This Is Not the End

Jacky's POV

Elise was still in the hospital after a month. It turned out that the man who had her had been injecting her with heroin, and she had been going through widthdraws. Elise refused to tell anyone who had her, claiming she didn't know. But Max, Ronnie, and I weren't convinced. She was protecting whoever it was for some reason. When Monte found her, she was beaten badly and was strung out on heroin and oxycotin. When he got her to the hospital, Max demanded that a rape kit be done on her. The results really pissed me off. She had been raped. Again. But this time, the man who did it, didn't use protection and there was DNA left behind. They also tested her for STDs.

I was sitting in the room with her. Elise was holding my hand. I was relieved to have her in my life again. She was alive... I went a whole week without knowing whether or not she was okay... thinking that she may have been killed. I didn't sleep at night because my brain kept me awake with disturbing thoughts about what she was going through, or who had her. I stared into her eyes, noticing that the grey color was duller than usual. Like she had died inside. I leaned over and kissed her. She jumped a little and stared at me.

"Jacky, I love you too." she said. I was taken aback. I had forgotten that I had told her I loved her. I leaned in and kissed her again.

A doctor walked in.

"Miss Green, your test results are back." He said.

Elise sat up, and clenched my hand. "What did you find?" she asked.

"Well the good news is, you're clean. You didn't catch anything. Now, I don't know how you'll take this next bit of news." he said.

"Tell me, tell me." Elise said.

"You're pregnant." The doctor said.

Elise's grip on my hand loosened as she fell back into the pillow. I watched the tears brim in her eyes as she soaked in the news.

"Jacky, go get Ronnie." she told me.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I asked. Shouldn't she want Max at a time like this?

"Go. Get. Ronnie." She said. "And don't follow him in her when you do." Her tone was weird, disconnected almost.

I stood up and left the room. I went outside and called Ronnie.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Elise just got some pretty intense news." I said with a sigh.

"Okay... why aren't you telling Max?" Ronnie asked.

"She's pregnant." I said.

"Holy shit... why are you telling me?" he asked.

"Because. She wants to see you. Now." I sighed.

"Wait... what?" Ronnie said, sounding baffled.

"I don't know either. Just... get over here. Like, now." I said, hanging up. I called Max and told him the news. He didn't take it well, as expected.

Ronnie arrived within five minutes with Ava. I halted Ava at the door.

"She just wants Ronnie." I told her.

Elise's POV

Ronnie came into my room with a worried expression in his eyes. I took one look at him and instantly went into hysterics. He rushed to my bedside.

"What's wrong? Why did you want to see me? What happened?" he asked.

"It's just... you have to know... you'll figure it out anyway... I know you will..." I sobbed.

"Elle, what happened? What will I find out? What aren't you telling everyone?" he asked. I looked into his eyes. They were so much like Riley's... but they weren't filled with evil.

"This baby... it's...it's..." I swallowed. "The baby is Riley's."

Ronnie's face went blank. "Excuse me?"

"I'm pregnant with Riley's child. He had me. He raped me... again. This kid is going to be your niece or nephew, Ronnie." I said, wiping my eyes.

"What are you going to do?" he asked me. "I'll support whatever choice you make."

"I'm keeping it." I said without a thought. Ronnie took my hand.

"Alright. Good." He said. "Now, the first thing we have to do is tell Max and Jacky. Then the police."

I shook my head. "No. No police."

"Elle, my brother raped you. Again! He can't get away with it. That baby... doesn't have to know him. It'll have me. And Max. And Jacky, Craig, Derek, Ryan, Mika, Ava, Robert, Monte... and my dad." Ronnie said.

"I know... I just don't want Riley to go away. He'll have to live with what he did. He's a monster, yes. But he did take care of me." I said.

Ronnie shook his head. "No, Elle. He didn't. Do you know what he injected you with everyday?"

"Pain medication." I answered.

"No honey. It was heroin. He got you hooked on junk. He had you cuffed to something. He hit you and raped you and made you think he was a good person, when he's not. He was never sorry for what he did to you. He just wanted you to think he was so he could do it again and again. He did it more than twice, Elle." He said.

"No, you're lying. He only did it twice!" I said.

"No, Elle. The rape kit came back and it showed that you went through repeated sexual abuse. He must have done it to you while you were strung out on the heroin. He manipulated you and drugged you and he would never have let you go. He wanted you to be his." Ronnie told me.

I thought back and made my descision. "Call the police. I'll file a kidnapping report. I'm not sending him away for the rape though. It wouldn't stick... I was high... and I didn't know..." I said.

"Okay. Sounds like a plan, Elle." Ronnie said, standing up. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Now, Max is at the door. He heard everything. You... might want to talk to him." he added, ducking out of the room as Max walked in.

"So... you're having a Radke..." he said awkwardly.

"Yeah...guess I am... looks like you and Ronnie are bonded for life now, huh?" I said.

Max dashed to my bedside. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me, Elise?! Why didn't you want me to know that Riley fucking Radke had you?! That he took you and raped you and beat you?! Why didn't you tell anyone?!"

Tears poured out of my eyes again. "I don't know... I didn't think I'd have to!"

"You mean, if it hadn't come down to this, you would have kept it a secret? From me? From Jacky?! Do you know what Jacky went through when you were gone? Do you know how much he blamed himself for you going missing? Does that matter? Does it mean a damn thing to you? Are you really that selfish, Elise?!" Max was pissed.

"Max, stop yelling at me! Please!" I said, covering my ears.

Max grabbed my arms and pulled them away. "NO ELISE!" he growled. "You need to fucking hear this. You aren't a fucking baby. You are a grown woman, and you have growing responsiblities, and it's high fucking time you knew it! You have been acting like a self centered, spoiled little brat since your mom died. You have been feeding off of sympathy and thriving on everyone's pity and that needs to stop. Jacky goddamn loves you, and I saw it. I grew up the moment I realized that you didn't care about what I had to say. But now, I wonder if it was Jacky who needed protection from you."

"Max, why are you saying these things? They aren't true!" I shouted.

"The fuck they aren't!" he shouted.

"I FUCKING LOVE JACKY, OKAY?!" I shouted. "I do! I really fucking do, and that scares me, Max! You know why too! I'm afraid that if I love him back, he'll turn into Rodney! And I don't want that to happen! I know he won't but, you know that's the thing with fear... isn't it?! It's debilitaing! I've been trying to fucking cope, Max! And I've been doing it alone! Without bothering everyone with my shitty life! I'm sorry that I'm not living up to par with your standards, MAXWELL!" I screamed.

Max sat down and stroked my cheek. "Oh honey... I -" he said.

"Fucking save it. I'm sorry for how I've acted and I'm sorry for barging out on Jacky. I got scared. I was being a stupid little twat, and now look where it's gotten me, Max. I'm knocked up with a drug addict's baby." I said.

"You did what came natural, Ellie. And that baby, will never have to know it's dad. It can grow up thinking Ronnie's its dad for all I care. I just want you to do the right thing and make the right choices. This one, this pregnancy, wasn't your choice, and I'm sorry for that. But you've chosen to have it. To bring a new life into the world. And that makes me proud of you. You didn't fuck up, Ellie. You made a mistake, and it took you to an evil place with an evil man. And you can never make that go away. But you can make it better by being better. You can give this baby everything. And I'm going to be there with you." Max said.

He leaned down and hugged me tightly. I cried on his shoulder and hugged him. I didn't want to let go, and in that moment, I didn't have to. Max would always be there for me... even though I was a shitty person.

I just hoped this decision was the right one.