Present Day

"Daddy, you never told us you were locked up before."

Shawn looked at his daughters and shook his head, "It's something I don't tell anyone. It took everything in me to get my record cleared so I could move on with my life."

Summer sighed, "And let me guess, mom helped you clear your record?"

Shawn slowly nodded. He felt like he owed Beyoncè his life. Without her, he didn't see himself being the person he is today. If he could, he would go back in time and be the one to have his life on the line instead of her. She didn't deserve to die the way she did and it still hurt him every time he thought about it.

"But how did Grandaddy find out about you though? How did y'all meet? Did he like you?" Skylar asked.

"Hell no," Shawn said with a laugh, "He hated my guts. Even offered me half a million to stay away from Beyoncé. I did need the money, but I wasn't going to let her go. I turned the money down and he hated my ass even more."

_______

1997

"Beyoncé Giselle Knowles," Mathew said through clenched teeth, "Where the hell are you and what the fuck are you doing taking out $5,000?"

Beyoncé stared off at the wall as she thought about what to say to her father. She wasn't expecting him to find out, but of course he did.

"I know you hear me fucking talking to you." He yelled through the phone, breaking her out of the trance she was in.

She didn't feel the need to lie anymore. She had been caught and it was no reason to lie. She was going to tell him the truth, even if she may get in big trouble.

"I'm sorry daddy.." she said almost to tears. Shawn looked at her as she ran back and forth to put her clothes back on. He could hear Mathew through the phone yelling at her.

"You better be home before I get there," Mathew said, "You have thirty fucking minutes. If you're not there, I'm packing your shit."

He ended the call, leaving Beyoncé with a tear stained face and half of her clothes on.

"Don't just stand there, where is my shoe?!" She yelled at Shawn. He shook his head and helped her get dressed. He didn't understand why she was so afraid of her father. She was basically grown now, yet her father was so strict on her for no reason.

"I have to go." She said, storming out of his room and to the living room to get Ty. When Ty realized what was going on, he wasted no time leaving out Shawn's apartment and to his car.

Mathew has always scared him for some odd reason and he didn't want to be caught in the middle of Beyoncé and her father's mess.

"Promise me something.." Shawn said, holding Beyoncé from leaving. With watered eyes, she stared at him.

"What is it?"

"Promise me you won't try to cover for me. Just tell him the truth and whatever happens, happens. Aight? I don't want to ruin your relationship with your father."

Beyoncé slowly shook her head, "My relationship with my dad been ruined, so it doesn't matter. I'll call you later."

Shawn watched her walk away and once she was out of eyesight, he sat down on the couch and sighed. He couldn't believe that he was in jail for a bullshit reason. He shook his head just thinking about that one night he stayed in the cell. He definitely wasn't built for that life and that only made him want to do better.

He checked the time on the microwave and finally stood up to get ready. He had a meeting with his basketball coach in a couple of minutes and he needed to be prepared.

_______

"Don't sit here and fucking cry now!" Mathew yelled, slamming his hand down on the kitchen table, making Beyoncé and her mother jump a little out of fear.

Beyoncé wiped the tears away and stared down at her fingers. She had been crying for the past ten minutes because she wasn't sure if she had the guts to tell her father the complete truth. She knew what kind of person he was and she didn't want to get on his bad side any more than she already were.

"Beyoncé," He said calmly, "Tell me the truth. Where were you and where is my money?"

She stared at her mother who was staring at her blankly. Tina was waiting to hear where her daughter has been and what happened to the money as well. Her and Beyoncé had a very close relationship, so she was shocked that her child didn't come to her first before doing what she had done.

"You have ten seconds.." Mathew said, staring down at his watch. Beyoncé deeply sighed and continued looking down at her nails. She didn't feel the need to lie anymore so she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"I was on Texas A&M campus with Shawn."

Tina eyes widen and Mathew gasped. Beyoncé kept her eyes shut so she wouldn't be able to see the disappointment written on her parents' faces.

"You were on a college campus with who?" Mathew asked as he rolled up his sleeve.

"S–Shawn," She said, "I uh –"

"Pause," Mathew said, making her stop to look at him, "Who the fuck is Shawn? Is this a guy?" Beyoncé looked at her mother for help and it only made Mathew stare at Tina long and hard too. "So you know who this Shawn fella is?" He asked Tina.

Tina looked at her husband and then her daughter, "Yeah, I do. Beyoncé tell your father who Shawn is."

Beyoncé shook her head and Tina raised her brow. She instantly straighten up in her seat and looked at her father.

"He's my boyfriend of three years."

Mathew gasped, "Three years? Three years? So y'all kept this from me for three fucking years?"

Both Beyoncé and Tina stayed silent as Mathew ranted on. Beyoncé kept quiet as her father talked down on her as if she wasn't sitting in front of him. Her feelings were hurt hearing her father call her fast and a hoe.

"So let me get this straight... You was on a college campus with a boy that you've been with for three years, correct? I should really beat your ass."

Everyone became quiet and they all just stared at one another. Beyoncé didn't want to say anything that would make her father even more upset so she said nothing at all.

"You know what," Mathew said with a smirk, "I'll come back to that later. I just want you to tell me where is my money?"

"Huh?"

"Huh, my ass!" Mathew yelled, finally standing to his feet. Beyoncé haven't had a whooping by her father since she was in middle school and to see him take off his belt and hold it in his hand as if he was about to hit her frightened her a little.

"Beyoncé baby," Tina said calmly. She had always been the more understanding parent which is Beyoncé came to her more. The things her and her mother talked about was something she could never talk to her father about. "What did you do with $5,000? Did Shawn ask that of you?"

Beyoncé slowly nodded her head, "He was locked up.." She said making Mathew look at her in rage. If he wasn't angry then, he definitely was now.

"He didn't have anyone else to run to. There's no telling how long he would have been locked up for whatever, so I paid his bail. Daddy, he has a great future ahead of him and I can't let that go down the drain so please understand where I'm coming from."

"No, you understand where I'm coming from," Mathew said pointing his finger in her face, "You stole money out of my account that you weren't suppose to even touch until I gave you permission to, to get this criminal out of jail. You should have let his ass stayed in. What the fuck has he done for you?"

"He h–"

"Don't open your mouth," Mathew said, "All that bastard going to do is leave you high, dry, pregnant, and lonely for the rest of your life. That bastard know what he's doing. He know the life you live and you're going to let that fucker take that away from you? You're losing yourself over a criminal? A bum?"

"He's none of that!" Beyoncé yelled. Hearing her father say those things about Shawn had hit a nerve like no other. No matter how mad Shawn can make her, she refuse to let her father or anyone else talk down on him.

"You don't know him like I do," She said, standing up to her feet and stepping to her father, "No one knows him like me. You can say whatever you want about him daddy, but I'm 18 and I'm legally grown. There's nothing you can't tell me about a man, because you barely a man yourself."

Mathew raised his hand and Tina gasped when he slapped her daughter. Tina ran towards them and she held a crying Beyoncé in her arms while Mathew looked on with no remorse.

"You must've forgotten who you was talking to. I'm your father and I will always be. You won't be living this luxury life without me, so remember that the next time you raise your voice at me. I'm going to make sure you don't talk to that bum ass boy anymore either! Talk to him again, and you'll be at his funeral."

_________

"Damn, so you kicked off the team and you can't go to school no mo'?" Shawn's teammate and friend, Bron asked.

Shawn nodded his head as he packed his bags, "Fuck these white people. This college shit wasn't for me no way."

"But you had one more year left bro, fuck everything else. You need to get your degree."

Shawn shook his head. He didn't see the point in having a degree. He came to college to play ball and now he couldn't even do that anymore. He couldn't have fought against the rules even if he had tried. His arrest for fighting and having drugs and weapons on him were against the NCAA rules and the school. He was kicked out of both and now he had no clue where life would take him.

"You tripping," Bron said as he stood up, "A degree is a powerful thing for niggas like us to have. Fuck dribbling a ball. You can always do that for fun, but you need to get back in school man."

Shawn packed his last bag and shook his head, "Nah, you taking me back to Houston right? My moms working and my girl ain't answering the phone so you my last resort."

Bron nodded, "You know I gotchu! I just hate this had to end like this.. You was the best player on the team."

Shawn shrugged and passed Bron one of his many bags, "It's cool. It's your time to shine now. Take my spot and show no mercy. I'm going to be rooting for you in the playoffs."

Even though he was pretty hurt by the news, he had to keep himself up. All he thought about was basketball. Basketball was his everything and now, just that fast, it was stripped away from him. He couldn't be mad at anyone but himself.

The ride back to Houston was quiet on his end. Bron talked the entire way while Shawn thought about his life from this day forth and how everyone would react to him coming home. He had no job, no car, or no place of his own and he was 22 years old. He felt like a failure and that only put him in a deeper depression.

When Bron dropped him off, he said nothing to no one as he made his way to his room. His mom and sister was surprised to see him but he didn't care to answer their questions. He'll just have to talk to them later.

He left his bags in his room before taking a walk. He didn't have a set destination, but he knew exactly who he wanted to see.

From his home to Beyoncé's mansion was a 20 minute walk. He didn't care though. He needed to see her, hear her or something and she wasn't answering the phone so that only left him to pull up on her.

He jumped the gate and went towards the back of the house where he knew her bedroom window was. He grabbed a couple of rocks and threw them at the window lightly until he saw her honey blonde hair come to the window. She stared down at him and rolled her eyes before lifting the window.

"What? What are you doing here?"

Shawn shrugged, "You would know if you answered the phone."

"There's nothing for us to discuss Shawn and I suggest you leave before my daddy wakes up and sees you."

He nodded, "Word. So you don't want to talk to me? I thought you said you would call me?"

"I said that earlier. I don't want to be bothered right now."

"Damn, what I do to you?" He asked with a frown. He didn't like the way Beyoncé was talking to him like he wasn't nobody to her. He could tell she had been crying though and all he wanted to do was talk to her.

She sighed, "Shawn, just go."

"Not until you talk to me."

"No!" She practically yelled, "We've done enough talking and I'm tired of dealing with everyone and their shit. I'm done and I suggest you should be done too. My daddy will have you killed so I suggest you just leave me alone."

Shawn frowned and put his hands in his pocket, "Have me killed? You told him everything?"

"Yes Shawn, I did. I'm in enough trouble as it is. Just leave."

He slowly nodded his head and backed away, "So you done with me?" He asked with his voice cracking a little. Beyoncé's heart fell hearing his voice and how he was about to cry. She didn't want to be done with him, but it was her father's orders. The last thing she wanted was for Shawn to be found dead anywhere because of her.

"I'm sorry..." She said, matching his tone, "I'm so sorry.."

Shawn said nothing else as he jumped the gate and headed to his next destination. He didn't know how to feel when tears fell down his cheek. He couldn't remember the last time he cried.

His life was in shambles right now and all he wanted to do was hug his girl and be told that everything would be okay.

"You gotta man up.." He told himself as he walked to the block that he sold drugs. He wiped away his tears and let out a deep breath, "I'm good.."

__________

Three months later

"This is your third time leaving graduation rehearsal to come to the bathroom. You know they waiting on you to get your Valedictorian speech." Kelly said as she walked in the bathroom stall. She noticed the glistening diamond flip flops and knew which stall Beyoncé was in.

She opened the bathroom stall to see Beyoncé holding her hair back as she threw up.

"Girl are you okay?" Kelly asked and Beyoncé instantly shook her head.

"My head and stomach hurts."

"What did you eat?" Kelly asked as she held her best friend's hair.

"Nothing today but last night I had Sushi with my mom and dad."

"Well that's it then. Maybe it's food poisoning."

Beyoncé shook her head. She had been eating Sushi since she was a little girl and it had never made her sick. She knew for sure that it wasn't that.

"No," She said as she stood to her feet, "Maybe I'm just stressed. You know I have a lot going on right now with picking which school I wanna go to, my dad, and oh.. Shawn. I haven't talked or seen him in months and it's killing me."

She went over to the sink to wash her hands while looking herself in the mirror. Kelly looked at her through the mirror to until her eyes landed on something. She gasped as something came to her mind.

"Are you...."

"Am I what?" Beyoncé asked as she wiped her hands off on the paper towel.

"Look at your stomach Bey.." Kelly said barely over a whisper. Beyoncé looked down at her stomach and frowned.

"Why am I looking at my stomach? What does that have to do with anything?"

"I know you see that!" Kelly placed her hands on Beyoncé stomach and felt how hard it was. She turned Beyoncé to the side and lifted up her shirt. "You want to be a doctor and you telling me you don't see the difference in your belly?"

Beyoncé looked at herself in the mirror and nervously looked at Kelly, "I'm not pregnant.." She said, more so trying to convince herself.

Tears ran down Kelly's face, only making Beyoncé come to tears too. "You are," Kelly said, "Look at your belly Bey... You're pregnant."

________

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