Todd and Marty Ch. 07

"Okay, I guess this is my only option... if he hangs up, he hangs up," she said to herself as she finally pressed 'SEND,' holding the phone to her ear while keeping it close to her shoulder, yet still trying to calm down Hope.

Schuyler hadn't been able to sleep after he had dropped Starr off at Dorian's house later that evening. He remembered the passionate moment between himself and Starr, and her tears after he had broken away from their kiss. He kept making growling noises as he was punching his pillow, wishing that things could be different. He then tried to lay down in his bed, but sleep wouldn't come. He missed and wanted Starr so badly. Just then his phone rang. He stared at the clock on his nightstand. It was after 5 AM. "Who could be calling at this time of the morning?" he grumbled as he reached for his phone. "Hello?" he spoke.

Starr's breath caught in her throat, hearing his voice. "Schuy..." she choked out.

"I-I...I know I said I wouldn't call or stop by," she whispered. "But I need you... I didn't mean what I said before."

"I understand though if you chose to hang up on me or tell me to go away, but I really do love you," she admitted. *Please don't let him hang up on me now,* Starr was thinking because Hope was still fussing and Starr was at such a loss right now.

Schuyler gripped the phone tightly, hearing Starr say that she needed him and loved him. That was the first time he had heard those words from her lips, and it made his heart do a flip-flop. "I love you, too, Starr, truly I do... and I'm so sorry about earlier tonight..." he said, then his voice cut off because he kept hearing the distinct sound of a baby crying in the background. At least it sounded just like a baby.

"Starr, what's going on?" Schuyler asked, totally baffled because he knew Starr's youngest brother was four years old. So who was the baby he heard crying on the phone? Starr sounded frantically upset, and all Schuy wanted to do was to soothe her and make everything better.

"God, I don't even know where to start," Starr responded as once again the tears threatened to spill. "You were right all along, Schuy, Hope has been alive this whole time and right under my nose."

"To make a long story short, the night that Hope was born so was my cousin Jessica's baby daughter Chloe. Well, Chloe was the one who died, and Jessica's alter came and pulled a switch. I just got Hope back tonight," Starr explained. "I know nothing about being a mom or caring for babies, and what little I do know doesn't seem to be helping."

Schuyler listened to Starr in disblief, almost dropping the phone. He was so wide awake now, hearing her words. How could this be? His suspicions had been correct all along, baby Hope was alive and well. "Ohhh Starr, wow... I don't know what to say. Your baby girl is alive," Schuy said happily as it all sunk in. "Why is she crying? Do you think she's sick?"

"I don't know anything about being a mother either," Schuy then added quickly.

He laughed, thinking how absurd that must have sounded. "But I will do everything I can to help you and baby Hope," he promised. "I'll be right over."

Starr couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her lips when Schuyler said he didn't know anything about being a mother. "Thank you," she said, when he told her he'd be right over. After hanging up with Schuyler, she tossed her phone onto her bed and held Hope as she walked back and forth across the floor hoping that her pacing might put the infant to sleep.

She began to worry. What if Schuyler was right and Hope was sick? What if it was something bad? What if it was serious? So many worried thoughts began to plague her exhausted mind.

Schuyler pulled up at Dorian's house not long after his phone call with Starr. He stood outside, not wanting to knock because it was early morning and he didn't want to awaken the whole house. He looked through a window, but he didn't see anyone there inside. A couple of lights were on upstairs, but all he could see were the figures of a man and a woman who appeared to be making out on a bed. "Ohhh myyy God," he gasped, realizing it was Starr's mother and stepdad.

Starr knew Schuyler probably wouldn't ring the doorbell so she decided to go down and wait for him. She kept Hope warm as she carried her baby girl outside, all bundled up, and headed out the front door. Everyone else in the house appeared to be fast asleep.

Schuyler was staring up at the window in shock when Starr came outside. Ohhh good Lord, was John really going down on Starr's mom? Should he even be watching this? He then realized that Starr had come outside, carrying baby Hope in her arms.

"Ohhh there she is," said Schuy, coming over to the two beautiful ladies and giving baby Hope a little kiss on her forehead. He then kissed Starr gently on the lips. "She isn't crying now," observed Schuyler. "Is she okay now?"

"Hey," Starr said softly as she returned his kiss, then looked down at Hope.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Why don't you come up with us and we can see? Maybe she did tire herself out." Starr led Schuyler into the house and up to her bedroom.

"Okay, sure," said Schuyler when Starr said he should come inside. Once upstairs, he saw her big bed and the crib that had been erected for the baby. Right now, Hope just kept gazing at him, as though wondering who he was. "Can I hold her?" Schuyler asked, thinking she was probably the prettiest baby he had ever seen. And of course she was a little doll; Starr was her mommy.

Starr smiled. "Of course you can," she said as she handed Hope over to Schuyler, so that he could cuddle her. Hope seemed rather calm now, so Starr hoped that meant she was okay. She was just glad that Schuyler was here; she didn't know what she would have done had he not come to the rescue.

Schuyler took Starr's baby in his arms, looking into those wide dark-blue eyes of hers. "She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen," said Schuy with a grin as little Hope cooed at him. "I think she really likes me. Damn, I wish she were mine..."

He then looked at Starr, realizing what he had said. Would that upset Starr? He hoped it wouldn't because he hadn't meant anything bad by it. He truly did wish this precious baby was his and Starr's little girl. "It is such a miracle you have her back..." he then added.

Starr touched his cheek gently as she gave him a smile. "I think she likes you, too."

"Sometimes I wish she had been yours too, Schuy, because you would have treated me better; you would have helped me find out what really happened that night instead giving me a useless suggestion and then disappearing," Starr admitted while gazing into Shuyler's eyes. "One day it'll be me and you with a baby, a brother or sister for Hope."

Schuyler smiled at Starr's words as he cradled Hope close in his arms. He really did hope her dreams would come true... that someday, he, Starr, and Hope would be a family, with a new baby of their own to complete their lives. "That would be my dream come true," he said to her as he kissed Hope's baby-soft head. "I wish we could start making those dreams come true... but we have to wait about 5 more long months..." Although it was killing both of them, Schuyler and Starr had decided to wait till Starr's 18th birthday before they became a couple.

~*In the Wee Hours of the Morning*~

Cole Thornhart revved up the engine as he drove wildly down the road. He pulled up haphazardly at Dorian's, staggering out of the car. Somehow he managed to climb the trellis without killing himself. Soon he was standing on Starr's balcony, looking through the window. Hadn't he done this a dozen times before when he had snuck around to see her so her dad would never know?

"Starr," he said softly, peeking through the window. "Joplin," he then said in an angry sneer, seeing Schuyler there in Starr's bedroom, holding baby Hope.

Starr had her back to the window. "Five months IS a long time," she said softly as she kissed Hope's little cheek.

"We like Schuyler, don't we?" she asked Hope.

"I know before that I said I wanted to wait, but getting Hope back has been a blessing in disguise and I don't ever want to waste another chance,

especially with you," she said softly. "As soon as I turn eighteen I want to start a family with you. We belong together, Schuy, and we need to complete this family."

"Wow, I really can't wait to get our family started," Schuyler said, realizing he had a lot to look forward to. Yeah, five months would be a really long time, but it was all going to be worth the wait. By then, little Hope would be walking, and he planned to ask Starr to marry him. They could get their own little place and have a happy life together.

Suddenly Schuyler was drug out of his daydream of their future when the window of Starr's balcony was broken through by a large potted plant. Shards of glass flew and immediately Schuyler thought to sheild the baby in his arms. When the glass went flying, he kept little Hope safe. The tiny girl began to cry.

"Schuyler Joplin, get your hands off MY daughter!" demanded a drugged-out Cole as he made his way through the broken window into Starr's bedroom. He reached out for Hope, trying to snatch her from Schuyler's arms.

"You're not touching this baby!" Schuyler bit out.

Starr was startled at the sound of breaking glass. She jumped instantly to keep from getting covered in glass as her backside had been turned towards the window. Her first thought had been Hope but she was relieved to see Schuyler shielding the baby. Tiny shards of glass was stuck in Starr's arms and shoulders, but she felt no pain as she whipped around to glare at Cole.

"Get out of my house," she growled. "Hope is my daughter; you were just the sperm donor."

Schuyler noticed immediately that Cole was out of his freakin mind on drugs. Since he used to be a user himself, he knew all the signs. "Cole, you really need help," Schuyler said to him in disgust. "Starr and this baby don't need you in their lives. You're totally messed up and all you would do is cause them heartache." Schuy then glanced over at Starr, seeing blood running down one of her arms from the shattered glass. Right away he wanted to pound the holy heck out of Cole as not only had he caused Starr an injury, he could have hurt this precious baby girl in the process.

Ignoring Schuyler's words, Cole turned to Starr. "How dare you say that to me?" he growled, glaring into her face. "I'm the father of your child! She's MY child. And she's coming with me."

He then walked over to Schuyler, punching him in the jaw, not even caring if his flying fist was so close to the baby. Schuyler lost his balance, falling onto the bed. He tried to hold onto little Hope, but when he fell, his arms lost contact with the child. The baby girl screamed when she landed on the carpetted floor with a thud. To Schuyler's horror, Cole, who was totally out of his mind on drugs, started punching him repeatedly in the face.

"Oh my God!" Starr screamed as she rushed to pick up Hope and held her baby protectively.

"Cole, stop it!" she yelled as he was punching Schuyler. Starr tried to make sure not to get blood or glass on Hope who was crying so loudly.

"Oh God!" Starr cried out helplessly. She grabbed Hope's diaper bag, yanked her bedroom door open and went running down the hall. She began to pound on Langston's door.

"Langston, please!" Starr was sobbing.

Langston stumbled to the door, half asleep. "What the fuck, Starr? What time is it? And why are you screaming like crazy person?" Langston demanded.

"Lang, please... here, you have to help," said Starr, quickly giving Hope to Langston.

" Whoa... Starr, stop! What is going on?" Langston questioned.

"I don't really have time to explain right now! Just take her to the hospital and have a doctor look at her. Cole busted in, and he punched Schuyler and Hope fell. Just... PLEASE... I need to know that she's okay... and keep her away from Cole," spoke Starr, shoving the diaper bag at Langston.

"Starr, what the fuck is Mr. J doing in your room at this hour? I can't tell the hospital that!"

"Fucking lie then, Langston! Say Cole hit me then and I was holding Hope!

Please... I have to get back in there before he kills Schuyler!"

"Starr, you're bleeding!" Langston said urgently then, seeing Starr's arm.

"I don't care! Please... hospital... Go!"

"Okay... okay, I'm going," Langston said, as she grabbed her keys and a pair of terry-cloth pants she could pull on in the car on the way to the hospital. Moments later, she ran out of the house and rushed Hope to the hospital.

After her baby girl was safe, Starr ran back to her bedroom. "COLE, GET OFF HIM NOW!" Starr yelled as she grabbed her biology book and prayed it wouldn't hit Schuyler. She threw the heavy text book at Cole, hitting him square in the backside.

Cole fell to his knees when he was hit in the ass with Starr's biology book. Now that Cole was no longer on top of him, Schuy was able to raise up off the bed. He grabbed Cole in a headlock and pushed him down to the floor. "Starr, call 911!" Schuyler said urgently, because he knew he couldn't hold the deranged, drugged-up Cole much longer. Cole was incredibly violent, and Schuyler's face had taken the brunt of the attack. His nose was bleeding and his eyes were blackened. He glanced over at Starr, seeing her tear-streaked face as well as her bloody arm. "Cole, you are a jerk and an asshole!" Schuy said as he held Cole to the floor. He couldn't believe that Cole would have put that precious baby in danger. What kind of a father was he? Definitely not a very good one! Cole started screaming obscenities when he discovered he could not break free of Schuyler's hold.

Vicki had been about to leave the hospital after staying with Jessica the night before when she came across Langston entering the building carrying a fussy baby girl. "Ohhh my God, Langston... is that- that Chloe, I mean... Hope?" Vicki asked in alarm.

Vicki then noticed a bruise on the baby's little head. "What happened? Who did this?" Vicki questioned in concern.

Starr was quick to grab her phone and called 911 for help and told them everything. She didn't at that moment care about her bloody arm or the glass that was embedded in it or even the stray pieces she could feel in her shoulder, she just hoped the authorities would do something soon. Although they said they'd get someone over as soon as possible, Starr didn't know how long Schuyler could hold Cole down to the floor.

~*o*~

"What the fuck?" John growled, hearing strange sounds coming from across the house. It sounded like a man's voice screaming obscenities.

John jumped up and threw on his pants. Whatever it was, he had to protect the family.

Blair heard the noises too and quickly pulled on her robe and followed John. What the hell was going on in her house?

Starr had just gotten off the phone with 911 when John and her mom appeared in her doorway. She hadn't noticed them right away as she had just seen the damage Cole had done to Schyler's face, and she really wanted to kick Cole hard for causing Scuyler's injuries.

Schuyler was relieved when he saw Starr's mother and stepfather come into the room. He gladly allowed John to take control of restraining Cole. He then went to Starr and took her into his arms to comfort her. He didn't even give a damn at that point what her mom and stepdad thought; all he cared about was Starr's well-being.

"Starr, are you okay?" he asked her, tenderly touching her cheek. "Where's Hope... is she alright?"

"Will someone please tell me what the fuck happened here?" demanded John as he held Cole's head to the floor with a booted foot.

"Yeah," Schuyler spoke up. "Baby Hope was fussy, so Starr gave me a call so I could help out. I got here and we calmed the baby... and that's when Cole broke in, breaking the glass in the window. He's out of his freakin mind on drugs!"

"I'm fine," Starr said softly, trying to assure her mother and stepdad. "Hope's with Langston. I don't want Cole anywhere near the two of us."

"But what about you, Schuy? Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Blair saw the window and nearly had a heart attack. "You little punk!" she screamed. She was wishing now that she had let Todd destroy him when he had tried before.

"Cole, knocked Hope to the floor," Starr said angrily as she glared at Cole.

Blair grabbed the phone to call the police department. She demanded a restraining order against Cole. While they were putting her through to Bo Buchanan, she looked down at Cole. "If you ever lay a finger on my daughter or my granddaughter again, I will personally deliver your sorry-ass to Todd," she hissed.

"No, not Todd... Anything but Todd!" Cole whined, sounding like a scared little girl when he heard Blair's angry threats.

"Ohhh... believe me I will personally grant Todd permission for this," Blair said with anger. A few moments later, she had finished speaking with Bo regarding the restraining order and then waited with John for the police to arrive.

"I'm going to be okay," Schuy assured Starr. "But we better get you to the hospital," he said when he saw the blood running down her arm.

John nodded, seeing the nasty wound on Starr's arm. "Yes, you get her to the hospital right away. Blair and I will stay here till the police arrive," John said to Schuy.

"Alright," Schuyler said, taking Starr's arm and leading her out to the car. Once they arrived at the hospital, they saw Vicki and Langston in the waiting room. Schuy was relieved, seeing Vicki holding a sleeping Hope. Thankfully the baby looked just fine, despite a small bruise on her little head.

~*o*~

Cole was making strange inhuman sounds by the time the cops pulled up. John was surprised that he wasn't foaming at the mouth. John let the cops handcuff Cole and lead him out in the police car while he gave a report to them of the incident. "This boy needs some serious drug rehabilitation," John insisted. "He's going to kill someone if he doesn't get some help."

After the cops left with Cole, John began cleaning up the mess in Starr's room. "Baby, call the hospital..." John said to Blair. "Make sure that Starr and the baby are both okay."

Just as he said those words, Jack and Sammy both burst into the room. "Ohhh gosh, what happened here?" Jack exclaimed.

Sammy then saw blood droplets on the floor and started to cry. "Somebody got hurt," he sobbed.

"Alright," Blair had just said to John, but no sooner had she spoke when Jack and Sammy burst into the room.

"Oookay, boys," Blair said, thinking quickly.

"How about... Jack, you take Sam downstairs and I think there is ice cream in the fridge," she said, hoping to distract the boys.

"Come on," she said, ushering the boys out of Starr's room and heading downstairs with them. When she got them downstairs, she placed her call to the hospital.

"Ice cream! Ice cream!" Sammy exclaimed as he ran down the staircase with his big brother. He had totally forgotten all about the blood he had seen on the floor at the mention of his favorite treat.

Jack ran into the kitchen, popped open the freezer and got out a huge tub of chocolate ice cream. He grabbed two huge spoons and handed one to his brother.

"Dig in!" he said, because he wasn't about to let this chance for ice cream before breakfast go for the world. It wasn't like his mother to allow a treat before a meal, but Jack didn't care as he and Sam started gobbling down the chocolate ice cream.

"Jack, don't eat it all," said Sam as he had the ice cream smeared all over his face.

Meanwhile, upstairs, John had the glass all cleaned up. He swept the carpet to pick up any remaining tiny shards, then got a wet washcloth to clean up the blood. All the while he was cursing Cole.

Once Starr's room was clean and the window was covered with a piece of plywood, John came downstairs to see if Blair had called the hospital yet.