Chapter 20: Moving On

Here it is.

The last chapter in the installment of Anarchy. It's hard to believe I've been working on this for years and it's finally becoming a finished product.

Thank you. To Everyone.

Just an epilogue after this!

Very, Very strong T rating in this chapter. There isn't any straight out sex so I didn't move it to M rating, but you've been warned!

"The years were cruel to him no,

He won't let them go."

-Moving on: Asking Alexandria

…

…

It was hard to act normal.

Hard to act like nothing was wrong.

Dawn laid in bed for a while. Her eyes tracing cracks on the ceiling a finding every curve in the ceiling fan in the bedroom. She could hear the faint sound of metal on metal coming from the room at the other end of the hall. The door to the extra bedroom in the house was open a bit, probably so he could hear if she called out.

It was hard to watch him come into the bedroom when he was done working out, half undressed as he walked across the room. He spared her a glance as he headed over to the bathroom, closing the door behind him and starting the shower. She stared at the door, watching the steam pour out from underneath it.

His hair hung low when he exited the bathroom, steam distorted his form for a moment. A dull blue towel wrapped around his hips. Usually she would have looked over his body with lingering eyes, with interest. Paul's muscles were swollen from his earlier work out and he was almost back to his bulky weight like when they had first met. Today however, she turned over and stared at her cellphone laying on the bedside table.

She was over 2 weeks late on her period and it was getting hard to swallow.

….

….

She waited an entire hour after Paul had left before making a desperate call on her cellphone. After the call she jumped out of bed, feeling nowhere near as sick as she had earlier, and pulled on a pair of jeans and sweatshirt.

Dawn hesitated for a moment but grabbed her cellphone on her way out of the bedroom. She pulled on her shoes by the door to the garage and picked up the ring of keys from the hook on the wall next to the door frame. A cool breeze greeted her when she opened the door to the garage and she shut the door behind her.

She pressed the unlock on the key and the black truck on the other side of the garage flashed it's headlights in response. She pulled open the door on the driver's side and slid onto the leather seat. Paul's truck was as nice on the inside as it was on the outside.

Regardless, she put the key in the ignition and found a garage-door opener on the visor to open the car door. Dawn pulled out of the garage, backing the large truck up slowly since she didn't want to risk putting a scratch on the flawless paint, and closed the car door shut after her.

It didn't take long to get it her destination, only 10 minutes or so on mostly deserted roads through the town. She pulled to the side of the street in front of a one-story small house and got out of the truck. The blunette pulled the keys into the pocket of her sweatshirt and shut the truck door. She rounded the truck from the front and walked up the short driveway.

"Dawn!" The front door to the house opened and the women came out, meeting her halfway in the driveway with pajamas and flip-flops on. The brunette gathered her into a brief embrace before pushing her towards the front door that was swinging open in the breeze.

"Are you okay? You sounded scared on the phone." May ushered her into the house and slid off her shoes.

"May, I think I'm pregnant."

…..

…..

"We have to wait a few minutes." May's voice was the only sound in the quiet house. Dawn nodded in response from her spot sitting on the closed lid of the toilet seat. May leaned her hip against the counter of the bathroom with her arms loosely crossed. Both women stared at the plastic cup on the counter in between them, the cup that had a plastic stick in it.

A simple plastic stick that Dawn couldn't stop staring at.

"No matter what, you should still see a doctor." May's words of advice flowed through Dawn's mind and she shrugged her shoulders. The blunette felt tired and her chest felt like a weight was bearing down on her.

"May I don't know what to do." Dawn rubbed her thumbs against her eyes. Her eyes felt itchy and she didn't want the feeling of crying to make it worse.

"Dawn it'll be okay. What are you worried about? I know you weren't trying to get pregnant but accidents happen all the time." May was a nurse and Dawn figured that she used her sweet voice to make patients feel better. Dawn clenched her toes, her fingers fiddling with the sleeves of the sweatshirt she was wearing.

"I don't know who the father is."

A moment of silence and May blinked slowly.

"What?" Dawn flinched at the brunette's disbelieving tone. She fiddled her fingers together in front of herself.

"I said I don't know-"Dawn started to speak again but May bent down and put her hands on Dawn's arms. The blunette stopped stuttering.

"I heard you Dawn, I just need to know what's going on. Are you cheating on Paul?" May spoke slowly as through she was explaining a scenario. Her baby blue eyes were wide and her fingers were tight.

"What? May no!" Dawn shook off her arms and stood up quickly. May rose up as well.

"May, when I was in Sunnyshore, there was this guy." Lucas. Sweet, adoring Lucas. Dawn swallowed hard. She couldn't find her tongue. May seemed to put the pieces together herself.

"The cops. That's why you were asking if the cops were okay." May realized what she was saying and the brunette mumbled to herself more than the other woman in the small bathroom.

"Whatever happens Dawn." May spoke clear and loud. The younger woman looked up to meet her in the eyes.

"Whatever happens Dawn. Do not tell Paul." May's voice held no hesitation, no mistake. Dawn nodded slowly in response. Her eyes glanced over to the white plastic stick sitting in the cup on the bathroom counter.

A little pink plus sign greeted her.

…

…

His lips were warm against her skin, caressing the skin of her shoulder delicately. He was really warm right now and usually once they were done, they were done. But tonight he seemed to be in a loving mood. Goosebumps trailed her skin, following his fingers as they moved down her ribs towards her hips.

He was in a really good mood if he was teasing her like this.

She tried to turn over onto her back from where she was laying on her stomach, but he let out a small hum. Dawn stayed still when his fingers gripped her hips on one side, gently reminding her that he was in charge right now.

His long hair tickled her spine as he hovered over her. It was torture, laying on her stomach while he paid so much attention to her skin. Her toes curled in response and she could feel pressure building lower in her stomach. Paul always knew when she was ready and he satisfied her perfectly as always, leaving her laying in ecstasy as he finished.

He moved to lay beside her, facing her straight on. His arm under his pillow to support his head. She curled up slightly, pressing her thighs together and blinking with shining eyes. She had pulled the sheet up to cover her to her shoulders. Her head pressed into the soft pillows.

His body seemed to hum as he took deep breaths. She watched his deep chest rise and fall as his breathing evened out. She stared at where the sheet met his skin around his hips. His tanned skin against the coffee-colored sheets.

There was an ache between her thighs and she clenched her legs together for a second until his hand reached towards her. Paul's hand cupped her ear and his thumb brushed her temple. The skin of her scar caught his attention and his thumb traced the outline of it.

His eyes were soft, something she saw once in a while when they were alone. His hand left her scar and moved to her waist to pull her to him. She pressed against him, his forearm pressed against her back and his breath ruffling her hair.

Dawn smiled softly, tracing the outline of his collarbone with her eyes. He was warm and the arm he wrapped around her made her melt. Paul rarely held her. Occasionally he might throw an arm around her when they were sleeping but almost never like this.

She was happy, wrapped up in the arms of a strong man. She felt safe, laying in the dark of the bedroom with him and hearing the occasional sound of a car go by on the street outside. His breathing was deep and even, his arm felt heavy. He was asleep already.

Her eyelids drooped but she couldn't feel tired when her throat was so tight. She felt guilty at herself and her stomach seemed to clench in response to her emotional turmoil. Her hand moved down to her stomach, to the flat span of skin between her hips.

She wondered how long it would still be flat. How long until the clock ran out of time. How long did she have until she had to tell him?

She couldn't stay awake any longer, despite the thoughts running through her mind and her eyes closed in defeat.

Tomorrow.

She'd figure it out tomorrow.

…..

…..

Another week and she still didn't know what to say.

A day after that, she asked May to make an appointment for her.

The doctor's results told her what she already knew.

…..

…..

Watching a pie cook in the oven, a product from her bored mind, she leaned against the counter. Her dark hair touched the back of her arms as she folded her arms against her chest. It seemed harder to breath with even more weight on her chest.

She promised herself she would tell him tonight.

The garage door opened and she started. It was getting cooler now and he left the bike in the garage more often than not to take his truck instead. Dawn heard the garage door close once again as the engine cut off on the truck. His boots were heavy as he kicked them off in the garage before the door opened.

His hair was messy, probably from running his hand through it all day. He shrugged off his leather jacket after he closed the door he came through. She pulled a beer out of the fridge, twisted off the cap, and set it on the bar top attached to the kitchen counter.

His eyes met hers and his lips keep in a slim line. He wasn't in the best mood today considering he took a swig of his beer, set it back on the counter, then disappeared down the hallway to go take a shower.

She let out the breath she didn't remember she has holding when Paul turned on the shower.

…..

…..

Dinner was quiet.

She got up halfway through eating to take the pie out of the oven and grab another beer for him.

"Need to tell me something?"

His voice was deep, rough, and demanding. She took a sip of her water even though it did nothing to soothe her dry throat. She set down her glass and he leaned back his chair, dinner forgotten.

"Dawn." Paul's voice was stern. She met his hard eyes. Now was not the time to back down.

"I'm pregnant."

It was quiet again. She picked up her fork and forced herself to take a bite. Her pasta was good, but it tasted bland going down.

"Are you sure?" After a minute of silence, he spoke, then took another swig of beer.

"Yes." He hummed in response, taking yet another drink of his beer. The bottle was already half gone.

She cleaned the rest of her dinner off her plate and picked up her dishes. She took them to the sink to rinse them off, leaving Paul sitting at the table.

…..

…..

That night, after she had showered, she walked over to her side of the bed. The lights were already off when she came out of the bedroom, meaning that he was already in bed. She could see the outline of his body in the dark, half covered.

She was quiet as she slipped under the covers, barely settling herself down when his arm was around her. His body was warm against hers. Dawn was wide wake when he kissed her neck.

"How long?" His fingers brushed against her hip, her stomach. His voice soft in the late hour.

"A couple months" Dawn heard her voice crack and his fingers moved up to flutter around her ribs. His arm finally settled around her.

It was acceptance.

….

….

It hurt.

She closed her eyes as they watered. It hurt a lot more then they said it would. She tried not to break the hand that she was holding.

May's voice was soothing and her cool hand felt like heaven against her skin. Her friend didn't complain as Dawn squeezed her hand again. There was doctor by her feet, and a nurse standing next to him. The nurse held a blanket in her hands.

A wail sounded clear in the room. Dawn fell back against the pillows propped up behind her, defeated. Dawn's hand slipped out from her friend's and she looked up at the white tiles of the ceiling. The exhaustion was heavy and her legs felt numb.

She took the baby from May when she bought it over. Red and wrinkled as the baby quieted against her chest.

The nurse took the baby away too soon.

…..

…..

The baby was quiet and sleeping in her arms already. Fed and deemed healthy as could be by the doctor. May had left not long ago, promising to bring back more clothes when she returned that evening. The door opened to her room and Dawn looked over. She heard his boots before she saw him.

His body seemed to take a breath as he saw her. Looking her over and taking in her appearance. He was dressed in a thick black sweatshirt and dark jeans, his leather jacket missing.

"I got here as soon as I could." His eyes lingered on the bundle in her arms and he moved to her side.

"Would you like to hold him?" She was tired but she tried to seem fine.

"Him?" Paul seemed to question. He reached down to take the baby from her. Dawn nodded and watched as he sat down on the cushioned bench next to her hospital bed.

She was glad the child had her dark hair.

She bit her lip.

He didn't not have the dark eyes of the man holding him, but the bright grey eyes of the man she once knew.

…..

…..

Boom!

Done!

I really enjoyed this story and I hope that you all enjoyed it. The ending makes me nervous, did you like how it was ended? I decided when I first started the story that the baby would not be Paul's, but Lucas'.

Thank you everyone, it was a pleasure!