Fighting for a New Life Ch. 06-07

CHAPTER SIX

"Why can't we call your parents or Melissa?" Ariana asked.

"Because we don't know if whoever is after you is watching them. I'll call mom later from a pay phone when I go into the city," Bobby told her. Ariana pouted.

"I hate feeling so cut off," she grumbled.

"I know, but it's for your own safety," Bobby said. Ariana let out a half shriek, stood up and ran from the house. Bobby shook his head with a sigh, knowing it was futile to run after her.

In the months that they had been in hiding, Ariana had become more and more quiet, as if she were unhappy with life or with him, he wasn't sure. She hardly spoke to him any more. Bobby shook his head again and went outside to chop wood for the fireplace. The nights were getting colder as October faded into November and the locals were talking about snow not being far off. A sudden noise in the yard had Bobby immediately on edge; he raised the axe over his shoulder, holding it like you would a baseball bat and crept around from the side to the front.

"Holy hell Aria, why didn't you saying thing as you got closer to the house?" Bobby asked, letting the axe drop to the ground.

"I didn't know you'd be out here," Ariana answered.

"Still, make some noise next time," Bobby grumbled.

"What the hell is your problem?" Ariana wanted to know.

"MY problem? My problem is the attitude you've had the last three months!" Bobby exclaimed. "You've been quiet, depressed, hell, Doctor Turner says you aren't even gaining enough weight!" Bobby shouted.

"I've gained ten pounds!" Ariana snapped.

"Where?" Bobby taunted. "I don't see any weight gain," Bobby said. Ariana rolled her eyes, looked around and pulled her tee-shirt over her head. "I still don't see any," he murmured, pulling her between a couple of trees, minimizing the chance that someone would see. Ariana moaned as Bobby's lips covered hers, his hands pushing down her jeans and panties. Bobby pulled away slightly and looked her over, his hands resting on her slightly rounded abdomen. "You're beautiful," he murmured, pushing his pants and boxers down his legs and thrust into her making her gasp. She tried to stay as quiet as possible as she wrapped her legs around his waist; Bobby supported her weight with his arms as he thrust deeply inside her. They came together faster than they would have liked; it had been too long since they had enjoyed each other. Bobby set Ariana gently back on the ground and they reached for their clothes, hoping to put them on before they had company. They weren't so lucky, Rebecca and her husband Jacob walked into the yard, bringing fresh milk, cheese and meat for them.

Ariana's face was bright red as she tugged her shirt into place before snapping her jeans shut. Bobby didn't seem as bothered. "Good afternoon," he said.

"Same to you. We brought you some more meat and milk," Jacob said, stating the obvious. Rebecca seemed nearly as embarrassed as Ariana and avoided looking at her in the face.

"Thank you," Bobby said, taking the carton of milk and cheese from Rebecca. Ariana and Bobby exchanged glances and Bobby hid a grin. "How is work going?" Bobby asked.

"Busy, but the days are getting shorter now," Jacob answered. Bobby nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Months later-

"Where is she?" he roared. Melissa backed away, stopping only when her back made contact with the wrap around counter.

"I don't know where Ariana went, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!" Melissa exclaimed. "You leave right now Jack before I call the police!" she added.

"You listen to me Melissa and listen good. If I have to find Ariana on my own, I will, but it won't be pretty. If you help me find her, the only person that will get hurt is Bobby Glass," Jack warned.

"And if I don't help you?" Melissa challenged.

"I'll kill Ariana too," Jack answered before turning and walking out of the restaurant.

Melissa took a deep breath before grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling something down on it. She walked to her car and drove to the Glass' home. "Melissa, what can we do for you?" Mrs. Glass asked from the garden.

"I need for you to give this to Bobby, I don't know how or nor do I care, but Jack wants to kill Bobby, and if I don't help him find them, Ariana too," Melissa said, handing Mrs. Glass the note.

"I'll get it to him," Mrs. Glass promised.

"Bobby, your mom sent a note from Melissa!" Ariana exclaimed a few days later. Bobby put down the report he was working on and walked over to her. "Jack wants to kill you," she murmured softly. "He threatened Mel. Said if she didn't help him find us, he'd kill me too," she added.

"Not if I kill him first," Bobby seethed. Ariana looked at him in surprise. "I mean it Aria, I'll kill him before I let him hurt you," he told her.

Ariana shook her head. "I hate violence Bobby," she reminded him.

"I won't let him hurt either of you," Bobby promised. Ariana sighed but gave a small smile and handed him the note. Bobby scanned it quickly before pulling Ariana in for a gentle hug. "How are you feeling? You were up really early this morning," he murmured.

"I'm okay. I just had a really bad leg cramp," Ariana answered.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Bobby wanted to know.

"You were up really late last night working on the project," Ariana said.

"Aria, I don't care how little sleep I've gotten, if you need me, wake me up," Bobby told her. Ariana opened her mouth to answer, but a knock at the door drew Bobby's attention.

"Stay here," he murmured, turning away. When he opened the door, Bobby was surprised to see the county sheriff standing there. "What can I do for you Sheriff?" Bobby asked.

"Are you Bobby Glass?" the Sheriff asked.

"Yes sir," Bobby confirmed.

"I need for you to come with me please," the Sheriff said.

"May I ask for what?" Bobby wanted to know.

"Suspicion of murder," the Sheriff answered, showing Bobby the arrest warrant.

"Bobby," Ariana murmured, her eyes wide with fear.

"It's going to be okay Aria. After I've gone, I want you to go to Martha's and stay there until I get back," Bobby said. He cupped her chin with his hand. "Be strong," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek before turning back to the Sheriff who put handcuffs on Bobby's wrists and led him from the house.

Ariana stood there stunned for several minutes before stuffing a duffel bag and running the two miles to Martha's house. "Ariana, what's wrong?" Annie asked, pulling the door open.

"The police have arrested Bobby on suspicion of murder!" Ariana gasped.

"What? That is crazy!" Martha said, coming up behind her sister. "Come in please," she added. Ariana slid into the house and Martha ushered her to the couch.

"What is happening?" Jacob asked, looking up from the Bible. Ariana accepted the glass of water offered by Martha and took a sip before answering. "Did he murder anyone?" Jacob asked.

"NO! Bobby would never hurt anyone unless they threatened his safety!" Ariana exclaimed.

"Calm down Ariana, you won't do yourself or the baby any good if you become hysterical," Rebecca said, not looking up from her quilting.

"I don't understand why this is happening," Ariana whispered.

"Tomorrow morning I will have Jonah drive you to the police station and you can find out exactly what is happening," Jacob told Ariana.

"Thank you," Ariana murmured, taking another drink of water.

"You should get some rest," Rebecca advised. Ariana nodded and allowed Martha and Annie to lead her upstairs.

"You can sleep in our room," Martha told her friend. Ariana nodded silently and walked into the small room.

"Papa made the bunk beds to save space, of course when I get married in the spring, Annie will have it all to herself unless Mama has another baby," Martha murmured.

"Where will Annie sleep?" Ariana wanted to know.

"On this." Ariana turned to see Jonah, Annie's twin brother carrying in a cot on wheels. "Father picked this up at a flea market last week at Mama's urging. She had a feeling you would need some assistance when your time came," Jonah said. Ariana blushed. "Good night," he added before ducking back out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Where is my husband?" Ariana demanded to know as she stormed into the police station the next morning.

"Ma'am, your husband is being held on suspicion of murder, he isn't allowed visitors," the sheriff said, walking up to the counter.

"Have you allowed him to see a lawyer?" Ariana countered.

"Ma'am, he isn't allowed visitors," the Sheriff repeated.

"Bull shit! Miranda Rights grant him the right to an attorney," Ariana said matter of factly.

"You know your law," the Sheriff observed.

"She ought to her, father used to be one of the top lawyers in our county," a calm, cold and calculating voice said from behind the Sheriff. Ariana gasped and began backing away.

"How did you find us Jack?" Ariana asked, her eyes wide.

"Simple really. I threatened Melissa and followed the letter she wrote to Bobby and gave to his mother," Jack answered.

"You're a pig!" Ariana spat. Jack just laughed.

"That may be, but I've got you now," Jack said, lunging for her. Ariana tried to get away, but her balance was off and he managed to grab her arm. "I think for now, I'll put you where you can't get away," he added, dragging her towards the cell Bobby was being held in.

"Aria, what the hell are you doing here!?" Bobby exclaimed when Jack pushed her into the cell.

"I didn't expect douche of the century to be here," Ariana murmured. Bobby sighed.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Bobby asked. She shook her head.

"I'm scared, but I'm okay," she answered.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Bobby asked again.

"I wanted to see you, to make sure you were okay," Ariana answered.

"You should have stayed with Martha," Bobby scolded.

"What, so you can be left to Jack's devices?" Ariana snapped.

"Better me then you," Bobby retorted. Ariana sighed and rubbed the small of her back. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"It's just a back ache," Ariana sighed, sitting down on the cot. They both looked up as the Sheriff stepped into view.

"Sheriff, I didn't kill anyone, and Ariana hasn't broken any laws," Bobby started.

"Be quiet both of you." Bobby sighed but closed his mouth. "Jack out there is posing as a police officer from your home town. I did some checking and know it's bull shit, so one of you had better tell me what is going on," the Sheriff said.

"My father and Jack had an agreement that when I turned twenty-one that I would marry Jack. He's an abusive person, every woman he's dated has ended up in the emergency room with broken bones and internal bleeding. I ran away, and Bobby offered to marry me to keep me safe," Ariana began.

"After the wedding, Jack started trying to kill us so we ran. We figured this would be the last area he'd expect," Bobby added.

"But somehow, he followed the mail and even though we used a friend's name for the post office box, he found us. And if he ever looks at me closely enough to notice any differences, he'll kill us both," Ariana finished. The sheriff gave Ariana a closer look and sighed.

"Can you get us out of here?" Bobby asked. The sheriff looked around and once he was sure Jack was nowhere in sight, nodded.

"But not until he goes out," the sheriff said.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, come with me and no matter what happens, don't stop!" the sheriff said as loud as he dared. It was nearly dark and Jack had left to go grab dinner at a neighboring town. "I've sent word to Martha's family so they do not worry," he added, closing the back door of his sedan. Bobby and Ariana looked at each other and if not for the seriousness of their situation, would have laughed at the sight of each other being wedged into the back seat of a tiny car. The sheriff drove for about twenty minutes before stopping on the side of the road. "There is a path that cuts through the woods about a hundred feet from here. You'll find yourselves at a river, there is a boat, get in the boat and head south. Go about twenty miles and you'll see a rental car, a mini van. I'll lead Jack north, telling him it'd be crazy to head south and yes Ariana, he noticed you're pregnant; he planned on killing Bobby after he finished dinner. Go now," the sheriff said. Bobby and Ariana climbed out of the car, thanked the sheriff and took off through the woods.

Ariana stumbled over a hidden branch and she landed with a soft thud. "You okay?" Bobby asked, helping her up. She nodded and they hurried along. After a few more minutes, they found the river and the boat. Bobby held it steady while Ariana climbed in. Bobby put the bag of supplies the sheriff had given him on the floor at Ariana's feet and climbed into the boat; untied the line and pushed the boat away from the dock.

"I'm cold," Ariana murmured, rubbing her arms.

"Here, take this," Bobby said, pulling a sweatshirt from the bag. Ariana pulled the sweatshirt over her head. "Better?" he asked. She nodded and watched their surroundings as it darkened outside. "There should be a flashlight, can you grab it?" Bobby asked her. Ariana rummaged through the bag and pulled out the flashlight. They sat in silence, the only noise to be heard were the crickets, the wolves and the motor of the boat. They finally reached the shore the sheriff had indicated to them and Bobby pulled the boat to the beach and helped Ariana out of the boat. "The car should be just over the ridge," Bobby said, flinging the bag over his shoulder and reaching for her hand. Ariana laced her fingers with his and followed Bobby up the hill.

"There's the car!" Ariana said softly, excitedly. Bobby nodded and stopped, listening. "What?" she asked.

"Quiet," Bobby commanded softly. He stood there, listening. "Stay here," he added, dropping her hand. He set the bag at her feet and inched forward.

"You stupid bastard." Bobby turned to see Jack standing there, a gun pointed at his chest.

"Jack, you're breaking the law," Bobby warned.

"I don't care. Ariana is mine and you were wrong to take her from me. Come on out here Ariana, nice and slow and I won't hurt you," Jack called.

"Stay there Aria, you don't need to see him kill me," Bobby's voice rang out, shaky, but firm.

"Fine, we'll do this your way," Jack growled. His finger squeezed the trigger and Ariana screamed as a loud shot rang out through the dark night. "You're next Ariana," he called, turning away from Bobby's now still body and towards where Bobby had left Ariana waiting.

Ariana grabbed the bag as if it were her lifeline, turned and ran as fast as she could back towards the boat. Just as she reached the boat, Jack grabbed hold of her ponytail.

"It's a pity I have to kill you Ariana, I looked forward to bedding you," Jack said.

"Fuck you!" Ariana shouted.

"Now what would your dear mother think of such language?" Jack tisked.

"She'd applaud the use of it under the circumstances," Ariana spat. She found the boat with the back of her legs and started to slowly climb into it.

"Don't even think about it Ariana. I could kill you before you finish getting that leg in that boat," Jack cautioned. "We're going to have some fun first," he added. Ariana dropped the bag and crouched down next to it, looking for something to use to fight him off as Jack fumbled with his belt. "I like a challenge," Jack said with a grin. "It's more fun for me if you struggle," he added. Ariana's hand closed over something in the bag, and a quick glance in the moonlight told her it was perfect.

"Go to hell," Ariana said, her voice even, scared, angry as she raised the loaded flare gun.

Jack just laughed and walked towards her. "You don't have the guts," he taunted. Ariana ignored the fear flowing through her and the tightness forming in her abdomen as she waited for him to get closer. Finally, when Jack was at an arm's length away, she pulled the trigger, sending the flare into his neck. He screamed in agony as the fire of the flare ripped through him; his scream turned to a gurgle as he collapsed on the floor. Ariana grabbed the bag and ran.

"Bobby," she whispered, crouching down next to him. Bobby turned his head towards her, and she could see the pain in his glassy eyes. "It's over, he's dead," Ariana soothed, running a hand through his hair.

"Aria," Bobby's voice was scratchy.

"No, don't talk!" she murmured, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, exposing the wound. She paled as blood poured from it. "It'll be okay," she added, pulling the sweatshirt over her head and pressing it against the gunshot.

"Aria, look at me," Bobby commanded. She looked at him, her eyes wide. "I love you," he whispered, his eyes closing.

"Don't do this to me Bobby Glass! Not like this," she pleaded. She heard voices calling her name as a wave of pain flowed through her; she grabbed the second flare from the bag, pushed it into the gun, raised it and fired. Bright sparks danced across the sky and Ariana sobbed with relief as Jacob and Jonah Long came into view, Doctor Turner right behind them. Exhausted, Ariana collapsed against Bobby and closed her eyes. Help had come at last.

~~~~~~~~

Ariana sat up in bed and let out a low moan of pain. "You're awake." Ariana looked up to see Rebecca sitting in the rocking chair next to the bed.

"Where am I?" Ariana asked.

"The farm," Rebecca answered, setting down her quilting. Ariana looked around the room; her attention was grabbed by a soft whimpering and arms waving in the air. "Be careful, Doctor Turner had to perform what he called a C-Section," Rebecca cautioned.

"Bobby, how's Bobby?" Ariana wanted to know.

"He is in a coma, in the Intensive Care Unit," Rebecca answered, helping Ariana sit up. "Would you like to see your daughter?" she asked. Ariana nodded and Rebecca lifted the infant from the cradle and into Ariana's arms.

"She's so tiny," Ariana breathed. Rebecca smiled.

"She won't stay tiny," Rebecca said. Both women looked up as Doctor Turner walked into the bedroom.

"How's Bobby?" Ariana asked.

"He's still in a coma, but he is stabilizing more every hour," Doctor Turner answered.

"I want to see him," Ariana said.

"You need to rest and recover from your own ordeal," he argued.

"Doctor, my husband died trying to protect me, and I need to see him," Ariana said firmly, the tone of her voice leaving no room for argument.

"Tomorrow," Doctor Turner said, resigned.

"There are a lot of tubes and IVs," Doctor Turner warned before he wheeled Ariana into his room. Her eyes widened as her wheel chair was wheeled up to his bed. "I'll give you a few minutes," he added before leaving.

Ariana slipped her hand onto the bed and squeezed Bobby's hand gently.

"You need to wake up now. We have a beautiful daughter and she's going to need you," Ariana whispered. "I need you too," she added, lifting his hand off of the bed and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "I love you too," Ariana whispered, setting his hand back on the bed and lowering her head, lay it down next to his hand. "Please come back to me," she murmured.