Loss and Gain

Superstar: Enter the Darkness by: Columbina

Chapter 6 – Loss and Gain

"Hi Honey, are you feeling better?" Stephanie walked into my room about 10am the following morning. I had been dressed since 6am, having not slept. I was wearing a large baggy jumper and a baseball cap, to disguise myself in case anyone recognised me. I had notified the doctor of my decision to not abort, and he had checked me over and told me I could go home.

The phone call from Shane last night had not altered my decision about keeping the baby, but had strengthened my resolve. I was determined to make the child mine and mine alone. He or she would run the company better than Shane ever could.

"I’m alright. I’ll be better once we get home and I can resume my own identity!" I put on a brave face. I decided to wait until the car ride home to tell Stephanie about the baby. But I would not tell her about Shane ringing. No use worrying her.

"Let’s go then. Andrew’s had to go up to Boston to join the Federation, so it’ll just be you and me at home for a while. Unless Adam comes over," she smiled at me. "I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! I never really talked to him before, but he’s gorgeous – in both mind and body." I laughed, shaking my head. "He came over to the house last night to find out how you were. I told him you were coming home today, so he said he’d like to see you. I’ve got his number at home, I told him you’d ring."
We walked down to the front of the hospital, where the limo was waiting for us. I was feeling a lot stronger, and my head hardly hurt at all. I was wearing dark glasses to cover up my identity, as well as my black eye, although it was healing pretty quickly. The bruises on my body were fading fast too. The doctor said this was because I was young and resilient. I knew it was because my whole being refused to bear the mark of Shane McMahon.

"Stephanie, I’ve got some big news," I said seriously as the driver shut the door.

"What’s wrong?" Stephanie said, seeing the serious look on my face.

"Steph, I’m pregnant. With Shane’s baby." Stephanie gasped.

"Oh Cam. What are you going to do?"

"I’ve thought about it a lot. I’m keeping it. It’s mine, not Shane’s. And he or she will inherit the quarter of the company I’m looking after."

"You’re braver than I would be," Stephanie told me. "Shane’s going to find out."

"I know. But he can’t do anything."

"Don’t be too sure. Just be careful Cam. When there’s something Shane wants, he’ll do anything to get it. He wants you, and now with the baby he has even more incentive to get you. If I were you I’d stick close to Adam," Stephanie warned me.

"I intend to," I smiled devilishly.

The phone rang as we walked in the door. Stephanie answered it, as I went upstairs to change out of my baggy jumper and into something more me. First I took a long hot shower. When I came out of the bathroom Stephanie was sitting on my bed.

"What’s up?" I asked, decidedly more cheerful.

"I just got a message from the Federation. Andrew’s been injured. I’m going up to Boston in an hour." She looked as though she was about to cry. I sat down on the bed next to her and put my arms around her.

"Bad things just keep happening to me," she said, forlorn.

"Come on," I said, pulling her up. "I’ll help you pack. Just let me put some clothes on!"

An hour later she was gone, and I was alone in the house. It was only after she left that I realised how stupid I was, to be alone in his house. And I didn’t know where Adam was. I hadn’t thought to ask Stephanie. And she had been too distraught to remember to give me his number. I couldn’t reach him, and I was alone. Utterly alone, but for the house staff, who worked for him. There was no point locking the doors, he had the keys. I sat on the bottom stair, my head on my knees, ready to cry at the hopelessness of the situation. Then the doorbell rang.

It had to be him, I knew it was. He had come for me. I ran up the stairs, and kneeled on the second flight, watching from between the banisters, shivering with fear. He was knocking on the door, violently, desperately. The door shook, as if he was kicking it, striking it with his body, once, twice, three times. Then it gave, it opened, and he walked in. I couldn’t move, I covered my head with my arms and sobbed quietly, hoping he couldn’t see me.

"Camille?" he called desperately.

"Adam?" I looked up to see him at the bottom of the stairs. I jumped up and dashed down the stairs, into his open arms. He whirled me off my feet and held me tight, stroking my hair.

"It’s ok, I’m here. You must have been so frightened, poor thing," he soothed me. I sobbed with relief, holding him.
"I thought you were Shane. I thought you’d come to get me," I wept.

"I’ll never let him come near you again," he promised, holding my face in his hands and wiping away my tears gently with his thumbs.

"Is everything okay Miss Camille? I heard a noise," a maid stood wide-eyed at the bottom of the stairs.

"Everything’s fine, thank you," Adam told her. He put his arm waist and guided me up the stairs. I lead him to my room and we sat on the dark blue bed.

"I’m sorry. I should’ve listened to you. I shouldn’t have gone." I apologised, tears streaming down my cheeks. He silenced my regrets with his lips, intensely and forcefully. He gently lay me down, arms encircling my body. Then he pulled back.

"Your face," he said softly, touching my bruises gently, kissing them.

"Ow," I moaned as his fingers, stroking my hair, found the stitches in the back of my head.

"My poor baby," he murmured, laying me down against the pillows. "I’ll kill him for this. He won’t get away with it."

"No, he won’t. But he’s not worth it. I can control him now, I know I can. I’ve got what matters to him the most. And if you get involved, he’ll have what matters to me the most."

"What’s that?" he asked, interlocking his fingers with mine.

"Vince gave me his interest in the company."

"No, I mean what matters to you?" he smiled his wicked smile.

"You know," I said, pulling him to me and kissing him roughly.

"Shane McMahon has never had any power over me, and he never will," Adam told me, pulling back.

"Let me fight my own battles. I won’t always want to, but this time I do."

"I’ll be here for you," he looked into my eyes. "I’ll always be here." He kissed me on the lips, softly, gently, then increasingly passionately. His hands roamed my body, set me on fire with his touch.

But I couldn’t respond, I couldn’t force myself to respond to him. Too little time had passed, Shane was still there in my mind, mocking me. I couldn’t be with Adam while Shane was there. I loved Adam, but Shane was destroying everything. I couldn’t have Adam and carry Shane’s child, it wasn’t fair to Adam.

"Adam," I gently pushed him away.

"What’s wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I can’t. Please, just…" I couldn’t finish, as he took me in his arms and held me.

"I understand," was all he said as he rocked me gently. I snuggled into his arms, my head on his chest, and we slept.
I awoke an hour later, and Adam was still fast asleep. I got up without disturbing him and went downstairs to make something for dinner. But as I stepped off the top of the flight of stairs, the front door opened.

It was Shane. I was frozen, my feet glued to the ground. I stared at him, and suddenly I felt no fear. My first reaction was to attack him, to hit him, to hurt him. But I restrained myself.

"What are you doing here Shane?"

"Camille. My god, look at you. I’m sorry, I love you, I didn’t mean to hurt you," he said, climbing the stairs, coming towards me. I stood my ground, wanting to back away, but also wanting to seem strong. He tried to take my hand.

"Get away from me," I hissed, jerking my hand away. "Don’t come near me."

"You don’t mean that. You love me too," he told me, smirking. He stroked my hair.

"Get away," I told him viciously.

"Get away from her," Adam warned, coming down the hall behind me. I whirled around, shocked at his voice, remembering his presence in the house.

"Don’t come any closer," Shane told him, grabbing me around the waist from behind from behind and putting a knife to my throat. Adam stopped, hesitating. All I could think of was from where did the knife come? Why hadn’t I seen it before?

"Let her go Shane. You won’t get away with this," Adam warned, slowly venturing down one step.

"Get the hell away. Don’t move another inch," Shane sounded desperate. I was scared. I had seen what he was capable of, I knew that in the heat of the moment he wouldn’t hesitate to slit my throat. But I had to do something. I couldn’t let it all happen again. I struggled, elbowed Shane in the stomach.

"You bitch," he gasped, his hold on me loosening slightly. It was enough. I struggled free, but felt the knife run down my arm. It didn’t matter. I crawled towards Adam, as he reached out to me. Our fingers touched. But I wasn’t quick enough. Shane grabbed my ankle, dragged me back towards him.

"Oh no you don’t." The knife was back at my throat, the pressure stronger this time. But now I didn’t care if he hurt me. I couldn’t feel my arm, yet the blood was pouring from it. I struggled harder, looking to go downstairs this time. But Shane held on to me, wouldn’t let me go.

"Shane let me go!" I screamed, pushing him away. But that just angered him, and he shook me.

"I’m doing this for us! You belong with me! You belong to me!" He yelled, shaking me violently. My feet were slipping off the stair, I couldn’t regain my balance when he let me go. I screamed as I tumbled down the stairs, bumping my already bruised body on the way down. A terrible pain ripped through me as I hit the ground. I screamed in terror and pain, as I knew what was happening. I was losing the baby.

"Cam!" Adam shouted, pushing past Shane, who he had just punched, and running down the stairs to me. I curled up on my side, holding my stomach. It hurt like hell. "Camille, where does it hurt?"

"The baby," I gasped, "the baby." I couldn’t say anymore, the pain was too much. Adam looked confused, kneeling beside me.

"What is she on about?" Shane looked over Adam’s shoulder.

"I don’t know. Go and call an ambulance," Adam told him coldly. Shane went to say something back, but Adam gave him a threatening glance. He scurried off, and Adam turned back to me. "Cam, are you pregnant?"

"Mmm," I nodded, biting my lip. The pain was getting worse.

"Is it Shane’s, from…" he trailed off, but I knew what he was going to say. I nodded, and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to look at his face, his eyes that read betrayal, for not telling him, for not trusting him with my secret.

"It’s on its way," Shane said, returning. I opened my eyes and looked at him, before moaning when another ripple of pain consumed me. He knelt down next to me, pushing Adam out of the way. Adam stood up and backed away, his eyes never leaving mine. He sat on the stairs, staring at us, as Shane took my hand.

"What’s wrong, Cam? Where did you hurt yourself?"

"Your baby," I moaned. He looked at me confused, and then realisation dawned.

"You’re pregnant? With my baby?" he looked ready to smile, then remembered what was happening. "You’re miscarrying?" There was a knock on the door, and Adam got up to answer it. The paramedics entered with a stretcher, and I was able to forget about everything, about Adam and Shane, as I put my life in their hands. I closed my eyes and wished for the pain to go away.

continued in: Chapter 7 - Forgiveness