BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (125 page)

"Get the hell out of here." He fumed through tight lips.

She looked into his eyes, "Don't go." She hated pleading, but she suddenly saw the rest of the time there as oh so bleak without him around.

"Look, Crystal, I'm only human, you understand that? I'm just a man, no super human powers. You've got my email address, I've got yours. I'll be on your Yahoo messenger list just as soon as I get into my computer and accept your invite; then you'll be on mine. Let's just - leave it at that. So, I'm gonna get going on this packing, I won't leave until Shawn gets back with Angela to say goodbye - at least I hope not, they should have been back here by now." He figured they would have been, but he couldn't wait it out, his flight was at nine-thirty. He turned away from her to start gathering his things. Crystal couldn't move.

"So what, you trying to prove something by doing this? Is that what this is all about?" She asked, willing to do anything to stop him from leaving, she couldn't believe the way it was making her feel inside, after all - he was going back to Wisconsin, where they would all be showing up Sunday night, yet, even with that knowledge - she couldn't budge.

"It's about recognizing my own limitations and knowing when to get the hell out of here, I need to go, for me."

"Can't you just - stay until Sunday ... for me?"

"That's not fair! That's not fair dammit!" He grit out low, his finger pointing at her, "You know what - don't - don't look at me like that, and don't use that soft, hurt tone with me, like it's going to make me stay - because it's not! Don't play - with my emotions - don't use against me what I stupidly admitted! What a moron! No, go downstairs and play with your computer and let me pack."

"I don't want you to go, Ben. I'm not trying to play with your emotions, but - deep in my gut, I know it won't be the same - without you here, I just know it."

"Okay, so say I stay, for you ... I stay - but when we get back to Wisconsin, then what Crystal? Huh, then what?"

She didn't know what to say, because all she knew was what she was feeling right then.

"No answer?"

She looked down slowly shaking her head.

"Nope - sorry, you're not going to use me like this Crystal, you're not. Not gonna be your pacifier! I can see it now, right now! You're gonna fuckin' break my heart! I can see it! Not gonna let it happen - what little control I still have over this situation, I'm going to keep. Because if I start now, letting you do these things to me, you'll never - ever - grow to appreciate what I am - and you know what that is?"

She couldn't look at him, she was too busy trying to think of a way of stopping him.

"Hey, I'm talkin' to you! It ain't gonna work, stop the plotting, I know that's what you're doing, trying to think fast. You see, I know that about you already, I know when you're blue, I know when you're scared, I know when you're trying to be brave and why, what triggers it, I've figured it out, figured you out. I know when you're happy, and what makes you happy! I know what's important to you, and why it's so important! I know how deeply you hurt, and why it goes so deep, and I know how to reach it and make it feel better. I know what motivates you, what drives you - and baby - oh baby - I am, that extra fuel you need, to follow that journey through. Because Crystal Bella, I am - the man for you. And if I let you get away with what you're doing right now, you'll never ever come to appreciate me - or the fact, that - well - I'm the one. I have no doubt in my mind." He stopped there and turned away from her once again. During his whole pouring of his soul, he'd slowly approached her and now, stepped back putting the needed space between them. "Now, get - go - out of my room."

Crystal stood waging the most enormous battle with herself she'd ever engaged in, in her life. Sometimes she hated feeling the deep seeded need to do the right thing, sometimes she wanted to just say, 'To hell with the right thing.' But she'd done that with Victor and now look at her life. The true positive of any mistakes made should be a lesson learned. She turned and fled from the room to her own. If he was going to leave, she didn't want to have to watch him go. She too laid across her bed, trying not to let her feelings flood her emotions. She fought it until finally, she dozed off to sleep.

When she woke up, it was to hear the house in a uproar, or rather, her mother. She was upset, it was eight-forty-five at night - and no show, word or call from Shawn. He'd left earlier in the day at one-thirty that afternoon. There was no way that Shawn would ever stay away from home that long, by the time she came down the stairs, her mother was fighting back tears thinking the worst, imagining the worst. It would seem, that Crystal would get her wish after all, because with her mother so upset, Ben could not leave now - not until he too knew what was going on with their father.

Early afternoon - L. A...

Shawn stood at the door, hesitant to ring the bell, dreading what her call, brief as it was, might be leading to. His mind scattered into many directions and possibilities as to what he might be facing. He flashed back to the call from Jeremiah before they left Wisconsin, he'd been willing to board a plane and come there to speak to him about it - the only reason he hadn't was because they'd had plans already to be in L.A. Once they arrived, neither he, Jeremiah or Deidre had brought the matter up again. In fact, after a bit, Shawn had dismissed it from his mind, now - it was back. Taking a steadying breath, he was about to ring the doorbell when the door opened for him, by Deidre's new butler.

"Come on in, they're waiting for you, Mr McPherson. Can I get you anything, sir?" He addressed Shawn, closing the door behind him, turning and leading the way to the library.

"No thank you, has something happened with my daughter here?" He asked. He never could get used to the idea of maids, butlers and drivers.

"I'm sure the matter will be covered by Ms Wherrington." He returned politely, opening the doors to the library, "Mr McPherson has arrived." He announced to those within the room, allowing Shawn to enter, he closed the doors behind him.

Familiar with the room Shawn's eyes went straight to the occupants, he made eye contact with Jeremiah right away - from him to Deidre's bodyguard and lastly to Deidre. The look of her, her entire body language said to him, he was not going to like this, not at all. He knew her and her body language well.

"What's going on here?" He asked, straight away.

Jeremiah stepped forward, starting off, "You recall our phone discussion before you and your family left Wisconsin?"

"I do, yes - so - the matter whatever it had been, hasn't resolved itself." He stated the obvious.

"No, it hasn't. We decided to wait until the closing of your vacation here so as not to ruin it."

"So as not to ruin it?" He repeated, letting that sink in, his eyes going from Jeremiah to Deidre, already accusingly, they narrowed on her.

Deidre felt her gut tighten.

Looking back to Jeremiah, "And, so..." he started it for Jeremiah to finish it.

Jeremiah took a deep breath, "I'm going to get right to the point."

"Yes, do."

"The threat to Deidre - could very well be transferred to your daughter - her daughter - Angela."

Shawn did a double take from him to Deidre and back again, "What?"

"Your daughter, Angela-..."

"I know my daughters name!" He snapped feeling a rise already.

"Okay, well - your daughter, quite possibly may be the next target of whomever's failed attempt."

"That's insane! Aren't the police investigating that? So you mean to tell me they're still out there?"

"Yes Shawn, who ever set that up, has not been caught." Deidre finally spoke up.

"Well what the hell is going on, put more detectives on to it! I thought there was suspicion that it was your fa - that - Ugggh! Look, that's your problem now, that has nothing to do with Angela!" He fumed, feeling his ire surrounding this whole matter with her, her family, their wealth, every bit of it, he hated it all - and this was upping his disdain of them.

"Shawn, they are on it, well - they are dragging their feet, I agree - however, this investigation could take anywhere from a few months to over a year, or more. In the meantime-..."

"Fuck the meantime, as I said, it's got nothing to do with my daughter! I've come to get her, you all-..."

"Shawn! They - whoever they may be - targeted me - tried to kill me - for a reason, I have no doubt that the reason is about money!"

"That makes not a damn bit of sense! If they wanted money, why did they try and kill you? Can't get money that way!"

"We believe the one person with motive to do this was Oscar T.-..."

Shawn stood shaking his head in disbelief, looking from Jeremiah and then to Deidre, "I can't believe this shit! And you fuckin' chose to stay with them! After all they've done to us, to you! You would think after they had my other child aborted, that would have been enough for you! No, not enough, what's a dead baby, my baby, compared to billions right - that's one helluva lifestyle to walk away from?!"

Deidre's mouth came open as her hand went to her heart, "How - how did you know - about that?"

"When you were laying up in a coma at the hospital, your dear friend Terra enlightened me! How could you - after that - even consider - staying with them? How could you, after that - come to Wisconsin with that bitch - you call your mother - to get my fuckin' daughter!? So it took them, actually trying to kill you - before you woke up, huh? Good for you, but once more - this has nothing to do with Angela!"

Struggling up from the blow of him knowing about their dead child, Deidre braced herself to save this one. "Okay Shawn, I'm guilty as charged! Every thing you've said is true. Guilty! But I loved that baby, because I loved you-..."

"Look, I don't wanna hear that bullshit okay, that's history, over and done with - dead as my son or daughter is. I've come here, to get Angela, and I'll be on my way."

"Shawn it's not that simple! There's no hardcore evidence who is behind this, but I've been targeted. Whatever the plan was, they failed! We have reason to believe that they will turn their attention to an easier method of getting what they wanted, kidnap. That would mean, Angela will be the target, Shawn."

"You got no proof of that? What proof do you have? Have you gotten any threats about her?"

"Come on man, why would they do that? They're not going to give us any warning, that's the last thing they'll do." Jeremiah tried to reason with him.

Shawn turned on him next, "This your idea? Huh? Maybe a part of that revenge you wanted to get back at the Wherringtons?"

"You know what man, fuck you - all right?!"

"No, fuck you! I don't know you! Why the fuck would I trust what you say!"

"I trust him! Okay?! I do!" Deidre shouted at him.

Shawn turned and laughed in her face, "YOU - you trust him? That's really reassuring for me, this coming from the same woman who lays up and let's her mother rip a child from her womb and after finding out about it, goes and has tea and crumpets with her!"

He might as well have slapped her across the face, tears immediately sprang to her eyes, "You can be so cold and mean sometimes, Shawn, really you can! Yes, I've been stupid and blind to stay with them, but I'm out of there now! While I can't bring that child back, I still have one, and no matter what you think, I love my daughter! I love her with all my heart! Don't forget, that when you left - you left her as well! If I was so bad for her, why didn't you stay and fight to have her then?! You didn't, you just took off!"

"IT'S BECAUSE - I'D HAD - ENOUGH OF THIS PLACE - ENOUGH OF THEM, YOUR FUCKIN' MOTHER - AND FRANKLY, ENOUGH OF YOU!!!"

"You all need - to calm down, all this yelling back and forth ain't gonna solve nothing!" Charlie finally spoke up.

Shawn backed away from Deidre blowing out and breathing deep, to calm down, he turned back to her, "Look, she's my daughter, you gave her up to me, have you forgotten that?"

"That was before this happened Shawn!" Deidre bit out.

"Maybe so, but why Deidre, why did you give her up? Huh? Because you knew, that with me, she would be better off! That's why! Call her down here please! I've had enough of this discussion, I'm not giving my daughter back to you, she stays with me!" He concluded, having had enough.

"Shawn, you haven't heard a word that I said. This is not about you besting me, insulting me, winning an argument, and proving what low lifes my mother and father are! Or how bad my judgment was in the past! Hell - I agree! However, this is not about all of that, it's about our daughter Shawn, OUR daughter! Whether I gave you custody or not, doesn't mean I love her less, doesn't mean that I won't try to protect her with all that I have! Yes, I've had to learn things the hard way, but I'm not going to be taking any chances with my daughter! This is not a game, Shawn - Angela's life could very well be under threat!"

"Here! Here she may be under threat, not with me! Get my daughter!"

"Even with you Shawn! Even with you! The same people that know who I am - know that I have a daughter! They know who she is, and where to find her!"

"I tell you this, anyone goes for my daughter - they're going to know who I am," he warned low, "I want my daughter - down here - now."

"GodAlmighty, Shawn!" Deidre gnashed her teeth, balling her hands into tight fists until her knuckles were white, "Why does everything with you have to be such a wrestling match!? Who do you think you are? You cannot protect her against the kind of ruthless people we're talking about! To get what they want - they will kill you to get to her!"

"They damn well will have to - I said, get her down here, now!"

"No! She's my daughter too! I gave birth to her - remember? She's not your daughter alone! I have just as much right to her as you do!"

"YOU GAVE HER UP TO ME!!"

"TAKE ME TO COURT!!!" She yelled right back for once. "You and your damn need to be this big macho, alpha male is going to get you killed!"

"So be it!"

She was ready to pull her hair out, she'd known he would be this way, "Shawn! Look, you'll still be able to see her-..."