Lindsey had just returned home around midnight absolutely exhausted. That's how their life had been for the past three weeks as they tried to prove that they were suitable parents for David.

"Hey baby, how did it go?" Stevie asked seeing him

"My lawyer reviewed my finances...I have to get another job to make what they call a "acceptable income." He quoted

"Linds, you already have two jobs!"

"Babe, I don't know what else I can do! I'm not making enough!"

"I can't work, because of Evie..." she said

"No offense, but no one would hire you because you are pregnant."

"I'm not visibly pregnant..."

"You will be soon. Then they'll know."

"They don't have to..." she said

"What are you implying?"

"It doesn't matter"

"Tell me, Steph."

"I don't know..."

"Don't know what?"

"I don't know, what I was implying"

"You can't work."

"Okay" was all she said

Lindsey kissed her cheek, I'll take care of us

"Yeah, well that's going great so far..." she mumbled under her breath

"Please don't start." Lindsey sighed

"Sorry"

Lindsey rolled over quietly and switched off the lamp

"I'm sorry..." she touched his shoulder, but he flinched away

"I'm just so tired, Steph."

"I know, baby, I know" she wrapped her arm around him

Through the night Lindsey fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning all night

Eventually waking Stevie up, she tried to calm him by stroking through his curls, but he just shrugged her off

Lindsey sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and just sitting there. A thin layer of sweat covered him as he put his head into his hands

"Linds...?" Stevie tried to place her hands on his back

"Go back to sleep, baby."

"I can't, not when your like this"

"I'm sorry," Lindsey laid back down and pulled her against him, "Here." He kissed the top of her head

"Just relax Linds...I'm here, it's alright"

"It's alright," he repeated

Eventually he went to sleep, and managed to stay that way for a little while

His alarm rang out before dawn, indicating that he had to get ready for work. Lindsey kissed Stevie's head and put on his clothes, kissing her once more before he left for work.

Stevie lay awake once he left, she didn't know what to do, he was so exhausted

He left before dawn and returned after dusk, working 15 over hours a day

She never saw him, then when he did get home he went straight to sleep, or the alcohol cupboard

She would keep his dinner, which lately was only hamburger helper, in the oven and he would eat it when he got home

The following night was no different, only difference was he had already had a drink, and he was angry

"I break my back for those bastards and they still have the nerve to dock my pay!" He yelled as he slammed his whiskey glass down on the table

"Woah, Lindsey calm down!"

"I will not! Do you know what this will do?! We'll have to move! We can't get David!" He paced angrily

"Lindsey, please...calm down..." she held his arm

"How can I be calm?!"

"It will all be alright...just put the whiskey down, baby"

Lindsey was fuming but he reluctantly handed over his glass to her

"Thank you!" She turned to hug him but he pushed her, knocking her into the refrigerator, hard

"Stevie, I'm so sorry," he immediately sobered, "I didn't mean to, baby."

"Just go away!" She said with tears in her eyes, rubbing her stomach which was just knocked

"Steph-the baby," he kneeled in front of her, "Please let me get you to bed."

"I can do it myself" she cried

"Forgive me," he held his hand out to help her, tears flowing down his face

She didn't say anything, just continued to rub at her belly

"I could cut off my fucking hands," Lindsey cried, holding them out

"Lindsey, just go to bed" she shook her head

"I won't leave you, what if I hurt you?"

"Then you live with that" she poured his whiskey away

Lindsey was shocked, "Baby, it was an accident."

"I don't care! You do not get drunk, because you get angry! And I have a baby in here! I have to be careful, I can't have you being a child around me..."

"I promise it will not happen again. I'll stop drinking!"

"That's not the first time you've said that"

Lindsey walked over to the liquor cabinet and threw everything in the trash, doing the same to the beer in the fridge

Turning back round her went to say something, but he saw a small red patch on Stevie's shirt

"Babe?" He pointed to the spot on her shirt

"Shit..." lifting her shirt she realised that bumping into the refrigerator handle had cut her on the side of her stomach

"I'll get a wet rag," Lindsey panicked

Stevie just stood motionless, Lindsey running back to dab at her

He held her shirt up and gently dabbed at her cut

"Daddy is so sorry, baby!"

Lindsey kissed her stomach and placed a band aid over her wound, "I can take you to the doctor if you'd like," he offered even though he couldn't afford it

"I'll be fine" Stevie said

"Let's get you to bed," Lindsey gently took her arm

Leading her to the bed he got her to lay down

"Goodnight, Steph," Lindsey laid beside her and held her hand

She wouldn't answer him, just turning over and pulling the duvet up

That morning Lindsey got up earlier than usual and tried to make her a nice breakfast to make up for his actions

Burning the eggs, followed by the toast he threw a plate, sinking down to the floor in tears

"Fuck," he rested his head backs against the counter and wept

He couldn't do this anymore, he was to tired

Lindsey knew that he was stuck, but he had to try to push forward for his family. He didn't have a choice in the matter.

He knew what he had to do, he hated it, and Stevie would hate him for it, but it was the only way now

Lindsey blankly got dressed and walked out the door, he was in a deep depressive trance

Stevie woke up a few hours later, Lindsey wasn't beside her, he must have already gone to work

Her day consisted of calling her mother to check on Evie, waiting on a good time to bring her back to California.

Lindsey still wasn't home, he should of been back a while ago

Finally he showed up around two in the morning, carrying a stack of papers with him. "I did it, Steph."

"You did what?" She said from her place on the couch

"What I had to," Lindsey handed her the papers

Stevie read them and immediately burst into loud sobs

"I'm sorry, Steph. This is what I felt like I had to do."

"How could you do this without telling me?" She threw the papers back at him

"I knew you would never agree to this."

"Not being able to see my son everyday? Of course I wouldn't fucking agree to that!"

"Jen's sister is taking him. She's agreed to all of my terms and we can see him whenever we want."

"I want him all day, every day Lindsey! Not visiting hours like some aunt! I'm his mother!" She screamed, slapping him round the face hard

"I did what's best for him, not for you."

"That's my baby..." she fell to the floor, inconsolable

"He's mine too, but maybe in the future if things change then he can be ours again."

"What, like when he thinks she's his mother, not me?"

"Stephanie! It's done! We can't be selfish!"

"You know what? You are a failure as a father!" She spat, getting in his face

"You don't think I don't know that?! Do you know how many times I have come close to killing myself but I didn't because I couldn't leave you here to pick up the pieces!"

"You let your son down!" She ignored what he was saying, it just hurt her more

"I know! I let him down! I let you down! I let Evie down! I know I did!" He screamed

"I hope you aren't the father of my baby!" She knew she just overstepped a line, Lindsey snapped

Lindsey raised his hand to hit her but instead he walked to the table beside the couch, pulling a gun and pointing it to his head, "Forgive me." He cried

"LINDSEY!" She screamed

He pulled the trigger....the gun wasn't loaded

Stevie screamed again and covered her ears, thinking the worst

Lindsey dropped to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably, gasping for air

Stevie couldn't cope, before she could stop herself she passed out

"Stevie?" Lindsey crawled to her, cradling her against his chest, "Baby, wake up."

Due to the pure shock of everything that just happened, Stevie was out cold

Lindsey laid down next to her and held her to him, kissing her hair and telling her how much he loved her repeatedly

Placing his hand to her belly, he panicked

"Baby, please wake up..." he sobbed

"I didn't mean to scare you, I really didn't. Please," he kissed her lips

Her eyes very slowly fluttered open, only for her to try and get away from him

"Get the fuck away from me!"

"Baby!" He crawled toward her as she scooted back

"Stay there!" She yelled holding her hand up

Lindsey held up both of his hands and nodded, "Okay, whatever you want."

"How could you do that! Why would you do that! Do you have any idea what that would of done to me if it had been loaded?"

"I wasn't thinking! I was devastated! I don't want to live like this anymore!"

"Lindsey! I probably would of lost the baby to!"

"I'm so sorry, Stephanie!" He sobbed, Stevie realizing that they needed serious help

  "Lindsey...I think you need to see someone..."

"I can't," he shook his head

"You need to, you need help! No sane man would just do what you did..."

"I have to work, Steph. I can't see anyone."

"You either see someone...or you won't be allowed to see Evie..." she told him

"I have to work! I can't get the time off to see a shrink! It won't work!"

"Then I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to be around my child"

"Stevie, you can't do that," she shook his head, "please don't do that."

"I can, and I just did"

Lindsey became distraught again, "Please don't leave me."

Stevie covered her face with her hands and looked to the ceiling

"I can't live without you."

"I can't allow you around her in the state you are in"

"I'm stuck! What do you want me to do?! I work Sixteen hours a day! When would I have time to see someone?!"

"You make time! You just tried to blow your brains out in front of me! What if she had been here?"

Lindsey laid back on the floor, "I'll gather the money to send you back to Phoenix."

"So you aren't even going to try?"

"I am, I just can't risk another incident like tonight."

"I can't trust you, by yourself!" She said plainly

"Stevie, you set me off tonight, I can't have that happen again."

"I set you off?"

"You called me a failure, and I let David down, then said that you hoped I wasn't the father of your baby."

All she did was shrug at him

Lindsey stood up and walked into the bedroom, throwing her clothes into a suitcase

"What are you doing?" She said running to the room too

"You're leaving. I'm getting you home."

"I'm not going anywhere!" She said pushing the case off the bed

"Please stop!" He yelled

"No!" She yelled back

"Shut up!" He yelled in her face

"Make me!" She pushed him out of her face

Lindsey pulled at his hair

She snatched her clothes from his hands and threw them in the wardrobe

Lindsey paced back and forth, hyperventilating as the room felt like it was closing in on him

"Lindsey...?" She watched him struggle to breath

"I....I c-can't," he shook his head, sinking down to the floor

Stevie crouched in front of him, taking his face in her hands

"Baby, breath..."

Lindsey grabbed onto her wrists and stared into her eyes

"Breath..." she repeated

Lindsey began to take deep breaths, closing his eyes tightly as he kept a death grip on her arms

"That's it...keep breathing...in...out..." Stevie walked through it with him

Eventually he calmed down, shaking all over as he opened his eyes, "Thank you."

"What's going on?" She asked stroking his cheek

"I have to go to work soon," he ignored her question

Pulling him back down she asked her question again

"I feel stuck."

"Talk to me"

"I can't pay the rent, you hate me, David is gone, I'm a loser, would you like a list? Because I can give you one as long as my arm."

"I don't hate you, Lindsey" she tried to hug him

"But what about all of those things that you said? You meant those." He slowly let her hug him

"Baby, I didn't mean any of it, I'm so sorry..."

Lindsey wrapped his arms around her, "You are always forgiven. I really do have to get ready for work."

"No, I don't want you to go today, not after what's just happened..." she begged

"I have to, Stephanie. You know I do." Lindsey kissed her head

"No...you aren't safe to..."

"I get paid by the hour, if I don't show up that's a days pay cut out of my paycheck. We can't afford that."

"I'll ask mom, just for today's pay...don't go" she tried to bring him back to her as he tried to get up

"You know I don't take their money."

"You aren't going Lindsey!"

"I'll go in for my second job then."

"Lindsey..."

"I don't like taking money, baby."

"I know...but your sick honey"

"Call her, but just this once."

"Okay...go have a nice shower alright?" She told him

"How about a bath with you?"

"I'd love that, go run it, whilst I phone mom" she kissed him

Lindsey kissed her head and headed to the bathroom, running them a bubble bath

Dialing her mothers number she waited for her to pick up

"Hello?"

"Mama..." Stevie started to cry, hearing her mothers voice

"Tee, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Mom, I hate to ask, but I need to borrow some money..."

"How much...."

"Lindsey's pay for today...he can't go to work..."

"I'll send seventy five, but that's the best I can do."

"That's fine mom, thank you so much!" She continued to cry down the phone

"Tee, are you alright?"

"I...I told him he was a failure as a father and I hoped he wasn't my baby's father...he...mom he...put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger"

"Stevie, is he alright? Was the gun loaded?" Barbara panicked

"No, it just clicked..."

"Thank God. Why would he do such a thing to you?!"

"Maybe because I told him some horrible things!"

"Honey, come home. It's not safe there."

"What...?"

"Come to Phoenix. I don't feel safe with you living with him while he's like that."

"Mom, why would you say that...he needs me" she fought

"Tee if he tried to kill himself in front of you then he would have no problem hurting you too!"

"He would never hurt me...plus, I pushed him into it, I was mean"

"Tee, think about Evie..."

"What about her?" Stevie asked

"Do you want her around that?"

"That? That is my boyfriend mother"

"Who you just said tried to kill himself in front of you last night!"

"Mom..."

"Put him on the phone Stevie"

"Why?"

"I want to speak with him."

"Lindsey! Mom wants to talk with you!"

Lindsey came to answer, "Hello?"

"Lindsey, what the hell do you think you are doing?" She wasted no time

"What?"

"Why would you pull that in front of Stevie?"

"I wasn't thinking. I've been under a lot of stress lately."

"And she hasn't? I want her home right now!"

"I can't do that, Barb."

"Why?" She asked

"I need her. I need my baby."

"You are being selfish, your taking Stevie away from her daughter"

Lindsey hung up and approached Stevie, "You are going home."

"What...why?"

"Your mother wants you home. I want you to be with Evie."

"I want to be with you, I can go and get her"

"No baby. I can't have you living this life too."

"But I need you...they need you" she took his hand and placed it on her belly

"I will call you everyday, I promise. I'll visit when I can...and when I get enough money we can buy a house in Phoenix."

"I don't want to leave you...what if you get like you did again"

"Baby, it's only temporary. I promise."

"Why can't you come now?"

"Work."

"You can work over there?"

"I have bills here that I have to pay."

"Then I'll stay"

Lindsey sighed "Please just do what I say."

"I never could do as I was told..." she said

"Baby, this is one time that I need you to."

Stevie walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him, tight

"I will take care of this mess."

"Can I pass on the bath? I need to go do something before I leave" Stevie asked kissing him once more

"Of course," Lindsey nodded

"Thank you sweet" she watched as Lindsey went to the bathroom, and then grabbed her jacket and purse

"Love you!" Lindsey called out as she left

Stevie headed to the place where she had once lived

She knocked on the door

The door opened and she was met by a battered looking Jimmy

"Hi...." Stevie said quietly

"What do I owe this surprise to?"

"Lindsey told me what you said to him"

"Yeah?" He smirked, "Did it tear him up?"

"He tried to fucking kill himself last night, you asshole!" She pushed him

Jimmy smiled, "Am I supposed to feel bad?"

"Why did you tell him I came to see you about the baby?"

"He deserved to know."

"I lied to him!"

"And what does he think now?"

"You know as well as I do that baby is mine" he added, pointing to her stomach

"Lindsey doesn't have to know that." Stevie gritted

"Did you tell him how far along your were?" Jimmy smirked

"No. I said that I didn't know."

"So why lie to him?"

"Because I love him and he's a good father."

"So, what's he going to do when he finds out?"

"He's not going to find out."

"Oh, he is Stevie..."

"He won't believe you."

"He already knows, darlin..." Jimmy said with an evil smile

"As far as I'm concerned, Lindsey is the only father that this baby will know."

"Stevie, I saw you coming up the pathway"

"So?"

"Look at the phone..." she did and realised it was off the hook

"No! Oh my god...please tell me you didn't..." she cried

"Oh baby, I did," Jimmy chuckled

Running to the phone she quickly picked it up

"Linds...baby..."

All she heard was the dial tone on the other end, he had already hung up

Trying to run out the door she was suddenly grabbed

"Get the fuck off me!" She screamed

"Oh no, I want to spend some time with my baby," he grabbed her stomach, "I knew you'd come back to me."

"No! I need to get back to Lindsey! He's not safe" she knocked his hands away

"You can't leave," smiling sickly, "You've only just arrived."