Hunted [Sequel to BQHCH] ON HOLD

Chapter 3:

Hey guys, sorry for the RIDDICULOUS wait but I'm having trouble writing this as I never really planned it out and I wasn't intending on doing a sequel. This was a bit hard to right because a part of it is depressing. :/ I was going to put John's meeting with Nicky but I need to figure out what they want to say so I just did this. Enjoy and hopefully the next upload will be quicker

-Courtney Nicole

Charlotte's POV:

"Thank you john," i said, smiling shakely as John promised to see Nicky. Marcus rubbed my shoulder soothingly, trying to come me down.

"Everything will be fine, Char, I'm not going to let him come anywhere near you or Cara. Just breathe, "Marcus murmured softly. I cleared my throat, nodding, and looked up at him.

"Let's just go back to the party for now, please?" I pleaded. Marcus smiled saldly and nodded. I reached out and hugged John quickly in thanks before turning away and heading over to my mom, who was holding Brooke, and my dad, both sitting on the couch with Audrianna and Marcus's parents.

"Are you alright, dear?" my mother asked in concern.

"Yeah, everything's fine." I tried to smile, but failed. My mom frowned at me and opened her mouth to say something, but my angel interrupted her. 

"We'll talk about it after everyone leaves, okay?" My mom looked from Marcus to me, and back again, before letting out a breath and nodding. Marcus's parents looked at us curiously. Marcus shook his head, cathing his father's eye and my father-in-law turned back to Audrianna who was trying to get his attention back on her. 

"She's beautiful," my mom said. I looked at Brooke who was cooing softly in her grandma's arms, and i smiled.

"Yeah, she is," I grinned.

"She's my angel, my little miracle," Marcus murmured, gently reaching a finger out to stroke the baby's cheek. Marcus turned to look at me, his eyes slightly wet from the tears I knew he was holding back. I smiled softly and kissed him gently while in my mind I was taken back to the only other time I had been scared since I had left Nicky. 

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-4 weeks earlier-

"hey Momma, how are you?" Jackie asked as I sat down across from her at our favoite little Italian restaraunt, A Taste of Home. 

"I'm good," I smiled, rubbing my growing belly absently as i scanned the menu. "I have two months left, but I kind of wish it was longer, I love being pregnant!" 

"You do? Ugh, I liked it, yeah, I mean, feeling my baby inside me was amazing, but I had morning sickness everyday from the day my body registered I was pregnant, to the day i gave birth. And it wasn't just with one, it was all three!" Jackie laughed, tossing her braid over her shoulder. I grinned as well. I had an easy pregnancy with all of my children, and I craved the same thing for all of them, too: white rice and ranch dressing. And just like Nicky all those years ago, Marcus couldn't stand the smell of it either. Aaron liked it although, he was such a mommy's boy, he liked anything I did, it was adorable. I sipped at the iced tea Jackie had ordered for me and waved at a waiter, signalling to him that we wanted to order.

"Yes, I do, Marcus thinks I'm happist when I'm pregnant. I know he wouldn't mind having at least one more baby, but I think after this one I'm finished. I love being pregnant, and a mommy, but labor kills me." Jackie smiled sympathetically, agreeing with me. 

" Are we ready to order, ladies?" The waiter, a young girl in her early twenties, asked us. 

"Yes, we are," I looked at jackie and motioned for her to go first as I looked over my menu one more time. 

"Can I have the gnocchi in vodka sauce, please? And a small house salad on the side with balsamic vinegrette." The waitress nodded, jotting down the order and took Jackie's menu. 

"And for you, Ma'am?"

"Uhm, I will have the chicken piccata, please," I said. The waitress nodded and took down my order, took my menu, and left.

"So, how are you feeling? The baby still being your allarm clock?" My friend asked. The baby woke me up, every day, at 8:30 in the morning, exactly.

"Actually, today she didn't, which bothered me. I told Marcus and he said not to worry, as did my doctor when I called her. She's movig around like normal so I know she's okay, but it just worried me a bit, you know?" Jackie frowned slightly. 

"I'd just kep an eye on the baby, just in case?" Jackie suggested, a hint of worry in her voice.

"I agree completely," I said. "I want everything to go well."

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Later that night I woke up feeling...strange. "Something isn't right," I said aloud in the darkness, Marcus snoring gently next to me his arm loosely curving around my stomach. I reached a hand out and shook his shoulder. "Marcus....Marcus, baby, wake up." My husband groaned and opened his eyes, then sat bolt upright in bed, looking around at me.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Marcus asked, hurriedly.

"something's wrong with the baby," I said, my voice shaking. "She isn't moving."

Marcus sighed. "Baby, it's late, she's probably sleeping, or she just doesn't feel like moving. Baby's don't move 24/7." I frowned.

"Marcus, this baby is active at night. She ALWAYS moves at night, no matter what. I told you this morning that I thought something was wrong and I listened when you told me to relax, but right now I need you to listen when I tell you that something is wrong." 

Marcus stared at me for a moment before throwing back the covers and getting out of bed, pulling on a pair of jeans over his boxers. "let's go to the hospital." I nodded and, not bothering with changing, ran to the phone to call our neighbor, a sweet, older woman, to come stay with the kids, telling her the quick notes version of the situation. I woke up cara telling her to wait for our neighbor, just in case, and Marcus and I rushed out the door to the Hospital.

I was sitting on a hospital bed after being checked in when Eddie rushed into the room dressed in his scrubs. "What's wrong Charlotte?" He asked, concern written all over his face.

"My baby isn't moving," I gasped, nearly hysterical. 

"Alright, we're going to do an ultra sound, okay?" I nodded. "Lie back, hun." I did as he asked and lied back on the bed, lifting my pajama shirt up so my stomach was uncovered. Marcus grabbed my hand, holding it tightly as eddie squeezed the cold gell on my stomach. The monitor for the sonogram was turned away from me so I didn't know what Eddie saw when his facial expression changed. His eyes went wide, and he swallowed nervously. 

"Eddie, what's wrong?" Marcus demanded to know as my breathing got faster. 

"I need to talk to the doctor but we're going to have to do a C-Section," Eddie said, running his hands through his hair. 

"What?! Why? Eddie, what's wrong?" I cried.

"You're baby needs to be delivered as soon as possible. The umbilical chord is wrapped around her neck and she's having trouble breathing. Her aairways are being abstructed, if e don't deliver her she won't make it." My jaw dropped and my heart skipped a beat. 

"N-no, she can't d-die." I said, tears streaming down my face. Marcus sucked in a breath, the muscles in his neck standing out. 

"It'll be okay Charlotte, we'll save her."

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"Charlotte, you okay?" my mom asked, nudging me gently. I started and then smiled.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm fine, just....thinking." Marcus kissed the side of my head softly.

"You were remembering that day, too?" He mumbled softly in my ear. I nodded, taking a shakey breath. That night was one of the most terrifying times in my life. The thought of losing my baby nearly killed me. It had affected Marcus badly as well. We had known that we were going to name our baby after his sister and the thought of losing our baby was like losing his sister all over again. He was very attatched to her and I knew that she would grow up to be a daddy's girl like Audrianna.