I Can't

What else?

Stevie was in the bathroom, after taking a shower at the end of that hellish day. Before putting her nightgown on, she reached for the cream, which helped at least a little bit trying to keep those stretch marks under control. 

"Let me do it." Lindsey stood, leaning against the doorway. Handing the cream, she exhaled heavily, closing her eyes, when he started working the moisturizer into her skin. "You look tired."

"I am. I'm exhausted." She nodded her head, feeling as if she could fall asleep like this. 

"Oh hello there." Lindsey half smiled, feeling the baby kick. They still didn't know what they were having and they weren't interested in finding out. He pressed a kiss to her belly when done, before getting up on his feet. "Do you want me to help you dress?"

"I won't say no to that actually." Taking the nightgown, Lindsey showed her to lift her arms up, as he then pulled it down over her head. "I don't think I would survive without you."

"Well, without me, you wouldn't be pregnant."

"Most likely not, but we can't be sure."

"This area..." He said jokingly, stroking her abdomen. "... is reserved for my babies only."

Smiling weakly, Stevie turned to go back into the bedroom. "Although, I do honestly hope this is the last one. I doubted I would have one child, let alone four!"

"Yeah and you couldn't imagine your life without either one of them."

"That's true." Agreeing, she got under the covers, as he walked around the bed and got in on his side. 

"Lights off?"

"No, actually..." Stevie hated to do this, she didn't want to say one word to him, but she had to. There was no other choice in this situation. "I have to tell you something."

Sighing, Lindsey lay on his back, then turned to face her. "What now? What else could possibly happen to us?"

"It's about Anna."

"Oh? So you talked to her?"

"Yeah, I did. I'm not sure I wish I did though..."

"Stevie, don't do that. You know I'm already coming up with the worst."

"And I think you're right, whatever it is you're thinking of. Basically, everything Sara spilled, it's all true, just that Anna told me everything in small detail."

Frowning, he sat up, folding his arms. "Come on, talk to me then."

"Well..." Stevie began, taking a deep breath, before she said every single thing that she had to hear from their daughter earlier herself. With every word she saw his facial expression change and it hurt her to go on, but he had to know exactly what happened, she wasn't going to leave one thing out. Now she knew why Anna kept it hidden, why she was so afraid to open up not wanting to disappoint, seeing exactly that written all over Lindsey's face, hurt and anger mixed in as well. "... and that's why she went back to him, she thought he was stronger than her mentally, physically too of course, and she didn't want to cause herself any more pain resisting him. We wouldn't have known, Lindsey if not Sara. God knows how badly this would have gotten..."

"And you mean, this isn't bad?" Lindsey asked, his voice raised. 

"Of course it is, but I think it could have been worse." Stevie tried to remain calm for the both of them, keeping the tone of her voice soft, as she kept their eyes locked, knowing that was the only way he couldn't let his mind run with possibilities how to get to whoever used his daughter this way.

"Do you know who is the bastard? Did she tell you that part?"

"I do, but you have to first promise me that you won't go to him right this moment and do unspeakable things to him and ruin all of our lives."

It was getting harder and harder not to explode with every minute. "Are you trying to tell me he's someone we know? Possibly have let him into our home?"

A part of her was still deciding whether to tell Lindsey the truth or not. She knew she could deal with it on her own, but... "Yes."

"You're trying out my patience here."

"It's Mike."

"No..."

"It's him." Stevie assured. 

"That... that pervert!" Breathing heavily, Lindsey shook his head. "We trusted him for years, we gave him a job, trying to help him out and this is how he repays us?! And Anna? What in the world was she thinking letting him come so close?"

"Lindsey, she's just a girl... She's very young and she's got a lot to learn. Look at Sara, she's older, but the way she's acting? Mike saw how vulnerable Anna still is, she was..." Hating to call their daughter that... "She was easy for him, he used that. He used her."

"But it doesn't excuse her behavior, Steph. It doesn't. I hear what you're saying. God knows you and I did stupid things at that age, but this? No, this is just..." Shaking his head, sighing. "What have we done to deserve this? One daughter is not even my daughter, the other is being a-"

"A what, Lindsey? What?" Stevie cut him off, yet challenged to finish his sentence. "Don't you dare. And Sara is not your daughter anymore? Everything you told her yourself then, it was all a lie?"

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I just don't know what to think or say, or do..." Stevie expected him to get mad and maybe smash some things, then try and get a hold of Mike, but what she wasn't expecting was for him to start crying. "I feel like I failed as a father."

"No..." She shook her head, reaching to take his hands in hers. "Listen to me. We've done everything we could, everything we thought was right. Either way or another this would have happened, we couldn't have changed anything. It was Anna's mistake to make, however horrible and painful now to every one of us it might be. Lindsey, I couldn't wish for a better father to my children. You can't blame this on yourself, honey."

Kissing the top of the both of her hands, thanking her for those words, he then asked. "What are we going to do?"

"We ask each other this question too often lately. And honestly, I have no idea. How... How do you deal with something like this?"

"Well, first of all, I am going to have a word with that asshole, I am." Lindsey added, knowing Stevie was going to protest against that. "I'm not going to cripple him, don't worry. Maybe I'm not." He murmured, but she heard it of course.

"Linds..."

"I just have to make sure he never comes here again and he never ever comes close to Anna."

"That's a lot wiser than paralyzing him and going to prison for it."

"He's not worth it."

"No he isn't." Stevie shook her head, laying down by Lindsey's side, as he then switched the light off. "Maybe it's best if we sleep on it, on all of it before we decide on what to do."

"I still can't believe it..." 

"I know we would like it, because they're our kids, but they're not perfect, Linds." She said, turning on her side, as he did too, spooning her from behind.

"I don't even want to think about what Daryl's going to do, it's his turn now."

"Stop that!"

"No, you're right, let's not even go there."

"Let's not." She echoed, closing her eyes. "Goodnight and I love you."

"I love you too." He said, pressing a kiss to her hair, feeling as she drifted off to sleep in a matter of minutes, while he couldn't fall asleep, his mind racing. Lindsey wasn't so sure he was going to be able to keep his promise to Stevie and keep from doing something to Mike he would later regret...