15 comments/ 71249 views/ 39 favorites Battered Ch. 01 By: LilMami07 Battered Ch. 02 Battered Ch. 02 Battered Ch. 03 Hey guys. Sorry it's taken me so long. :) "He sang. We walked. We talked. We had a really good time." "That's so romantic!" Sabrina exclaimed dramatically around a mouthful of pancakes. "Oh hush up, Sabrina. It's not like that. And don't talk so loud. Santana's still sleeping." "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm getting a head of myself. You're not ready to admit it yet." "Admit what?" "You like him," Sabrina said matter-of-factly. "I'll admit it. I kind of like him a little," she said lowly, "but I barely know the man. And I can't like him too much. I'm m--." "Married. I know. I've heard that song and seen that dance before, and frankly I'm tired of it," Sabrina said hotly. "Get it through your thick skull. This happy home, perfect marriage, wonderful husband shit does not exist. Not with Jeremy." "Damnit Sabrina. Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I wake up every frickin' morning and wish I could redo it all? I love Santana with all my heart, but I wish I'd never met his father. This is my life, Sabrina. I get beat..." "Hal, I--" "No. Day in and day out I get beat. You don't have to tell me how ridiculously unhappy my life is every time you get the chance. You're supposed to be my friend, Sabrina." "I am your friend, Hal. I've been there. I've been there since the beginning. I'm the one you came to the first time he hit you. I'm the one who was there when you found out you were pregnant. I was there for you. I will always be there, but I hate this. I hate him. When you and little guy hurt, I hurt. I love you like you were family. I hate reminding you how shitty your life is all the goddamn time, but if that's what it takes to get through to you, then that's what I'm gonna have to do. You're married? You think that's what he tells all those girls he's messing around with? I can't 'cause I'm married? Please, Hal. Wake up." "You watch your language. My son's in there," Hal said angrily, pointing down the hall to Santana's room. "My language?" Sabrina scoffed. "I'm sure he's heard everything under the sun thanks to his daddy. Do you hush him?" "Sabrina, I'm tired, okay? I'm gonna go lay down with Santana. When you leave, lock the door," she said calmly. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about, Hal. This," she said gesturing with her hands. "You not standing up for yourself. Always being calm while people talk shit to you," she said to Hallee's retreating form. "And now you're walking away. Go ahead. Walk away from me! But you won't walk away from the one you need to walk away from, huh?!" Hallee slammed the door. She didn't mean to. She was just angry. She didn't mean to wake Santana. "Mommy?" he said, blinking groggily with uncertainty in his voice and eyes. "You okay? Is Daddy here?" "Mommy's okay, sweetheart. And no, Daddy's not here." "Oh," he said in a calmer voice before drifting back to sleep. Outside, Sabrina opened the door and peeped into the room before walking all the way in. "Hal. I'm sorry if I upset you, okay? But I'm not sorry for what I said because it's true and it's what I feel. I love you, understand? Call me when you feel like talking to me again." She kissed Santana on his chubby cheek and walked out, quietly shutting his door behind her. **************** Santana was persistent. He wanted to visit the music room, and he'd be damned if that wasn't what he was going to do. After begging and pleading, and shedding a few tears, Hallee caved. Besides, some of what Sabrina had lectured her about, clicked. "Mommy! Mommy! Look! Drums!" Santana said, tugging on Hallee's arm frantically. "Can I play them, please?" "Santana. I don't know. I don't want you to break anything. This equipment looks expensive." "It's fine. Go ahead, little man. Beat your little heart out," Lucas encouraged. "Yay!" Santana cried, running over to the shiny drum set. She'd called Lucas and they'd talked, and he invited her and Santana to his music room at the center. They both smiled and watched as Santana beat on the drums and symbols until he got bored with them, then he ran to grab a tambourine. "He's having the time of his life right now," Hallee said. "Yeah. He can come by anytime he wants." "That's sweet. Thanks," Hallee said, giving Lucas a smile. "No problem, Hal. Like I said, I grew up with music. My mom made sure of that." "Did she sing too?" "She did. She sang a lot until she got sick." "I'm sorry." "Nah. I'm sure she's singing in heaven now. She died of cancer a while back. She was a good woman. A good mother." "I'm sure she was. She did a good job with you." "Yes, she did. Taught me a lot of things. She was very loving. You remind me of her." "Thanks, I guess," she said quietly. "No problem." Lucas offered to take Santana and Hallee to lunch. She told him no a gazillion times, but when she saw the frown on Santana's face, she accepted. They went to a little diner to appease Santana. The waitress walked over and asked for their order. "Do you know what you want, Santana?" Hallee asked. "Yes, but I want to tell her." They all smiled and waited for him to order. "I want pizza," Santana said happily kicking his feet. "Aww, I'm afraid we don't have pizza baby." "What do you have, then?" "We have lots of stuff." "You don't have pizza, though," Santana quipped. "No, we don't, but we have yummy sandwiches." "Yay. I like sandwiches, almost as much as I like chips." "Sandwich it is, little fella. And you ma'am?" "I'll take a sandwich, too. Thank you." "You don't have to get a sandwich Hal. You can get anything on the menu you want." That was something Hallee hadn't heard before. On the rare occasion that Jeremy and Hallee did go out, he always ordered for her. Hell, he spoke for her too. "Thank you Lucas, but a sandwich is fine. I'm not really all that hungry anyways." "Okay." Lucas had so many questions to ask Hallee. Sabrina had just given him the big picture: Hallee was unhappily married to a man who abused her. Lucas still didn't understand it though. Hallee was beautiful. She could have any guy she wanted, yet she chose to stay with a man who mistreated her. It didn't matter how long it took, though. He'd wait for her. Eventually, she would be his, and he would treat her like the princess she truly was. **************** Hallee was doing her routine cleaning when her phone buzzed. She really didn't feel like talking, no, listening to Jeremy. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was Lucas. "How would Santana like to go on a trip?" "Umm..." "The kids and I are going down to the towns common. Lots of great stuff down there, so how about it?" "Uh...sure when?" she asked looking around absent-mindedly. "Later this afternoon actually." "Luke! This is such short notice." "I know, Hal. I wanted to wait to tell you at the very last minute so you wouldn't have time to think up an excuse not to go or change your mind." "Lucas..." "You can come too if you're not comfortable leaving him. As long as you aren't a party pooper." "I'm not a party pooper. Santana says I'm a cool mom." "Yeah. Okay," he said disbelievingly. "Really. I'll show you. When and where?" "Great. Meet me at my place around 11:30. We can ride to the center together." Silence. "If you're not comfortable with that, you can meet me at the center..." "No, its fine. I can meet you at your place. It's closer." "Good. The bus should be ready by then and the kids should start arriving. We'll go from there, okay?" "Okay." "Great. See you in a few hours, Hal." "See ya." With Jeremy going out of state for "business", he left the other car's keys with Hallee. They had, no, he had two cars. He rarely let Hallee use either. He always talked about how women make lousy drivers. He left it because he wouldn't be around and something might come up and she'd have to run out and get something. He was smart, though. He always knew how much gas was in it, what station it was turned to, how many miles were on it, how far up or back the seat was. Hallee got Santana and herself ready, and was out the door. **************** "What's it gonna be like? Are there lots of kids?" Santana asked from the backseat. "About fifteen." "Are they nice?" "Yes they are. And if they're not, you let me know," Lucas warned. "Are we gonna sing?" "No. Not unless you want to." Santana then started to sing his and his mommy's favorite song. "So how are things?" he asked. "Things are fine. I'm kinda excited about this whole towns common thing. It sounds fun. I've wanted to take Santana before, but..." Hallee felt her phone buzz around in her purse. "I'm sorry. I have to get this," she said quickly. She rummaged through her purse. She had a hard time finding it, though. It had managed to slip through the large hole in her bag. She'd begged Jeremy to let her get a new purse to no avail. Jeremy had told her she didn't deserve one. Lucas watched her struggle. "Hello?" "What took you so long to answer the phone?" "I couldn't get to it," she said softly. "Why not?" he asked angrily. "It was in my purse." "What are you doing?" "I'm uhh...going to the town commons to the Imagination Station." "For what?" "To take Santana." "Damnit Hallee. I don't give you money to run around like a damn kid, wasting money..." "But Jeremy," she cut him off. "What did I tell you about interrupting me when I'm talking?" he asked hotly. "I'm sorry." Lucas looked over at her and saw the tears in her eyes well up and threaten to fall. Jeremy spoke so loudly, he could hear the whole conversation. He heard Jeremy belittle her, yell at her, and embarrass her. She deserved so much better. "Who are you with? You'd better not be driving my car. Especially not to go to a fucking town commons. I left that car for emergencies only." Hallee just sat there and listened, waiting for him to finish. She didn't want to interrupt him again and risk being yelled at again. She knew Lucas had overheard everything. She felt so low, but the feeling wasn't new to her. She'd grown used to it. "I'm riding with..." she looked over at Lucas. "Sabrina." Lucas' eyes fell on her and gave her an unreadable look. "That bitch? You know I don't like you hanging around her." "Yes, I know. I'm sorry." "Yeah, well, I gotta go." "Hey Daddy!" Santana yelled from the backseat. "Yeah," Jeremy said quickly and hung up. Hallee put her phone away and turned around to Santana. "He said hi, baby." Santana looked at her knowingly. He knew his daddy didn't say that. "I'm sorry. I couldn't tell him. I had to..." "I understand," Lucas said looking ahead at the highway. "Umm... do you mind holding my phone for me? I don't wanna take this big old ratty purse in there." Lucas looked at her unsurely. "It's okay. I'm sure he won't call again." Lucas thought it over before taking it and slipping it in his pocket. **************** They had a blast downtown. Santana felt at home as he blended in and played with the other children. He rarely had anyone else to play with. Jeremy didn't want other kids coming over to their house and he hated it when they went out, so that left Santana to play by his lonesome. Before long, it was time to go, and with all the people at the Imagination Station, it was hard to spot Hallee. Lucas gathered all the kids before he dug out his phone and called her, but suddenly realized he had her phone in his pocket. 'Elle' popped up on her screen. Elle? He thought to himself. "Santana have you seen your mom?" Lucas asked. "Yes," he responded quickly before turning back to the cute red-head girl to continue his conversation. Lucas laughed inwardly. "Do you know where she is right now?" Santana pointed to a far wall and Lucas saw Hallee. Hallee had wandered off by herself to check out some of the exhibits. She looked like a big kid, but a happy one. He didn't want to disturb her, but it was time to go. He felt bad having to interrupt the little bit of happiness she had. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted to be the one to make her happy. Hallee made eye-contact with him and smiled brightly. She managed to tear herself away from the planet model and sauntered over towards him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was time to go. I got caught up over there," she said sweetly. "No problem, Hal," he said, entranced by her features. She really was beautiful. Her dark eyes were lit up with excitement, and she wore a beautiful smile on her full, pink lips. Her dark hair was pulled back in a girlish ponytail. She made looking beautiful so effortless. "Okay, now that everyone's here, to the bus everyone!" Lucas yelled in his best Ms. Frizzle voice from the Magic School Bus series. **************** Hallee spent time really getting to know Lucas. It wasn't that she had a change of heart. She still loved Jeremy. She still wanted their marriage to work, but something felt different. The talk that she and Sabrina had, had worked. It took a while for her to admit it. She understood where Sabrina was coming from. Sabrina had been there for her through it all. Hallee had learned to tune out both things and people over the years. She felt she had to. It was the only way she saw to survive. She'd come to terms with the fact that Jeremy didn't love her. The more she found out about Lucas, the more she liked him. He was really good with kids. That both upset and made her happy. It made her angry and sad because she wished Jeremy was as good with kids. He wasn't. Half of the time, he ignored Santana. The other half, he was yelling at him for simply being a kid. She hated that. It hurt her that Jeremy didn't care bout her son. Their son. Santana was a good kid. He was really bright. He had manners and was very friendly, a trait he inherited from his mother. Jeremy always called him a sissy mama's boy. She wanted to scream, 'you can't expect him to be a daddy's boy. You don't act like a daddy towards him'. It made her happy that Lucas took up time with Santana. He had some male figure to talk to, and maybe learn some things from. They went to the park. Lucas took them to see Transformers. Santana loved it. He even took his Optimus Prime man to see it, too. Lucas took them to concerts his kids put on. It was always Hal, Santana, and Lucas. Hallee loved it. Not only did he want to spend time with her, but he took up time with her son. As much as she was afraid to admit, she loved him for that. At first, she thought it was crazy, loving a man she'd only know for what—a little over a month? But Sabrina had reasoned it was probably because he cared about her, but more importantly, he cared for Santana. That, he did in a big way. Lucas made her feel good in every way. Ways she never thought were imaginable. Ways she never felt with Jeremy. Sabrina would volunteer to baby-sit Santana on days just Hallee and Lucas went out. The more she hanged around him, the bolder and more comfortable she became. **************** "No!" "Yes." "Lucas, please. Let's just stick to easy. I don't like the blue button. I can barely play just green, red, and yellow." "Just try, Hal." "Okay." Hallee sighed loudly. "What song?" "I don't care... 'When You Were Young'." "Excellent choice." They played a few more songs on Guitar Hero until Hallee complained of a sore wrist and fingers. "Aww, poor baby," he teased. "Let me kiss it for you." Hallee stared at him wide-eyed as he kissed her fingers. They got wider when he stopped and started kissing her lips. Lucas gently caressed Hallee's face into his gentle hands. As he pulled her in closer, they both stared deeply into each other's eyes, as if they are reading the other's mind. Hallee smiled sweetly and shyly before Lucas pulled her in towards him and, kissed her gently. It was a nice kiss. Hallee hadn't been truly kissed in a long time. She'd forgotten what it felt like to be wanted. Her head swarmed, but realization suddenly kicked in. "I can't do this, Luc," she said pushing herself away from him. "This isn't right." "You're right, Hal. I'm sorry. It's just... I can't help it. I'm attracted to you. It feels right. Does it feel right to you?" he asked quietly. "Yes but that doesn't make it right, Luc." "I understand, Hal. You're right," he said while placing a friendly kiss on her cheek. "Next song." **************** "Hal, we're friends right?" Lucas asked her from across the table. Lucas and Hallee had decided to go out again. They went to a swanky restaurant that Lucas had picked out. "Right. I would say so," she stated while cutting her steak, never taking her eyes off her plate. "Can I ask you something?" "Sure." Hallee didn't like where this conversation was going, but she figured he would ask about it sooner or later. She'd prefer later. "Why? Why are you with him? I mean, I've never actually met the guy, and I doubt that I would want to. God knows what might happen. But, you don't seem happy. Yet, you're still with him. I don't get it." "I love him. He loves me. For Santana," was what she thought about saying. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I loved him at first. We were young. He was different then. I got pregnant and everything kinda took a downwards spiral. He started calling me names. He said I was fat, and I had let myself go. He didn't seem to understand that with pregnancy, you gain weight. I gave up everything. I had to. I had Santana my senior year of high school, and I didn't go to college like I had planned. My mom was so disappointed in me." Lucas watched as she told her story. She seemed to space out and only blink every few minutes. He listened quietly as she continued. "I remember the first time he hit me. It was the weekend before graduation. Many of the seniors were getting together to take a trip to the beach. Sabrina thought it would be fun and I wanted to go, too. I had everything planned and packed. He asked me where I was going and I told him. He told me I wasn't going, and I told him I was. I mean, I had one dad, and he wasn't it. And I told him that. A second later, I was on the floor and he had his hands around my neck telling me to never disrespect him like that again. I had to call Sabrina and tell her that I wouldn't be able to make it." "Hal..." "I had a huge bruise on the side of my face where he hit me. My mom asked what had happened to my face. Do you know what I said?" Lucas shook his head no. "I lied to her. I told her that I fell." Hallee let out a bitter laugh. She didn't know if it was the alcohol she'd had, or just Lucas' aura of comfort, but she felt like she could bare her soul to him. "And you stayed with him?" "Yes, I did. He sent me flowers and swore he'd never do it again. And like an idiot, I believed him. My life's been hell since. So to answer your question, I don't know. It's not like I've never thought about leaving him. But I watch TV. I know what happens to women who try to leave. I don't want that to be me." "Hal, imagine what'll happen if you stay with him, though." "I know, Luc. I'm to the point now, where I'm not even afraid anymore. I look for the beatings. Its inevitable. I'm tired. I don't know what to do anymore. I've tried to be a good wife. Nothing's good enough. It just makes me so mad when he questions my parenting skills. I'm a damn good mother." "Yes you are." "Thank you for agreeing," she softly chuckled. "Seriously though, Hal," he said reaching across the table, grabbing her hand. "You are. You deserve to be happy. I can make you happy. I know you're married but I want to be with you. Sorry if I'm being so forward." Battered Ch. 03 "You make my child happy. He loves you and that brings so much joy to my heart, you couldn't begin to imagine. So now it's my turn. I deserve to be happy, Luc. I want you to make me happy." Battered Ch. 04 Hey guys and gals. Here's chapter 4. And I want to give a special thanks to my "editor". She came from nowhere and saved me :) thanks. And I love the feedback guys. This is a shorter chapter, but the next one will come quicker. Battered Ch. 05 Hey guys!! Here's chapter 5. Special thanks to LAskater and KillerRomance. Lucas came over to Hallee's house as he had been for the past few weeks. The lovely, pearly smile on his face disappeared when he saw her face. He let himself in immediately. "What happened to you?" Lucas demanded concerned as he ran his fingers across the discolored bruise on her jaw. She was quiet, and tried to avoid both his gaze and grasp as she managed to slip away from him. "Hal look at me," he said as he stalked over to her, grabbing her arm. "Luke, no." "Tell me what happened." "He got angry," she murmured. "Who? Jeremy? I thought he was gone," he said immediately scanning the room. "He came back." "Are you kidding me?! When?" he asked furiously. "A few nights ago. Luke, calm down," she said trying to pacify him by grabbing his hand. "No! Look at your fucking face, Hal! Where is he? I swear I'll rip his throat open. Is he here?" Lucas pulled away from her and started searching the house. "Luke please calm down, okay? It could have been worse." "Hal stop taking up for him, okay? This shit's gonna stop now. It's decision time." "Don't do that okay? Don't give me an ultimatum." "Well I am." "It's bad enough that I get this crap from Sabrina, but you? You don't even know me!" That hurt Lucas. He did know her, and wanted to continue to know her. But he couldn't help her if she wouldn't hurt herself. "Hmm...let's see... Your name is Hallee and you're twenty-one. You have a son named Santana who has to stand by and watch his mom get bruised and bloodied by his pussy of a father. You keep making excuses for him. You defend him more than you defend yourself. You stay with him. You hide things from him. I'm a fucking 'Elle' in your phone. You won't stand up for yourself. Should I continue?" he said breathlessly. "No, but you can get out," she said defeated. "Hal, I'd give my left nut for you. Oddly enough, I love you. I love Santana. I don't know what else to say or do. I'll fight him, Hal. I swear on my life, I'll fight for you." "No Lucas. This is my fight. I know what I have to do." "Do you love me?" he asked. Silence. "Hal?" he pleaded. "Yes. Yes I do." "Do you love Santana?" She looked down at her hands. "With all my heart," she said teary-eyed. "Do you love Hallee?" She looked up at him confused. He repeated the question. "Yes." "Then the decision's not hard to make. You do what you have to do, okay?" he said walking out. Yes, she knew what she had to do. ************************* Hallee hadn't talked to anyone but Santana in over a month. Jeremy had called her and left a message on the machine, informing her that he was going to be gone longer than he'd expected. A month or two more. She didn't care. That just gave her more time. She'd begun going through the house and picking out things that were hers and Santana's to bag them up. She'd decided to step up and take action. She was going to leave him this time. She'd given up so much to be with him, and it was time to get them back. Sabrina was pissed at her after she'd found out about the latest beating. Lucas was mad at her, and hadn't called her. Her mother was still oblivious to the whole thing, but she would soon find out. Hal wanted to wait until everything was said and done, until the nightmare was over before she told her mother. She was going to take Santana to her mother's house so he wouldn't be there to witness the shit hitting the fan. She didn't know when, but she knew eventually it would. She had the slow bop about it though. Sabrina had finally called and checked up on her. Hallee told her the plan and what she was up to. She hadn't been feeling herself lately. She'd been throwing up and feeling frumpy. Anticipation, nervousness, and fear were what she thought. Nine months was what Sabrina thought. The pregnancy test confirmed it. "Oh my God, Sabrina!" Hallee cried. She didn't know what to do. Now was not the time for this to be happening. "When was your last period?" "I'm not sure." "You're not sure?" "No. They're always kind of irregular, you know. Stress and stuff does that." "Oh God Hallee." "I have to tell him." "Who? Jeremy?" "Yes. It must've happened when he was..." she trailed off. "Hal?" "Yeah?" "What about Luke? ************************* A few more weeks had passed, and no sign of Jeremy. Hallee battled with herself before mustering up the courage to tell Lucas. She couldn't tell him in person. She would fall short of words to say. She wasn't positive he was the father. There was a 50 percent chance. So instead of telling him face-to-face, she did the next best thing. She found her phone and dialed. His voicemail came up. He still wasn't talking to her. "Hi, Luke. This is Hal. I just wanted you to know that I'm leaving him this time. I can't do this anymore. I just can't. I'm sorry, and I know this isn't the best way for me to be telling you this, but it's the way that's best for me. I'm pregnant." ************************* "I have to leave him now. Santana's with my mom," Hallee said as she dropped some of her things off at Sabrina's. "Promise me if something happens to me, that he's taken care of." "Hal, you're not thinking straight. You can't risk it. Just go now before he comes back." "Sabrina, this is the straightest that I've been thinking for these past few years of my pathetic life! I'm tired of being scared of him. It's do or die time." She wasn't going to chicken out. She was going to confront him even if it meant another beating. And then she would leave him. She only had one thing to lose. Her life. But she would lose so much more if she stayed with him. Only two things could happen: she would make it out alive, or she wouldn't. Either way, she was done being Jeremy's punching bag. Everything was set. The only thing she was waiting on was for Jeremy to come home. ************************* Jeremy came home to find his house a little empty. He was immediately certain things were missing. He put his keys on the counter and called out for Hallee. She appeared from the back room. She found that there was no need to beat around the bush with him. First thing was first. "I'm pregnant." "How?" Jeremy asked harshly. "We had sex, Jeremy," she said plainly. "I'm pregnant." "No you're not." "Yes, I am. I took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. That technically means I'm pregnant," she said smartly. "We aren't having another kid. We'll go down to the clinic first thing tomorrow to get this shit taken care of." "Jeremy, I'm not..." "You can, and you will. You don't have a job. You sit around on your ass all day. I work. Can you afford another brat?" "Brat? Santana's not a brat. If you took up time with him, maybe you would see that." "He's a sissy ass bratty mama's boy." "Don't talk about my son that way!" "Are you raising your voice at me?" he asked stepping closer to her. She said nothing, but glared at him. "That's what I thought." "No." "No what?" "No I'm not getting an abortion, and yes I was raising my voice at you." "Who do you think you are? I'll beat your ass and make you lose that fucking baby. So shut your mouth and go sit down. And where's all my shit?" "My shit," she corrected. He was about to respond when her phone went off. She looked over at it, and then at Jeremy. He walked over to it and looked at it. "Elle?" Jeremy pressed send and held the phone up to his ear, but didn't say anything. He was taken back by what he heard. A masculine voice. "Hal? Are you there? Baby I'm sorry it took me so long to call you back, are you okay? Should I come over?" Jeremy stared at her before speaking into the phone. "No." He hung up the phone and charged at her. Hallee didn't have time to react. "Bitch!!" He slapped her hard across the cheek and sent her to the floor. "You fucking whore. Get up. Get the fuck up!" Jeremy pulled her up by her hair and pushed her up against the wall. "You want to act like a slut? You'll be treated like a slut." He yanked on her purple blouse causing a few of the buttons to trickle onto the floor. She clawed at his shirt, causing it to rip while leaving a huge scratch across his chest.. She felt his fist crush into the left side of her face, before she fell again. He screamed at her before lifting her up and shoving her into the freestanding lamp, causing it to go over and break. He kicked her hard in the side while she was down. She felt so weak. She normally would have curled up in a ball and waited until it was over, but not this time. She found the strength to scoot her way into the kitchen, as he towered over her. Teasing her. She found the knife she had hidden. She reached it and rose to her feet. "Fuck you, Jeremy!" He stopped dead in his tracks. He stood there. He had a confused and frightened look on his face. "You treat me like shit and I'm supposed to just be a good wife and take it? I'm tired of it. I refuse to do this anymore. I'm leaving you one way or another. Either on my own two feet, or in a body bag. So take your pick, mother fucker," she said, spitting blood at him. He remained rooted in the same spot, dumbfounded. He blinked rapidly, as if he were seeing her for the first time. He never meant for it to get to this point. "Put the knife down, Hallee." "So you can hit me again? NO! You don't care about me. I don't think you ever have. I loved you Jeremy!" she said crying. "I tried to be good to you, but you took advantage of me. You've taken everything away from me! You've caused me so much pain, it's ridiculous. You talk shit to my son! The only thing he's ever done was love you, and you couldn't return it. If I don't leave, he'll resent me for the rest of his life, and I won't let that happen. I'd choose him over you any day of the week. We don't need you, Jeremy, and I'm going to prove that to you. There was a long period of silence, while they just stared at each other. He stared at her bloodied, angered face, and she stared at his as different emotions played across it. He finally broke the silence. "Hal, I'm... I don't know what to do or say to make you... Please. Don't leave me. I'm sorry." "No, Jeremy. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let this go on for as long as it did." "We can make this work, babe. I'll change. I'll do whatever. You want me to get help? I will, I swear, baby. Please." He walked over to her with his arms out. She couldn't risk it. She went around the other side of the counter, grabbed his keys off of it, and ran out the door before he had a chance to fathom what was happening. Battered Ch. 06 Hey guys. Promised it would be up. There's one more after this one, which I'm working my ass off to finish. This one is a little short, but the next one will make up for it. Forgive me. I want to thank my editor Mococoa20022000 very VERY much. She's wonderful!!! Thanks! **lilmami07** * Hallee's adrenaline pumped as she sped down the highway. She really hadn't approached the situation with much reason, but she was done with him. She had other lives to think about aside from her own. Hallee wiped at her tears as she stared out Jeremy's windshield. She knew she had to be careful. This was the first time she had ever left him. Most women didn't get away that easily. She never had the courage before. She had never been in this position. What would he do to her? Would he come after her? Try to take her son from her? Or would he change like he promised? Probably not. She checked her face in the rearview mirror. It was reddened and bruised, as usual, but for the last time. Hallee stepped on the gas and didn't stop until her mother's house came into view. *************** She'd left him. This was the first time Hallee had stood up to him like that. Ever. He knew it would happen one day. He knew his attitude and anger would push her and their son away. He loved Santana, but he didn't know how to be a good father. His dad wasn't the best role model or example to live by. That was no excuse though. He loved her but just didn't know how to show it. Instead of treating her with the respect she deserved, he treated her like shit and had pushed her into the arms of another man. Lucas was on his way to the house as soon as he heard Jeremy's voice over the phone. When he got there, the door was open. His blood boiled at the sight of the room. Things were broken and strung out. He saw small spots of blood on the floor. He saw Jeremy sitting in the middle of the floor. He called out for Hallee, and Jeremy slowly looked up at him. So this was the guy that caused Hallee so much grief, pain and heartache. Anger boiled up inside of him. He walked in and shut the door behind him. If Jeremy hurt Hal, he would kill him. He glared at the man who sat in the floor. His shirt was ripped and exposed bloody claw marks across his chest and face. Was this the man who'd been mistreating his Hal for all these years? Lucas was so angry, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. They just stared at each other with deadly gazes. "Where is she?" Lucas finally said. Jeremy laughed dryly. "Elle." "Where the fuck is she? Where's Santana?" Lucas knew what Jeremy was capable of. He'd seen all of Hallee's scars. "They're not here. She left me. She left me, man." Realization hit him and Jeremy broke down and began crying. They weren't coming back. "God, what now? I have nothing without her. She was everything to me." Lucas didn't care that he was crying. As many times as he had made Hallee cry and hurt, he didn't care if Jeremy caught on fire in the middle of the floor. "You know, I could kill you right now. Torture you in ways unimaginable. She's a fucking female. You don't beat females," he said stepping closer to Jeremy. "Hal's like a precious gem, but you treat her like she's nothing to you. She gave you the greatest gift a woman can give to a man, a child. You don't deserve Santana. You don't even deserve to be breathing right now. You're lucky I respect her. She told me this was her fight. Told me she would handle it. I'm glad to see she finally did." Lucas backed away from the snot-nosed man sitting in the floor like a child. He turned for the door and opened it. "Oh yeah... don't let me see you again. I'll finish what she started." *************** "You did what?" Hallee's mother exclaimed. "I had to Mama. I had to leave him one way or another." "I understand that Hallee, but you should have went another way of doing it. You could've gotten hurt. Killed! Had it ever occurred to you to go to the police? Or better yet come to me?" Hallee's mother was furious. She paced back and forth until she had calmed down. "How long has this been going on?" Hallee looked down in shame. "Since high school." "Yep. I knew it. Lord, I knew it. I knew something won't right about him. I should've listened to my gut. I'm sorry baby. God knows I'm so sorry. I should have protected you from this. If I had..." "Mama, it's not your fault. I should have told you. I was just scared. I loved him, and I didn't want you to make me break up with him. I was stupid, Mama. This isn't your fault." "Mommy?" Santana whined from the back room. "I'll go get him..." "No baby, you go in the bathroom and clean up your face. I'll get him back settled and I'll be in there in a little bit." "Yes ma'am. *************** "I don't know Luke. I just wanna be by myself right now," Hallee said into the receiver. "What? That doesn't make any sense." "It's for the best right now." "No. You can't do this to me. We can make this work. We have a kid together." "We don't know that for sure." "So what, Hallee? You gonna raise two kids by yourself? You gonna go back to him?" "I can't ask you to help me raise another man's children." "You don't have to ask me anything. I love you, whether this baby is mine or not. You know that. I swear. I, Lucas James Joyner, swear that I'll be there for you, no matter what." "I don't know." "You know that," he repeated. "I need time, Lucas." "Time for what?" "I need time to process all of this, okay? I just got out of a relationship that I thought would last forever. He was my first everything, and for things to turn out like this.... It's just really hard for me." "Hallee, I love you okay? Process that. I can help you get through this." "No you can't. You can't help me do anything." "I'll be there for you. I'll do whatever you need me to do for you. You won't have to worry about anything. You'll never have to lift a finger. I can take care of you Hallee. You know I can." Hallee had heard those words before. Jeremy had made those same exact promises to her when she was younger. Gullible. Naïve. No. She was over that. No man would make empty promises to her, or have to take care of her again. She'd take care of herself. "I've heard that before. Never again. Never again will I rely on a man to take care of me." "Hal that's not what I..." "Goodbye Lucas." ******************** Hallee bent over to pick up the Transformer toy Santana had tossed into the floor. She got halfway down, and thought again. Everything was so much harder. She had forgotten how hard it was being pregnant. Not only was she seven months pregnant now, but she had stress piled on top of more stress. The past months had been hectic for her. She was out on her own for once in her life. Her mom, much to her disapproval, had helped Hallee find a nice-sized apartment in a good neighborhood. She wanted Hallee to stay with her at least until the baby was born, but Hallee was dead-set against it. She enrolled in a community college. Hallee was determined to get back on her feet. She sat in the office of an advisor at the community college. "I have to start somewhere. I intended on going to college right after high school, but it was hard to do with a child." "I understand, dear. Better late than never." "I was wondering if it was possible for me to enroll in strictly online classes right now." "Oh yes. We have a wide range of classes available online to choose from." "That's great." "Okay Hallee. You're all registered for the fall semester. Now all you have to do is take our placement test." "Placement test? Is that like the SAT or something?" "Almost. Our placement test is to determine what classes you can take. If you score a certain number on it, it exempts you from taking developmental courses." "Okay." "When would you like to schedule it?" "As soon as possible." Hallee wasn't worried. She made great grades in high school. This would be a piece of cake. "Well you can take it now if you're ready." "Yes, please." *************** Everything was turning up for Hallee. She loved the apartment. But Santana, not so much. He complained that his bedroom was much smaller than his old one, and there was no room for his outdoor swing set. "Sweetheart, I'm sure we can find another way for you to have fun. There are lots of children in this neighborhood, and there's a park down the street. There's even a playground at the school I'm going to. I can take you by there sometime." He agreed. Santana wanted to make friends, but he still wanted his swing set. He would just have to make due. He helped her out a lot, though. He was very excited about having a little sister to take care of. He had even given his input on baby names. "Can we name her Octopus Prime, Mommy?" "I don't know, baby. That's a big name for a little girl." Santana sat and pondered. "I know Mommy! We can name her Rex. I always wanted a dog named Rex." Everyone was helpful. Her mom always came by to take her and Santana shopping. Sabrina would take Santana out so Hallee could have time alone. They'd go shopping and out to eat. Eventually Lucas started coming around. It took him awhile to visit her. She hurt him. She compared him to Jeremy. He felt the two were in different leagues, and Hallee should know that. He would never treat her like Jeremy did. If she didn't know that then she must not have known him at all. But he also understood where she was coming from. She was a battered woman. She needed time, and he gave it to her. He helped her out a lot though. He stopped by and they would talk for hours on end. He took up time with Santana, too. He cooked for them. He went to doctor visits with her. She would call him on random nights and during the wee hours of the morning to ask him to come over, because she didn't want to be alone. He would spoon her until she dozed off and watch her sleep. He talked to the baby and sang to her. He was there for her when she awoke in the mornings, and then he was off. He didn't want to overstay his welcome. Hallee hadn't talked to Jeremy much. Sabrina wouldn't let her at first. He called and harassed a few times in the beginning, but never got the courage to come by. Sabrina told him that he had something waiting for him when he got there. Something shiny, made of steel and loaded. He stayed away. She heard that Jeremy stayed true to his word. Surprise. He enrolled in some classes and was seeing a therapist. Actually, he'd been through a few of them. *************** Hallee was becoming the queen of multitasking. She was doing the dishes, watching Santana and studying for a computer test all at the same time. She stole glances at her study guide as she washed dishes. "Konrad Zuse invented the Z1 Computer, first freely programmable computer. Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper invented the Harvard Mark I Computer," she said aloud. Santana turned around from the television screen and looked at her funny. "No Mommy. Will Gates invented computers." "You're right, baby. How could I not know that?" Santana whipped back around and was engrossed in the television program. A knock at the door interrupted her from finishing the dishes. She dropped the plate back into the soapy water and dried her hands on her pants before walking toward the door. She opened it and was taken back. "I want to see my son." Battered Ch. 07 Here it is!!! The final chapter of Battered. Special thanks to mococoa20022000. She is the greatest!!!! I want to thank yall for sticking with me throughout this story. Don't forget to comment, email, and vote PLEASE!!!! I really hope yall like it :) ******************** "What are you doing here?" Hallee asked nervously. Before she knew it, Santana was by her side grabbing her hand tightly. "Mommy?" he asked looking at his father. "Hey, little man," Jeremy said, squatting down and resting on his haunches. He reached out and tried to hold Santana's hand, but the little boy pulled away. "No," he said and scampered behind his mother. "Go to your room, baby." "I don't want to, Mommy." "Go," she said sternly. Santana walked toward his bedroom but turned around. "You'd better not hurt my mommy or my sister," and with that, he walked to his room. "Wow," Jeremy said, surprised. "Well, what did you expect? Him to run to you with open arms?" she said placing a hand on her hip. "I deserved that," he said defeated. "Can I come in?" "No, you may not. How did you find me?" "Hallee, I just wanna talk." "Answer the question, Jeremy." He scratched the back of his neck. "Eddie." "What? How big of you! You think just because you have friends in high places you can use that to your advantage?" "Look, you had no right to take my son." "I had EVERY right to take MY son. I don't know why you're here, but there's nothing here for you. I'd appreciate it if you left," she said attempting to shut him out. He put his foot in the doorway to stop her. "Damnit, Hallee. I'm trying really hard, okay? I know you might not believe me and don't trust me, but I didn't come here to start trouble. Can we at least try to be civil about this?" Hallee couldn't believe his nerve. Civil? "Jeremy, please leave. I would hate having to call the cops on you because I felt as if my child, my unborn child and my safety were in danger." "Why would you do that? Hallee, I know you. Better than you know yourself. You're not this type of person. Please," he pleaded. "Just give me a chance to come in and talk." Halle knew she shouldn't, but he was right. She wasn't the type of person to be mean. Against her better judgment, she let him in. ************************* Lucas knew he should have called before he stopped by, but he was too excited. He saw the new Transformer game at Wal-Mart and had to get it for Santana. Lucas smiled when he knocked on the door. He heard a few muffled voices and then saw the doorknob turn. Hallee gave him a small smile and stepped outside. "Umm...now's not a good time, Luke." "That's no problem, Hal," he said cheerful. "I just came by to give this to little man. I saw it and had to get it for him." That's why Hallee loved him. What woman wouldn't love a man who came out of nowhere and moseyed his way into her heart and her son's? Who treated her son as if he were his own? "Thanks. I'll give it to him." "If you don't mind, I'd rather give it to him myself. I wanna see his reaction," he said excitedly. He stepped around her and into the apartment where he saw Jeremy. "What's this?" Lucas asked walking over him. Jeremy immediately stood. "Luke..." Hallee said. "Look, man," Jeremy started. Too late. "I thought I told you I'd better not see you again," Lucas said throwing the game down. "It's not even like that, man." "Oh yea?" Lucas grabbed Jeremy by the collar and slammed him into the wall. Hallee screamed, causing Santana to come sprinting out of his room with his woofle ball bat. Lucas repeatedly slammed Jeremy against the wall. "Man, get the hell off me!" Jeremy shouted, grabbing at his hands. "Shut the fuck up!" Lucas roared. Hallee had enough. She ran up to the men and tried to pull Lucas off Jeremy. "Stop it! Stop it now!" Lucas dropped Jeremy as if he were on fire. 'I'm not having this in my home," Hallee said angrily. "Lucas, you can leave now." He stared at her incredulously. "Are you serious?" "You come in here and disrespect me. You disrespect my house by slamming him against my walls. And most important, you disrespect my son by coming in here cursing and fighting. I didn't know you had this side to you, Lucas. I'm shocked," she said softly, shaking her head. Santana stared at everyone, all the while firmly gripping his bat. Lucas looked at him and immediately regretted everything. He looked scared, and Hallee's face held a mixture of sadness and anger. Lucas looked around for the game. He saw it and took it over to Santana. "Here you go, little man," he whispered. "I'm sorry," he said bending down and kissing him on the head. Santana looked at the game. He took it and went to stand beside his mother. "I'm so sorry, Hal. You're right. This is so unlike me," he said softly. "Forgive me please," he said staring into her wide brown eyes. She said nothing, so he took that as his cue. He left without acknowledging Jeremy. "You should leave too, " she said looking at Jeremy. "But I didn't do anything. You saw him. He came in here and started it up with me," Jeremy complained. "You are sooo not the victim here, Jeremy. Now leave." "Well when can I come back?" he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'll call you." Jeremy walked out the door and looked back... right before Hallee slammed the door in his face. Hallee and Santana stood there eyeing each other. "What now, baby?" ************ ************* Hallee and Sabrina sat on the sofa in Hallee's apartment eating butter pecan ice cream out of the cart. Santana was out for the night, so they enjoyed a little quiet. "Should you be eating this?" Sabrina asked pointing at the ice cream and Hallee's protruding belly. "Yes, I should." "I don't know, Hal. I've never been pregnant, but I'm not sure you should try to down this whole thing." "I'm not downing the whole thing. You're eating too," Hallee said as she tucked a foot under her bottom. "Now move your spoon, greedy." "Well excuse me, pregnant lady," she said hitting Hallee's spoon with her own. "You speak to Luke lately?" "Nope," Hallee said staring into the TV. "Hal, baby, if you ask me the jerk deserved it. Luke was angry. You know he wouldn't have done that if he wasn't." "I know that, but still in front of me and Santana?" "Can you imagine how upset he was, though? He told me when he saw Jeremy he warned him what would happen. Come to think of it, I warned that mother fucker too. Oh hell no. Where he at?" Sabrina said. "Calm down, Mayweather," Hallee joked. "Everything went fine." "Probably 'cause he was scared. Lucas jacked him up pretty good, didn't he?" Sabrina laughed. "Yea. My wall tells it all." "I still can't believe Luke did that. Wow. Didn't know my baby had it in him," she said eyeing Hallee. "I mean your baby," she switched. "Neither did I. It scared the daylights out of me, Brina." "I know. I'm sorry, Hal," she said hugging her. "I'm gonna tell him about his self next time I see him. As a matter of fact, he said something about The Joint this weekend. Let's check him out." "No. I'm not ready to see him yet." "Yes you are, mama. You miss him. I can tell. And I love you and all, but I'm not gonna spoon you at night," she joked. "I didn't ask you to," Hallee laughed. "Come on. We don't even have to tell him we're there. Just pop in and listen and leave. No harm done. I forgot how good he was." "Do I really have a choice?" "Of course you have a choice, silly. As long as you make the right one. If not, you don't." "Well, okay then. I'll go with you, but on one condition." "Yea?" "You have to buy me another carton of ice cream, since you ate most of this one." "I'll buy another one," Sabrina said licking her spoon. "But I'm eating the rest of this one," she said snatching the carton away from Hallee. Hallee laughed. "Whatever, greedy. I'm going to bed. The couch is all yours. Love you, and see you in the morning." "You too." Sabrina stared at her best friend's back as she made her way to her bedroom. She'd come a long way. ************************* Lucas hadn't been to The Joint in a while. He'd been too wrapped and tied up in Hallee to think about much else over the past months. He was welcomed back with cheers and applause. He couldn't help but think about her. She was everywhere. He stepped onto the stage and took his place. Hallee sat in the audience and listened as his words touched her. He sang Ray LaMontagne's Trouble a capella, and it was beautiful. Lucas closed his eyes while he sang. The women in the audience loved him. He heard a few whistles and a woman yelled out "I wanna have your babies." He laughed and looked out to find the voice. A busty blonde girl in the front was smiling up at him. He scanned the room again and saw two familiar faces near the back. One was staring at him and the other was staring daggers in the back of the blonde girl's head. Hallee and Sabrina? He closed his eyes and reopened them, but they were gone. ************ ************* Lucas had time to calm down. He hadn't spoken to her in weeks. He felt miserable. He had to talk to her. Had to see her. He grabbed his keys, and his pride, and walked out the door. When he got there, he knocked on her door and was greeted with a very pregnant Hallee. "Luke." "I've missed you like crazy. I'm hallucinating now. I don't know what came over me Hal, but I swear it'll never happen again. That's not the type of person I am. I'm sorry I put you in that situation." "I forgive you, Luke. I can understand that you were upset. The thing that upset me was how you did it in front of my son. He's seen enough violence as it is. That's why I left Jeremy. I don't want my son to grow up and think it's okay to use violence for people to listen to you. It's not right." "I know Hal. I know. And I'm so sorry. I'll apologize a million times if I have to." Hallee smiled. He was such a sweetheart. "You don't have to do that. But I just wanted to inform you that Jeremy is coming over later to spend a little time with Santana." Hallee watched him to gauge his reaction. She saw him tense. "Oh. Okay then. I guess I'll just go," and he turned to leave. "You can stay a while, Luke," she said reaching out to grab his hand. "Let's talk." Lucas walked in and waited for her to start. "Everything's fine. You may not believe it, but Jeremy has actually come around and done a 180. Well, not a 180. Maybe more of a 145. But you have nothing to worry about." "Hal, it hasn't been that long. What, a few months of therapy makes you a changed man nowadays? I don't believe anything he says. He just wants to get in good with you again so he can manipulate you." "Nobody's manipulating anyone, okay? He's not a changed man. He's a better man. Don't worry about me Luke. I'm okay. I've got this under control," she said hugging him. "But thanks for caring. Now, Santana's been dying to see you. He wants to show you how far he's gotten on that game you got him." Lucas smiled. At least someone still wanted him around. ************************* "Step on him!!" Santana shouted at Lucas. "I'm pressing X, but it's not working, little man!" It was too late. Lucas lost. "I'm sorry, Santana." "It's okay. Let's try again," he said excitedly. We're gonna beat them this time!" When Lucas heard the knock at the front door, he knew who it was. Hallee opened it and he heard their muffled conversation. "Well, alright little man. I gotta be going now. I'll be back real soon though, and we can kick some machine butt," he smiled. "You're leaving already?" Santana whined. "Yes. Someone's here to see you, so I'm gonna be going." "Okay." Santana stood and gave Lucas a hug around the waist. He then walked out of his room holding Lucas' hand. Jeremy looked at their joined hands and then up at Lucas. Lucas placed a kiss on Hallee's cheek as he passed by her and stopped in front of Jeremy. "Hey man. I just wanted to apologize for my behavior the last time I saw you. I'm not apologizing for what I did but how I went about doing it. You deserved it, but I shouldn't have stooped to your level and disrespected the ones I love." And with that, he left. ************************* Lucas was nervous. He wanted this baby to be his more than anything in the world, but even if she wasn't he'd be there for Hallee and Santana. He was at his place when Sabrina called him and told him to get to the hospital because Hallee was going into labor. He nearly shit himself. He raced through his apartment looking for his shirt and keys. He couldn't get there fast enough. He figured he'd get pulled over eventually for speeding and reckless driving, but that wouldn't stop him either. They would have to give him his ticket at the hospital. So many thoughts raced through his head as he sped down the highway. He was upset because he hadn't been around as much as he used to be. Jeremy was always there. Jeremy and Hallee seemed to be getting along nicely. They would talk and laugh and play with Santana. Like a family. That hurt him. Now, both Lucas and Jeremy sat in the waiting room nervously. Santana sat between the two. Lucas was upset. He figured he should be in there with her. Helping her. But she didn't want him in there. Neither him nor Jeremy. Instead Sabrina and Hallee's mom were with her. Lucas still wanted to beat Jeremy's ass, but it was against his better judgment. Hallee would find out and surely hate him then. He felt his heart beat through his chest and stood when he saw her doctor come through the doors. The doctor looked at both men. "How is she?" Lucas looked past the older man to the doors. "She's as fine as a woman who just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl is expected to be," he said smiling. Congratulations gentlemen." "Can I go back there?" he asked quickly. "Yes, you may." Lucas looked back to see Jeremy looking over at him sadly. Fuck him. "You go ahead, man. I'll sit out here with Santana," Jeremy said. "Just let me know when it's okay to go back there." Lucas nodded and followed the doctor. ************************* Lucas looked down at the little girl. She was so beautiful. She looked just like her mother. Her eyes were closed as she rested in Hallee's arms. Lucas smiled at Hallee and kissed the little girl's flushed cheek. He looked up and saw an older woman standing in the corner. She had to be Hallee's mother, because they looked just alike too. Sabrina cleared her throat. "Mama this is Lucas Joyner. We call him Luke. Luke, this is Hal's mother." "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Lucas said taking the woman's hand into his own. "It's nice to finally meet you too. It's good to be able to match a name with a face. I've heard a lot about you. Especially from my grandson." "Yes, ma'am. He's a good kid." "Yes, he is. Speaking of, I think he'll want to see his beautiful little sister." Hallee's mother excused herself to go out into the waiting room. Sabrina watched as Hallee and Lucas exchanged glances, and she felt awkward. "I'm gonna go too," she said kissing Hal on the forehead. "Hal, I'll be back later. Call me if you need anything, which I doubt you will," she said playfully poking Lucas in the stomach. "Okay," Hallee said softly. Sabrina hugged Lucas and walked out. "She's beautiful," Lucas said. "Yes, she is." "And little," he said placing the little girl's small hand in his. "If you call 7 pounds 4 ounces little. She sure didn't feel little coming out," Hallee joked. "I wish I could have been with you," Lucas said sadly. Right then Santana came bursting through the door. "Mommy!! I want to see her," he said excitedly. "Not so loud, little man," Lucas said. "Sorry. I wanna see Rex. Does she look like me?" "Rex?" Lucas laughed softly. "Her name's not Rex, sweetheart," Hallee corrected. "Well what is it?" he asked. "The doctor said it was okay if I came in," a voice said. Lucas looked over and saw Jeremy entering the small room tentatively. "This room isn't big enough for all of us, " Lucas said frustrated. He knew he had to share her though. He sadly kissed Hallee and the baby on the cheek, noogied Santana and quickly left the room. ************************* 2 years later "Mommy, she's doing it again!" Santana shouted. Little sisters were so annoying. "Just let her play with it, honey. She won't break it." Hallee sat on the park bench, entertained as she watched her prince and princess play. Or more like watch her little princess terrorize her prince. She watched as the little girl plopped onto the grass and started to cry. Santana handed her the Transformer toy and helped her up. The little girl smiled up at her big brother, before carelessly wiping at her tear-stained face. She then took off running in the opposite direction, pigtails flying in the wind. "Ma!!!" Santana cried. "If she breaks him, I'm gonna break her Barbie when we get home!" The little girl stopped in her tracks. "Not my Barbie," she said unbelievably. "Mommy, tell him not to hurt her." "Can you guys play nicely for once? Baby, he's not going to touch Barbie. And Santana, she's not going to break Optimus Prime. Deal?" The two kids shook their heads and went off. Time was flying by, and Hallee was watching her babies grow up before her eyes. She was happy for once in her life. She had everything she ever wanted: an amazing family and supporters. ************************* Hallee pulled up into her driveway and saw he was already home. She smiled. She walked in and was greeted with a delicious aroma. A huge smile formed on her face. "Dinner's almost ready, guys," he cajoled. "Mmm. Esguetti," the little girl said excitedly, walking over to the dinner table and standing right in front of a hot plate. She was mesmerized by the steam that came from the mixture of pasta and noodles. "No ma'am," Hallee scolded. "Santana, take your sister to the bathroom so you guys can wash up." Santana jetted down the hall with his sister hot on his trail, begging him to slow down and wait for her. Hallee walked over to the man who stood in front of her stove. "How was your day, babe?" he said leaning over and placing a sweet kiss on her lips. "Good. The kids and I went down to the park so they could play a bit." "Well they wouldn't have to go to the park if we moved into a house...." "Hey," she cut him off. "We talked about this already. I like it here for now. Maybe one day. One step at a time, mister." "You're right, Hal," he said leaning over to kiss her again. "Ooooh. Daddy kiss Mommy," a small voice said. "I want a kiss, Daddy," the little girl said, looking up into a pair of eyes that matched her own green ones. "You do?" he asked. He turned off the eye and picked the little girl up, twirling her around placing sloppy kisses on her golden cheeks. The little girl squealed excitedly. "Okay guys. I don't know about you two lovebirds, but Santana and I are starving," Hallee chimed. "Oh I'm sorry. I got caught up in some sweet kisses," he said placing the little girl down onto her feet. "I would give you kisses too, little man, but you're too much of a man," he joked with Santana. Santana smiled up at him, and he bent down and kissed the boy on top of his head. Hallee loved this. She watched as the little girl scampered to her place before lifting her up to sit in the chair. "Mommy?" Santana said abruptly. "Yes, baby?" "I was thinking. A sister's not as fun as I thought. I want a dog so I can name him Rex. Sage messes with my stuff, and I can't walk her." Battered Ch. 07 "Doggie!" Sage said happily, throwing noodles. "Sage Marie Joyner," Lucas scolded. Sage stopped and looked at her daddy and his mad face. "Daddy Joyner!" she smiled, and threw pasta covered noodles at him. Santana laughed. Sage laughed. Hallee looked at Lucas. He was trying not to smile, but he did. "Daddy is a noodle head," Sage cheered. "I'll show you a noodle head," Lucas said getting up from the table. Hallee remembered a few years back when something similar had happened. Santana was playing with food, and Jeremy hit him. That was the past. Lucas never lifted a hand to either one of the children. He loved them way too much to do that. Instead, he got up from the table and got Sage. He exposed her belly and blew raspberries all over her tummy and face. "Stop it Daddy!" the little girl giggled. Yea... Hallee could get used to this. ************************* Hallee lay on the bed as she watched Lucas come out from the bathroom. He was so sexy as he strolled in, hair wet and pajama pants hanging loosely off his hips. "You waiting up for me?" he asked as he leaned over and kissed her. "Mmmhmm." "Good." He pulled back the sheets she was wrapped in to reveal her glowing naked body. Her fingers were coated with her sticky pussy juices. "Baby, what are you doing?" he said moving her hands away, replacing them with his own. "You know that's my job." Hallee closed her eyes and moaned once his fingers made contact with her plump, wet pussy lips, and moved her hips to match his slow pace. She felt him shuffle and opened her eyes to see what he was doing. He was looking up at her, while his face was rested between her outspread legs. He watched her the whole time he feasted on her. He flicked his wet tongue against her clit, and sent shocks through her body. He gently suckled it before his suckles turned into long, hard sucks. Hallee jerked her hips and pressed herself closer to his face and attempted to push him away at the same time. The feeling was too much for her. "I'm gonna make you cum, Hal," he whispered. "You're gonna cum all over my face." Her breathing quickened as he dipped his tongue into her pussy and rolled it around. "Lucas," she whined. "It feels so good." "You taste so good, baby. I could eat you all day." Hallee felt that familiar flutter in her lower belly when he replaced his skilled tongue with two long fingers and curved them upward. "Oh God," Hallee moaned, as she gripped at the silk red sheets. He pinched a hardened nipple, while he tongued her clit again. Lucas knew she was cumming. She arched her back and bucked frantically. He fingered her faster, and sounds of Hallee cumming and her wet sex filled the room. He placed a final kiss on her nether lips and came up for air. "I love you Lucas," she said kissing him. "I love you too. Now, let's make more babies."