup of coffee down on his desk. "Pandora had her babies," he muttered. "Shit... they''re five, no at least six weeks early?" "Six weeks," he said and Emily shook her head. "Are they okay?" He nodded and then shook his head as the tears started toe down again. "They have to be, he finally said. "When did you fall in love with her?" she asked, taking hold of her hand. "The very second I came into contact with her." Emily snorted, shaking her head in disbelief. "I need to bottle your charm and sell it. Tell her; toy it out on the table." "What if she rejects me?" "What if she says she loves you, too?" This time he snorted, making Emily sigh. "Benjamin, I know Pandora and she would never be with someone unless she felt something for that person." "I know, but the babies... what about the dad?" "Talk to her about it; just between you, me, and these four walls, I get the feeling Pandora may have made a tiny mistake, I think she might have had a one- night stand, and is now ashamed because she has no idea who the father is." He frowned at her as his mind went back to the fact that she was in Vegas. She was in Vegas,'' he said "I know," Emily responded. 8:07 PM d "I got married in Vegas." "You did?" He nodded. ''I have no idea who my wife is, or where she is for that matter." Emily looked at me in shock. "I want it to be Pandora." "Was it?" He went to shake his head but only shrugged. "She reminds me of her; only Dora, my wife, had a darkerplexion, and a different hair color." Chapter Comments 2 Chapter 82 "Have you heard of a spray tan and hair dye? I mean... this girl''s name was DORA?" Emily asked and he red at her but she just red back at him. "But she would remember me, wouldn''t she? She would know I like her?" Emily snorted. "Pandora is very smart, but she''s quite obtuse when ites to certain things. There were at least six guys who made it painfully obvious they liked her back in high school, and she never picked up on it. They gave her flowers, candy, and cards, but she never got the hint." He chuckled as he looked at Emily. "Then why did she think they were giving the things to her?" "To say thank you because she was always helping everyone." "She still helps everyone." He smiled, shaking his head at Emily. "Just tell her your story about being married and she will then, in turn, tell you her story. Who knows; it may just match up?" He patted Emily''s arm as she stood up. "Don''t give my mind any false hope." He walked out of the room and headed back down to look after the boys. "How are they?" he asked the nurse on duty. "Doing well; Mom and her friend just left." Benjamin nodded and walked over to the boys. "Hi," he whispered, cing his hand on each of their beds. "This was a big scare, boys," he whispered, shaking his head at them. "You two need to listen to me. You are going to fight because your mama needs you. She needs you both and she already loves you." He stopped and sniffed. "I love you both, too. I am going to be here for you, every step of the way. I am going to suck it up, be a man and tell your mama that I love her. But know that I don''t love you because of her; I love you because you feel like a part of me. My love for your mom only strengthens the love I have for you, and will always have. I want you to know that I am so proud of both of you." He kissed each of the stic covers before he walked out. He made it down the hall a little when he saw a somewhat familiar man talking to Ron. "He''s nice, he seemed okay," the guy said and shrugged. "Okay, he got my friend pregnant; he better be better than okay," Ron gritted back angrily and stepped toward him. The guy stood there and held his hands up. "Look, I never met him until that night; same as Alphabet chick." "Her name is Pandora." "Yeah, Pandora, that''s her name, but he was calling her Dora." Benjam¨ªn stopped and felt as if someone had sucked all the air from his body. ''He seemed okay and wasn''t bothered that she was calling him Nemo. Besides, I know Milton and Alexis and they''re okay people." ''Milton? Ron asked, and it was then Benjamin who remembered the guy''s name, Ron was talking to Royce from the bar Milton and Alexis always went to in Vegas. "Yeah, Milton is the guy''s brother-inw." "His brother is Milton, the cop?" "Yeah, that''s him." "But that means... Ron''s eyesnded on Benjamin, and he snapped out of whatever daze he was in. She... Pandora is the woman I left the bar with that night, the woman I married?" he said out loud. "Married?" Ron questioned and he held up his hand, showing Ron the wedding ring. "I went to his bar and met a girl that was calling me Nemo. We had sex, got married, had more sex, and then she left just disappeared." Ron narrowed his eyes. "Prove it." He swallowed and took his ring off to show the inscription. "Is this okay?" "Fuck," Ron hissed before bursting outughing. "Royce, is Pandora my girl?" he whispered, "Is she Dora?" Royce nodded at him, but that was not enough; he needed more information. "Swear that''s who she is!" he demanded. "Yes, Jesus, Pandora is the girl you got into the cab with." Benjamin pped Royce''s back and started to run toward her room. "She''s my wife! She''s my wife," his mind sang as his heart filled up with all the hope he had been trying to keep at bay. "Please don''t let this be a dream." "Wait for us," he heard Ron call out,ughing. Chapter Comments POST COMMENT NOW Chapter 83 He opened her door, and Royce came in with him. As his eyesnded on Pandora, he saw it. He saw her, he saw Dora. "Hey, congrattions," Royce said, smiling at her. "What''s going on," he asked upon seeing Pandora''s other friends, and her angry tears. "Derrik illegally sold Pandora''s house. A family is living there right now," Ron told him. "I had to insist to get in, which wasn''t a nice thing to do as at that time there was just a woman with two small children at home. I got what I could. But when I was leaving, some jackass was there trying to get the woman out by force saying the house was his." Ron smiled and Benjamin just looked at him. "Hemented that he was there earlier, but at that time there was a fat woman illegally in his home which meant he was the one who scared the shit out of Pandora, so I hit him and broke his nose." "You''re lucky you didn''t get charged with assault. Be grateful the woman is saying that he was scaring her, and what you did was in self-defense," Milton hissed out as he ended the call he was on. "There''s another family that has turned up, and the video from my car is being looked over to see if it was Derrik that messed with it." Benjamin looked at Milton. "What?" he managed to ask. "Don''t ask, Benjamin, just know that as soon as we can get evidence, Derrik''s going down for a long time. Pandora''s car was tampered with, too. It sounds as if he did something to it, but proving it so is turning out harder than I thought it would be. However, theb sent the contents of the gas tank to the station and found human urine, so we are getting a court order for a DNA test." Benjamin pulled at his hair looking at Keira, Ron, and Milton. "Give me the low down on what all he has done to her." Ron was quick and didn''t mess around as heid it all out for him. Turning to Milton, he red. "Add attempted murder. He could have made her miscarry," he gritted out, hating that Pandora was going through all of that. "If I can, believe me, I will," Milton imed and he could see it on the other''s face. He was also over the line with Pandora. "Who''s going to tell Prosecutor Leonard?" Sia questioned when she joined the group. "I think we should let his son-inw tell him everything," Ronmented, handing him a cell phone. Benjamin clicked on the call button. "Put it on speaker, Ron cheered and Benjamin rolled her eyes but did what he said. "kon... how is everything?" the voice answered the call saying. ''Sir, this is Benjamin," he swallowed. Pandora''s doctor Benjamin?" he asked, Benjamin pulled his hair saying a faint "Yes," as Ron yelled, "and her husband." "What?" Walter interjected as Ben red at Ron. The other had Keira''s hand covering his mouth. Am I on speaker?" Yes, Sir... Look... to cut a long story short, I met Pandora in Vegas, we got drunk, got married, and... made the babies, he stuttered out as the othersughed. Benjamin rolled his eyes at their enjoyment of his difort. "Anyway, we didn''t recognize each other, but we do now." He stopped and cleared his throat. "Sir, you need to know that Derrik has sold Pandora''s house to multiple families." "He''s done what?" I know there''s a lot more to it, but we are working on it. When you get to the hospital, Milton will fill you in and after meeting the boys you can stay at my house. Son- Benjamin shook his head and cut him off. "Sir, if you don''t mind, I would like to get back to my wife and sons. I''ll see you when you get here." "Okay. Ron, stopughing at my son-inw and go back to nning my ex-son- inw''s death. Keep me informed; I''ll see you soon." "Yes, Sir, Ron, Keira, and Sia said in unison. 8:08 PM d Benjamin let out a long breath before handing Ron his cell phone. "I''m on board. Any drugs you need, let me know." Ron hissed a "yes" as Benjamin walked away, heading back in to be with his wife and sons. Chapter Comments Chapter 84 The light from the window brought her out of her dream. She stretched and then rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Morning, sweetheart, Benjamin mumbled. "Morning," she replied as she moved her head off of his arm. Benjamin started to run his hand through his hair. As she watched him, she could see his mind was going a mile a minute. "Has something happened?" she prompted, and his head snapped quickly around so that he was looking at her. "What? No," he responded quickly, but his eyes were filled with guilt. "Then what is it?" she questioned even softer. "You are going to be discharged today, Benjamin informed, closing his eyes at the same time. "But the boys are... They have to stay- she stuttered, cutting herself off. She should have realized that she would be getting sent home before them. "Love, I don''t want to leave without them either, but we need to." Benjamin stopped and swallowed. "My dad has a big office here, and we can sleep in that maybe one or two nights, but we couldn''t do it every night until they leave. Besides, we need to get the house ready for them toe home." Home? Oh God, Benjamin has a home and I have a home... I don''t want to be separated from the boys, not after all of this. Just as she started to feel panicked- another voice deep inside her started to yell. ''What? Do you think Benjamin does? Stop being selfish! You hate mothers who do that shit.'' "Love?" Benjamin called, cupping her face and breaking her away from her thoughts. "You have a home and I have a home. I don''t want to be away from them, and I know it''s unfair to expect you to be," she sobbed to him. To her surprise, he was able to follow everything she just wailed. ''Love, do not panic, I am on this; mywyer is on this." Her face dropped and she pulled away from him. "You can''t take the boys from me." Benjamin gasped and shook his head. "God, no baby! Derrik... your house was sold to more than one family. Mywyer is working on that. So far there are four copies of the deed attempting to be registered." Pandora frowned, pulling her brows in and looking down. ''One of the families has moved in, and they are not making it easy for us to remove them. They agreed to buy the house on contract and paid all of their savings upfront. They are scheduled to pay twelve hundred a month for the next ten years." "L... but... she stuttered. "You''re going to be fine. Milton, Ron, and the other guys have moved your belongings froin your home to mine. Most of it was moved into the garage by the family so that they could move their things in." "How? Benjamin took a deep breath and bit his lip as if he didn''t want to say the next thing. ''Benjamin, tell me, how... what is going on?" He sighed and looked at her sadly. "When you were in the car delivering our boys, the family was moving in. They gave Ron and Keira a lot of problems when they tried to get your belongings because they were under the impression they were being auctioned off. Last night, everyone went over and was allowed to get your things. Due to the fact, they had small children, Milton thought it would be best just to get your things and get out." "But it''s my home." Benjamin nodded before letting out a sigh. "They have a contract that states you agreed to sell it to them. For the time being, they are living there, we would have to go to court. All of your things are no longer there. Our friends got everything out. The family is not bad people, but they have already been harassed by the same man who harassed you, as well as two other families. It appears that this family is the only one who has not fully paid for the house and only put forth arge down payment. All of your things-the boys things, everything from your house-is at my-our- home, you''re staying with me.'' She rubbed her face, feeling as if it was bing too much. ''I''m homeless?" Benjamin shook his head. "No, you are my wife; we have a home together. And just so you are aware, I, along with my father and Caleb, have joined in with Ron''s n to kick the ever living shit out of Derrik." She snorted in amusement before she grew serious again. "I don''t get why he''s doing this. I never imagined he was capable of being so cruel." "What was your marriage like to him?" Benjamin asked, facing her Chapter 84 She frowned and thought back on it. "I adored him in high school and had a huge crush on him. He was the big, superstar, football yer that helped win our school games. He was the best in every game, so everyone loved him. He asked me out and I was thrilled. I went on the first date with him, even when he arrivedte, reallyte. Dating him wasn''t easy; he had a big head, and girls flocked around him all the time. I am sure that''s why I wasn''t surprised to find him and Emily having sex." "Emily, as in the nurse Emily I work with?" Pandora nodded. ''Sex for me at that time was so painful, and he made me feel as if it was my fault. He convinced me that he was just using the other women so he wouldn''t push me into having painful sex." She snorted at how stupid she was. `I took him back, and we got married. We went to college. I received my master''s degree and simultaneously worked for Aron. Derrik flunked out, and he was no longer the star yer on the football team. After that, he seemed to just go from job to job." She stopped and swallowed. Chapter Comments 3 Chapter 85 "It was so hard to cope with everything on my own. I was keeping our home clean, building on it, working full-time, and cooking. I think if I''d been truthful with myself, I would have realized I felt stuck because I didn''t want to admit I was wrong. I didn''t want to admit that I deserved better," "You do know now that you deserve better-so much better?" Benjamin whispered to her, but she got so caught up in his eyes that she didn''t answer. "Breakfast for two," someone said and she looked at the door to see Peter standing there, with an ''oh shit face''. "Thanks, Dad," Benjaminmented as he cleared his throat. He moved out of the bed as Peter walked into the room. "Well, I am going to sit with your mother and spend some time with my grandsons before I need to start work." Peter moved his eyes to Pandora. Then he proceeded to tell her how every one of their friends and family members was going to take turns watching the boys. In the end, Peter raised an eyebrow almost as if he was asking if she agreed with the n they had set out. "Yes, that sounds amazing; thank you," she told him with a smile and felt relieved and touched to have so many people around her. "Thanks, Dad," Benjamin said softly as he hugged Peter. After their short hug, Peter walked out to go to the NICU. Benjamin silently sat back down next to her, pushing the tray closer to her. "By the time we are finished eating, David should be here. Once he is through, we can get washed, dressed, and go back to be with the boys." "Okay,¡± she whispered as she started to eat. "Pandora, speak up if you think you''re being pushed around or don''t think you are being heard." "I don''t," she said, reassuring him. "I just want to be with the boys, all the time." Benjamin opened his mouth, but she shut him up quickly by kissing him. ''I know I need to eat so I can stay healthy for them and be able to produce milk. Benjamin smiled goofily and kissed her back. Just like Benjamin had said, David deemed that she was fit and healthy, and able to be released. Thankfully, Emily came in and said that she would pack up her belongings and ce them in Peter''s office, so they were safe and still there at the hospital. Pandora washed her hands before they walked into the neonatal unit, heading right for the boys. "Hey little guys, did you miss me?¡± she asked as she smiled broadly at them. "They have." Her head turned to see a sleepy Lana standing and yawning. "They''ve been good, just about due to be changed and fed," she said before hugging Pandora, ''I''ll leave you two alone. I am in need of my bed, and have no idea how I pulled this off when I was a young woman." Pandora nodded at her, already fully aware that she could no longer do all- nighters, and already enjoyed the odd cat nap during the day. "Hey, Momma and Daddy," a nurse said with a smile as she looked over Jack. "Would one of you like to change Jack?" she asked without looking their way. Benjamin chuckled. "Yes, Mommy here would love to change him," he replied. She looked at him, and he winked. "I''ll be right here with you," he said into her ear. "But you''ll need both of your hands." She frowned and he tilted his head down. Her own eyes followed to see that at some point, she had gripped his hand, and the fact that it looked red... she knew that she had a tight hold on him. "I''m sorry," she muttered, pulling her hand away, but he kept a hold of it and pulled her close. She let out a shaky breath as the nurse showed her the diapers and supplies. Love, just nice and easy, Benjamin encouraged. She closed her eyes and his hand trailed down her arm. His other hand held her close by the hip. "You''ll be fine, love, it''s just like changing any other diaper,'' he said. She nodded at his words and set about the task. Jack was so small. It made her afraid that she was going to hurt him. As she changed the diaper, she couldn''t help but giggle because he liked his feet tucked up to his bottom. Once the fresh diaper was on him, Pandora turned and smiled at Benjamin. "I changed his diaper." She turned and hugged Benjamin, feeling happy yet surprised over the fact that she was crying. "I saw you, good job, Mommy,'' he whispered and pulled her closer to his chest. He turned her, but kept her in his arms, and then sat down on the rocking chair with her in hisp. 8:08 PM They both need a middle name," she said as she thought it over. "What are your thoughts?" "What about Walter and Ron?" She turned and looked at him, and he chuckled. ''I hit Ron. It would be a nice way to make it up to him." She snorted, shaking her head. "And he told me that he did all the things Derrik was supposed to do. Didn''t he go to yourpany anniversary party as your date?" She pulled her hair as her mind went to that night. ''Oh yes. That. Where Derrik got shit-faced by one in the afternoon, and you still remained married to that fucker?'' her inner voice snarked. ''Yeah, I agree, so how about Micheal Ron Parks? Wait... will your dad be upset over the fact that one of our sons is named after my dad but not him?" Benjamin shook his head. "Maisey has Dad''s first name, Alexis has my mom''s first name to give to their firstborn." "What did you get?'' "I got both their middle names to use." "Which are?" "Marie and Walter, Benjamin chuckled, Ah, so we get to take care of two birds with one stone?" "Yep, we sure do." He smiled and kissed her head. Just as she leaned into him, Micheal''s rm sounded. Pandora jumped up and jiggled his foot, and the rm stopped. She turned to find Benjamin smiling at her. Chapter Comments Chapter 86 "Hey, sweetheart," her dad said as he walked in with Nina. "Hi, Daddy," she said hugging him. "I am going to express some milk. She turned, giving Nina a look to ask if she would like toe with her. Nina nodded, picking up on her unspoken question. "Would you stay with my dad?" she asked Benjamin. "I would love to, sweetheart." Nina linked her arm with Pandora''s, and they walked to Peter''s office, where her things were for the time being. "How has my dad been?" she asked once they were settled. "Pandora?" she tutted and she rolled her eyes. "Has he been okay?" she repeated. "He''s been upset, and I have locked up all of his guns. Milton has talked to the other officers at the station; we are on it." Pandora let out a breath, feeling relieved that they seemed to have a n in ce to stop her father from killing Derrik. "But Derrik''s due some bad Karma, and by God, do I want a front-row seat to see it." "Bad Karma... he needs more than that, Pandora snarled. "What''s going on with my home?". Nina looked at her with a grimace. "The family is a young family. The woman is twenty-five and lost her father not long ago. She works as a waitress on the weekends and at the school library during the week. There are two children-ages four and one, both girls." Nina seemed to stop and then let out a long breath. "The man is twenty-seven. He just got back from an active war zone and is suffering from PTSD. The woman paid the down payment for your home using all of the inheritance she received from her father''s death." The whole time Nina was telling her there was anger and sadness in her voice, and she knew it was directed at Derrik. "How much money, and where is it?" I''m not sure where it is. Benjamin''swyer is on it and it was seventy-five thousand dors." Pandora felt bad for those people. At least, they were kind enough to protect her things. "Let me talk to Benjamin," she said, feeling deeply sorry for the family. "Pandora, I don''t want you to feel as if I am forcing your hand, but you need to know." She looked at Nina as she was stuttering a little. "The family, they didnt tell us any of this information, and they''ve been very nice and helpful. All of this information is what Ron and Milton learned while checking things out." Pandora groaned, knowing that she didn''t want to know the answers to the question, but needed to ask it anyway. ''Is Ron behaving?" Nina dropped her eyes from her. "Yeah," she fake agreed and Pandora let out a groan. ''Do I want to know?" "You don''t, but Milton promised that he is keeping an eye on him." Pandora finished expressing the breast milk and put the boys names on the bottles. They walked back to the NICU and she ced the bottles in the fridge. After Nina and she got washed up, they walked back in to see them. She was surprised to find her dad and Benjaminughing together. Her dad''s eyes flickered at her, and he calmed hisughter down. "How''s my girl feeling?" he asked as Pandora sat down in between him and Benjamin. "I''m okay. A little sore, tired, and feeling overwhelmed," she sighed, hating that she couldn''t get control over her emotions. "It will still be like that for about twenty-odd years," her dad chuckled. Pandora frowned and turned to look at him. "What? I''m just telling you the way it is. I still have sleepless nights worrying about you. My emotions get out of control, too, especially when some prick is perpetrating a bunch of criminal acts against my daughter. It''s all a part of parenthood, honey, but it''s all going to be worth it." Chapter S6 She smiled and nodded at him because she couldn''t agree more. Benjamin wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. He kissed the side of her head as shey it on his chest. It was not long before her dad and Nina left, and Maisey and Caleb joined them. I see you found your wife? Maisey snickered and Benjamin rolled his eyes. She was more than sure if they weren''t in the NICU he would have flipped her off. I''m Maisey or May to my friends and family, which now includes you," she prompted. I''m Pandora, and it''s nice to meet you, she said as she offered her hand. She was surprised when she pulled her up and hugged me. How is she so strong despite just recovering from a broken back?" "You''re very pretty; have you ever modeled? I design clothes and I''d love to have you model for me." Pandora snorted and shook her head. "Being a shorty, there hasn''t been arge demand for me." "Well, I am looking for short, tall, skinny, curvy, all kinds of girls and guys, Maisey told her. "I am sick to death of all those pompouspanies only having nice clothes for stick-thin, perfect-bodied people. Like seriously, how many females do you know who are a size double zero and can afford to pay a house payment for a t-shirt? Or, how about guys? How many do you know who are six foot tall, built of muscle, and have a twenty-eight-inch waist? My clothes are going to be catering to all people, all shapes, sizes, and bank ounts. Let''s face it, not everyone is made of money or can afford super-expensive items of clothing and still pay their bills. Plus, clothing should be amodating to all shapes and sizes, and we all know what looks good on us may not look good on another woman." The entire time Maisey was on her tangent, Pandora just bobbed her head. "Great, I''m d you''ll model for me. I''ll put you down as one of my short models." Chapter Comments Chapter 87 "What?" Pandora gasped out. "It''s fine and the show isn''t for another five months," she said as if those simple words would wash away her worries. "Just go with it, if you don''t want to do it, it will be fine, too. While she loves clothes, she''s not overly pushy," Benjamin whispered in her ear. "Oh, and I now have the hairdresser sorted out as well as the makeup artists." She looked at Maisey who was smiling away. "Who did you get?" Benjamin asked. "Ron, Pandora''s friend. He runs a line of spas and salons. Keira works elsewhere but I heard she helps with marketing, doesn''t she?" "Yes," Pandora smiled broadly, happy for her friends. "That is really nice of you, they are great." Maiseyughed and gave her a thumbs up. "And, I am so into his macho men photo shoot," Maiseymented as she wiggled her eyebrows. "He said I could design the costumes, so that means I get to dress Milton up. And by goodness, I have wanted to get my hands on that man''s wardrobe for years now." In the end, Maisey added a cackling sound that made her giggle along with her. "What''s this?" Benjamin asked. Both Maisey and Pandora filled him in on Ron''s photo shoot to bring in more customers. By then he, too, wasughing with them. Maisey left when Alexis, Sia, and Keira arrived. Benjamin took this moment to take her down to Peter''s office where there was a pic basket waiting for them. After lunch, Benjamin sat with her while she expressed more milk. When they got back to the boys again, Jack needed to be changed and this time, Benjamin did it. "I wish I had my camera with me," she told him, wishing she could have caught the moment for posterity. They weren''t allowed to enter with their cellphones, so she was peeved. ''I''ll text my dad to bring his when hees to work," Benjamin prompted and quickly typed out what she assumed was a text to his father. Pandora chuckled, feeling that he, too, seemed to be nervous. They were first-time parents, and at least Pandora was not alone in this. She watched as he walked across the room to dispose of the diapers and washed his hands. "Hey, how are mommy''s little boys?" she asked both of the boys, looking between them. I am here, I may not always get things right, but I hope you know that I love you. Her eyes shed to the door, and then back to them. "Your daddy seems to be a great guy. I know even if we''re not a couple-" She swallowed back as the pain hit her chest, knowing despite her overwhelming need and attraction for Benjamin, that didn''t mean they were going to be a perfect couple. They had to not only get to know each other in the romantic sense but also as parents to two tiny babies. ¡°Hi, Pandora.'' She looked up to see Freddy looking at her. "I am here to check over the boys." She nodded at him and moved out of the way. "Well, I am pleased to say Micheal''s doing well, but Jack here, is being a superstar. He''s doing so well I think you could hold him for a short bit if you want?" Pandora felt her mouth drop open. She had so many different emotions surging through her. One was the want and need to hold him, but there was also the scared shitless feeling right alongside it. "Really?" Benjamin said, wrapping his arms around her. Freddy nodded and she let out the breath that she seemed to be holding. She looked at Benjamin and his eyes locked with hers. "You''ll be fine, he tried to reassure her. Maybe you should hold him first,'' she replied, jumping up, but Benjamin shook his head. No, Mommy holds him first," he told her as he guided her back down into the chair. "Ready? Freddy asked and she turned to see he had jack. She felt unable to speak, so she nodded at him and he gently ced Jack in her arms. "Hi, my sweet boy, Pandora cooed as Jack looked up at her. Benjamin kissed her head and they both just looked at Jack. He looks like you," shemented without looking at Benjamin. "Yes, he seems to have the Parks nose and mouth." 8:08 PM They admired him for a short time, while a nurse changed his bedding and cleaned the entire area up. When Jack fell asleep, she kissed his head. Benjamin got up and took Jack from her. She watched as he walked with him back to his bed. Love you, son," he said and kissed him before cing him in his bed. She wiped her eyes even with her heart racing and her hands still shaking. She was delighted she got to hold one of her sons, "Here you go," Emily said, making her jump. She frowned and looked at her hand, seeing that she was holding a photo. She took it from Emily and saw that Benjamin was holding her close as they both looked down at Jack in Pandora''s arms. "Thank you, Emily," she whispered as she passed the picture to Benjamin. "Peter called and asked me to give you his camera. I knew that was a keepsake moment so I snapped the picture." Emily turned away from her and looked at the boys. "They sure are the cutest little babies." Her eyes shed to Pandora and she saw something in them. But before she could question Emily, she looked at Benjamin. I need a word," Emily said. "What''s wrong?" Pandora asked, knowing that something was going on. ''I just need a word about another patient," Emily lied and Benjamin stood up. "Just give me a moment," he said to Pandora and walked out with Emily. "Trust him," she said out loud, hoping to calm down. A few minutester, Benjamin walked back in, clearly angered. made her heart race in fear. "What happened?" she asked him. "When Emily arrived here, she was met by Derrik''s mother. The woman was demanding to get in to see her grandchildren." Chapter Comments 3 Chapter 88 Pandora''s mouth opened and then closed several times as she tried to get a grip on her thoughts. "WHAT?" she asked a little louder than she intended. "I know that Mackenna was not pregnant thest time I saw her, surely she hasn''t had a baby that early?" "Pandora, she''s iming our boys are Derrik''s," Benjamin exined softly, but her head shook without her knowledge. "No way," she growled. "Why would she think our boys have anything to do with Derrik?" "I think-" Benjamin stopped and swallowed. "I know they are mine. From what your father, Ron, and Milton have said about Derrik, I know that you wouldn''t take the prick back. Don''t doubt I know they are mine, but I think we should have a DNA test performed just in case he tries to throw us a curveball." She pulled back the tears that badly wanted toe from her eyes. "They''re in here; they need us and he''s still doing this shit?" she gritted out in a slightly raised voice. Benjamin looked around and jumped up, pulling her out of the room. "I need to be there for them, not looking over my shoulder just in case he''s there with a fucking knife." Benjamin gave her a sympathetic look but allowed her to keep going with her rant. "I''ve got a restraining order against him, and he''s still fucking with me. Only I can''t prove it, and he''s making it out like he''s the victim. I can''t... I''m done. Done, I tell you, I don''t care anymore." She took a shuddering breath. "If Ron wants to kill him, fine because-" she stopped mid-rant as Benjamin pulled her into his chest and hugged him. He hushed her as she sobbed, letting everything out. All the pent-up anger that she had been holding on to just flowed out. "Baby, it''s gonna be okay. I swear he''s not going to get away with trying to take my boys. I already want to kill him for the pain he has caused you-the pain I have seen in your eyes from the moment we met-again.¡± Benjamin pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes, "No more thinking about him. You''ve got me now." She sniffed as she nodded at him. Pandora knew they were still a long way from being a happy family, but she knew the odds were in her favor with Benjamin and the boys. "Thank you," she whispered to him. He kissed her lips softly. "This is what husbands do for their wives, my love." They went back into the room and sat down with the boys. Earlier, Jack had some tests done. They came back to normal with no problems. Around eleven at night, Benjamin pulled her out of the hospital. He told her that his dad collected her belongings and had already taken them back to his house. Pandora was surprised to find that Benjamin only lived a short drive from her home. She cringed when they drove by her house, but she felt sorry for the people who moved in there. When they walked to Benjamin''s front door, a familiar motorcycle caught her eye. "You''ve followed me home?" she muttered and he groaned. She looked at him and he gave her a sheepish look. ''Come inside and I''ll exin," he promised. She followed him in and he let out a sigh as they walked up the stairs. "I was worried about you. I just wanted to make sure you were home safe, and I could easily pass your home on the way to mine." He stopped and cleared his throat. "You need to see this," he said and he opened the door. They were standing outside of a room, and she gasped upon seeing that it was a nursery. "Wow, but..." She looked at him while he stared at the floor. "After you fell down the stairs, I started to work on this room." He waved his hand but kept his head down. ¡°I thought you were in danger. I thought he was abusing you or beating you. My n was to bring you here and show you this room." He stopped and looked at her. ''I also decorated a room for you, too. I needed you to be safe,'' he pleaded with her. Pandora nced around the room, and she allowed the tears to run down her face as he walked around looking at everything he had done for her. She walked to Benjamin and wrapped her arms around him. "This is amazing," she whispered to him, feeling calm and at home there in his arms. ''Do you mind if we share, I just don''t think I could rx if I were alone?" I was hoping you would say that. Come to bed, he replied. She looked up at him to see he looked calmer than he was a minute ago. "Did you think I was going to run out screaming?¡± Benjamin snorted but nodded simultaneously. I swear I wouldn''t hurt you, but I was very close to needing to join a stalker support group. I was worried about you and felt this connection to you and the boys, which even I didn''t understand." "We felt connected to you, too, she told him frankly, hoping he knew that she felt it, too. "When the boys are home, can I take you out on a date?" She chuckled but nodded at him. "I like the sound of that, but can we go to bed now?" "We can, Benjamin chirped happily, taking her hand and leading her to their room. She woke up with her breasts tingling. She felt a damp patch on her top. Sleepily, she nced down to see that at some point during the night, her breasts leaked. As she sat up, she looked over at Benjamin and saw that he was sound asleep. Quietly, she moved out of bed and headed to the boys'' nursery, knowing that was where the breast pump was. Once she had expressed milk from both breasts, she took the milk bottles,beled them, and ced them in the fridge. Chapter Comments Chapter 89 As she walked away, she picked up her cell that was charging on the counter. She felt the need to call the hospital. "Hi, it''s Pandora Leo... Parks, Jack and Micheal''s mom. I''m just calling to see how they are doing. My password is..." she mumbled quickly once her call was connected. "Good morning, Pandora, it''s ire, and both boys are doing well," she said softly. "Jack''s doing great. He''s only had two blips so far tonight, and Micheal had five." She felt her heart beating faster than humanly possible. No matter how many times they told her this, she couldn''t seem to be calm about them talking about her sons forgetting to breathe. "They''re doing great, Pandora.¡± She let out a long breath and nodded, though she couldn''t see her. She felt reassured, and a little more rxed. "Okay, thanks, I''ll let you get back to work." ire told her goodbye and she ced her cell back on the counter to continue charging. Not feeling tired, she decided to look around Benjamin''s home. His kitchen was good-sized. However, theyout was a little iffy. With a few adjustments, it would appear to look twice the size it was. She walked out and headed to the living room, which she really liked. It felt homey and the colors were fresh. Just down from the living room was an office. The other room was arge guest room, which had its own ensuite bathroom. That room was currently housing her father and Nina. Having finished with the bottom floor, she headed back upstairs to the nursery. She walked around the nursery, taking in everything. She pushed open the door to the adjoining room and gasped at what Benjamin had done for her. The room was amazing, and she knew that he had it freshly painted and carpeted. The colors he used were very much to her liking. "There you are, love." She turned and saw a sleepy Benjamin looking at her. "Sorry, I just finished expressing milk and called in to check on the boys. ire said the boys are doing fine." Benjamin hummed as he smiled a little. "You should have woken me up, I would have kept youpany." She shook her head. "You need to sleep." She stopped and cleared her throat. "I''m sorry I was walking around your home." "Our home, Benjamin quickly corrected. "What do think?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "It''s lovely. I really like it." Heughed lightly and grinned at her. "Let''s get the boys home first and then you can change anything you want." She gasped as her mouth hung open. "I wouldn''t- Sweetheart, this is your home, too, and you are the project engineer,¡± he interrupted. ¡°But more so, I want you to feel at home here. I want you to like it so much that you won''t want to leave." She snorted as she shook her head. ¡°You really are in need of a stalker help group!" ''Seemingly so,e on, let''s go back to bed." Benjamin led her back to his room, but she stopped off in the bathroom. She got washed, took care of her bathroom duties, and put on a clean nightshirt. Once she was done, she went back to the bedroom andy down in bed with her head on Benjamin''s chest. Within seconds, she was fast asleep. "Hey, baby boy," she said, looking down at Jack who was snuggling into Benjamin''s chest. Jack''s eyes opened and he just stared at her. How about we try Jack on your breast to feed this time? ire prompted, making her sink shakily into her seat. Will he be okay? What if he stops breathing?" she stuttered. There was a part of her screaming ''hell yes, this is what I have been waiting for!'' but, there was another part that was afraid. fack might have been a week old, but he was still so small. "He''s ready," ire said with a tone that was both reassuring to her and gave her the kick she needed. "Okay,'' she whispered and started to undo her top. She unhooked her bra, and ire ced a pillow on herp. 8:08 PM "Jacky, boy, it''s time for some food," Benjamin stated with a grin as he passed her the little boy. With his aid, she got her nipple into Jack''s mouth and he started to suck right away. "Oh, wow, this is strange," she told Benjamin as her toes curled from the small amount of pain it caused. Both Jack and Micheal had had a range of tests performed, including a DNA profile. Benjamin''s family paid arge amount of money to put a rush on every test. The DNA came back showing Benjamin as the father with a less than one percent chance he was not. As for the other tests, the only one that came back with concern was Micheal''s eye test. They had been told he was able to see, but would most likely need to wear sses. Out of everything that could have been wrong with him, Pandora was happy with the result. There was also the fact that as each day passed, Micheal was bing stronger. He had just reached the stage Jack was at when he was born, so Pandora was hoping that she would be able to hold him for a day or two. An rm started to beep, causing her to jump. Jack started to grumble, and her eyes shed to the new baby and family that had joined them. The new parents looked as scared as she must have looked on her first day there. As the beeping stopped, her eyes fell back onto Jack who was sucking away again. "He looks as if he''s enjoying that," Benjamin whispered, and the rm started to go off again. Both Benjamin and she looked, but as the nurses started to rally around the baby, she knew it was not a good thing. "I''ll be back, Benjamin said and moved quickly to where the baby was. Pandora''s eyes shed between Jack, who was still feeding, and Benjamin. She felt her heart swell with pride at seeing him work. He had a calm but caring, professional side to him. Chapter Comments Chapter 90 As the rm stopped, both the nurses and Benjamin seemed to have a new, calmer sense about them, and she knew the baby was okay for the moment. You just missed your daddy in action, she whispered to Jack as his eyes opened. She smiled down at him. Sorry, Benjamin said as he sat back down. She turned to him. Come here," she called with a tilt of her head. Benjamin pulled his brows together but leaned forward. As soon as he was close enough, she kissed him. You were amazing,¡± she whispered and he smiled shyly. She could see a hint of a blush on his face, too. She looked down at Jack when he stopped sucking. "Are you all done?" she asked but Jack yawned. I think he''s tired himself out by feeding, she said. "You want to burp him before he goes back down?" Benjamin grinned, his eyes sparkling. Pandora carefully passed Jack to him. I have good news. She looked up at ire, who was smiling happily at them. "You can hold Micheal. You can do it now while Jack is still outside of the Pandora pped her hands and turned to Benjamin, who looked just as happy as she was. Here you go ire said and she took Micheal from her. Unlike when she held Jack for the first time, Pandora was not nervous or scared... just delighted to Ne able to hold him. 1. my little munchkin, you have no idea how long I have waited to hold you, she whispered to him. She looked at Benjamin, who turned his head to her at the same time. He quickly kissed me and they both look down at the boys. She stood up, knowing that it was time for him to go back to his bed. As she ced Micheal down, Benjamin ced Jack down as well. "Here you go ire prompted as she handed Pandora the picture she had taken of all four of them together. I love this Pandoramented, showing it to Benjamin. He looked equally taken by the photo as she was. Think we''ll need a few copies of that, love? Nodding at him, she walked into Benjamin''s arms; they opened instantly as she moved to him. Come on, let''s get some bench while the boys sleep." Mommy and daddy will be right back, Pandora cooed to the boys, kissing her finger and cing it softly on both of their heads. Benjamin said his goodbyes, and then his hand went to the base of her back as they walked down to the cafeteria. Hello, you ran Benjamin''s dad said as they walked to the table where he was sitting with Cales How are the boys?" Great. I got to breastfeed Jack, and then I got to hold Micheal," she told them excitedly. That''s great, Peter said as she covered her mouth, realizing she just spoke to him about breastfeeding. 1 pet er lunch, Benjamin cut in while holding back theugh he wanted to let out. Tendo rare both doctors, you can use the words breastfeeding, period, discharge, and a multitude of other personal words, without us acting like typical Peter abound b 1. wiw," she told them with a shake of her head. wan thinking of anking your dad and Nima to sleep over at our ce? Peter vanced out of the blue she ankand, wondering what was going on. 1 next thought it might here to give you and mine time alone." Pandoraphed nervously as embarrassment rushed over her. The the stuttered, unsure of bow to say she and Benjamin were sharing a bet but mo We deters, Poder; we are aware you can have sex yet, Caleb said Month What Peter in trying to say is that he would the for there to stay with and Lana so that when Jack and Micheal get home, you and Benjamin can start being a family without interfering with inws. We''ll all be here to help the first several weeks because obviously Jack will be home and Micheal will still be in the NICU. Even after they''re both home we''ll still help, but you and Benjamin are their parents." "Okay?" she replied, having not thought about the boys being home at different times. She rubbed her face as the overwhelming feelings started to take over. ¡°Love?¡± Benjamin called as he sat down. She found that she was unable to say anything so his eyes flickered away from hers. "I think I was a bit blunt when I was exining the n for when Jack gets sent home, Caleb said sheepishly. "Love, it will be okay," Benjamin reassured, sping her face. She cleared her throat and nodded at him. "I know, I just never thought of them being home at different times. It''s stupid really." Benjamin shook his head at her. "It''s been a long week, love." She sighed and nodded at him in agreement. She started to eat the sd that Benjamin brought her. "How is Maisey getting on?" I asked. "Doing well, just bored silly, but Nina''s giving her a new project to work on." "Oh, what is that?" He winked at the end and she couldn''t help but feel this new project has something to do with her. "Hi, Alexis greeted, sitting down. "Do you mind if I drop in on the boys when my shift ends at five?" she asked as she started eating. "You don''t need to ask; they''re your nephews," Pandora reminded her and she grinned. "I know that but I still don''t want to throw anyone out." She shook her head. "You''re fine. Ron and Keira are noting until early this evening, and Sia ising tomorrow. My dad and Nina are not nning to be here untilter tonight. Lastly, your mom is due to join us..." she trailed off as she peeked at Benjamin''s watch. "Actually, Mom''s already gone up to the NICU, Alexis smiled at her. Chapter 91 Another week passed and the boys were both two weeks old. Pandor''s dad and Nina had been staying at Lana and Peter''s home duting the week and heading home on the weekends to check on things. All four of them had been great and were getting along swimmingly she was sure that had added to her dad and Nina wanting to move, but she did know that the boys were the main reason. She desperately wanted them to move closer to her, too. She never realized just how much she missed her dad until she had him around every daytely. During the past week, she found that Maiseys new project was making premature baby clothes, and her lucky boys now had arge number of clothes to try out. She had been enjoying it so much that she had donated arge amount to the NICU to give to the parents of little ones going home. If someone told her this a few months ago, she would''ve been surprised, but after getting to know the Parks family, she knew it was just the way they were. The entire family enjoyed performing random acts of kindness and giving to those they could help. All of them had fully weed Pandora''s family, friends, and her into their family. Not to mention the support they had provided with the Derrik situation. Pandora knew damn well that the attorney fees they had helped pay for had been substantial in taking care of things with her ex. Of course, her father could have helped out, but this was not his expertise and he rather preferred to find someone local and specialized in such cases to help out. Her home was no longer hers; She had turned it over to the family living there. They would make the rest of the house payments to Pandora and she would put the money into an ount for her sons future. There was no way she could have put them out on the street. Out of everyone in that cluster-fuck, they, too, were victims and didn''t deserve what Derrik did to them. The down payment they made was still missing, but the rest of the sale''s price would be paid monthly to the ount thewyer set up for her. Thewyer also rewrote the contract of the house sale, and it was the only legally binding sale of the property. Pandora would never have thought Derrik was smart enough to do the damage he had done to so many people, but he had made a mess of things. Milton''s brother was awyer specializing in domestic disputes and financial crimes, so he was helping, too. Milton told Benjamin and her that Walter and his brother together had connections and could find things people didn''t want to be found. Pandora had been assured that if the money existed anywhere, it would be found. "Benjamin, Pandora," Freddy said, making her jump since she was lost in her thoughts. "I am happy to discharge Jack today, he announced with a smile on his face. Pandora smiled and looked at Benjamin who had a wide grin on his lips. They both turned back to Freddy, who took them through everything they needed to know about Jack''s discharge and what machines they would be taking home with them. "If anything happens, or you are worried, just call in," ire instructed softly. "If he has to be readmitted within twenty-four hours, he''lle back here. Any time after that, he will be ced in the children''s ward unless he needs intensive care." Pandora nodded, knowing that she needed to give her this information. It was a scary thought of taking him home only to have to bring him back to the hospital. "He''s ready and he''ll be fine, Benjamin whispered into her ear. They set about getting all the different things signed. It seemed like it took a long time. That''s it; you''re all set," ire announced, looking down. "Don''t worry, Jack, your little brother will being home soon, too," she added, and though she said it to Jack, Pandora knew it was meant for her. She turned and looked at Micheal, and she felt a small sobing out of her, hating that he had to stay. "Pandora, baby, get your big boy home, Micheal and I want to have me guy time. She snorted, shaking her head at Ron who was not even looking at fir. "Don''t worry, Pandora, I''ll make sure he keeps their talk clean. I''ll call you before we leave for the night. It''s going to be all right." Keira tried to reassure her. "Come on, love," Benjamin whispered in her ear. She nced at him and saw that he was just as worried as she was. Taking a deep breath, she let it out. "Okay, I am ready." Benjamin sped her hand and they walked out together as ire pushed the stroller holding Jack and all of his paraphernalia. They got to Benjamin''s car, which was parked at the pick-up point right outside the hospital doors. Shakily, Pandora got in the backseat as Benjamin ced Jack in his car seat right next to her. He loaded up the rest of the items in the trunk before getting into the driver''s seat. "Drive slowly," she pleaded as he started the car. "Was nning on it, love." Her eyes flickered to the rearview mirror to see that he was looking back at her. She gave him an apologetic look, which seemed to make him let out a softugh. He winked at her, and then he drove off. After a long but slow drive, they arrived at Benjamin''s home. He got out and opened Jack''s door and carefully lifted him out as she got out and made her way around to them. As they walked into his house, she was immediately hit with the smell of homemade cooking. "Smells like my mother has been here," Benjaminmented softly. After cing the seat by the sofa, he helped her out of her jacket and then helped her with Jack. "You two sit here, and I''ll go see what she has made for us." Chapter Comments Chapter 92 As Benjamin walked out, Jack started to whimper. Are you hungry again, hele man? Pambora asked, picking him up As soon as he was near her chest, he started to turn his head and hid little mouth was open, searching for her breast. She plugted at his insistent search as she opened her shirt and lowered the bra cuprince the nipple grazed his lips, he attached with gusto and h¨¢s suckle was strong. Since Jack started feeding like that, it had felt as if he was almost permanently attached to her. After everything she want themigh with not being able to hold him, it didn''t bother her at all. She had it been enjoying it. She still had to express milk for Michest. so she made sure that Jack got at least one bottle of breast milk every day. ''He''s feeding again? Benjamin asked as he walked in with two tes of food. Yep, he was acting like he was starving as soon as I picked him up. "Lucky I brought the finger food, huh?" She nodded at him as he ced the te down, sitting next to her. He handed her a quarter of a sandwich and then began to eat his own while watching Jack suckle. Benjamin finished his half sandwich and then reached out and strokedcks cheek. "Can''t believe he''s ours," Benjamin muttered. She turned and looked at him. Did it feel different when you were delivering them? Despite the fact it was two weeks ago, she had never asked him this. She knew it was mostly from her own guilt. She felt guilty that he didn''t know they were his until after the fact. "Yes," Benjamin stopped talking and sighed a little. "I thought it was because of my growing feelings for you. To tell you the truth, I''ve had feelings for both of the boys since the second Iid eyes on them when I did the ultrasound." She watched him swallow. "But now I know that was some part of my brain-my heart-knowing they were mine. Just like you are or at least I hope you will- be." This time, she swallowed. "I really like you, I do." She stopped and pulled her eyebrows together, thinking back to Vegas. "I remember being attracted to you right away, even if I was drunk. Believe me when I say I have been drunker, but I felt something, and that same feeling appeared when I met you again as my doctor." "Then why were you always running from me; it felt as if I was getting closer to you only for a wall to appear." "I thought you were married." Benjamin snorted but nodded at her. "I was the same; I hated that you were married, but at the same time, Lwanted to take you from him because I didn''t think he was looking after you and them." She frowned as she remembered what Milton said about Benjamin''s ex Raegan, and how Benjamin never made ns for her to move in with him. "The room you made for the boys and me, why did you do it?" she asked as Benjamin looked down at her and she felt the need to rify what she meant. "Milton told her about Raegan and the reason, or at least one of the reasons you split up. He said it was because of you not moving the rtionship to the next level." Benjamin looked at her and frowned. "I''m not sure; the thought of having Raegan around me twenty-four-seven scared the shit out 09:54 501, Ma of me. I didn''t want it. Rol with you, the thought the feelings I had and have made me trated, hat only ferauts i want it on hardly I was sure you would turn me down. Benjamin leaned back. I tell everything alinst Masdan and my rtionafng, and then you can tell me about you anderk. But we both have to let it afft, nothing But the cold hard truth, okay? In the end, Benjamin raised his Brow and looked at her to see if she greed, the added at him and tired to fame him, after pettive the sleeping Jack into his seat. Benjamin and she spent most of the right talking about their past rtionships, which almost echoed each other. Raegan and Dettik seemed like two peas in a pod. Both were takers, either of them liked to work but loved the money and attention: Upon listening to Benjamin, it seemed to hit her just how much time they both wasted on self-centered assholes. At bedtime, she was happy to see that Benjamin had set up a bass in the room that joined with the boys mom. It was mea because this way, she could see Jack but he was still in his own room Not that Benjamin and she were able to sleep much. "Hi, Rita," Benjamin called. "This is my wife Pandora, and my son Jack. Pandora, this is my father''s receptionist Rita." "I have heard so much about you," Rita grinned at her but her full attention was quickly on jack. "Oh thank god he''s taking after has mama she carried on as her eyes looked up to meet hers. "I was scared he would take after this one," she said, nodding at Benjamin. "Hey,¡± Benjaminined, which just made Rita roll her eyes. "Don''t give me grief, I changed your diapers," was all Rita said as she opened the office door. "Are you going to hold that against me for the rest of my life?" "It''s been thirty years, Benjamin, and I still can''t get the smell out of the office! Anyway, your mom is already here." Pandora chuckled under her breath as she walked into Peter''s office "Look, Jack, it''s Grandma Lana," she told him as she looked at Lana, who was setting up what looked like a small fridge. "There''s my best boy," she cooed out at Jack. "Hey, Mom," Benjamin said grinning, which made Lana''s smile drop a little. "I was talking to Jack," she said right away as she took Jack from Pandora. "I have been reced?" Benjamin asked her. Chapter Comments 4 POST COMMENT NOW Chapter 93 "Well, yeah, I''ve got two of thes cutie pies now and there''s only one of you,'' she replied without looking at him. "How wasst night? Lana asked putting the Dottle of milk she brought with them in the fridge. "It went well," Pandora told her but she shook her head chuckling gently. "The first night-week-1 had Benjamin home, I just about slept in his bed with him. I would have if Peter allowed me to. "Yeah, I seem to have fallen into the trap of needing to check if he''s breathing," she confessed. She knew full well she had freaked out a few times because Jack''s breathing movements were so slight that she often missed them. "It does get easier, but I still worry about my kids. I even held my finger under Maisey''s nose after her ident, just to make sure she was still breathing." Lana kept her words soft, so there was a chuckle to her tone, but Pandora knew full well she did in fact do 1. it. In an odd way, it made her feel better than and not as paranoid as she was feeling before. "You two go and see Micheal, and Jack and I will meet you for lunch she said with a smile. Pandora nodded at her and Benjamin moved her to the door. She stopped and turned back to her. "Thank you," she whispered. "Your mother is amazing," Pandora told Benjamin as they walked to see Micheal in the NICU. "Yeah I know, and think I am realizing just how amazing and lucky I am to have her." Her body seemed to move closer to Benjamin. He had been waiting for her, and weed her beside him, as close as possible. Benjamin shook his head but kissed the top of her. It was as if he, too, was slightly shocked that their bodies gravitated to one another without a spoken word passing between them. Exactly five days after Jack came home, they took Micheal home. While Pandora was sad to say goodbye to nurses like ire, she was excited to get her two boys home together and settled. No more going back and forth between the two of them. "We''re home," Benjamin announced, walking her in. They walked into the living room, and sitting there were Benjamin''s family, her family, and their friends with arge banner saying "Wee home, Parks." The sight of them all, happy and seemingly like one big family made Pandora start to cry. "Oh, I told you this would overwhelm her," Lana told them as she hugged her. "No, this is just unexpected." Benjamin sat her down as Nina and Lana took the boys. "Well, since you are already crying, we have gifts; it''s best to get them opened so this crying thing can stop, Ron joked, waving his hand. "Don''t be an ass, Ron!" Keira shushed him as she passed a gift to her and another one to Benjamin. She turned to look at Benjamin. He grinned, leaning over and kissing her before turning to open the gift. She watched him for a few minutes as he spoke to Milton, Ron, and her dad. She loved how he got along with them. There was no macho man act, or ''I''m better than you'' attitude. He was not trying to upset them or piss someone off. Benjamin was just himself and he was perfect. She rxed, knowing that was who Benjamin was, and nothing about his behavior was forced. "Come on, Pandora, open the gifts, Maisey cheered. She looked at her and saw that Maisey now had Micheal in her arms. I want to know what you think." Pandora nodded and started to pen the gifts. For the first time since bing a mother, she felt as if she could do it. Pandora was awoken by Micheal''s small cries. She yawned as she kicked her leg out of the bed. "Hang on little guy. Momma''sing," she whispered as she walked to him. She lifted him and kissed his head. "I need to change your bottom first before I feed you." She put him down on the changing table and started to change him, but he started to cry harder as his hand went in his mouth. "Hey, no eating your hand," she said, feeling guilty when she saw the tears in his eyes. ¡°Just two minutes baby," she mumbled to him, hoping that she could reassure him his meal wasing soon. She sat down on the chair and ced the pillow on herp. She helped Micheal getfortable and then attached him to her breast. He just started nursing'' when Jack woke up crying. "Hey, baby, just give Mommy a few minutes," she cooed at Jack. ''Shit, how I can feed them both? "Jacky, Micheal has only been eating for a few minutes, you need to wait," she sighed. -Benjamin walked in looking sleepy and went straight to Jack. Pandora watched as he picked him up and started to change him. "Love, do you want to try them one on each breast or should I just bottle-feed Jack?" Benjamin asked. Thinking it over quickly, she knew it would take five minutes to warm a bottle and Jack was already impatient. "I''ll try double feeding," she replied, though she was unsure she could manage to do it. "Okay,¡± Benjamin walked around with Jack getting another pillow, heid it on her other knee and helped ce Jack in position. She grinned as he helped Jack get attached. "Thank you," she said with a smile. "No problem,¡± he yawned. "Next time, please wake me up; I would like to be a part of this, too, even if I am home just after a shift. She tilted her head at him, not liking the idea of him working hard and only getting a few hours of sleep because he wanted her to get him up to help. Benjamin picked up on her inner fight because he cupped her face. Chapter Comments 2 POST COMMENT NOW Chapter 94 "I want every moment I can ha with them. Soon they''ll be walking talking, and before you know it, leaving us. I don''t want to miss a thing." She nodded. "Okay, I will, but on the nights they bottle feed, feel free to let me sleep, she chuckled, partially joking. "That''s fine," he agreed before winking at her. They both leaned in towards each other and kissed. "Do you want something to drink or eat?" Benjamin asked as he hugged her, watching the boys feed. "Yes, please, I''d love to have a ss of warm milk." Benjamin nodded before kissing her head and then got up and walked out of the room. She looked back down to see that Micheal had finished and just seemed to be watching Pandora dazedly. She was looking into his eyes, noticing that they were changing to a clear grey color. "You have your daddy''s nice grey eyes," she told Micheal and his mouth seemed to make an ''O'' shape as if he was surprised. "Here''s your warm milk, Benjamin said as he ced the ss down on the small table between. the chairs. "Thank you, could you take Micheal? He''s all done, but still needs to be burped." Benjamin nodded before reaching out and picking up Micheal. Once he was safely in his arms, he shocked Pandora by tucking her breast away. He winked at her when she gasped. "I''ve been dying for a quick feel," he joked while moving Micheal to his shoulder, making her shake her head at him. "You had a feel, at my first appointment with you," she reminded him. "I know, but that was as your doctor. I can''t go molesting my patients'' breasts." "I wouldn''t have minded." "Is that so?" he asked as Micheal let out a small burp. "Come on, I was wet, and I know that you knew I was turned on." "I think even the nurse could see that, love. What I meant was about letting me take advantage of you." "You can''t take advantage of the willing." Benjamin just hummed. "Goodnight, Micheal," he whispered. Pandora watched him get up and ce Micheal down after kissing his head. Her eyes flickered to Jack who just stopped feeding. He looked milk-drunk and gave her a big yawn. She raised him to her shoulder and patted his back. Almost right away, he let out a belch and she giggled. "Goodnight, my big boy," she whispered to him. Standing up, she moved to his bed, kissed him andy him down. "So, do you want to put that breast away or should I?" he asked, looking at her. She didn''t get a chance to respond before he stalked toward her without saying another word. He kissed her and his hand moved to her breast. He gently rubbed her breast with the palm of his hand. It felt good, and she got that tingling sensation in her stomach down to herdy bits. Leaning forward, he kissed her as his hand stroked her breast. She let out a moan in his mouth. His tongue entered her mouth, and she felt herself move backward. Before she knew it, they were back their room, and she was on the bed with Benjamin on top of her. His hand moved from her reast and gripped her leg, pulling it over his hip. "Fuck... we need to stop. You can''t do this... not for another month, anyway." The whole thing came out in a moaned plea. "What can we do?" she panted as he moved his lips from her mouth to her neck. "Anything you want, just not full sex. You have to heal, and then we need to be protected before we do that again." "What?" she asked, pulling away a little from him. "I love the boys and wouldn''t change them for the world. But I want to know you better. I want to find my feet as your husband and father before we even think about having any more. Besides, I wouldn''t rmend that you have another child soon after what you went through, and not with your history." Her hand moved to Benjamin''s hair, trying to rx about what she was about to ask. "Do you think it''s possible?" Benjamin sighed as he rolled off of her, but pulled her so she was on her side facing him. "You were taking the pill when you were with Derrik, right?" She shook her head and Benjamin frowned. "I don''t see a reason why we can''t have more children if we want them." Benjamin stopped talking and pulled at his hair. "That''s why I believe Derrik may have been the reason you never had kids." "That can''t be. He got Mackenna pregnant." Benjamin frowned at her. "Are you sure?" "Well yeah, she told me about being pregnant when I caught them. What a way to find out I was being cheated on. And you agreed that she was pregnant that first time but lost it," she reminded him. He looked at her as if he was more confused. "I agreed, how did I agree?" She rolled her eyes closed and chuckled a little at her stupidity. "Mackenna Smith, your patient, the one who was yelling at me outside the clinic that one day, months ago." "That''s your ex''s girlfriend?" "Yeah," she mumbled. "Pandora, do you mind if I run a hair sample on you?" ''Okay, that''s an odd thing to ask,'' she thought. It did not ease her mind that Benjamin looked worried about something. "I can see you''re getting worked up, but I just want to check something out. It''s all purely for my own peace of mind." Okay?¡± she agreed, still wondering what this was about. "Trust me, love, I just want to check something out, and I can''t go into it without breaking HIPPAws, Miss Smith is no longer attached to my practice, but she still has rights and her information is protected. I''m just curious to see if you both have something inmon, that''s all. If you do, I will be able to tell you about yourself only, but I think it could be important information." Chapter 95 "Okay, I trust you," she told him He grinned and got out of bed. She watched as he walked to the boys room and picked up their cups and brought them back in and over to the bed. "Drink up," he said firmly as he started to drink. She sipped her milk, looking at Benjamin. "So tell more about your family." 4 "They are your family now, too. I''m the oldest as you know. Going intobor and delivering Alexis wasn''t any easier on my mom than when she had me. Only with Alexis, she hemorrhaged during delivery." She gasped and Benjamin stopped and kissed her head. "It was hard on my mom and dad. I was young, but I remember running around trying to help as much as I could." Benjamin stopped and grinned at her. "I think that''s where my love of babies started. The years went on, and our family did well but didn''t feelplete. I was fifteen almost sixteen when I started to volunteer at an outreach center. I was ced into the big brother program and met a lot of different kids. That''s how Maisey came into our lives." "Maisey''s adopted?" she asked, feeling a little shocked at that news. "Yeah, but she''s my sister," Benjamin stopped talking and bit his lip. I may have been the oldest but I still..." he shook his head. "When I met Maisey, she was so young. Her mom had just passed away, and within a few months afterward, her dad went to prison for drugs. So I brought her home, and asked my mom and dad if we could keep her." "They agreed, and her father allowed us to adopt her, but she was sad and didn''t think she was a true member of the family. Alexis and I did though, so we made a blood bond with her," Benjamin held out his hand, and she could just make out the faint, small line. "We each made a cut on our right palms and joined them." "That was both sweet and silly, not to mention rming," she told him, making him snort. "Mom and Dad flipped out, but I was the only one who needed stitches. After Maisey came into our lives, I knew that it was meant to be-we were all Parks. Maisey didn''t have a great start in life, so she was always trying to repay our kindness by paying it forward to others. Alexis, never one to be left out, joins us in our giving. Our parents never gave us things just because we wanted them, we had limits. At birthdays, Christmas, or any holidays really, we had to work or volunteer. We knew what money meant, and that nothing in life should be free or easy. Ten years, actually almost eleven years ago, Alexis met Milton, and you know how that went. Then five years ago, Maisey started to date my best friend, Caleb. "You two are... were friends before he married her?" she asked, interrupting him. "Yes. We still are. He was my best friend all the way through school starting in kindergarten. That''s why I know he is good enough for Maisey." "I think I would''ve liked to have had a brother, or even a sister." Her eyes flickered to the boys'' room. "So, I''m happy they have each other." "Me, too. What about the girls and Ron; how did you all meet?" Pandora started to all the little stories about her friends. Even how she met Ron and was taken as his little sister, even though she was his girlfriend''s friend. "It seems I owe Ron for a lot more than what I thought I did," Benjamin stated and she ced down her empty cup. "You don''t owe him anything," Pandora said as she hugged herself against him. "I disagree. He was there for my wife when I couldn''t be. He protected her, saved her, and supported her." Pandora hummed, closing her Eyes and listening to his heartbeat as his hand started to thread through her hair. She grabbed thest of the eggs and bread and started to make French toast for Benjamin and her. "Something smells good," Benjamin moaned as he walked into the kitchen. "I''m making French toast," she replied, looking over her shoulder at him. "We need some food from the store. I need to start a list, but I know we need diapers, bread, milk, and fruit," she said looking back to the skillet. "Go ahead and make a list, and I''ll run out and get the items we need! I have to drop in at the clinic; there are a few files I need to make sure are passed on to the correct people." She nodded and carried on with what she was doing. She ced Benjamin''s te down and looked at the baby monitor. "They are fine," Benjamin assured as he sped her hand in his. "I know, just..." She stopped and sighed, unsure where the overwhelming need to check on them all the time wasing from. "I feel it, too, love. It takes time to trust that they are okay. You have to remember to breathe or you''re going to burn yourself out." He raised his brow, giving her a look to ask if she agreed. "Breathing," she chuckled as she took a dramatic breath in and out. She sat with him and they ate their breakfast. After they were finished and the mess had been cleared up, she sat at the table to work on the grocery list. "Okay, what do we need?" she asked herself out loud. Benjamin listed a few things, and she thought of other grocery items as she wrote. After the list wasplete, she held it out to Benjamin. But she pulled it back, looking for her purse. "What are you looking for?" Benjamin asked. She turned to look at him, but she was unable to talk as he had put on his leather jacket. ''My God, does he look hot in ck leather!'' she thought and felt herself heating up. "Love?" Benjamin chuckled, gaining her attention. Chapter Comments 3 Chapter 96 "Okay, I trust you," she told him He grinned and got out of bed. She watched as he walked to the boys room and picked up their cups and brought them back in and over to the bed. "Drink up," he said firmly as he started to drink. She sipped her milk, looking at Benjamin. "So tell more about your family." 4 "They are your family now, too. I''m the oldest as you know. Going intobor and delivering Alexis wasn''t any easier on my mom than when she had me. Only with Alexis, she hemorrhaged during delivery." She gasped and Benjamin stopped and kissed her head. "It was hard on my mom and dad. I was young, but I remember running around trying to help as much as I could." Benjamin stopped and grinned at her. "I think that''s where my love of babies started. The years went on, and our family did well but didn''t feelplete. I was fifteen almost sixteen when I started to volunteer at an outreach center. I was ced into the big brother program and met a lot of different kids. That''s how Maisey came into our lives." "Maisey''s adopted?" she asked, feeling a little shocked at that news. "Yeah, but she''s my sister," Benjamin stopped talking and bit his lip. I may have been the oldest but I still..." he shook his head. "When I met Maisey, she was so young. Her mom had just passed away, and within a few months afterward, her dad went to prison for drugs. So I brought her home, and asked my mom and dad if we could keep her." "They agreed, and her father allowed us to adopt her, but she was sad and didn''t think she was a true member of the family. Alexis and I did though, so we made a blood bond with her," Benjamin held out his hand, and she could just make out the faint, small line. "We each made a cut on our right palms and joined them." "That was both sweet and silly, not to mention rming," she told him, making him snort. "Mom and Dad flipped out, but I was the only one who needed stitches. After Maisey came into our lives, I knew that it was meant to be-we were all Parks. Maisey didn''t have a great start in life, so she was always trying to repay our kindness by paying it forward to others. Alexis, never one to be left out, joins us in our giving. Our parents never gave us things just because we wanted them, we had limits. At birthdays, Christmas, or any holidays really, we had to work or volunteer. We knew what money meant, and that nothing in life should be free or easy. Ten years, actually almost eleven years ago, Alexis met Milton, and you know how that went. Then five years ago, Maisey started to date my best friend, Caleb. "You two are... were friends before he married her?" she asked, interrupting him. "Yes. We still are. He was my best friend all the way through school starting in kindergarten. That''s why I know he is good enough for Maisey." "I think I would''ve liked to have had a brother, or even a sister." Her eyes flickered to the boys'' room. "So, I''m happy they have each other." "Me, too. What about the girls and Ron; how did you all meet?" Pandora started to all the little stories about her friends. Even how she met Ron and was taken as his little sister, even though she was his girlfriend''s friend. "It seems I owe Ron for a lot more than what I thought I did," Benjamin stated and she ced down her empty cup. "You don''t owe him anything," Pandora said as she hugged herself against him. "I disagree. He was there for my wife when I couldn''t be. He protected her, saved her, and supported her." Pandora hummed, closing her Eyes and listening to his heartbeat as his hand started to thread through her hair. She grabbed thest of the eggs and bread and started to make French toast for Benjamin and her. "Something smells good," Benjamin moaned as he walked into the kitchen. "I''m making French toast," she replied, looking over her shoulder at him. "We need some food from the store. I need to start a list, but I know we need diapers, bread, milk, and fruit," she said looking back to the skillet. "Go ahead and make a list, and I''ll run out and get the items we need! I have to drop in at the clinic; there are a few files I need to make sure are passed on to the correct people." She nodded and carried on with what she was doing. She ced Benjamin''s te down and looked at the baby monitor. "They are fine," Benjamin assured as he sped her hand in his. "I know, just..." She stopped and sighed, unsure where the overwhelming need to check on them all the time wasing from. "I feel it, too, love. It takes time to trust that they are okay. You have to remember to breathe or you''re going to burn yourself out." He raised his brow, giving her a look to ask if she agreed. "Breathing," she chuckled as she took a dramatic breath in and out. She sat with him and they ate their breakfast. After they were finished and the mess had been cleared up, she sat at the table to work on the grocery list. "Okay, what do we need?" she asked herself out loud. Benjamin listed a few things, and she thought of other grocery items as she wrote. After the list wasplete, she held it out to Benjamin. But she pulled it back, looking for her purse. "What are you looking for?" Benjamin asked. She turned to look at him, but she was unable to talk as he had put on his leather jacket. ''My God, does he look hot in ck leather!'' she thought and felt herself heating up. "Love?" Benjamin chuckled, gaining her attention. Chapter Comments 3 Chapter 97 "What do you mean ''what''? Do you need a heating aid now, too? I fold you to fuck off, Raegan." "But-" "But nothing, Raegan, I made my feelings clear to you at Maisey''s wedding, and again when you called me. We are done, and even if I wasn''t married, I still wouldn''t ever be with you. Now I am married and have been for over nine months to my beautiful wife, and i have two sons." "Really, Benjamin, you went out and got that slut pregnant? ¡°She is not a slut!" Emily and Benjamin yelled at the same time. ¡°Please, can I?¡± Emily said, grinning at Benjamin. "Please, if you could, Emily," Benjamin replied. Pandora opened her mouth to talk, but Emily grabbed Raegan. One hand was in her hair while the other had a tight hold on Raegan''s arm, and she marched Raegan out the front door. "Okay, so that was Raegan?" Pandora asked as Benjamin sighed and nodded at her. "Yeah, I am sorry. I tried to get back here as quickly as I could." "How did you know she was here?" "Emily texted me and told me she was here." "Well, I took out the trash, but I have to ask. Just what in the hell did you stay with that bitch for?" Emily asked as she flopped down on the chair and started to drink the coffee Pandora made her "You used to live here?" she asked, realizing Raegan thought Emily still lived here. Emily looked at Benjamin, and then at her. "Yes, Taylor and I broke up for two years. During that time, I went out with another guy who was heavy-fisted. To make a long story short, I was living with the guy, and one time he was angry. I''m not sure why, but he turned up at work and hit me hard enough to break my nose. Benjamin stepped in, and when he found that I had nowhere to go, he invited me to stay here." "Raegan hated it. She hated that I was living here and she wasn''t even invited to stay over all that much. I met Taylor again at Maisey''s wedding, and we reconnected." She covered Emily''s hand, knowing full well she just downyed all of it, "I''m sorry." Emily waved her off. "I am fine, but Benjamin allowing me to move here for those few months helped me a lot. And, it should have given both him and Raegan a clue that their rtionship was not good. I mean, he knew her for eight years and he never asked her to move in. But he knew me less than a year, and you, well... you know. The way you two are together, that''s how you are when you''re involved with someone." 10 "It''s not that I think Raegan wasn''t in love with Benjamin, but I think it was more the things about Benjamin that she truly loved. She loved his money, looks, title, family background, and standing in themunity. Her biggest goals were always to make sure she and Benjamin we seen in public in the right ces." "You know the same way I used to be in high school, where I would make sure I kissed the guys in front of everyone? How I always told everyone how happy and in love we were, but behind closed doors, I was colder than a fish with them?" Pandora''s eyes shed to Benamin who nodded in agreement. "Okay, I think it''s best I get back to work, and you stay away from the clinic," she said, waving her finger at Benjamin. "Tonk after your wife, and make sure she gets some rest. When I got here today, he was busy scrubbing and cleaning things. Pandora hissed at Emily to be quiet as she felt Benjamin''s eyes on the side of her head. "Thanks, Emily, and I will," he said. "Oh, make sure before youe back to the clinic that you give her the rundown on the bitches at work. No wait, I''ll do that next time I visit. I know you don''t like tobel them the way they deserve to be." ? "Thanks,'' she replied, picking up that Emily meant the ones that had a thing for Benjamin. She opened the door, but she was surprised to see a man standing there with his hand raised as if he was about to knock, "Hello," she said. "Hello, are you Ms. Pandora Leonard?" "Yes, that''s me?" "You''ve been served," he said, handing her a stack of papers and walking away. Pandora looked down at the paperwork and gasped, falling back into Benjamin''s arms. "Pandora, what''s going on?" he asked. ¡°He''s taking me to court and suing me for full custody of the boys!" she cried. Benjamin carried her to the sofa, and together, they read over the papers. There was an emergency hearing set, and Derrik was iming the boys were his children. Benjamin knelt before her on the couch. "Breathe, love," he guided her as he took the papers from her. "I''ll call the troops in," Emily whispered, as if in shock, or maybe it was just Pandora. "What the fuck is he ying at?¡± she asked out loud, yet not directed at anyone in particr. "He knows they cannot be his. I mean, do the math. Any first grader could deduce it is impossible. We''ve been divorced for ten months and we separated twenty months ago. Not to mention it''s been twenty-four or more months since west had sex." "Is he that stupid, does he think I am an elephant?" she asked harshly as her eyes finally rested on Benjamin. "I''m not sure, love. But the court will turn him away. We already have indisputable DNA, showing I am the father of the boys." "Yeah, I know, and once again he''ll get a p on the hand and be told to leave me alone. It is the same thing they tell kids at school who bully others. Don''t do it anymore, but it doesn''t make a difference because they still torment and tease the people they see as weaker than them." Chapter 98 "Why do they have to wait unti someone is physically hurt to put an end to this stuff? Hell, they ought to be persecuting him, because he caused me to go into prematurebor and deliver our boys early. He endangered their health as well as mine!" She jumped up and started to walk to the door, but she only got a few steps before Benjamin pulled her back to him. "Where are you going?" "To beat the ever-loving fucking hell out of him! I have had enough of this shit, this needs to end, now." "Sweetie," Benjamin hushed her, and his hand went to her head. He pushed her hair back and made her look him in the eyes. "Calm down, love, and let me deal with this. Don''t you worry; he''s not getting away with anything." She shook her head in frustration, and let out a growl before breaking down and crying in Benjamin''s arms. He held her to him as her inner voice repeated the same thing over and over again. ''Come on, Pandora. Pull yourself together, he only wins if you let him break you.'' She kissed Benjamin''s chest and pulled away from him. She wiped her face as Emily handed her a box of tissues. "Look at me, Pandora," she said and turned Pandora to her. "At school, I was a bitch." She turned to Benjam¨ªn. "You really have no idea how bad I was. I never hit anyone, but Ished out in other ways. My verbal attacks were disgusting, and I have no excuse for my past behavior." Her eyes returned to Pandora. "You always took everything I said, and it never seemed to get to you. I know I hurt you, I''m not that stupid, but you never allowed my words to change who you were inside. I think that''s what pissed me off and made me want to get at you even more. Between my need to get to others and the fact that my parents always allowed me just to get away with my behavior, I was terrible." "My abusive ex-boyfriend-what he did to me, in a way, was my just deserts." Pandora shook her head. No woman-Pandora didn''t care how stuck up, bitchy, or nasty they were-deserved to be beaten. Emily nodded as if she could hear what Pandora was thinking. "I know, Pandora, but he started bitching at me. The things he said, the way he made me feel, were in some ways worse than the broken bones he gave me. I hated myself, hated my voice, the way I walked, the way I ate. I hated who I was, but I couldn''t change me." Emily stopped and cleared her throat. "I had already grown up by then, but that showed me just how bad I had been in school. I made a promise to myself that I would change. When I have children I will love them enough to tell them they are wrong, and won''t let them get away with treating others the way I did. I will forever instill in anyone I can that no one has the right to verbally abuse another." She again stopped and gave Pandora a sad look. ¡°When my ex was talking down to me, my mind always seemed to go to you and Derrik. I could see so much of how Derrik behaved not just to you, but how he was with me, in that man''s actions. I felt sad for you because my rtionship was new, but yours was a longer one. When heard you were divorced, I celebrated your freedom." She pulled her brows together and Benjamin chuckled, making her look at him. ¡°She did, she made me join her only saying an old friend had been set free from a bad situation." "This is what he''s doing now; he''s trying hard to break you. Derrik is not stupid. He knows a DNA test will be needed, and he knows he doesn''t stand a chance. He''s just pissed that you have not been doing what he wants you to do, and I me Miriam. That woman gives him money every month like he''s still a teenager. God, even I had to work when I was younger." "Miriam does what?" Pandora asked, interrupting her. "You didn''t know his mother gives him between five hundred and a thousand dors each month and has done so since he was fourteen?" She shook her head just feeling angrier. "It''s why they had to sell the diner." "You''re joking, right?" she gasp. Why wasn''t she told that was the reason? Emily just sighed and shook her head. "She is partially to me. She raised a self-centered asshole. I know my sins and I have grown up and tried hard to repent and atone for what I had done. As for Derrik, I don''t ever see him owning up to his mistakes. But, Pandora, stay strong and let Benjamin handle this. He and hiswyer dealt with my ex, and I''m just a friend. He lo- Emily pped her mouth shut and then cleared her throat. "You''re his wife. Believe me when I say Derrik is not going to know what hit him." 7 Pandora let out a long breath and nodded at Emily. She looked at Benjamin and raised her brow at him. "I want him crying in a fetal position!" Benjamin grinned and nodded. "I''ll be sure to make that happen." "Thank you," Pandora said and looked back at Emily. "I would never have thought the girl that made my school years hell would be the person who lends me strength now." "No problem and I''ll be here for you, and help in any way I can. For now, I''m off to work, and I''ll call in a few favors to see if I can find out where the worm is at." Emily walked out the front door as Benjamin pulled her back to the couch. They just sat down when Jack started to cry. She rubbed her head but before she could stand up, Benjamin was there, picking him up from the bass. Chapter Comments 13 POST COMMENT NOW Chapter 99 "Momma will change you while Daddy gets your bottle ready, okay? Benjamin''s eyes shed to her and she nodded, smiling as he handed her Jack. "I can''t believe you are hungry again, you were just fed not too long ago, little man," shemented to him. She changed Jack''s diaper and just as she finished, Benjamin walked in with a bottle. "Come to Daddy," he cooed, grinning as he sat down next to Pandora She ced Jack in his arms andid her head on Benjamin''s shoulder. She rxed, watching him talk gently to Jack as he fed the baby. "You make this look so easy,¡± she said, feeling a little jealous at how easy Benjamin was adapting to everything. "I have had years of experience with babies," Benjamin replied with a wink. Micheal started to cry, making Pandora hum. She kissed Benjamin''s lips and stood up to get him. Once he was changed, she took her breast out so that she could feed him. "Oh, breast alert," Milton hissed, spinning around so that his back was to Pandora. "And yeah, Benjamin, I have to agree, well at least to one that is, nice and perky, for sure." Pandora raised her brow and looked at Benjamin, whose face was flushed. "It was the morning after in Vegas that I said that and I was still drunk," Benjamin stuttered out. "And the day after that... And the day after that, and so on. Um, hello, back turned here, is the breast hidden away by one of the boys'' heads yet?" Milton asked whileughing, clearly cracking himself up. "Yes," Benjamin hissed. "Oh that''s good, didn''t need to see more of that," Milton said, turning around. "I''m here to grab those papers from you, so I can make a copy and drop them off at my brother''s." "How do you know already?" she stuttered out. "Emily texted me. She sent out a mass text to everyone in fact." "They''re on the table," Benjamin said, motioning with his head to the stack of papers. Milton picked up the paperwork and read it through, and then rolled his eyes. "Okay, I need to take care of this. Mom should be here soon, she went to pick up Maisey first." Milton waved, walking out of the house and she looked around at Benjamin. "Yes, he does that often," was Benjamin''s simple reply to her unspoken question. He leaned over and kissed her lips. She smiled into the kiss, despite the fact they had yet to dere their love for each other. She knew she was close, she felt so much for him. From the looks he returned, she was hoping that he felt the same. "Okay, Jacky. Time to see if you have any air in your tummy." Benjamin rubbed and patted Jack''s back, making him belch and fart at the same time. "Thanks, son," he chuckled as he went back to feeding him. Hey, I have lunch, and I made your favorite cake. I''ll make you both a te, and then we can get down to business," Lana blurted out as she walked into the living room, and headed straight to the kitchen. "Hey. Her head turned and she saw Maisey slowly sitting down in the chair across from them. "How are you feeling?" she asked, as Maisey seemed out of breath. "Getting there... slowly." Pandora frowned, knowing just by looking at her that she was disappointed that her healing process wasn''t progressing fast enough for her liking. ¡°Take your time and get better so I can go out dancing with my sister-inw, she joked, but Maisey''s eyes sparkled. "Yes, that is a great idea... you two should definitely get remarried. Pandora''s mouth dropped open but nothing came out. "If you like I could make a wedding dress for you," Maisey said, seemingly unaware or just t-out ignoring the fact her words had shocked Pandora. "What''s got you so happy?" Lana asked, walking into the room. "Pandora and Benjamin are going to get married again, and I am going to design her dress. In return, she wants me fit and able to dance with her!" Maisey gushed out. "Oh, when are you thinking of doing this?" Lana inquired, looking at her. "I... I. She couldn''t speak. How did she tell them that was not what she meant? "We''re still talking about it, but we''re leaning toward our anniversary date," Benjamin replied smoothly. "That''s not even three months away!" Lana stuttered, walking to Benjamin. Pandora''s eyes moved to her, and she took Jack before walking back with him to Maisey. "Love, close your mouth," Benjamin whispered, making her look at him. She gave him a pleading look, hoping he saw it was not what she meant. Benjaminughed lightly and moved her hair, cing it behind her ear. "I want to marry you again. This time, neither of us will be drunk." He stopped and swallowed. His eyes moved to Micheal, and he stood and picked him up. He handed Micheal to his mom. "I''ll be back," he told them. He walked to her, pulled her up, and took her out to the back deck. I''m just going to say it out loud, I am in love with you," he said and her heart took off. Benjamin dropped his head and looked down. "I told you that I felt something for you both the first times I saw you, both in Vegas and my office. Being your doctor and believing that you were married... it hurt and I didn''t understand why. I just always had this constant emptiness that only left when I was with you." "I''m sorry," Pandora blubbered. "I..." She stopped. "At first it was a mistake. I should have been clear right away, but admitting I was single and pregnant was hard for me. It was as if I was admitting to the validity of all of the hateful nasty things Derrik had said about me. I felt like I would be seen as being dirty, and a bad mom because I wasn''t married. I saw your photo, and just wanted to have what I thought you had." Chapter Comments POST COMMENT NOW 2 Chapter 100 She shook her head, knowing that she hade close to losing him ¡°I love you, too, she sobbed. ''I love you and need you more than I have ever needed anyone, and that scares the shit out of me, she told him truthfully. He opened his arms and she moved to him. They both held each other close. Are you sure you want to marry me and be my husband?" Benjamin tilted his head down and she looked up at him. We''re alrearly married, sweetheart. The only question is do we-you-want to do it again, and do it right this time in front of our family and friends?" She nodded at him, making him grin. "Not good enough, you have to verbally say it." "Yes, I want to marry you again and do it right this time," Pandora replied firmly and his grim got even bigger. "Yes," he hissed before kissing her. "So, we''ll recite our vows again on our anniversary then, now we just have to get it all booked." "Yes, my wedding''s going to be that day again," she said, stopping and biting her lip. "The same day as my birthday, she told him shyly. "I know," he replied, causing her to tilt her head at him. "It''s in your file. I just thought it was a coincidence when I first noticed it." Pandora rolled her eyes at her stupidity. Of course, he knew her personal information. "When is your birthday?" she asked. "May twenty-fifth." "That''s very soon then," she gasped and Benjamin nodded before pulling her close and kissing her again. Thest week should have been filled with Benjamin and Pandora getting used to being a family, but instead, they had been working with attorneys, building a case for the court, which started the next day. "Hi, Milton said as he walked in along with the familywyer. Over the past week, Pandora had grown ustomed to Benjamin''s family walking in without knocking or ringing the doorbell. Thankfully, they all texted first, unless they were summoned over. "You''re workingte," Pandoramented but felt nervous about the fact that they both looked worried. "Milton, Mr. Hill, Benjamin greeted, taking hold of her hand as he sat beside her. "We have something we can use against Derrik," Milton started off softly. "I have enough evidence to tie him to the sale of your bedroom set and missing furnishings. I also have records of the jewelry which was sold at a local pawn shop." She gasped, stopping Milton''s talking. "He sold my grandma''s set?" she asked, feeling a mix of anger and hurt. Milton''s eyes flickered to Benjamin and then came back to her. "No, he gave that to Miss Smith, Milton swallowed. "Now, this is going to hurt and upset you so let me get it all out before you ask any questions, okay?" Pandora nodded, knowing she needed to know what he was going to say, but hated the fact that she had to hear it. "We''ve connected him to the house sale as well. He managed to get your documents because he had ess to your home by working under a false name for a securitypany. He also tampered with my police car, that''s why the tire went t and we crashed into the curb. We can prove that due to the camera the city installed in my vehicle, I also believe he tampered with your vehicle, but that''s currently spection." "The money he gained from the sale of your home to five different families totaled nearly one million dors, but he has spent almost three-quarters of it." In shock at the amount, her eyes popped wide open. "How on earth did he manage that?" Milton''s eyes flickered to Benjamin so she followed him and saw that Benjamin looked angry. "I guess since this was my idea, Milton is silently telling me it is my turn. The hair sample I took from you was clean. But I suspected something was off due to your ability to be pregnant so easily by me. On a hunch, I looked at your past health records from your primary care provider and found that each time you went in for a yearly exam, your body had high levels of synthetic hormones showing." She frowned at Benjamin, who closed his eyes. "Mr. Hill managed to talk Mackenna into having a blood test, and she also has high levels of synthetic hormones in her system. When Milton searched her home, he found unmarked tablets that have been confirmed to be a high dose form of birth control pills." Benjamin stopped and licked his lips. "I believe that Derrik was drugging your morning coffee with the same pills that Milton found. He has also clearly been doing this with Miss Smith. There was never an issue for you to have children. The scar tissue from your endometriosis was not as bad as you thought. From what we have figured out, the reason you were unable to be pregnant was due to the high levels of birth control you had been taking." Pandora felt her bottom lip wobble. Benjamin sped her face and she looked at him. "But the baby, her baby... she was pregnant," she whimpered, praying that Derrik wasn''t cruel enough to do anything to hurt her or her unborn child. "I can''t prove it at this point, but I believe he may have given her another drug to cause her body to reject the baby." Her hand covered her mouth, feeling pain for Mackenna and the innocent child she lost. Though she didn''t know the loss of a child, Pandora knew what going through the worry of a child possibly not surviving felt like. "How... I mean how? Why couldn''t I see who he really was when I was married to him?" she asked Benjamin who shrugged. "You knew him as a young boy. You dismissed the selfish parts of him to just be a w in his character," Milton exined. Chapter 101 "You worked many hours, and your brain may have been too tired of ust didn''t want to see or ept that everyone was right about him. Add that to the daily verbal abuse and it fits. He was sly and always made it seem as if he was trying to help you." "I have seen many men and women in the same situation. Some people just know how to y the game. And I''ll bet that up until finding the two of them in apromising position, Derrik had gotten his way in everything in your marriage and your wants had been pushed to the side." Milton raised his eyebrow but Pandora nodded, knowing he was right. She had to ept her responsibility for Derrik''s behavior towards her. After all, she allowed and even encouraged it. "So when you didn''t give in to his demands during the divorce, it sent him down the path to making you regret it. Only he made mistakes, he''s not as smart as he thinks he is. He will pay the price, for everything he has done. The District Attorney is filing charges and intends to go for the maximum sentence on everything is office can prove." "Thank you," Pandora whispered and Milton winked at her. "On a happier note, I arrested Raegan today," Milton announced with entirely too much glee. "Come on, you know you wanna ask, so one of you,e on and ask me why!" He bounced like a child strung out on sugar, waiting his turn in line for an amusement park ride. "I don''t really give a shit," Benjamin said bluntly, which made Milton look as if Benjamin ran over his puppy or something. "Okay fine! Why, oh, why, dear Milton, did you arrest her?" Pandora asked, batting her eyes at him. Milton snorted, making Milton huff. "Shoplifting," he muttered after Benjamin had stripped him of his excitement. Pandora gave Benjamin a side nce and saw that he was looking at her. "Eh, Milton, are you sure?" she asked since Benjamin seemed speechless. Milton smirked. "I am positive, now ask me what she was stealing," he whispered excitingly, having returned to the gusto he was reeling in before. "What was she stealing?" Benjamin questioned. "A dildo." Again, her eyes went wide and she had to swallow back theughter bubbling up. "A dildo?" she finally said with a loud snorting noise due to theughter still building in her chest. "Yep, A dildo. And it was a big ck one too. Just like the one that was flushed down your toilet." "You flushed a sex toy down the toilet?" Benjamin questioned, sounding confused and shocked. "No, Derrik did at my house to cause problems," she replied dryly. "And before you ask, no I didn''t have a big ck dildo in the first ce. Now back to Raegan. She stole a sex toy-arge sex toy-why Milton just shrugged. "She refuses to say anything other than calling me a dick. Of course, it was at the sex shop downtown, and that new busy club is down there too. I put her in handcuffs and hauled her out in front of the store. The lights were on and I even had backup arrive, with lights and sirens ring." "Needless to say, there were a lot of people watching from across the street. Oddly enough, that new club is one of those higher- ss ces where you have to be a member, and well most of the people knew who she was. I especially had fun stating to her again, loudly, outside of the car that she was being arrested for the theft of a sex toy." "I even re-read the Miranda rights to her. Several of the people were videoing the arrest and ording to Alexis, it is already on at least a dozen of Raegan''s personal friends'' social media ounts. It was great! I handcuffed her and put her in the back of the police car after having a femal officer pat her down fully and after her rights were read... a second time. It was epic, I tell you!" Benjamin hummed a little. "That sounds very staged?" Milton gasped and ced his hand over his heart. Benjamin and Pandora just hummed and narrowed their eyes at him. "Okay, you two. Try to get a good night''s sleep and I''ll see you tomorrow." Pandora bit her lip looking down at her two boys. "They''re going to be fine. They have a hoard of family and friends taking care of them," Benjamin said. She huffed, already knowing this, but she still didn''t want to leave them. Benjamin wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back flush with his front. His head dipped down and he softly kissed her neck. She nuzzled closer and ran her hand up and down his arm. "Pandora, Benjamin... we need to get going," her father announced and then cleared his throat. "We''ll be right with you, Walter," Benjamin replied but didn''t let her go. "We should go," she sighed, still wishing she could stay back. "Yeah, let''s get this done with." Benjamin grasped her hand and kept hold of it as they walked out to the living room. Benjamin opened the rear car door, let her get in, and then sat next to her. "You could have sat up front with my dad," she told him but he shook his head. ¡°No, I think I like it back here with you better." His hand went back to hers and he lifted and kissed it. "No offense, Walter." "None taken, son," her dad chortled. They arrived at the courthouse and were directed to the courtroom that was handling their case. "Herees the whore!" Pandora heard Miriam mutter. "When we get the boys home, we''ll need to burn everything she touched and give them a good bath. As for the stupid names she gave them; they need to be changed. Make sure to ask thatwyer of yours to say that!" Chapter Comments POST COMMENT NOW 2 09.50 Chapter 102 ''I know, Momma, Derrik said, unding like a little boy. "Hey, Ron called, kissing the side of Pandora''s head. ¡®See that, she just lets him kiss her and does nothing! That just proves that she''s sleeping with them all like you think. I bet she''s lying and is just saying that doctor is her partner so the judge will look kindly toward her." "Who let the dog out?" Ron asked loudly. Miriam huffed and red at them. "Ron, Milton said in a warning tone. "Not here." Miriam gav? Ron a big smile, showing her teeth because she felt she had won something with her little show. "Preston v Leonard," the court clerk called. Benjamin growled a little but took Pandora''s hand and led her into the courtroom. The Judge who granted the restraining order walked in. His eyes flickered to Derrik and stayed there as the case was read by the court clerk. Once they were told to be seated, Mr. Hill remained standing. "Your honor, may counsel approach the bench?" "Yes," the judge stated as both Hill and Derrik''s attorney moved toward the judge. Once they stopped, the judge looked at Hill. "Mr. Hill, I believe you wish to address something?" "Yes, your honor. This documentation is proof that Ms. Leonard is married and is legally known as Mrs. Parks. Therefore, we ask that she be addressed as such in this hearing and any other hearings going forward should that need ever arise." Miriam tutted loudly, making the judge''s head snap to her. "Mrs. Preston, listen and listen well. This is a courtroom, and right now this courtroom is mine. That means my rules and my words are final. You will either control yourself or leave. If you interrupt or make another sound thates across as an insult or threat, you will be put in jail for contempt of court." The judge lifted his brow, almost as if he was begging her to say something out of line. When she said nothing, he turned back to address Hill and Derrik''s attorney. He looked over the paperwork Hill had given him and looked at Derrik''s attorney. "The paperwork is legal, Mrs. Parks is the Defendant''s true legal name, so therefore going forward, she will be addressed as such." "Yes, your honor," Derrik''s attorney stated. "Counsel you may return to your seats. When this case showed up on my docket, I was shocked and before either side says anything, I would like to address something with Mr. Preston." Derrik remained sitting in his chair, and his attorney stood. "Your honor, this seems highly unorthodox." "With all due respect, you were Mr. Preston''s attorney for his dissolution and for the restraining order hearing as well. Therefore, what I need to address with you and your client is relevant and needs to be addressed immediately. Also, I believe I covered this with Mrs. Preston, but this is my courtroom and I will handle this case by thew, but in my way, do you understand me?" "Yes, your Honor." "Mr. Preston, please make your way to the witness stand," he said, waving his hand to the stand. "Bailiff, please swear in Mr. Preston." The bailiff swore Derrik in and he was told he could sit. "Mr. Preston, I believe thest time you were here, I told you to stay away from Mrs. Parks, Derrik made an attempt to speak best the judge hushed him. "Do no even attempt to darken my court with the lies that Mrs. Parks''s babies are yours. I don''t want to hear it." "Your Honor, I object," Derrik''swyer stated. "Hold your objection and answer a couple of questions for me. Was Mr. Preston sworn in at the dissolution hearing? "Of course, the attorney answered confidently. "And was Mr. Preston sworn into court at the hearing held to have the restraining order ced?" "Absolutely," he stated again. "And finally was Mr. Preston read his Miranda rights when he was arrested and gave his written testimony of the facts as he saw them for harassing Mrs. Parks?" "Yes, I was present when this happened," came his quick answer. "And at the dissolution hearing, when under oath, what did hement about Mrs. Parks?" The attorney seemed unsure of what the judge was asking. "Don''t think too hard. I have a copy of the record from the dissolution hearing right here, should I remind you?" the judge asked but before anyone could say anything, he carried on "Pandora is conniving and evil. She slept around and gave me an STI, and even med me for it all. Yet the truth was that Ms. Parks did not have an STI and stated to the court that time it had been over a year since theyst had sexual contact. Isn''t that correct?" "Yes, your Honor." "Moving on to the deposition and hearing for the restraining order. Mr. Preston, under oath, imed and I quote, "My ex-wife is a whore, she fucks anyone she can. She''s even trying to me that bastard she''s carrying on me and I know this is a lie because it''s been more than a year since west had sex. She is just unaware of whom the father is, and I know that there are at least ten men in the long line of possibilities."" The judge looked at the attorney and raised his brow. ¡°So tell me, was your client lying then, or is he about to lie to me now and be held in contempt of court and charged with perjury?" The attorney swallowed and Hill stood up. "Your Honor, I think we can prove the answer without Mr. Preston or his attorney''s input. I would like to submit the DNA test results which conclusively prove that Dr. Benjamin Parks-Mrs. Parkss husband-is the biological paternal parent to both of the babies that Mrs. Parks gave birth to." He handed the papers to the bailiff who took them and handed them to the judge. Chapter Comments 61 POST COMMENT Chapter 103 "We have proof those babies are Mr. Preston''s," Derrik''s attorney stated. "Now, you look here!" Miriam yelled, standing up. "He was drunk and she raped him. He was ashamed and embarrassed about it so he lied." "Mrs. Preston, you were warned and are now in direct contempt of court and have gained yourself thirty days in county lock up and a fine of five thousand dors. Bailiff, remove her!" Miriam''s mouth just opened and closed as she was put in Kandcuffs and, led away. The room was silent, and Derrik looked as if he had seen a ghost. "Your Honor, Detective Milton Banks is present with a bench warrant for Mr. Preston due to breaking the restraining order," the bailiff stated from the door and Milton entered the courtroom. Milton walked up to the bench and handed the paperwork to the judge. The judge read it over and looked at Derrik''s attorney. "Since you and your client are both here, I''ll allow you to have fifteen minutes of conference time, and we will hear your client''s defense on this charge. Mr. Preston, you are not to leave the conference room. Bailiff, please escort Mr. Preston and his attorney to the conference room, now." "Wait, I don''t need no conference, I plead not guilty, and she''s crazy "Have it your way, Mr. Preston. Please stand down and sit beside your attorney. The Court calls Detective Milton Banks to the stand." Milton stepped forward and was sworn in before he sat on the stand. "I believe you have evidence to bring against Mr. Preston?" Milton ran through the number of times Pandora reported things happening in her home and with her car. He also included all of his findings. "Detective Banks, I am unable to ask you any questions regarding pending criminal charges, however, there is evidence documented to show me that Mr. Preston has ignored my restraining order, you may stand down." "Mr. Preston, please stand. Mr. Preston on the vition of the restraining order, I find you guilty on six documented counts. For those six counts, I order you to serve one month for each count in the county lockup. The total time to serve is six months. During that time I''m sure you will have been tried and brought to justice on the remaining pending criminal charges. Bailiff, please remove Mr. Preston from the courtroom." Derrik was removed and Pandora swallowed, wishing it would all juste to an end. She sighed at the thought of the inevitable hearing in the future. She wondered how fast it would be. "Mrs, Parks," the judge called. She looked at him and he sighed. "Unfortunately sometimes, and I hate when it does, issuing a restraining order fails. Mr. Preston should have taken my warning seriously. I will make sure that all records from your pending and past cases involving Mr. Preston are brought to the attention of the trial judge. I bid you farewell, and hope that Mr. Preston''s attorney is able to advise his client more suitably this time." He turned to the attorney this time. "You should expect to be hearing from the review board shortly. This case has no validity and is dismissed. The court is adjourned," with those words, he mmed the gavel down and left the courtroom. Pandora watched as the judge left and felt a bit of relief. "Ready?" Benjamin asked and she nodded at him before standing up. As she turned around, she saw Mackenna standing with the man who came to install her arm. "Hi," she said, looking between them, "I''m sorry," the man said softly. "I never knew you were his ex-wife. He stopped and cleared his throat. I never knew he was abusing you or breaking into your home. I am deeply sorry for the pain I have allowed him to give you. Again he stopped talking. "I''ve been fired and I know it doesn''t make up for anything to you, but I just wanted to say sorry in person." Pandora nodded at him. "It wasn''t Mason''s fault. I begged him to give Derrik a job. He-Derri-made me think that you were taking most of fiis wages, and for him to get paid under the table would be the only way we could start over, Mackenna stopped talking and sniffed. I believe this is yours." She handed Pandora a small box. She opened it and saw it was her grandmother''s jewelry set. "Thank you," she said, feeling relieved to have it again. the way that i "He..." She broke down and started to sob hard. "I''believed him. I believed everything he said. I thought he foyed me, loved him." She rubbed her head as if she found her thoughts hard to follow or believe. "I have already agreed to give full testimony to the District Attorney''s office. I know about a number of times he and I were at your home together, and I know he was trying to sell the house and that he was meeting with prospective buyers." "I thought that you had agreed to sell it, and you were doing it together. Although now, I know it wasn''t you. It was a stripper friend of his." Mackenna snorted. "He cheated on me; he cheated on me from the get-go." 1 Pandora frowned as she looked at the woman in front of her. The spiteful words the same woman had said to her when she discovered those two together shed back in her mind. "If someone cheats to be with you, then he''ll cheat on you to be with someone else. That''s what they say, right?" Mackenna sighed and waited for Pandora to respond. When she didn''t, Mackenna continued. "Thanks for listening to us... I''ll let you go now." Pandora watched as Mason led Mackenna, who was still crying, away "Come on, love, let''s get home to our boys," Benjamin whispered. She nodded and felt relieved even knowing she still had the criminal court case to get through. At least for then, she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Chapter Comments Tracy Sills Of course he did! If he''ll do it with you, he''ll do it to you VIEW 1 COMMENT > Chapter 104 Pandora yawned when the rm went off. She reached out and look at the disy to see that it was seven before she clicked off the buzzer. "Go back to sleep, love," Benjamin whispered but she shook her head "No, I want to make you a good breakfast before you leave for your first day back to work, she told him as she got out of bed, wishing the past eight weeks hadn''t gone so fast. When she got to the kitchen, she started to cook bacon and pancakes. Not long after she began things, she heard Jack crying through the baby monitor. Pandora sighed and switched off the stove before going to get him. "Good morning, Jack," she grinned as she picked him up. She set about changing his diaper before sitting down to feed him. She got him fed, settled back down, and and started to head for the kitchen. She barely made it to the door, when, Micheal started to fuss. "Come on, my sweet little man," she said, picking her up. Again, she changed a diaper and sat down to feed the baby. As he was nursing, Benjamin walked into the room. "Love, I need to head out, Benjamin announced, smiling at them. "Give me a few minutes to finish feeding Micheal and I''ll get your breakfast," she said as she moved to get up. "It''s okay. I made myself a piece of toast," Benjamin replied, showing it to her before he took a bite. "Boys, be good for momma," he continued. He leaned in and kissed her head before walking out. She let out a breath as she continued feeding Micheal. She yawned when she ced him down, but decided she should just make herself something to eat and then started her day. She made herself a light breakfast and then cleaned up the kitchen and started a load ofundry. Before she could do anything else, the boys woke up. She bathed them and got them dressed for the day Taking them to the living room, she ced them each in their bass. Then, she made her way to the bathroom to get herself cleaned up and dressed. "Come on and fasten," she huffed, trying hard to fasten her bra. She winced as her breasts felt the strain. "Well, that''s just lovely, I''m going to need to get some new nursing bras," she mumbled, looking down at the girls spilling over the tops of her suddenly too- tight bra. From the living room, she heard the boys starting to whimper and she called out to them. "Two minutes, darlings, just let momma get dressed," she told them. She quickly threw on some clothes and ced the dirty ones in the hamper. She moved to the living room and picked up the boys. Sheid them on the baby mat, sat down next to them and started singing and talking to them. It seemed like no time had passed before she found herself changing them and feeding them again. "How about I go pack a nice lunch for Daddy and Momma, and we go to visit him for lunch?" she asked the boys. After making sure they were situated in their seats, she moved off to the kitchen to pack lunch. Once she had the lunch packed into the cooler bag that had a shoulder strap, she took it to the car and ced it in the front seat. Going back into the house, she made sure both boys were bundled correctly and grabbed the fully loaded diaper bag. Affer loading the diaper bag, she opened the back doors of the car. She went back into the house and grabbed both seats, one in each hand. After safely setting one onto the back seat, she closed that door and moved to the other side. It took her a few minutes to get the second seat in and buckled. Wiping her brow, she moved back to the other side and opened the door to get the first seat buckled in correctly. "Well, boys, that took me a little longer than I thought it would, but your momma didn''t do too badly for her first time doing it alone. So, are we all ready? Ofay, here we go, she announced, letting out a breath. She was a little nervous. This was her first time being out with them on her own. She arrived at the clinic and got them all unloaded and walked inside, only to be told that Benjamin was at the hospital. After carrying the boys, diaper bag, and cooler bag out to the car and situating them, she headed over to the hospital. She carried the boys into the hospital in their seats. She had got the diaper bag on one shoulder, the cooler bag on the other, and a seat in each hand. She made her way up to Benjamin''s floor, knowing even if he was not there, Emily would be able to track him down for her. "There''s no visiting at this time; you''ll have toe backter," a sharp voice said as she approached the nurses'' desk. "I''m not visiting anyone- I''m looking for Benjamin," Pandora replied and she just huffed at her. "Who?" she asked with her brow high, giving Pandora a look of disgust. "Hey, Pandora," Emily called as she walked to her. "Are you and the boys here to have lunch with Benjamin?" she asked. "We are if I can find him," Pandora replied. "This wasn''t nned, just a spur-of- the-moment kind of thing." Emily nodded. "I''m sure he''ll love to see you all-you are his wife-after all." Emily turned, giving a smile to the nurse who was rude to Pandora. "I''ll page him and let him know you and the boys are here. Do you want to meet him in the cafeteria?" Pandora nodded, thinking that sounded best, and Emily picked up the phone. "Thanks, Emily,¡± she whispered and Emily winked at her. When she got to the cafeteria, she sat at a table and ced both boys'' car seats on the table facing her. She got them unbundled and smiled at their cute sleeping faces. "This is a nice surprise," Benjamin said as he kissed the side of her head. "I''ll get us lunch." "I brought us something to eat; just grab two drinks," she told him. Chapter Comments 01 Chapter 105 It only took Benjamin a few minutes toe back to the table. He had a tray with their drinks and what looked like a couple of desserts. Pandora dug out the sandwiches she packed, and he set out the drinks. ''I''m sorry that I didn''t pack that much, I just wanted to have lunch with you." "This is perfect and really, you couldn''t have carried more than this anyway, along with the boys and their diaper bag. Besides, they had some yummy desserts up there, and the cafeteria always has milk which is good for you right now." She smiled at him. "Next time you want to do this, pack whatever you want and call me. I wille out to the car and help you," Benjamin said, making her look at him. She smiled at him because he was always thinking of her as well as the boys. "How have they been today?" he asked, taking a bite of his sandwich "They''ve been okay, but I think they are missing you- I know I am. "I''m missing all of you, too, so much," he confessed and leaned over to kiss her. Just as she got into the kiss, his pager went off "Sorry, love, I need to go," he sighed, standing up. Benjamin walked off fast and Pandora frowned, taking a long sad breath. As he walked away, she knew that she was finishing her lunch with just the boys. "Hey, Pandora," Emily said softly, sitting down. "Benjamin was called into an emergency surgery. He''s not going to be able to rejoin you right now." Pandora nodded, already having the feeling he wasn''t going to be able toe back as it had been almost twenty minutes. "If you''re all done, I''ll walk you back to the car, or I can get Alexis to help?" "No, I''ll be fine," she told Emily. "Pandora..." Emily called. She shook her head. "My only n for today is to find Benjamin something for being an amazing dad," she informed. "Yeah, and it''s his birthday in a few days too." As Emily talked, Pandora felt her mouth drop open. "Shit," she hissed, "Ipletely forgot," she carried on with a groan. I better get going. I have to find him something for both things on the same day." "Pandora, Emily sighed as she ced her hand on Pandora''s arm. "Don''t panic. Benjamin is easygoing, and he''ll love anything you get him. She grunted along with a nod. "Come on," Emily coaxed, taking one of the boys for Pandora. I''m helping you carry all of this out; I promised Benjamin that I would." Benjamin had been back at work for a week, and she had found out just how much he worked. It felt as if it had been months since theyst talked for more than a few minutes, and right then, the only time they were with each other was at night. She had tried every night to stay up for him but had fallen asleep before he came home. When she had woken up with one of the boys, he had gotten up, too. As luck would have it, it seemed that as soon as they were back to sleep, he got paged. Pandora had even tried to meet him for lunch but found that Emily or Alexis were her main lunch buddies. Today was his birthday, but if was also his day off. "Morning," she whispered into his ear. "Morning," he replied back with a grin. She kissed his lips, smiling. "I made you breakfast," she told him. He smiled and pulled her head down so his lips were back on hers. flipped them so he was on top of her and between her legs, He ran his hand up her leg, stopping at the knee, where he seemed to draw circles on it. He hooked his hand under her knee and dragged it over his hip. His hand continued up her leg, to the top of her panties. As she started to pant, his lips left hers and he nibbled at her neck. Her hands moved down his back and around to his front, grazing his erection. "Fuck," Benjamin hissed. But before they could do anything else, the boys started to cry. Benjamin dropped his head onto her shoulder, and let out a throatyugh. "I think the boys are up," she told him. "My boy is up, too, and our boys are cockblockers." Pandora snorted at Benjamin''s reply and he winked at her. "Come on," he called, getting off of her. He reached out his hand and when she took it, he pulled her up and out of the room. As soon as the boys were changed and she was feeding both of them, Benjamin headed back to their room. He brought in the tray with their breakfast on it. "What would the birthday boy like to do today?" Benjamin tilted his head and wiggled his brows at her. "We''ll have to try thatter," she replied, giving him a pointed look. ¡°Okay, how about-¡± Benjamin got cut off by his cell phone ringing. ¡°Give me a moment," he said standing up. He walked out as he answered it. Benjamin came back into the boys bedroom, but his face looked strained, and unhappy. "I need to go to work." She just looked at him as he knelt in front of her. "I''m sorry," he said and kissed her head. She bit her lip as he walked away. Just as she was finished feeding the boys, he got dressed and ready to go. "It should be an hour, three at the very most," he told her and she nodded at him, not trusting her mouth to open. Benjamin walked away, and as the front door opened and closed, she felt a tear running down her face. Benjamin was still not back at lunchtime, and Pandora called her father to speak to him. She knew he could tell that she was upset, but he never questioned her on it. He gave her good news, telling her that he and Nina had found a home-only a half hour away from where Benjamin''s house was. After she ended her call, she headed to the hospital hoping she could spend some time with Benjamin. Chapter Comments 3 Chapter 106 "Sorry, he''s in surgery, Emily sighed as she sat down beside her. Pandora hummed as a reply and felt Emily take her hand. Are yra okay?" she asked and Pandora nodded immediately. "Yeah, I know he works hard and..." she sighed, trailing off. She worked long hours, too. Derrik, at first,ined she worked too hard. Until now she never saw it from his point of view. Right then, she felt that she may have yed a bigger part in his cheating on her than she had ever epted. "Can you walk with me back to my car?" she asked and Emily smiled sadly. By ten o''clock at night, Benjamin was still not home. She left his cake and gifts on the table and headed to bed. "I am so sorry, love," she heard Benjamin whisper as the bed dipped. As soon as she knew he was settled, she opened her eyes and looked at the clock. It was almost one in the morning, so he was at work on his day off, his birthday, for over sixteen hours. She closed her eyes, biting her lip. The next was a normal work day for him, so he would be up and out of bed by seven and leave the house by eight. "Hey, love," Benjamin whispered and she slowly opened her eyes to see that, yet again, she had fallen asleep, and not made dinner. It had been two months since Benjamin had been back at work, and his schedule didn''t seem to be improving. The boys were more awake now. She was finding that she was unable to feed and look after them, as well as keep on top of the cleaning, shopping, and cooking. And, this was the third day in a row that Benjamin hade home to find her asleep with no dinner cooked. Today had been long because Jack had been really crying and clingy. She had gotten even less done today than she normally did. "I''ll call for something," Benjamin said as she sat up. "No, just give me a few minutes to wake up and I''ll cook." "Pandora, it''s ten o''clock at night, I''ll just call and order something. Before Benjamin could make the call, his cell rang and she huffed as he picked up. "You just got home," she said, knowing the look on his face meant he had to leave again. "I know but..." "But what? Is there no other doctor that can work besides you?¡± Benjamin sighed and rubbed his face. "Yes, there are other doctors, but I owe them for filling in for me when I was off on paternity leave. "So, let me get this straight. You got two months off on paternity leave, just so you could work your ass off for longer than that amount of time and not see me or the boys at all?" she hissed at him in frustration. "I do see them," he stated. Pandora let out a very undylike snort and Benjamin just red at her. Chapter 106 And, I would see them more I didn''t need toe from and cleansin riosed his eyes and stopped his rant 1 don''t time for this, he huffed was afraid I would be, he said, best she swallowed hand You said you would be there to me, for ut, bet I''m the single pare when the saw a pained look on Benjamin''s face. "Benjamin, the exted out, sad that the heart his feelings. He shook his head and walked away, Pandora sat down on the couch and shed, verwing that she shouldn''t have said wrything is the boys started to cry, she wiped her face and moved off to get the She settled Micheal, butck seemed to just wind up more. She walked around with him, hoping that the crald settle him down. As his crying got louder, she moved out of his room taking him downstairs so that he didn''t wake his brother up. "What''s wrong, Jack?" she asked, changing him again. When that didn''t soothe him, she tried to feed him, but he refused. "You''re a little too warm," she mumbled, picking up the phone. "Maternity ward, this is Nurse Leena speaking" ¡°Hi, it''s Pandora, Can I speak to Benjamin, please? "He''s duty,'' she replied. "When did he leave?" she asked, hoping that meant he would be home soon. "Nine o''clockst night." Pandora groaned. "No, he was called back to work." "Well, I haven''t seen him; are you sure he was called into work?" Yes," she hissed. "Just page him and have him call me back, it''s an emergency." After that, she hung up. She removed Jack''s baby gown and gave him a few drops of baby Tylenol in hopes it would help cool him down. "Come on, Benjamin," she hissed, looking at the clock, when she saw it had been an hour, she decided to call back. "Maternity ward, this is Nurse Leena speaking." "Can I speak to Emily?" she asked. "She''s not here tonight. Can I help you with something, Ma''am?¡± "This is Pandora and I''m still waiting for Benjamin to call me back. "Well, I paged him like you asked, but he hasn''t called back yet. As I said, I don''t think he''s here, I haven''t seen him." "You haven''t seen him and he did not call you back?" Pandora asked, feeling pissed off. He always answered his pager when he was at home. "No, as I said earlier, he''s not scheduled to be on duty tonight. Maybe he''s out with his girlfriend." Pandora closed her eyes, hating what the snotty nurse just said to her. ''Just page him again, this is about his son," she told her and the nurse tutted at her rudely. "Okay, whatever. I''ll take time from my patients again to page him when he isn''t even here." After hanging up, her mind went in circles. She was worried about Jack, he was still warm and Benjamin was missing or ignoring her. She started to feel more panic, worrying he was with someone else. "He''s not Derrik," she repeated ut loud to herself. Then she looked the mirror and saw her body. The fact was she was nowhere near the size she was before having the boys, and Benjamin didn''t seem to be as close to her as he was when she was pregnant. "He''s just working hard," she told herself. As another hour passed, Jack was still crying and felt even warmer, when his crying got worse, she picked up the phone but this time, she called Lana. Chapter Comments POST COMMENT NOW B2 Chapter 107 ''Parks residence," she said sleepily. "Pandora?" she carried on right away. She was sure she heard Jack screaming. "Jack is sick, really sick and I can''t get a hold of Benjamin. Lana, I don''t know what to do?" she sobbed into the phone. "We''re on our way,'' she told Pandora and she let out a breath. It felt as if it took them hours to get there, but she knew by the clock it had only been ten minutes when she heard the door open. "Here, here, Jack," he said, taking him from Pandora. "Where''s Benjamin?" he asked. She shrugged and he frowned at her. "What... Ha? something happened?" Lana asked. "He arrived home but got a call to go back to the hospital. He said he had to leave and go back to work. I''ve called twice asking them to page him, but nurse Leena," she spat out her name, "said he wasn''t there and that she had paged him and he hadn''t responded." "Pandora, I think he has a chest infection," Peter stated softly. "I think it would be best to take him to the hospital. She gulped and nodded at him. "Wait, what about Micheal?" she asked. I''ll stay with him. You go with Peter and take care of our sick little man." ¡°I have a few bottles made up,¡± she told her, putting on her jacket, choosing not to get dressed. The drive to the hospital seemed so long with Jack still screaming and coughing. "Why is he not cooling down?" she asked Peter, who gave her a forced smile. "He will, when we''ve given him more medication and get him settled into a bed." Pandora stood to the side as Peter worked around Jack, but knew that it was more serious when another doctor joined him. She looked at her watch, seeing that they had been there for almost an hour and Benjamin still hadn''te down to the emergency room. ¡°Pandora, when did the boys get their vinations?" "Yesterday," she replied with a frown. Before Peter could say another word, Jack''s entire body started to shake. "Peter," she yelled as her heart took off. She watched, unable to take her eyes off Peter and the other doctor working to help Jack. "Please, God, help my son get better,'' she prayed, feeling as if she was falling apart. ''He''s okay," Peter said as Jack''s body seemed to stop moving. Within a short time, they were settled into a room in the pediatric ward and Jack was sleeping and hooked to several machines and had an IV. Where is Benjamin?" she asked Peter who looked at Caleb, ''I''ll go and find him Caleb said as he walked out of the room. She felt Peter pull her down to a seat, holding her to him as she cried. She was just getting her emotions under control when the door flew open, and Benjamin ran in. "Dad! Benjamin yelled. "What''s going on?" I think Jack has had a reaction to one of the vines he got yesterday As Peter''s sims left her, Benja?¨®n reced them. But the moved away from him by leaning forward. She heard Benjamin galp, but she could not be near him right then. ''Son, I need a word, Petey said, but Pandora kept her eyes on her so ''Dad, I need- "No, now!'' Peter barked, cutting him off. Both of them walked out and Pandora held Jack''s hand, feeling another sob work its way up and out of her. She just field Jack''s hand and cried for several minutes, silently praying that he would be okay! ''Sweetheart,'' Benjamin said softly, but she didn''t turn to him. I''m sorry," he said, sounding sad. Pandora felt him touch her and she turned to re at him, "I called you several times and it went to voicemail. I called the nurses station, and that nurse said she paged you, Why didn''t you answer? What else was more important than your son? I have never called you at work before, Were you that pissed at me that you couldn''t call me back?" she asked as Benjamin closed his eyes. ''I didn''t get any pages," he told her and she snorted. "I swear I didn''t, Pandora, I would have called you back," he stopped and sighed. "I was asleep," She turned and looked at him. "You choose to sleep here when you have a bed at home? You could have told me to move to the other room, or move out if you didn''te home because of me!" "What?" Benjamin gasped. "No," he frowned. "Why would you think that?" "Because, since you went back to work, I haven''t seen you. We haven''t even-" She stopped, knowing not just the fact they hadn''t had sex, but they barely even kissed anymore. "I know and I know it''s my fault. I used to always be the one who covered for other doctors because I was the one without a family As she went to remind him he had a family of his own, he covered her mouth. "I know I have one now, and I didn''t see that they were still expecting me to just drop everything for them. I was upset with them, upset that I was breaking my promises to you. Every time I came home I felt tired, and then I saw you. You looked exhausted, so much more than tired, and it about killed me. I was missing you and the boys, but 1-" he stopped and sighed. "I thought that I could have the best of both worlds. I thought I could do the job I love, and still have plenty of time to be with the family I have and love, too." She looked at him and felt guilty. "You can, I''m sorry. I''m just finding it hard to do it all. I''m sure I''ll get used to it. I am sorry I took my frustration out on you," she said. Benjamin groaned loudly. "That there, I hate." "What?" she asked. "That- just backing down and letting it be all your fault. I get that''s what Derrik did with you. He would use words to y on your doubts and feelings and sulk to get you to fold. I am not him. You should have told me you were finding it hard, and that you felt as if I was abandoning you. You should have treated me like I am your Husband and trusted me enough not to hide all of your problems from me. I am not Derrik. I love you and want to be with you!" Chapter 108 When Benjamin was finished taking, Pandora gulped. But her inner voices were all in agreement with what he had said. ''I know that I hide my feelings, and I''m Sorry. It''s just hard for me to confide in anyone. But when could I have talked to you about it? We''ve barely had an hour together without someone -the hospital- interupting." Just as if to prove her point, Benjamin''s pager went off. Benjamin segned to just sit there and his pager went off again. "You should probably get that," she told him and he sighed as he stood up. But before he could walk out, the door opened. "Hi, Benjamin, I''ve been paging you. I saw Minnie and she told me you were here," a woman''s voice said. "Nurse Leena, is there a problem?" he asked as her head turned to the door. "I brought you ate dinner. I know that you missed out on dinner tonight and I thought you''d be hungry. You will need something in your stomach to work these extra hours." Before Benjamin could say anything, Pandora leaped up. "Fancy seeing you in person, bitch," she hissed at the nurse, making her gasp. ¡°Pandora,¡± Benjamin gasped, sounding shocked. "Don''t you ''Pandora'' me. Fine, Benjamin, go with her, but I am telling you here and now, the boys and I are finding somewhere else to live." Benjamin frowned, looking at her. "This is the nurse I called twice, and she imed that you weren''t here. She intimated on the phone that I was bothering her and then suggested that you were off screwing someone else. I will not be treated like that, and I will certainly not allow her to push our son to the side just so she cane on to you. If you want to go with this woman and eat ''the dinner she brought for you, then go right ahead; just stay away from me." She moved back to the chair and sat down. "No, that''s not what I said," Nurse Leena imed. "Get out of my son''s room," Pandora told her with a re. She needed the nurse to leave or she would end up losing her shitpletely and beating the crap out of the woman. "Leave, now," Benjaminmanded, looking at her, and within a few seconds, she felt his arm on her but she shook her head at him. "No," she looked at him and said. "Benjamin, I get that you were busy, but she-" she stopped. He looked pained. "I''m sorry. She was out of line and I''ll make sure she''s dealt with. I haven''t been with anyone." "I know, but it still hurt me that she suggested it. I shouldn''t have to put up with that. That should fall under sexual harassment, because let''s face it, that''s what she was suggesting you were doing, Benjamin nodded. "She''s Raegan''s cousin, and I''ll make sure she is reported for her behavior. He paused for a few seconds and his thumb started to stroke her cheek. "I handed in my resignation tonight," he blurted out. She turned and looked at him. "That''s not-" He covered Pandora''s mouth, stopping her from talking. "It''s what I had to do. I was pissed off that I was called in. The hurt look on "your face followed me here. I miss you and my boys. I''ve had enough. When I found out the reason I had to cover was so that my colleague could head to the bar with some other people who were off work tonight, instead of doing thete shift, I was pissed." "So I delivered the baby, and when I was done, I sat down and typed but my resignation. I dropped it off and went to get changed to "You love your job, we can make it work, we''ll find a way," she told him. "No, you have got me wrong, love. I will now only be working at the clinic. That''s eight-thirty to five-thirty, four days a week. Then I''ll work one to nine, here at the hospital as part of clinic rotation one day a week, which is every Wednesday. My weekends will be free, except one weekend a month I''ll be on call for our clinic patiens only. That will be my schedule from here on out." She looked at him, feeling unsure. "Pandora, I want you and the boys My work used to be my family, my child. Just like your work, and your home, were yours. Think of it this way, if Aron asked you toe back and put in the same hours you used to work, would you?" She thought over what he said and shook her head at him. "Maybe I would work from ten to four like I did when I was pregnant, but I can''t do the eighty-plus hours a week anymore. I pulled that a lot when I was with Derrik. But that''s not just because of the boys that I wouldn''t want to work like that." She closed her eyes. ¡°I''ve missed you, and I am in love with you. You mean so much to me, and I was afraid you had fallen out of love with me. Look at me. I''m nothing like the woman you married that night in Vegas." 2 "But you are," he told her. "You''re sexy, smart, funny, sweet, caring... you''re everything I want and more. It wasn''t how you looked that made me want to marry you, it was your soul. Let me tell you, sweetheart, that''s still as beautiful as it was that night, more so in fact. We''re going to have some bumps, but we need to talk to each other, no more acting single." Benjamin moved forward, holding the back of her neck. "Forgive me? "If you forgive me?" "Always," he said, kissing her. Chapter Comments 3 POST COMMENT Chapter 109 "Hey," Benjamin said, kissing the side of her head. A gurgling sound made her look toward Benjamin and down to see Micheal. "Hi, baby," she cooed at their son, who gave her a big toothless smile. Benjamin and she decided that he should head home to be with Micheal, and she would stay at the hospital with Jack. "Mommy missed you, so much," she told him as she picked him up, holding him to her. After getting her hug, she took off his jacket but kept him on her knee. She nced at Benjamin, who was looking over Jack''s chart. "Your dad said that he still has a high temperature but not as high as it wasst night and they''ve been able to keep it down to a manageable degree." "Yeah, I see that," Benjamin sighed, rubbing his face. "I''m sorry," he mumbled, looking pained. "We talked about thisst night," she told him but he still looked guilty.... "I should have told the other doctors where to stick it the second they started to ask me to cover for them. I should have put you and the boys first. He..." Benjamin cut himself off and she knew that he was reyingst night. They had just finished talking when Jack started having another bout of shivers likest night. Having been there for the first one, she jumped right up but Benjamin seemed unable to move for a few seconds. Suddenly, he snapped out andunched into doctor mode only to be pushed back by another doctor who was taking over for Peter since he too couldn''t be directly responsible for Jack. "We can''t change or do what-ifs, we already said we would talk to each other, just let it be," she told him, hating to see him beating himself up. Benjamin nodded his head and looked at her. "You look tired, do you want to go home for a nap? I''ll keep the boys here..." She cut him off by shaking her head. "No, I am fine. Besides, you must be just as tired, if not more than I am." She knew he must be. He had been living on less than five hours of sleep a night for almost eight weeks. "Come over here," Benjamin said, patting the seat next to him. She smiled and walked over. She sat down beside him. He picked up her legs and flipped them over his knees. They just sat holding each other, with Micheal between them as they watched Jack. At lunch, she was able to feed both boys before she ced Micheal back down in his car seat to sleep. She moved closer to Benjamin,ying her head on his shoulder. It only took a few minutes for her to hear Benjamin''s soft snores, telling her that he was sleeping. She tried hard to stay awake, but his soft snores and heartbeat were like a luby that sent her to sleep, too. Jack ended up spending six days in the hospital, before being sent home with a clean bill of health. His doctor and every doctor in the Parks family believed the shivers he had while in the hospital were only due to the high temperature. They had also been advised to pay careful attention to him when he got his next set of vinations. As for nurse Leena, she had been fired from the hospital. She wasn''t fired just because of what she had done the night Jack was admitted; but also because Emily filed reports months ago against her causing the hospital to record all calls into the nurse''s station on the maternity floor. It turned out the hospital had recorded over thirty calls where nurse Leena had not paged a doctor when needed. There were also calls where she had given out advice to patients, that she was not qualified to do. One of those cases resulted in a near death, not Just of the baby but the mother too. That just happened to be the case when Benjamin was brought back into the hospital for the night Jack became sick. She was also the one who told the other doctor who was on that Benjamin had agreed to take over his shift. The hospital board tried for a few days to get Benjamin to change his mind about his immediate resignation from the hospital but gave up when it became clear that Benjamin''s mind was made up, and they wished him well. Today was the start of his new routine and the boys and Pandora were at the clinic, to take him to lunch. Despite it having been only four hours since he left this morning, she had missed him a lot and felt panicked and worried he was not home. "You promised to give him a chance, stop thinking he''s going to let you down. Take a deep breath and chill," she reminded herself. She did as the voice in her head suggested, closed her eyes, and let out a soft breath. "Hey, boys," Benjamin greeted, opening the door and making her jump. She looked his way and he gave her a big smile. "Sweetheart, he called as he got into the car. "I''ve got an hour and a half. I thought since it''s so nice outside, we could eat lunch at the park? She nodded at him, unable to even close her mouth. "I told you things will be different now,¡± he whispered, leaning over and kissing her. As her mouth was open, he used that to his advantage to deepen their kiss. She giggled as she pulled back. "You''ve only got an hour and a half, Doc, let''s not waste it kissing," she teased. "But I have to catch up on all those kisses I''ve missed out on," he whined, pouting at her. She shook her head and drove them to the park close to the clinic. Benjamin carried the boys in their seats and she carried their pic basket and nket. Chapter Comments POST COMMENT NOW 13 Chapter 110 They found a nice spot and she ced the nket down. Then, Benjamin sat the boys in front of him, so she could sit beside him. "So what have you two been up to this morning? Benjamin asked, making the boys babble back at him. "You''ve still got it," she muttered, having no idea how he could get them to interact so quickly with him every time. "It''s a gift," he boasted before turning his attention back to the boys Really, boys, that sounds fun. So mommy sang to you, what else did she do today?" Pandora rolled her eyes, not even questioning how he knew she was singing to the boys. She started to set out their lunch as Benjamin and the boys had their talk. "How was your morning?" he asked as they began to eat. "It was productive but busy. I was able to give the house a good cleaning while they had a morning nap. I am going to go shopping before heading back home, so if there''s anything you need let me... she trailed off. He smiled at her for a few seconds before replying. "There''s nothing can think of. Is Maisey stilling by today to take measurements for your dress?" Forgetting herself for a few seconds, she groaned but tried hard to cover it with a cough. "Uh, yeah, I believe so." Benjamin sat up straighter and looked at her as if he was about to panic. "I know that I haven''t been a good husband over thesest few months, and I''ve pretty much been neglectful of your feelings and needs, but please, baby, tell me you''re not having second thoughts?" She shook her head, but as the panic stayed on his face, she leaned over and kissed him hard. "I love you, Benjamin, no second thoughts," she whispered softly to him. "Then what''s with the groan?" he asked. "I still..." she cut herself off. "I am still..." she tried again but stopped and waved her hand down at her body. "Sweetheart," Benjamin called and she shook her head. "I know, I know, it''s not a big deal, and it''s not like I was thin to start with, but I just... I feel gross." "You''re sexy," Benjamin told her. "You haven''t seen me naked since Vegas," she replied. "Is that t?" he asked. She swallowed. "Sort of... Benjamin, my body is different now." "I know. You had two babies growing inside of you," he stated and she rolled her eyes at his smart answer. "Yeah and now I have stretch marks, my boobs are huge, and my clothes size is a ten. I was an eight before and nine out of ten times I didn''t feel sexy at all." "That was because of the asshole, and you ARE sexy. I love your stretch marks- when I have seen them-they have turned me on," Benjamin dered to her as he hovered over her. Chapter 110. hay "My stretch marks have turned you on? When?'' "Every single time I was examining you, that''s when. Do you have any idea how turned on I was? The bigger you got with the and the more signs you showed of being pregnant; it was all a turn on. And I may not have seen you fully naked sites Vegas, TTT, but I have seen most of you, and you are my sexy,'' he cut himself off by kissing her. "Hot," he quickly kissed her agan Brattet. wife. This time, he threaded his fingers through her hair, holding the back of her head and thoroughly kissing her. When he pulled back. she was left dazed and feeling wound up. She picked up one of the paper tes and started to fan herself, making Benjamo grin. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead and look smug, it''s not my fault I''m still full of hormones," she joked, making him shrug. "I am in love with you and often feel wound up, so I''ll use anything I can, he smiled. She snorted, but leaned over, kissing him softly. "Thank you," she whispered as she pulled back. Benjamin nodded at her. "It takes time Pandora. Let your body do its thing. I love you for you, and even if you looked like an ogre, I would still love you! "Ugh, thanks" she snorted. "No problem, love." She felt almost disappointed when they had to pack up to take Benjamin back to his work. She saw a pregnant woman wobble past them as she parked her car. "That''s my next patient," Benjamin informed her as he got out of the car. "I''ll be home in four hours," he continued as he opened the back door and gave each of the boys a kiss. "And just so you know, you are the only pregnant woman I have ever been turned on by." She giggled, shaking her head at him. "Thank goodness. I was worried that you had some weird fetish." "Only you," he said, leaning over the seat and kissing her. "The sooner I get in there, the sooner I can get home." "I know." She smiled, kissing him again. "You''re not making this easier," he moaned and kissed her back. "I wanted you the first time I saw you, and now I am fighting for what''s mine." "I''m yourspletely," Benjamin dered and kissed her hard. He pulled back when she waspletely dazed. "Later," he called, but he was through the door to his clinic before Pandora could think clearly. "He going to start using that to get his own way," she muttered to the boys, who just seemed to smile. She could see she was outnumbered because they would clearly take their dad''s side. It was her birthday and for the first time in over ten years, she was looking forward to it. "Come on, Pandora, it''s time to make you look like a princess," Ron called. She turned and looked at him and had to hold back augh. Ron was wearing an apron to cover his dress clothes but had a pair of wings on his back. Chapter 111 She tilted her head at him''andast lifted her hand and pointed at him with her brow arched. "Every girl needs a fairy godmother and I''m yours," he winked and she snorted. "Are you on the crazy pills again? Why are you my tech for the day? "Because I am the best. Just move," he muttered, sulking at her. Pandora sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yay, I''m gonna be a princess," she sang while pping her hands the whole way to the seat. "Sarcasm does not wear well on you, my friend. Now act like the bride you are and let me get you dolled up." She sat down and Ron started brushing her hair but tugged at it when he encountered the rat''s nest. "Ow," she yelled, making him tap her with the brush. She turned and red at him and he red back at her. "It''s a known fact that a mom taps their kids with a brush when theyin or pull away, now hold still, we''ve got loads to do." "Yes, Mommy!" she hissed, which made Ronugh. Ron washed her hair and he sent in his employees to pluck her eyebrows, do her make-up, and manicure. When they were done, they let to get dressed as Ron put the finishing touches on her hair. "All we need is the dress," he muttered, and as if on cue, Maisey walked in with all the girls. "Here it is," she said. With the help of Lana and Nina, she stepped into it and Maisey buttoned up the back. "Are you ready to see what you look like?" Ron asked. Pandora let out a breath, before turning to look into the mirror that he had been keeping covered. She nodded and he pulled the cover from the mirror. Pandora''s mouth dropped open as she looked at her reflection. In a way, she looked like herself, but in another, she didn''t. Her hair was curled and pinned up a little and looked like it was slowlying undone, but that was the look Ron was going for. Her makeup had been elegantly applied and her skin was glowing. Last was her wedding dress and she couldn''t have picked one out anywhere thatpared to it. It was white, with a corset on top and a full skirt at the bottom. The corset had whitece over it, which came to just below her waist before the skirt red out. "I look amazing," she said in awe, oddly feeling like a real-life princess. "All in a day''s work," Ron boasted and she hugged him as she rolled his eyes. "The dress is absolutely beautiful," she said, moving on to Maisey. "Hey no crying," Siaughed. "Girls, are you ready?" Pandora''s dad asked softly from the door. "Yeah, Dad,e an in," she called out. He walked in and stopped in his tracks as he got a tear in his eye, and he smiled at her. ¡°You look amazing," he told her. "Thank you, Dad," she said. Chapter 111. He slowly walked her out to where the guys were standing with her babies. "Oh, look at you two," she cooed. "They look so handsome in their lile suits." Jack smiled as soon as he saw her face, and she looked toward Micheal. His vision was hot as good, but they were hoping that when he got sses next week, they would help him to see better. he could see her, he smiled broadly at her. The music started "Hey, baby," she whispered as she moved closer to his face. As soon and she gave Jack and Micheal a kiss before Lana and Nina took them down the aisle. Next down the aisle were Alexis and Milton, followed by Sia and Royle, then Maisey and Caleb, and finally Keira and Ron. Pandora''s dad held out his arm and she took it. He smiled down at Her and she couldn''t help but smile back. "I love you, baby girl, and I am so happy you have someone like Benjamin in your life. He''s a good man, doctor, father, and husband, I couldn''t ask for anything else for you. As long as you''re happy, I''m happy." ¡°Dad, Benjamin, and the boys make me moreplete than I''ve ever felt before and never doubt my happiness with them in my life. I love you too, now don''t let me, fall," she said with a grin. "Never he said as they slowly approached the doors. When they walked through the doors, her eyes instantly went to Benjamin who was standing in the front of the church dead center, looking back at her. She smiled brighter when she noticed the suits the boys were wearing matched perfectly with the suit Benjamin had on. When she looked into his eyes, she saw him checking her out as well and it made her blush. Her father and she walked slowly down the aisle to meet her husband and when they got there, she had the urge to grab Benjamin and kiss him. "Who gives this woman to this man?" the reverend asked. "I do," her father stated before he kissed her cheek. And then he shook Benjamin''s hand. Her father ced her hand in Benjamin''s and then ced an arm around both of their shoulders. "Always love and lean on each other, it''s the only way to make a happy marriage work." "You look breathtaking," Benjamin whispered after her father moved to take his seat beside Nina. "So do you," she replied. The wedding seemed to go by in a blur, and Pandora was d it was being captured on video because she wanted to remember it all. As soon as the Reverend said "You may kiss your bride", Benjamin''s lips were on hers. Neither of them needed to be told twice. "I love you," he told her as he pulled back. "I love you, too," she replied to him. They both moved to Nina and Lana and each took one of their sons. They decided that they needed a few minutes for just the four of them. When they had collected the boys, they turned and stood before, the church. Chapter 112 "I''m honored to announce Docter and Mrs. Benjamin Parks and family, the Reverend announced. Everyone stood and pped as they made their way back down the aisle and into the nursery area to have some private time. Once everyone had been greeted, Ron freshened up her makeup and hair and they set about taking pictures. "Can we have the bride and groom?" the photographer asked. Benjamin and she moved to where he needed them to be. And that was the start of the hour-and-half-long photography-taking session. Once they were done, Pandora nursed the boys as Benjamin helped her. "I''m going to miss them," she told Benjamin. ¡°So am I, but it''s just two nights, and then they will be back with us. She nodded at him, but it still didn''t lessen the worry that they would need her and she wouldn''t be there. "Don''t worry, I will keep your mind so upied you will not even know that you''re away for two days," Benjamin said huskily, lifting her brows at her. "I''m going to hold you to that." Once the boys were ready, they headed to the reception hall. They all enjoyed a nice meal before listening to the speeches. Pandora''s father made her tear up when he talked about how happy she was. After the speeches, they cut the cake, and then Benjamin and she were called to the floor to share their first official dance as husband and wife. They both dance all the traditional dances with parents, family, and friends. Pandora was so moved as was everyone that Maisey was able to dance with everyone. Her healing process was going very well. She threw her flowers and was surprised that Sia was the one who caught them. After kissing the boys and making sure they were all set with their grandparents, Benjamin and Pandora got in a cab to take them home a little after nine. Nina and her father were staying with Lana and Peter for the weekend. She knew Benjamin and she would miss the boys, but she was looking forward to having Benjamin to herself for the next forty-eight hours. She smiled at him as they arrived home, and he helped her out of the cab. As the cab drove off, his lips met hers and her hand went to his hair. He held her so closely that her front was tight against his. "I love you," he mumbled as she walked backward. Her back hit the door of their home but he was still kissing her. Her mind didn''t seem to take note of anything until he picked her up and carried her into the house. Setting her down, she heard more than saw the door close, and soon she was again walking backward. Benjamin grabbed hold of one of her hands and their bodies started to sway from side to side. His lips let hers go and he spun her around before pulling her back into his arms. Kissing her again, she panted with need. Slowly he unbuttoned her dress, his fingers trailing across the skin as he went. Hers worked on him at the same time. It was as if he wanted to study everything about her, the same way she wanted tomit his touch and the feel of him to memory. She peeled her dress down her arms, while he rid himself of his clothes. When her dress dropped to the floor, he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him as he stepped over their clothing. His lips left hers and moved down to her neck as she arched her back, needing every touch he was giving her. "Benjamin," the moan slipped out her mouth as hey her on the bed. She gasped his name again as his naked skin touched her Own. ''I want to see you," he said roughly while looking her in the eye. Slowly, he pressed inside of her, and though her eyes wanted to roll back in pleasure, she fought to keep them locked with his. She couldn''t remember ever feeling like that before. It was not about forey; it was about a deep-seated love and joining together, bing one. The wave of euphoria zed through her body, and she couldn''t help but call out his name as she went over the edge. He moved slowly, coaxing the pleasure to its perfect height, before speeding up and losing himself. Pandora could see it all in his eyes, though her mind was clouded by her own climax. The rush she felt from his orgasm taking over sent her spiraling again into another peak. After a short time of panting and holding each other, Benjamin got up and ran a bath. He came back to the bed, where he lifted and carried her to the tub. He washed her body and made her feel more cared for than she had ever felt before. Shey watching Benjamin sleep. The light of the morning sun was barely breaking through the window. The small amount that was shining through was hitting his face, giving him an angelic glow. Pandora''s hand went to his hair, touching it softly. Last night was the best night she had ever had, and she had a feeling it would only get better. She kissed Benjamin''s forehead and put on his shirt as she walked to the bathroom. Once she had taken care of her needs and brushed her teeth, she walked back into the room to see him waking up. "Hey," she said smiling and he smiled back at her. "What do you want to do today?" "I want to throw you back on the bed and fuck you until forget your own name." Pandora just looked at him as he grinned. Before she could even stutter, Benjamin had her in his arms, and just as he said, he threw her on the bed. They spent most of the day there. Pandora lost count of how many times he made her forget everything other than extreme pleasure as he brought her over the edge. Chapter Comments Chapter 113 Pandora couldn''t take her eyesff the optician as he looked over Micheal. "Everything looks good, time to try the sses," he said in an upbeat tone. "Just ease him into wearing them. To start, aim for a half hour then move up to an hour, and so on." She nodded at him. Not that he saw her, since he was adjusting Micheal''s sses. The sses were a light blue and looked a little too big for his small face. They were made of rubber and had a brand hat went around his head to keep them on and in the right position. Micheal let out a small whimper as the sses were ced on his head. "How about Mom handing him to Dad anding over here, so she will be in his line of sight." ???? (:???????????00 1:1:00000000000??? Pandora let out a breath and handed Micheal to Benjamin and moved to stand in front of her boy. "Hey baby," she smiled at him, and he just gave her an ''O'' face. "Can you see mommy better?" she asked and he smiled, stretching out his hands to her. She bit her lip as her eyes went to Benjamin, who looked equally touched that he seemed to be seeing a little clearer. "Hi, buddy," Benjamin cooed and Micheal turned his head, looking at Benjamin before letting out his first giggle. Benjamin''s smile got bigger. "Does daddy look funny?" he asked, making Micheal giggle more. "I''ll take that as a yes," he said as he looked at Pandora. The optician did a few more tests as she calmed herself, and then sent them on their way after telling them toe back in three months for a recheck. "Remember that I won''t be home until closer to seven tonight," Benjamin mumbled as he nibbled her neck. She frowned, hating that he had to make up the time he took off toe with her to Micheal''s appointment. "Excuse me," an angry male voice she would recognize anywhere, hissed. "This is a public ce, you know," Derrik continued and both Benjamin and she pulled away and just looked at him. "You''re not allowed to be anywhere near her," Benjamin growled and moved in front of Pandora and the boys. "I am here for an appointment. It''s not my fault you''re fucking her right at the front fucking door," Derrik mocked with a grin. "Watch what you say about my wife." "Or what? You must have forgotten that I had her first when she was fresh and unused. All you got is my trashy leftovers." Benjamin moved to Derrik and pushed him against the wall. Therge grin on Derrik''s face told her that was exactly what he wanted. ¡°Benjamin, just leave it-he''s a prick, and not worth our time at all. Besides, why bother wasting any of our time; we''ll report this encounter and he can exin it to the judge, and no matter what, he''s going to be sent to prison next month, either way." "Why would I go to prison? I didn''t do anything; you were setting me up," Derrik whined like a child who had been punished unfairly. Benjamin just red at Derrik and moved away from him. "Didn''t think you had the balls to hit me, you spineless wimp," Derrik smirked and his eyes shed to her and down to the boys. "They sure are ugly-like their mother. It''s a shame that the fall you had didn''t get rid of them, eh?" Derrik smirked but lifted his h?nd toward Pandora. Before she could even blink, Benjamin had not only blocked Derrik''s hand but hit him hard on his chin. Pandora''s mouth dropped open as Derrik fell to the ground, unconscious. "Benjamin," she was able to stuer after a few minutes had passed. "Fuck!" Benjamin yelled, dropping to his knee next to Derrik. Pandora just stood shocked as Benjamin looked Derrik over. Then, he put Derrik in the recovery position before more medical staff arrived. When Milton and another officer arrived, Pandora began to break down. Benjamin was led away in cuffs as Derrik had demanded to press charges. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked, looking at the cop car holding her husband. "I mean, he won''t lose his medical license, right?" "Pandora, just calm down," Milton whispered to her, looking at her in the eye. "He won''t; he was protecting you. This is protocol and besides, Derrik was ordered not to be near you." "He had an appointment here. He had every right to be here, too," Pandora whispered. "So what if he did? When he saw you standing here, he should have walked right in, not engaged you or Benjamin in a conversation. We are pulling security tapes now to find out how it all yed out. She just bobbed her head but couldn''t seem to get rid of the panic. "Come on, Pandora, let''s get the boys home," Alexis spoke as she rubbed her hand down Pandora''s back. She just turned to look at her. She must have been so out of it that she never noticed that Alexis and Peter had joined them. Peter helped her into Alexis'' car as she put the boys in. When they reached the house, Lana, Keira, and Sia were all there waiting. "Come on, honey," Keira said to her as she handed Pandora a coffee. "I didn''t even know he was released from jail," she was finally able to stutter. She still felt shocked about what went down. "We just got out of Micheal''s appointment, which went well. He had to be there and try to ruin it. Why couldn''t he just let me have that?" "He got out two weeks ago," Keira informed as she swallowed. "We thought he would stay away from you," she continued. "Two weeks ago?" she asked. "We''ve all been watching him, making sure he stayed away. As for the crap about the appointment," she sighed, shaking her head. Pandora frowned, looking at her. Chapter 114 "Ron has been able to get into his email ount, and as far as we know, he had no other appointments except to meet his probation officer. But since Ron was tailing him, he was able to get everything the slime-bag said on the video. Benjamin will easily be released without charges. "But why didn''t anyone tell me? Did Benjamin know?" she asked, feeling hurt by the thought that he kept it from them. "No, we wanted you and Benjamin to have some family time, without the drama. We never meant to hurt you." She was only able to nod at her. "Next time... tell me," she said and Reira gave her a nod in return. Time seemed to slowly tick by, even though the boys both kept Pandora upied. Her mind couldn''t stop worrying about Benjamin. "Sweetheart," Benjamin called as she heard the front door open. She leaped up and ran down the hallway, leaping into his open arms. She felt his warm breath on her neck a second before his lips were on his skin. "I am so sorry love, he ¡ú * She cut him off by kissing his lips. "Come on, you two,e get some dinner," Lana said softly from behind them. Benjamin slowly put her back on the ground but kept a hold of her hand as they walked back into the living room. So?" she asked after only a few moments. "The District Attorney is still looking it over. Hill thinks that even if it goes to court, they can use extreme circumstances. Benjamin saw the panic that she was trying hard to hide, so he caressed her cheek. ¡°It''ll be all right, love. I''m not going to apologize fo hitting him. I am only sorry that I caused you to be upset and worry His hand cupped her chin and he smiled at her. "Have se faith." She snorted as she looked at him. "You still have faith?" "Yes, I''ve got you and the boys, don''t I?" he asked. She couldn''t help but lean into his hand. "Yeah, and we''ve got you." He leaned closer and kissed her softly. "Here you are," Lana said as she handed Pandora a te of food. She smiled as she turned her head to Benjamin, handing him his te. Benjamin told them what happened at the police station, and then went on to tell everyone what Hill said. Once he was done, everyone moved on and talked about other things. Pandora knew they were trying hard to distract both Benjamin and her. "You really think everything will be okay?" she asked Benjamin softly as theyy facing each other in bed. "It will be, love," he said, kissing her softly. "I''m sorry," she apologized, making him frown. ¡°This is my fault-1 should have been stronger, done more to get him out of my life, long ago. I should have allowed Ron to deal with him like he wanted to. You shouldn''t be facing all of this, having your reputation tarnished because of him." Benjamin smiled at her, shaking his head. "You did do everything to get away from him. You were trying to do it the right way, by the way of thew. As for my reputation, it will be fine, the people that matter know what I did and why I did it. If anyone else wants to know why, they can ask me, and I will tell them to their face. I''ll tell them the truth. I did it for the woman I love, so no one makes her cry, no one talks badly about our children." The next few days went by slowly, but thankfully, Benjamin was still allowed to work, and the clinic was supporting him. Even the hospital was behind him for support though he was no longer on staff there. The District Attorney got back to them that morning, saying that they weren''t taking what Benjamin did any further, but Derrik could still sue him in small ims or civil court hearings. Hill believed that whether Derrik did take it further or not, would depend on his court trial which started that very day. "Mrs. Parks, the court is ready for you," the Bailiff said. She let out a soft breath as she stood up., "Remember, we are with you, right here," Benjamin reminded, tapping her chest before kissing her. She walked to the Bailiff, who led her into court. When she got to the stand, she was asked to raise her right hand and swear to tell the truth. She first took them through her rtionship before marriage, her marriage, and the divorce, before going through what she had been put through for thest year. She had only reached the point when her car broke down the first time when she began to cry as it hit her just how many times Derrik had put her boys'' lives in danger. By the end of her testimony, she was sobbing hard. When she was led from the courtroom, she leaped right into Benjamin''s arms. He only let her go when he was summoned to the stand next. Since she had already testified, she was allowed to reenter the courtroom. She sat on the bench behind the Di Attorney. "She''s a hussy. I can''t believe that she lied outright in court and is allowed back in here," Miriam yelled in a huff, making the District Attorney stop speaking as he turned to look at her. "Ma''am, this is a court ofw. If you wish to talk, take it somece else," the judge quickly reprimanded her. Pandora''s eyes shed to hers and she found Miriam ring in her direction. She quickly looked away, only for her sight tond on Derrik, who was ring at her like he wished her dead. "Stop looking at him," Ron hissed in her ear. "Pretend he''s not here, he continued with a whisper as he linked his hand with hers. Near the end of the case, she got the shock of her life when a woman entered. She was a simr height to Pandora but was more rounded. Chapter Comments Chapter 115 During her testimony, Pandora earned that she was also known as Brownie. As she continued through the questions she was asked, Pandora had to bite her lip to stop the sobs froming out. She told the court how she was paid to pretend to be Pandora. It was one thing to hear how she pretended to be her, but then she told the court how Derrik had sex with her several times inside Pandora''s home. She talked about being in Pandora''s bed, and it just about broke her. For the first time since all of it had started, Pandora was grateful that she had sold her home. "We have one more witness, Your Honor," the District Attorney said and with a nod, the Bailiff walked out. "We call Hannah Song to the stand." Pandora looked over to see a girl who looked like a teenager walking in with her head down. She was sworn in but her head remained down. "Can you tell the court your age?" the District Attorney asked. "Neen, she answered quietly, so the Bailiff adjusted the microphone in front of the girl. "Where do you work?" he asked her. She named a strip club and Pandora swallowed, feeling this girl was far too young to be working in a strip club. "What was your stage name there?" "Tinker Bell,¡± she responded, sounding ashamed, which made Pandora''s heart break for her. "Do you know Mr. Preston?" the District Attorney questioned. "Yes," she replied. "How did you meet him?" "He was one of my clients. He was my first client actually." She felt her mouth drop open as she looked at the little girl and then at Derrik who seemed to be smirking in pride. Pandora shook her head as her eyes went back to Hannah, who gave the court in detail what Derrik said to her the night he had sex with her. They'' also had to hear how badly he treated her. The things she talked about shocked Pandora. It was as if she really didn''t know Derrik, not one bit. Her eyes turned toward Derrik''s mother, who appeared to be trying to stare Hannah down with a look of hate and disgust on her face. Pandora was happy when the judge decided to end the day, leaving the defense to start fresh the next. "How could he do that?" she asked as soon as they were in the car. She''s clearly just a kid. I mean, she''s an adult, but she''s the size of a young girl, and... how could he do that to her?" she asked, looking between Benjamin and Ron. She frowned when Ron appeared to have a strange look on his face. "What?" she asked. "That was Hannah Song..." Ronmented and she just kept looking at him. "Her father is in county jail. She looked away from him to Benjamin, who was shocked. "Daniel Song''s kid?" he asked. Yep, Ron stated, still with a humorous look on his face. Benjamin barked out augh. "Oh, holy fuck, I wish I could be inside the jail to see Derrik''s face when he finds out who her dad is." She looked between them both, feeling upset that they were dismissing what Derrik did to that girl who seemed so innocent, yet clearly broken, "This is not funy," she hissed at them. "You''re right; it is not funny what happened to her. She is sadly trying to stay afloat in the hardships of her environment. Love, if I heard right, she lives with her grandmother who has dementia and can''t work anymore." Pandora shook her head, hating that the girl was selling her body because the fucked up economy made it so hard for people in families like hers. "Okay, well that''s only more reason for you not to beughing about any of this," she told them. "My turn, Ron interjected. "Her father was in the news a few months ago, and he beat up a few doctors, and then took on ten cops." She tilted her head and then nodded. "Yeah, I know the name. He wasn''t happy about his mother''s treatment..." She trailed off as her mouth dropped open. "Shit, isn''t he really scary and would rather kill someone first and ask questionster?" Ron bobbed his head. "Yep, and I do think he''s going to go ape when he finds out about Derrik and his little girl." "That may be so, but she sounds as if she went through a lot," she whispered, still worrying about the girl. "Yeah, don''t worry. We''ll get her sorted," Ron announced and she just stared at him. "I may not be able to give her a job-well not for now-but I know people who can. His father is a doctor and we can help her through him." She turned to Benjamin and he nodded. She just hummed, still not liking that she was hurt by Derrik in the first ce. "You okay, love?" Benjamin asked as he hugged her. "I''m fine," she told him. "You''re washing the dishes by hand; you are not fine," he replied. She looked at him before sighing. "Benjamin, I''ve known him most of my life. I knew he had his moments, but..." she trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words. "I know that girl consented, but still it felt and sounded as if he raped her." .Benjamin let out a soft breath as he pulled her into his arms. "It felt that way for me, too. Baby, you have to have faith that he will pay for what he did to you, to that girl, and to everyone that he has hurt.¡± "But that won''t change what he did, and what she has to go through and remember, forever. I could see it in her eyes-the want and need to erase it from her mind-but it''s there and it will also be a part of her for life." "I know, but with some help and guidance, we can hope she will be a stronger person. This does not have to digtate the rest of her life. She can and will ovee what she has gone through, not just with Derrik but also with the strip club. Chapter Comments 52 POST COMMENT NOW Chapter 116 Benjamin and Pandora arrived st as the court was starting up. First up was Derrik, who sat there for almost three hours, trying to paint himself as the victim. It was hard sitting there listening to him spew out how Pandora was trying hard to ruin him, and she did all that herself to set him up. Miriam was the next to take the stand and she just red at Pandora as she was sworn in. "I would first like to ask you about your son, who is he?" Derrik''swyer asked. "Oh, my sweet Derrik is such a good boy. He was a star football yer, but she..." Miriam hissed with a nod in Pandora''s direction, "made him give up his dream. She was always bossing him around, telling him what to do, and what to wear. He wasn''t allowed friends, and she even tried to stop him from talking to me. But I wouldn''t allow that to happen. I would walk through hell for my son." "So, Mrs. Preston, you are saying that Mrs. Parks was controlling your son?" "Oh yes, he wasn''t allowed to work because she was afraid that another woman more worthy would steal him away. When he couldn''t work, she barely allowed him new clothing or enough food, so his father and I gave him money so that he could eat and get new clothes. "How sad. Was there any violence in the rtionship?" he asked. "I believe she hit him regrly, she even raped him." Pandora''s mouth dropped open, and it was not what she was saying that made her feel so shocked, it was the fact she believed what she was saying to be true. "Then there were the mind games she yed with him. She was always ying with his mind and telling him that no one would want him, that he was ugly, fat, and good for nothing. She destroyed him by telling him the babies were his just to bring him to court knowing full well they weren''t. How could you be so cruel to my boy?" She looked at Pandora as she cried out thest part. "Objection," the District Attorney stood and said. Pandora snapped her mouth shut as she looked at Miriam. She clearly needed an Academy Award. "Sustained, the jury will ignore Mrs. Preston''sstment," the judge sighed and turned to look at Miriam again. "You need to refrain from making suchments, Mrs. Preston." "I''m sorry, Your Honor, it''s just he''s my boy. He''s so scared and he needs his momma. He needs toe home so I can took after him." Pandora''s eyes moved to Benjamin, who showed no emotion on his face, but she knew he felt worried by the way Miriam was carrying on. When Derrik''swyer sat down, the District Attorney took over. His questions were hard but Miriam excused everything that Derrik had done. She imed it had not been his fault, even the video of him shing Milton''s tires. She merely said that he wasn''t in the right frame of mind. She even imed Pandora was going with Milton to abort the babies and he was trying to save them. Court was again adjourned for the day and they were asked toe back tomorrow for closing arguments before the jury was sent to deliberate. They headed home and started the process of their normal daily, evening routine. They ended up going to bed shortly after the boys did- both stressed from their day at the courthouse. "Do you think the jury will believe that I''m the monster Derrik and Miriam have painted me to be?" she asked as theyy in bed. "God no, sweetheart, they could hear and see that she''s just a mother who sees no wrong in her son. No one will believe he is so innocent that he is always the person catching the me for everyone else. I''m sure they did see through his act." "But she almost had me thinking I was the person she was describing me to be. I mean, what has he told her to lead her to believe I was that person?" Benjamin sighed and pulled her into his arms. "I know who you are and you''re one of the kindest, sweetest, women I''ve ever met, and I love you. So who cares what he told her because none of it''s true. You''re my wife and I love you so much." Pandora smiled. "I love you, too," she said before kissing him. Again Benjamin and Pandora arrived just as the court was starting. They sat silently as the closing arguments were presented to the jury. Her eyes shed to Derrik, who was wiggling in his seat and looked as if he was in a bit of pain. "Sweetheart," Benjamin whispered and she slowly turned to him. "The jury has been sent to deliberate-e on, let''s go." She chuckled but her eyes shed to Derrik who was walking away slowly. "What''s with him?" she asked, pointing. "He''s trying to im the beating Benjamin gave him left him with problems," Keira chuckled. "He should have gone into acting because that even fooled me." Keira hummed before chuckling. "But you are easily fooled, Pandora. Remember when you were ten and Jimmy from our ss made you think his dad was a vampire?" Pandora red at her. "Yes, but I was ten." "Then when you were thirteen, Jimmy fooled you into thinking he was dead?" "Yes, I know and it was mean of him," Pandora hissed at her, making herugh as she looked at Benjamin. "When she was fifteen he made her think he was a werewolf." Benjamin turned to her and she nodded with a sigh, and he bit his lip trying to keep hisughter at bay. "I hate you both," Pandora mumbled, walking out of the courtroom. It only took two hours for them to be called back in. She took hold of Benjamin''s hand as she looked to the jury''s foreman, who was standing. "On the five charges of Grand Larceny, we, the jury, find the used Derrik Preston, guilty on all counts." "On the six counts of Aggravated Stalking, we. the jury, find the used, Derrik Preston, guilty on all counts." Chapter Comments Chapter 117 "On the twelve counts of Identy Theft Fraud, we, the jury, find the used, Derrik Preston, guilty on all counts." "On the four counts of Attempted Murder, we, the jury, find the used, Derrik Preston, guilty on all counts." "On the three charges of Breaking and Entering, we, the jury, find the used, Derrik Preston, guilty on all counts." "On the five counts of Mortgage Fraud, we, the jury, find the used, Derrik Preston, guilty on all counts." "On the six counts of Aggravated Assault, we, the jury, find the used; Derrik Preston, guilty on all counts." The reading went on, covering all the different charges. Meanwhile, Miriam was wailing. Pandora closed her eyes, feeling a sense of relief, as each charge came back guilty. "Mr. Preston, you have been found guilty by a jury of your peers; you will be remanded in custody and sentenced on Friday at ten a.m.- "No! No, not my boy! You''ve made the wrong choice, you stupid people! I''ll end you all for doing this to my baby boy, do you hear me?" Miriam yelled at the jury. "Ma''am, I am not finished," the judge hissed at her but she red right back at him. "Do your job right then and tell these idiots they are wrong!" "Bailiff, take her into custody," the judge sighed, and Pandora watched with her mouth open as she was led away screaming. The courtroom was brought under control and the judge finished excusing the jury, before adjourning the court for the day. The next few days went by quickly, which Pandora was grateful for. It was Friday, and for what she to go to the courthouse over Derrik. As they were beckoned to walk in, she looked around the hoped Courtroom. "Where is Ron?" thest time she had Benjamin just shrugged but it was very strange that he wasn''t there. The court was called to order and the judge asked for statements. The District Attorney read letters written by Pandora, Mackenna, Benjamin, and Pandora''s father. After the letters were read, the judge sat quietly for a moment. He cleared his throat and told Derrik to stand. "Mr. Preston, you have been found guilty on several counts and charges, and the sentencing has been left up to me. After hearing the victim impact statements and watching you show not an ounce of remorse for your actions, makes me angry. You have been found guilty on sixty-three different counts, among many different charges. The charges all are felonies, due to the intensity, damage, and obvious nning you put behind them." The judge read out the jail time for every cluster of crimes Derrik hadmitted. In the end, the judge added his own opinion. "Mr. Preston, you will never see the light of day outside the walls of carceration again. You are to serve your sentencing consecutively, which means with the total of six hundred and forty years you have been sentenced to serve, you will not be eligible for parole for at least two hundred years from today. You are also fined fifteen million dors in fines and restitution. Bailiff, remove this man from my court." Pandora heard a sob and looked at Derrik, who was crying hard. He looked shocked that he was getting the sentence the judge just handed out. "Let''s go home, Benjamin said with a smile, and Pandora nodded, knowing that Derrik''s spree of terror was over for good. It had been almost a week since the sentencing hearing and life had been calm. Pandora was now enjoying her time with her family, and no longer feeling the need look over her shoulder. She did worry after she got home about Miriam, but she got into a fight in jail-the other woman was stabbed. Of course, Miriam imed the knife belonged to the other woman and she was defending herself. The DA investigated and charged her with attempted murder, and as of right then, she was staying in jail on no bond. Alexis and Milton took a vacation to an ind off the coast since things were safe at home. Pandora walked into Ron''s spa. ¡°Hi,¡± she said, taking a seat as the hairdresser finished her client''s hat. She picked up a magazine and started reading. After about five minutes, she felt weird. It was like there was something missing "Come on, Pandora," Keira called and Pandora looked over in surprise. "What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be at work?" "Yeah, I am hanging around here on my day off." Pandora shook off the feeling that something was wrong and got up, walking to her. "How are you feeling? It seems like forever since west talked," Pandora said, making her shake her head. "It was just five days ago," Keira stated. Pandora hummed but it felt so much longer. "How about dinner- me and Benjamin, Sia, and Royce, and you and..." She trailed off, pulling away from Pandora as she looked around. "Where''s Ron?" she questioned when it came to her that she hadn''t seen him for a long time. "He''s away for a few days," Keira tried to say calmly but her voice rose a little. Pandora felt her heart take off. "What has he done?" she hissed. "He''s got himself arrested, but Hill said he''ll be out in a week." Pandora''s mouth opened and closed, unable to form words. It took her a while before she could gather her thoughts. "What the hell is he up to?" she asked Keira, knowing full well what Ron was capable of, and hiding from thew was one of them if he was doing something wrong. "Payback!¡± Keira said with a shrug and Pandora shook her head. She should have known better than to think Ron would have left Derik with just getting put in prison for the rest of his life. She couldn''t help but wish Milton wasn''t gone on vacation. Ron may not have been brazen if he were in town. Chapter 118 Benjamin took his time looking at the screen. He looked over all the measurements and made sure the spine was straight. Next, he paid close attention to the beating heart and found that it, as well as the other organs, were seemingly perfect. He let out a soft breath when everything looked good, and looked up with a smile. ¡°Mackenna,¡± he said softly as she had her eyes tightly closed. "Come on, open your eyes and look up here at the monitor. She''s fine- everything looks great," "Benjamin whispered. Mackenna had four miscarriages in the past ten years, and where Benjamin couldn''t prove that they were caused by the mistreatment that she received at the hands of Derrik, he stood firm in his belief that the drugs he had given her had some longsting effects. About eight years ago, Pandora and she ran into each other while outaround town. They got talking and Mackenna apanied Pandora to the tattoo store Benjamin frequented. The couple had nned on getting matching tattoos on their left ring fingers. It just so happened that Mackenna stayed back and got an impromptu tattoo of her own. She hit it off with the tattoo artist and got married the year after. And then, they came to see Benjamin because Mackenna had another miscarriage and they wanted to know if he could help them. Benjamin discretely spoke to Pandora about it with Mackenna''s permission, and she agreed. Over the years, so many things had happened to surprise Benjamin, but their friendship was the biggest one of all. Mackenna and Pandora became closer four years ago when Derrik died in prison. Of course, it was not known if he had harmed himself or if someone had taken matters into their own hands. This caused his mother, Miriam to go off her already unstable condition. She had been ced in a state mental somehow managed to break out. Thankfully, she was caught trying toe to the ce she thought Pandora and Benjamin still lived. y, but There was CCTV footage of her. She had a detailed n to kill Pandora and had all of the things she needed to carry out. The DA charged her with escape and premeditated attempted murder. With her new charges added to those of her past, she was put back into prison. She was serving a life sentence in a maximum security, mental hospital, where she was in solitary confinement. Due to her past escape, she was monitored by an ankle monitor twenty-four- seven, even behind bars. "She''s really okay?" John, Mackenna''s husband, asked and Benjamin nodded. "Yes, both mom and baby are fine." "Thanks, Dr. Parks," he said as he held Mackenna''s head close to his chest. "It''s my job," he chuckled before clearing his throat. "I''ll give you both a few moments alone." He walked out and washed his hands. "Thank God," Emilymented, letting out a long breath. ''I don''t think I could handle going through the protocols for another miscarriage with them." He nodded at her, feeling the same exact way. It was the part of the job he hated the most, more so when it was the same family you were telling the sad news to yet again. Emily joined Benjamin at the clinic as his main nurse six months after he left the hospital. She, too, had be sick of the behavior of the nurses and the way they gossiped nonstop. Benjamin wrapped up his appointment with Mackenna and John, att setting their next appointment in two weeks time, tie couldn''t help but grin as he walked out of the clinic at the end of the day with Emily. "You''re not looking forward to your time off, not even a little, are you?'' she said with a full of her eyes. "Yes!" he grinned broadly at her, making her shake her head at him. *Have a nice vacation, Benjam. I''ll see you in two weeks." Benjamin got on his bike, waving at her before he drove off. When he got home, he put the motorcycle in the garage and went into the house. Immediately, he heard the sound of fighting and Pandora counting. "What''s going on?" he asked sternly, and all four of his children turned to look at him. Jack and Micheal, who were both ten, pointed at Amy and Beth: their twin girls who were eight, but would turn nine on Pandora''s birthday and their anniversary. Meanwhile, the girls were both pointing at the boys. "It''s them," they all seemed to yell at the same time. Benjamin looked at Pandora, who looked ready to kill them all, so he took charge. "Enough!" he barked and gave them the look that said ''no more or else. "Love?" he asked, directing Pandora''s attention back to him. "All four of you go and sit on your chairs now, you''re all in time out," she told them, pointing for them to move. She walked away after they all sat in their respective ces and he followed her. As soon as they were in the kitchen, he pulled her her closely. "It''s just been one of those days," she sighed into his chest. "Well, we have the next two weeks off for vacation, love." n, hugging She looked up at him and grinned. "Yeah, I know, and I''ve been looking forward to that, and not just because when we get back, the kids go back to school... but yeah, that''s the biggest reason." He snorted and shook his head at her. "Does it feel like their summer vacation from school hassted forever?" he asked in a calming voice. She took a deep breath and looked up at him and nodded with a frown. "I know they can be trying, but you already know when they go back to school, you''re going to miss them. Am I right?" he asked. "Yeah," she sighed and he cooed softly against her neck as he started to nibble on her soft skin. "I know I''m strange that way." top as they made their way back Pandora hummed softly and he started to run his hands down her back. He shifted them under b ¨²p, enjoying the feel of her soft, silky skin. "How was work?" she asked. "Good," he told her simply as he ced his lips on hers. He only got a few minutes of kissing and cuddling her, before she pulled back. "I need to finish making dinner. You can deal with your spawn." Chapter Comments 2 Chapter 119 They must have been naughty they''re back to being just mine," he said with a chuckle, knowing full well that they had been fighting all day. He gave her onest kiss before walking away. "Okay, Amy, you''re up first," he said, pointing in front of him as he sat down. He took them one at a time, listening to what they each had to say. As it turned out, this was just a fight about whose turn it was to pick something to watch on the television. So as a punishment, he removed their TV time for the rest of the day and the next. "I can''t believe I am going to miss watching golf!" Jack tutted. "What am I going to do now?" "You could read, like Amy," Beth told him with a touch of attitude. "I am not reading one of her silly books!" he bit back. "They were Mom''s books," Micheal reminded him. "And Dad said he read them, too." "Yeah, I guess, but what about tomorrow? No TV tomorrow and I nned to watch the tournament. I wish school: d already." "Jack, we have ns for tomorrow- we''re going to the sports center, remember? Aren''t you supposed to have lessons in ying golf?" Amy asked, reminding him. "That''s tomorrow?" Benjamin asked in fake surprise, making the girls snort at his silliness. "Yes, that''s tomorrow," Pandora added, entering the living room. "Now, Jack and Amy, go set the table for dinner. Micheal and Beth, you two can get the sses of milk and put them on the table." The children set about their tasks, and Pandora and Benjamin put the food on the table. Once they had sat down and everyone had their food, they began to eat. "What time do we leave tomorrow?" Jack asked with a mouth filled with food. "Gross! Can''t you swallow your food first, Jack?" Beth asked with a look of disgust. "Look, Beth," he said, opening his mouth, and making her groan, "And I was talking to Mom." "Yeah, well, I don''t want to see chewed-up food either, so ask again once you''re done chewing and have swallowed," Pandora, reprimanded him and he looked at Benjamin. "Nope, don''t look at me. I''m with your mom on this one, Jack." Jack swallowed the food in his mouth. "Mother, would you do me the kind favor of telling me what time Father, Micheal, and I leave tomorrow?" Benjamin covered his mouth and silently chuckled at the snobby, pretentious voice he just used. "Eight, Pandora stated, but couldn''t hold in herughter and giggled "Thank you," he said, nodding excitedly as Pandora nced at him. "Aren''t all the boys supposed to go? 1 heard little Jane is going too. Why?" Micheal whined. "Because she asked to." "But the girls have their own ns!" In thest ten years, the family had grown exponentially with all the couples having babies. It was a flurry of babies and tears and hard pregnancies over the years, but everyone had settled into their thirties, happy and healthy as can be. The kids helped clean up after inner, and he sent Pandora off to have some time to rx. Benjamin read the girls a story and got them to change into their pajamas. The boys, who insisted they were too old for stories, told him all about their ns for tomorrow. After all four of the children were ready for bed, Benjamin tucked them in and locked up the house before joining his wife in their bedroom. "You were supposed to keep your clothes on, love," he said moving behind her. "So that I can rip them aff of your body," he growled against her neck. She giggled as he sucked on her neck lightly. "You''ve been doing that for ten years now, and I am running out of clothes." "I told you I''ll buy you new ones to make up for it.". Pandora giggled, but he quickly silenced her by kissing her. The rest of the night was spent making love. They had only just rested and were holding each other when his rm went off. "No sleep for the wicked," Pandoraughed. "I''ll see you tonight," she hummed. Benjamin quickly kissed her head before moving into the bathroom to shower quickly before waking the boys and getting them ready to go. "How do you do it?" Ron blurted out. "Do what?" Benjamin asked as he nced toward the kids who were all listening intently to the coach, who was working with them. "Have sex so often?" "What?" he half-yelled. "Yeah, I wanna know, too, so tell me how?" Milton asked and looked around to see that everyone except for Walter, who put his fingers in his ears, and Benjamin''s father who wasughing seemed to be waiting for him to answer Ron''s question. "I am not sure what you mean," he said, giving them nothing. "I''m lucky if I have sex twice a week, and having sex every day?" We only have Jane. You have four kids running around like crazy, and yet you seem to be "We don''t have sex every day," Benjamin sighed. "I give her a break on Sundays," he chortled as Ron just raised his brows at him. I don''t know, honestly, even after ten years, we''re still in the honeymoon stage. No matter what, I can''t seem to keep my hands off of her. Besides, it helps that she''s not a screamer, well, unless the kids are away, then by god, she can make some noise." Ron just tilted his head, and thenughed. "Yeah, I do recall her screaming- Before he could finish his story, Walter cut him off with a yell. "Enough, you all can see me, right? They all nodded at him. "Well, then don''t make me get my gun.¡± They all held theirnds up in surrender as he kept muttering about shooting them all, and Benjamin had to bite back hisughter. Once the kids had er lessons, they took them out for a round of fo on the golf course and kept store. It waste when the boys and Benjamin reached home. Girls, did you miss us? he called out as they walked to the table with luke out loud the boys and he picked up, "Yes, they all replied together, all smiling. Chapter Comments 2 POST COMMENT NOW Chapter 120 "Where are we going tomorrow Jack asked. "The zoo," Amy answered with a roll of her eyes. "We can''t all be great at remembering stuff," he replied, making the rest of them roll their eyes at him. "It''s on the family schedule on the fridge... Oh wait, that''s right, you don''t look at that because then you would need to do your homework, Beth was quick to point out. "You''re just jealous that I can do it in five minutes t and still pass Jack boasted. "That''s not always going to work, and you will no longer be doing the work moments before it''s due to be turned in; do you understand me?" Pandora asked him, "But, is it more important to get it done right or promptly?" he asked, making Benjamin stifle the chuckle that was starting to bubble up, knowing he just stepped into it. "No, mister smarty pants, and you''d be wise to use those smarts to mind what you argue. Getting your work done promptly and done correctly are both important and if you keep doing it at thest minute, you''re going to make me go bat poo- poo crazy," Pandora told him and gave him a scary smile. Benjamin turned, looking at her, and mouthed the word ''poo'' at her, making her blush. He knew she-well all the adults-. trying to tone down the swear words, even the little ones like ''shit. The next morning, Pandora and Benjamin were up early to make their pic lunch. After they had finished, they made breakfast and had some time, before they got the kids up. They spend the next two weeks doing fun family things and taking in many different events. Last weekend, they had everyone over from the family for a big get-together. Now. He only had this weekend and Monday off before he needed to go back to work. Tonight, they were meeting their family for a meal, and then Benjamin''s parents were taking the girls, and Walter and Nina were taking the boys until Sunday night. They arrived at the restaurant and the hostess walked them to a veryrge table. "Emily," Pandora greeted, hugging her. "We need to get together and have coffee. I feel like it''s been ages since west talked. "It''s been six weeks," Emily reminded them with a lightugh. "How is this one doing?" Pandora asked touching Emily''s still unnoticeable baby bump. "ording to the doctor, all is good, and since I''m now into my second trimester, I can tell my family. So do me a favor, hush, and act surprised when my mom calls you." "Remind me again why he can''t be our doctor?" Taylor asked Emily, pointing at Benjamin. "It could be considered a conflict of interest," Amy mumbled, not taking her eyes off the book she had been reading since she sat down. "No listening to the adult talk, Benjamin reminded her, making Beth just look at him. "Don''t even say it, Pandora cut her off immediately, knowing she was about to hit them with a smart-ass answer. Have we missed something?" Peter asked as he and Lana joined the able. "Nope, Benjamin replied and he gave a grin as he looked at Beth. "There''s my girl, she''s going to be the President one of these days," Petermented "Don''t give her ideas," Benjamin pushed back his chuckle. Just as his father and he started to talk, the rest of the family arrived. Once everyone was there, they situated the kids at the table beside theirs, and they all took their seats at the table set for the adults. Thankfully, the children all got along pretty well and behaved, so that they could sit together. As dinner was served, he looked around feeling happy. Never in his dreams could he have imagined being this happy. He knew that they still had many challenges to work through, but he believed they would get there. All he had to do was remember the words his father said to him the night Jack was sick and rushed to the hospital [¡°Son, being a doctor is one of the most important jobs you can do, but your family must alwayse first. Your family is your backbone, and your foundation. With the right family, a good doctor can be a great doctor." "I know," Benjamin said to him. "Do you? She''s just had two babies, Benjamin, you better than most new fathers should know how long it takes to recover. Not to mention how long it takes a new mother to get back to feeling like herself. And then add what this Derrik guy has done to her." Benjamin dropped his head knowing his father was right. "I told youst year that you were pulling too many hours, and you didn''t listen, but you will this time. Be there for her and the boys, because you may wake up and not know them or have them if you don''t. As for the nurses, you should have made it cle no matter what, Pandora''s calls always get put through to you. If they didn''t, then they would no longer be on staff." "Pandora is like your mother; she wouldn''t call unless it is important. People only walk over your family if took a long breath and ced his hand on Benjamin''s shoulder. that allow them to." He that''s needed to make a ¡°I had nned to tell you all of this when you came to tell me you were getting married. Love is not all marriage work. You need trust,munication, understanding, and forgiveness. Build these qualities by talking and never keeping things from the person you want to spend your life with. Give them all of you, and ept all of them." "Help each other in building the person you each need to be for each other.because they will always be there for you. Ask for forgiveness when you need it, and give forgiveness when it is called for. Most of all, be there when they need you, but more importantly, be there just because you love them and want to be with them, not because they may need you. Onest note: give Pandora your pager number so that she can page you herself."] Benjamin knew with those words in mind, that both Pandora and he were always building their rtionship. Sure, they fought and made mistakes, but that was just another reason they loved each other. Chapter 121 Their imperfections, and the face that they didn''t want to be perfect or have a perfect marriage made them able to cope when one of them made a mistake. Thankfully, Pandora was very kind, and since it was Benjamin that normally screwed up, that made him lucky. Benjamin nced at Pandora who was hugging his mother, and he noticed she had a warm glow around her. He had always seen it, but it had be more evident to him since they renewed their wedding vows. Benjamin wanted-needed-to marry her again, not because they were both drunk the first time, but because he needed her to know that he meant it all and that he wanted her to be his wife. Pandora looked stunning in the wedding dress that Maisey had made her, but he thought she could have worn a trash bag and still shone like a star. She was so happy and cheerful that he made it his ow to make her that happy at least once a day. He hated to let her dance with anyone else at their reception, but it did give her a chance to hold his boys and be close to them. As they watched their momma dance, Benjamin whispered to them that when they find their one they should hold on to them and move mountains if needed to keep them. He was brought out of his train of thought by the kids all hugging him. "Be good and I love you," they said to each of the kids at the end of the meal, giving them each a hug and kiss. Freedom, Benjamin whisper-yelled to his wife with a smirk, making herugh. "Look what I got us," he said, holding up the bottle of Jack Daniels and wiggling his eyebrows at her. "But what if I forget?" Pandora asked and he shrugged. "Then I''ll just have to make you fall in love with me all over again." She hummed before kissing him. "Come on, lover, let''s go home. We only have forty-eight hours,¡± she giggled and he pulled her with her to the car. Benjamin and Pandora spent the entire weekend without the kids in bed. The only time they left was to get their second tattoos. This time, they both had an infinity symbol tattooed, but with their boys'' and girls'' initials around it, and their initials in the middle. Yes, it was a cliche tattoo to get, but for a family of their age, it was perfect. Benjamin went back to work, and the kids and Pandora spent thest two weeks off from school, getting ready for their new school year. She felt a little sad, but mostly relieved when the kids waved at her as they headed into school the first day. As soon as they were out of sight, she headed to work. "Wee back, Pandora," Aron called as she passed his door. She gave him a wave and got back to working on the pile of projects that he seemed to have kept for her while she was on vacation. She had barely made a dent in her workload when she was called into Aron''s office. "I need you to go to the new site. They have female trespasser. The guys say they think she''s been crashing there for a while now. For safety, I told them to leave and then apany you in when you get there." She nodded at him before walking out. This was not the first time they had a squatter on a job site. Normally, Aron tried to deal with those things without police involvement, knowing it was normally a homeless person looking for shelter It was his normal practice to hire them to work for a few weeks, and in return, they got a ce to crash and food to eat. She grabbed her jacket and sent a text to Benjamin to let him know he may be a littlete for their lunch date, She arrived at the site just as Benjamin texted back to say he was also runningte. She coulde by after she was done, and they could get a bite then or he would work through so he could finish early. She''s in here, Pandora, the head foreman at the site said. She put e hard hat on and followed him to where she was. The foreman stepped to the side and her eyesnded on a woman who looked dirty. "Hello, I''m Pandora," she said softly but the woman sneered and looked up at her, making her gasp. ''Raegan?'' she whispered, unsure if it was Benjamin''s ex or not. She only met her that one time. "Well, if it isn''t the woman who stole my life," she yelled and leaped toward Pandora. Thankfully, the foreman stepped in front of her. "Move away from Mrs. Parks or we will call the police," he yelled at fr. "Wait," Pandora said shakily. "Raegan, what are you doing here?" she asked. "Thest I heard was that you were arres- She didn''t finish the word as she red at Pandora. "Yes, that asshole made up some fake-ass crime, like I would steal from some crappy store!" Raegan seemed to start to mutter as if she was having a conversation, only it was with herself. "Raegan, she called. Pandora looked at the foreman who showed her his cell. She shook her head and handed him hers. "Milton," she said and he took it before moving to the side. Raegan, she tried again as she still seemed to be muttering. "Raegan!" Pandora yelled, this time stepping in front of her. "What happened after that, after Milton arrested you?" "What happened, she wants to know what happened. When I managed to have the charges dropped, my father and I were then charged with tax evasion. Why the hell should I have to pay taxes? Then the rats that worked for my Daddy took him to court for being treated like ves." Raegan shivered but carried on with her rant. "This wasn''t enough for Milton. He had to have the pigs he works with stop me. They said I killed someone with my car- that I ran someone down." She shook her head, and let out a strange sound. Chapter Comments Chapter 122 "It was just some homeless ma I really don''t know why they even fllowed up on it. But I was med, and then put in jail. JAIL! When I got out, I was aughingstock. No one wanted to know me. No one, riot even the people I had made great. They all left me to rot. My daddy left with all the money he had and started over in other country. I had nothing. I have nothing and it''s all your fault." At that point, she stood and charged at Pandora again, but Pandora easily deflected her arms, grabbed her, and held her down as Raegan hissed and growled at Pandora. "Oh shit!" she heard Milton say and he moved quickly to her, restraining Raegan. I told you to stay away from this ce," he said. "This is all your fault. You and that bitch took my life. I was meant to be Mrs. Parks-it was my life!" she yelled and Milton sighed. "Handcuff her. We have to drop her off at the hospital again," he signed to the female officer as Pandora watched her ce handcuffs on Raegan. Pandora stood, almost dumbfounded as Milton called for an ambnce. When it arrived, Raegan panicked and they ended up having to drug her so that she calmed down and didn''t hurt anyone. "What the hell just happened?" she asked, looking at the upset Milton. "Didn''t I tell you that Raegan went off the deep end? She is seriously crazy," he said with a straight face. Pandora shook her head at him and he shrugged. "Her father wasn''t paying taxes. He was only paying his employees below minimum wage, and if they didn''t put in the hours he asked for, he fired them. He wasn''t giving them any breaks, and a multitude of other things. As you can imagine, he was charged for several infractions and lost his business." "This caused Raegan to go on a bender. She hit and killed a pedestrian while driving her car. She stopped, but only to look over her car and then kicked the guy because-l assume-he made a dent in her car before she drove away. She spent four years in prison, and since she has been released, she is always getting picked up. But clearly, she''s batshit crazy. I really can''t see the difference in her from the way she was before all of this went on to how she is now." Pandora snorted and Milton winked at her. "I best go, darling." She waved him off, filled out the paperwork, and told the guys at the site to take the rest of the day off. She filled Aron in and headed out to meet Benjamin for ate lunch. "Hi, love,¡± he whispered before kissing her cheek. "Did you get everyone sorted out at the job site?" She shook her head and hummed, looking at him. "It was Raegan," she blurted out, causing him to frown at her. "Who?" "Raegan, as in your ex, Raegan." "What- Really?" She rolled her eyes. "Yes, really. She''s nuts, really nuts, and sleeping on the street. Milton had her taken away by an ambnce, so she''ll be sleeping in the hospital for now. They had to drug her; she tried to attack me for stealing her life.¡± Benjamin looked at her and then at his watch. "I have ten minutes before my next appointment. Why don''t you fill me in?" She had only just started to tell him what happened when Emily came in with coffee and cakes. Pandora asked her to stay and told both of them what happened. I wish I could have seen it, wilymented and she looked at he and shrugged. "She''s always been crazy, and her father was able to buy her drugs to hide Pandora nced at Benjamin wo hadn''t said anything. "You can have your dad look in on her if you want." His eyes snapped to Pandora and he arched his brow. "I''m just saying, I mean, you dated her for years. At one time she was a part of your life, and fust because you don''t love her anymore doesn''t mean you stopped caring. Besides, you''re a doctor. It''s a part of your job." "No. I wasn''t considering that at all. I''m sure she will be cared for and will be okay. I was shocked because I hadn''t thought about her, not once since Emily threw her out of our house all those years ago. I didn''t even know she was in jail "What? I told you!" Emily said with a huff. "When?" Benjamin asked her and Emily seemed to it over and ughed. "The day the girls were born. You were on edge and I said I knew how to put a smile on your face. I told you, but it was at the same time that you were paged because Pandora had gone intobor." "I wasn''t listening to you that day," Benjamin told her as he shook his head. "You''re lucky I have to look over our next patient, or I would so kick your ass!" Pandora chuckled as Benjamin groaned. They spent some time kissing and then she let him get back to work. "See you tonight, love," he whispered in her ear and she kissed his neck and stepped back, giving him a nod. She waited in the hallway, hoping to talk to Emily before she left. "Hey, did you forget something?" she asked and Pandora shook her head at her and pulled her to the side. "I think I''m pregnant," she whispered and Emily just stared at her. "Two weeks ago when the kids were away had Jack Daniels and forgot to get my injection on the following Monday, and now I am a weekte." at their grandparents, I Emily nodded at her and took her into a side room. "You haven''t told Benjamin?¡± "I will but, I kind of want to surprise him." Emily smiled at her, knowing that Benjamin and she had found out about the boys and didn''t know they were married. When the girls came along, they took the test together so Pandora never had the chance to tell him he was going to be a dad. "I''ll perform the blood work and urine test just to be on the safe side" she told Pandora. Pandora nodded at her and she got to work. She was grateful that there was a small toilet in the room she was using. Once she was finished, she sat and waited, knowing she would have the results in half an hour. Chapter Comments ? 2 Chapter 123 "Looks like you are going to hate a baby," Emily said, showing her the test. "Or maybe two. Knowing you and Benjamin, it will be twins again," sheughed. "Hush," Pandora gritted out and red at her.. Hey, you never know, it could be three this time," she smiled. Pandora snorted and pped her arm. "No, thank you! Now, not a word about this to him. I want to surprise him!" Emily nodded. "Just d I know someone that''s having a baby who will be around this one''s age, Emily rubbed her tummy as she spoke. "Maybe you''ll have a boy and I''ll have a girl and they''ll get married, Pandora- joked. Emily''s eyes lit up and Pandora knew her joke backfired when she got a big smile on her face. "That would be so awesome," she said. Pandora heard Benjamin yell her name and Emily winked at Pandora. "I better get back to work. Text me when you tell him!" "I will," Pandora replied and she opened the door and ducked out. Give me three minutes, and then you''ll be free to get out of here without being seen." It was just a little after four when she arrived home. "Hi, I''m home," she called out. "Hello, sweetheart, now that you''re home, I''ll head out to go home and make dinner," Lana said, standing up. On the days they both work, Lana picked the kids up after school and took them home. Pandora waved her off and the kids all gave her the normal hugs and kisses goodbye. "How was your first day?" Pandora asked after she had left. Each of the kids told her about their day. When they were done, she headed into the kitchen to make dinner. She had only been home an hour when Benjamin walked through the door, asking them the same question she did. At dinner, they found out more about the school, and the kids told them what after-school clubs they would like to join. After they were bathed, Pandora cleaned up. She headed upstairs just as Benjamin was telling the girls a story. "Why did Jack Daniels make Mommy forget you?" Amy asked and Pandora frowned. "Because it wanted your mom and dad to know each other, but make them work to love each other." "That doesn''t make sense, Daddy, because you remember her, and why would he make you get married just for her to forget. eth asked smugly. "You know I remember telling you girls about how your mom and dad got together and you used to love it. You never doubted me, but now you have all these questions." "That''s just because it doesn''t make sense. Just like in Sleeping Beauty... why was she sent away if the King truly believed he destroyed all the spinning wheels?" Amy asked. Because then the story would only he a page long, Benjamin sighe "We love you, Daddy," The girls giggled. "But you need to work on a row story now that we are nider." "I''ll get right to it; now off to sleep both of you." Benjamin walked out and saw her covering her mouth as she sat on the flour. "Hey, love." ''Why am I always the one that forgels?" she asked him with augh ¡°Because I was sure it was you... just you looked different that''s why he said and pulled her up. "I''m going to get my kisses. I''ll meet you in the boys roq, she announced and he nodded before walking into the boys'' room as she walked into the girls''. "You know what else, I don''t get?" Amy asked. "Why did you call Jack, after someone that made you forget you got married to?" Pandora snorted, shaking her head. "Because I liked the name, okay? The girls giggled as they smiled at Pandora. "Did you really forget Dad after marrying him the first time?" Beth asked shyly. "I did, but my heart didn''t-my heart remembered." "Because you loved him?" Amy asked. Nodding, she smiled. "I did, and do. Now it''s time to go to sleep." She tucked both the girls in, kissed them, and moved to the boys'' room, seeing that Benjamin was just wrapping up their boy talk. She tucked each of the boys in, kissed them, and then led Benjamin to their room. "What would you say about having another ? baby?" she asked him and he looked at her smiling. "I''m game if you are, and you know how I love to try," he said, arching his brows at her. "Great," she chirped and Benjamin''s eyes scanned her with an intense look on his face. "You''re not... we''re not... are you?" Pandora chuckled. "I am... we are." "Yes!" he hissed, picking her up. "I''m starting to think that Jack Daniels doesn''t just make you forget, but it''s guaranteed to make you pregnant, he chortled and sheughed with him. Every time, she had gotten pregnant, She had been drinking that night. It happened with the boys and then with the girls, arow it seemed with this little one or ones, too. Benjamin kissed her neck softly as his hands ran down her back. He slowly stripped nothings. "I love you," he whispered as they started to make love. "I love you, too," she breathed out with a moan. as he kept kissing and whispered sweet This pregnancy was a lot harder on Pandora than the other two, and surprisingly she was only carrying one. Emily- who was two weekste-had a boy while she was rushed to the hospital to delive Bell, who arrived two months early. She was just like her brothers. fighter. The kids doted on her and d been a great help to Pandora and their father, who ended up taking a year off, due to some of Bell''splications. Knowing she was a Parks, Pandora was sure she would ovee them and be stronger. She was forever grateful not just to her friends and family, but to Mackenna for showing her the guy she was with wasn''t worthy of her love. Most of all, she was grateful to Benjamin and her children who had shown her a love that grew stronger every day. And thank god the old saying was true: What happens in Vegas, don''t stay there. If it weren''t for that, she wouldn''t have found the father of her babies. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!