Strength Of The World

The next time Peyton woke up, she saw the back passenger door of her four runner open, and Jason standing inside it. She slowly stood up and looked in the shattered window, seeing her attacker trying to unbuckle her tiny son from his carrier. “NO!” She screamed, going into full Mama bear mode. She lunged at Jason, shoving him away from the car and knocking him to the ground. She was throwing punches as hard as she could, landing them wherever she could. “Get the fuck off of me, Peyton.” Jason growled, trying to shove her off. He grabbed her wrists and smiled evilly, “You see, when I take you I’m also taking the baby. That way your poor precious Zack can feel the misery I felt when you left me. He will be all alone, with a dead fiancée and a dead baby. Now get the fuck off of me so I can finish what I started.” With that, he shoved Peyton backward and her head smacked the garage floor. Standing, he pulled a knife from his pocket. “I figure I’ll kill the baby first, so you can watch him die. You’ll be begging me to lol you by then, and it will be my pleasure to do so.” He took another step toward the car and Peyton started screaming again. He kicked her to make her be quiet and he was almost to the passenger door of the vehicle when she saw the baseball bat Zack had left leaning against the wall right beside her. She stood up to her full height- which was only about 5’4, and swung the bat as hard as she could, hitting him right in the back. Jason stumbled backward, dropping the knife, and she swung again, hitting him in the head. He fell to the ground and she took her chance to grab the gun that her dad had given her that she had stashed under the front seat. She kept it trained on him, standing beside the open door of her car, making sure her screaming baby was okay. When Jason realized she had a gun, he laughed. “Do you really think you’re going to shoot me?” “Fucking try me, Jason. I’m done letting you scare me. And if you ever put your dirty fucking hands on my son again I’ll cut them off.” Jason laughed even more as she spoke, standing up and holding his ribs. “Peyton you’re so weak, you wouldn’t even have the guts to pull the trigger. That kid deserves more than a whore mother and an idiot father. He’s better off dead.” Peyton lifted the gun higher, aiming at his throat. “Get the fuck out of my driveway, Jason.” She ground out. He smirked at the smaller woman, “No. I don’t think so.” When he lunged at her, Peyton pulled the trigger. She stood there in shock, watching Jason’s body fell to the ground, blood seeping from his neck. As she slowly came back to reality, she heard Lincoln’s cries and quickly turned her attention to him, unbuckling the carrier and holding her son close. “Oh baby. I’m here. You’re okay. We’re all going to be okay.” She whispered to him. At that moment, she saw Zack walking toward the house. Peyton stepped around Jason’s body, slowly coming out of the shadows in the garage. When Zack saw her bruised and bloody, he started running. “Oh my god. Peyton! What happened?” He asked, grabbing her shoulders and inspecting every inch of her . “J-Jason. He. He tried to kill Linc. I sttttttttopped him.” She told him, holding her baby close to her chest. “I shot him.” She finished with a whisper. Zack pulled out his phone and dialed 911, telling them everything, then he pulled her into his arms. “Baby I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I walked to Johnny’s to help him with something after Brian called and said you were on your way home. I left you a note, but I guess you never made it in the house.” He rambled. “Zack. It’s okay.” She told him, feeling dizzy. “Zack, get the baby.” She whispered, passing her son over to her fiancée. “I need to sit down.” She leaned against the side of the house and slid down until she was sitting, Zack sitting right beside her. She laid her head on his shoulder, and as she heard the sound of sirens getting closer, she could no longer keep her eyes open.


The next time her eyes opened, she was in a hospital room. Zack was in a chair to her left, and Brian was sitting right beside him, holding Lincoln. They were talking quietly and didn’t realize she was awake until she spoke. “Hey.” Their heads snapped toward her and a huge smile appeared on Zack’s face. “There’s my girl. You feeling okay?” Peyton moved to sit up a little more and groaned, clutching her head. “My fucking head hurts.” “Well, that’s peobably because it went through a window.” Brian chuckled. Peyton gave him her ‘eat shit’ look and he immediately stopped laughing. “Do you want the baby?” He asked her, and when she nodded, he immediately placed Lincoln in her arms and kissed the side of her head. “Can you please stop scaring the shit out of me?” Peyton chuckled weakly and looked up at her brother. “Sorry, Bri. But he went after my son. Nobody hurts my family.” “I’m just glad you’re okay. I should have followed you home. You could have been killed.” He said, eyes brimming with tears. Peyton pulled him into a one-armed hug, “Brian, I’m okay. Linc is okay. and I’m pretty sure Jason won’t be bothering us ever again. We can move on now.” She released Brian and leaned back into the bed, pulling the baby closer to her. “Oh my god, I killed him, didn’t I?” She asked in horror. “Baby, you did what you had to do to protect yourself and Lincoln. Even the officers said so.” Zack told her, placing his hand on her thigh, “They found his knife and a phone full of messsges and videos of him stalking you. Honestly I wish I had been the one to pull the trigger on that mother fucker.” Peyton opened her mouth to speak, when the door opened and the doctor appeared. “Oh good, you’re awake. How do you feel?” He asked her, walking to the end of the bed. “My head is pounding and I’m a little sore, but other than that I’m good.” She told him. “I’m gonna do a quick exam if that’s okay.” He said, getting closer to her. She passed the baby to Zack and the doctor examined her, shining a light in her eyes and checking her heart rate. “Okay Ms. Smith, everything looks good. We aren’t going to keep you overnight because of the little one, but you do have a slight concussion and some sitiches in your forehead. You’re to take it easy for the next forty eight hours, no heavy lifting or driving, Okay?” Peyton smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’ll get the nurse to bring your discharge papers and you can be on your way.” The doctor left the room and Peyton looked at the men, “Anyone bring me a change of clothes?” Zack and Brian looked at each other, then at Peyton, who sighed and leaned her head beck. “You guys suck.” She grumbled.

After she signed the discharge papers and Brian spent fifty bucks in the gift shop on a pair of sweats and a tshirt, Peyton was on her way home with her family. When they pulled in the driveway, the garage doors were closed. She stared at her side of the garage, not moving until she felt a hand on her arm. “It’s all cleaned up baby. Your car is gone too. We’re getting a new window put in. Hell we can sell the whole fucking car and buy you a new one if you want.” Zack told her. She smiled softly and put her hand on his face. “I love you, Zee. I love you so fucking much. I could have died today, and as I was standing there pointing a gun at Jason, I realized I didn’t even tell you I love you today. You and Lincoln are everything to me, and I would do it all again if I had to.” Zack reached over and wiped the tears off Peyton’s face and pressed his lips to hers. “I love you too, baby girl. Knowing I almost lost you, both of you, again. It makes me sick. I couldn’t live in this world without you. I can’t breathe without you. Either of you.” He kissed her again before moving to get out of the car, “Come on mama, let’s get you to bed.” Zack got out of the car and laughed when he looked at the driveway behind him. “What? If you think I’m just going to not see my best friend you’ve got another thing coming, buddy.” Johnny told him, hands folded across his chest. “Well go on then, help her out of the car.” Zack said, pointing to the passenger door that was opening. Johnny quickly rushed to her side and helped her out. “Johnny where the fuck did you come from?” She asked, grabbing his hand. “My house. Duh. And I’m telling you right now Peyton Elizabeth if you fucking scare me one more time I swear to god I will lock your ass in a tower like fucking Rapunzel.” He told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her into the house. Zack heard her laugh loudly as they entered the foyer, and went to get Lincoln out of the car. “Need a hand?” He heard a voice say. Zack held out the diaper bag behind him and when he felt a hand grab it, he pulled the baby’s carrier out of the car. “Johnny’s already here. You might have to fight him for her.” He said, making Matt laugh. “I’m pretty sure I can take his ass. Besides if I didn’t come over here I wouldn’t have slept tonight. And I don’t think you’d appreciate me coming over at like 2am.” “You guys are ridiculous.” Zack chuckled, walking toward the house. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t be the same way if it was one of our girls. Our family sticks together no matter what.” Matt argued. “Yeah yeah I know. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.” The green eyed man sighed. As they were waking into the house, Johnny was walking down the stairs, “She said she wanted to lay down. I think her head is hurting.” He explained, Matt nodded and turned toward Zack. “I’m just gonna leave these down here and come check on her tomorrow.” He went to put the flowers in the kitchen when he heard Peyton’s voice. “Matthew Sanders get your ass up here.” Matt stopped in his tracks and turned toward the stairs. “I guess I’m gong to see Peyton.” He chuckled, making the other two laugh. Johnny followed Zack into the living room and sat down. “How is she?” The shorter man asked. “You know Peyton. She puts up a front.” Zack sighed, running a hand through his hair. “She knew she needed to protect him though, and she did.” He said nodding toward the baby, who was sound asleep in Johnny’s arms. “Mama bear’s a badass.” Johnny whispered to the tiny boy. “Did she really beat him with a baseball bat?” Zack nodded, “She beat the shit out of him. He definitely got what was coming from her before she ever shot him. The paramedics said he had a dent in his skull. But it was all self defense. He kept attacking her and wouldn’t stop until he was dead.” Johnny nodded and looked down at Zack’s son. At almost two weeks old, he was a spitting image of his father, with his mother’s blue eyes. “She’s going to need you guys, now more than ever.” He told Zack. “Don’t let her get inside her head for too long. She overthinks shit.” Zack nodded and they sat for a while longer, until Matt came down and told Zack that Peyton was asleep, and he was heading home. “Yeah I’m gonna head home too man. I’m sure Lace will want to come by tomorrow.” Zack nodded. “Okay. If she’s feeling up to it we can order some pizza and have a movie night.” The men nodded and said their goodbyes, and once Zack locked the house up he took Lincoln upstairs to get him ready for bed. As he was changing the baby’s diaper he heard a voice, “Can I help?” He turned around and saw Peyton standing in the doorway, wearing one of his old tshirts and a severe case of bedhead. “I thought you were sleeping?” Zack asked as she walked over to them. “Well, I was. But my boobs are hard as rocks so I really need to either feed the baby or pump.” She explained with a laugh, watching Zack zip up Lincoln’s pajamas. “Well you’re in luck, because this guy just ate two hours ago and I’m sure he’s ready for some more.” He said, placing the baby in her arms. After she fed the baby and got him back to sleep, she placed him in his bassinet and told Zack she was taking a shower, where she stood under the water and cried as she watched all of the dried blood wash off of her. Once she was finished she washed herself and got dressed, then snuggled under the covers with Zack. “You okay baby?” He asked, pulling her into his arms. “Yeah. I really am. I cried a little in the shower, but I mostly feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can breathe again.” Zack kissed her neck and gave her a little squeeze. “Good. Get some sleep babe. Linc will be up in a few hours.” She nodded, eyes half open, “Love you, Zee.” The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was her fiancée, “I love you, Pey. So much.”!

Notes

Okaaaaaay! There’s only one, maybe two more chapters of this story left! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!