Chapter 3
4 hours later at the Hospital

 

Erin paced the weighting room floor.  “What could be taking so long?”  She asked frustrated.  She sat down next to Nik on a hard chair.  No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t sit still.  “I’m going to get something to drink, so you want anything?”  Erin asked getting up.

“No, I’m going to go give Stefan a call.  I don’t want him sending out the national guard if I don’t get home for dinner.”  Nik said with a laugh.

“Okay,” Erin laughed.  That was one reason she loved Nik so much, he always knew what to say to lighten up any mood.  She walked quietly to the soda machine that was down the hallway.  She stood counting out her change when she sensed someone behind her.

“How is Ms. Jacks dong…Erin?”  As eary deep voice asked form behind her.

Erin felt a chill run down her spine.  She could feel his sticky breath on the back of her neck.  She made a move to turn around but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.  “No need to turn around.  I know who you are and there is no need for you to know who I am, all you need know is I know where you are at all times.”  With that the mysterious voice disappeared along with the hand on her shoulder.

Erin spun around to find no one in the hallway.  She got her pop and hurried back to the weighting room, the whole time, glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her.  Erin got back to the room and quickly stood next to Nik.  “How is she doing?”  she asked in a quiet shaky voice.

“Jax just when in.  They think the baby will be coming soon.”  Nik told her.  He could tell that something was wrong, but this wasn’t the time or the place to talk about it.

“I hope Ned and Lois get here soon, then.  They won’t be too happy if they miss this.”  Erin said trying to cover up her nervousness. 

Just then Ned and Lois came running in the hospital.  They stopped to talk to Amy just long enough to find out where Brenda was.  Ned spotted Erin and ran over to her.  “Where is she?”  He asked out of breath.  Erin pointed to the room and Ned hurried over there. 

Lois came over, “You look beet, how long you been here, darlin’?”  Lois asked with a thick Brooklyn accent.

“Four, maybe five hours.”  Erin said with a shrug.

“That’s long enough, you go outside and go for a walk or something,” Erin started to protest.  “None of that.  I’ll keep an eye on her and give you a call if anything new happens.”  Erin gave Lois her cell number.

Nik led her softly to the park across the street from the hospital.  It was a cold day so there were very few people, if any at all.  “Now do you want to tell me what’s going on?”  Erin looked at him blankly.  “Your face when you came back from getting your pop, you looked like you had seen a ghost.”

Erin took a shaky breath.  She almost wanted to lie and say it was nothing, just so that she wouldn’t have to think about it (as if that was possible).  “So one was following me,” Erin paused to gather her thoughts and then continued speaking, very fast.  “I went to get a pop and someone came up behind me and said he knew where I was at all times.  And then he just left.  The scary part is, I think I recognized the voice, but I don’t know from where.  What if it’s one of my father’s associates?  What if someone decided that they want my father’s territory?”  Erin took a deep breath.  “I’m probably not making any sense at all am I?”

“No your making perfect sense.  Someone is following you and you have a right to be scared.  If you don’t mind I’m going to put a guard on you.  I don’t want this guy to get the idea that he can push you around or that he can get to you in any way.  I would like it if you would stay at Windimear until this whole thing blows over okay?”  Nik suggested caressing her cheek with his hand.

Erin closed her eyes at his touch and smiled.  “I couldn’t do that.  Brenda gave me her cottage; it’s my home now.  I can’t run away to Spoon Island anytime something like this happens,” Erin smiled reassuringly.  “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“No your not fine.  You have some sicko following you around and you live all by yourself way out in no where.  There isn’t another house within two miles of the cottage, what if you need help?  Where are you going to go, and what if this guy decides to come after you?”  Nik sat down on a bench and Erin sat next to him.  Nik paused and thought a moment.  “I have an idea, why don’t you get someone to stay with you?”  Nik hinted.

“Well I could call Emily, she has felt a little left out with everything that has been going on.”  Erin said, completely missing the hints that Nik was dropping.

“Emily wasn’t exactly who I had in mind.  I was thinking someone that could provide a little protection if anything were to happen.”  Nik hinted once more.  And everyone says that guys can’t take a hint.  Nik thought.  Hopefully now she’ll ask me to stay.

“I could just get Sam to stay there, well he practically is.  They try to blend in but I can tell when they are checking up on the cottage.”

“I meant someone that you know, not some guard that is only protecting you because that’s what he is paid to do.  I was thinking someone more like,” Nik paused hoping that Erin would jump in with his name.  ‘Hell I’ll just say it,’ he thought.  “…me?”

“Well why didn’t you just ask?”  Erin said with a sparkle in her eye.  “Of ‘corse you can be the one to stay and protect me…for your own peace of mind of course.”  Erin teased.  She gave Nik a quick hug.

“What was that for?”

“No reason.”  Erin curled up next to Nik and they just sat there watching some bids hop around pecking at the frozen ground.  They walked back to the hospital about an hour later.

After 6 hours of labor Brenda gave birth to a healthy baby boy and girl.  To everyone’s astonishment, her and Jax named him Joseph Stone Jacks.  Brenda had wanted Stone to be his first name but Jax talked her into moving it to the middle for the sake of looks.  Brenda decided that the only name fitting her beautiful girl was Lilly, in memory of Lilly Corinthos.

The next day Nik moved into the cottage much to the protest of Stefan and Katherine.  Nikolas assured them it was only temporary.  Laura on the other hand was a little more understanding.

Laura watcher her son drive off.  She couldn’t believe it.  Both her sons were in love, only it looked like her youngest was going to be the first one to get maried.  When did they grow up so fast?  She had missed so much of her son’s lives.  She hadn’t been there for Nikolas the first 16 years of his life and when Lucky had needed her the most she was in Switzerland; anther world away.

“What ya’ thinkin’ about babe?”  Luke asked rapping his arms around her from behind.

“Nothing really.  I just can’t get over how much my boys have changed over the years.  Lucky is getting married and Nik is moving in with Erin because she is having some sort of problem and according to Nikolas, she shouldn’t be left alone.  When he first came here it seemed like he cared about no one but LueLue and Stefan.  Now he is so protective of everyone; even me,” Laura sighed.  “I don’t know how to explain it, they both have just changed so much, so quick.”

“They always do, now come on, we have a party to get set up for.”