Eva stood trembling before the heated glare of Alicia. She looked helplessly down at Caroline.
"What did you do to her?"

Alicia didn't answer. She was seething with fury as her eyes combed over Eva and landed on her stomach.

Self consciously Eva looked down and her motherly instinct to protect her unborn child pushed forward and she raised her hands to it.

"You're pregnant!" Alicia screeched with a crazed look in her eyes.

Eva inched back.

Not able to speak, she silently stood there watching Alicia. A bit shocked at the sudden state she was in. It was clear to Evangeline that Alicia was not in her right state of mind. She stood before her in a dishelved state. Her clothing tattered. Her skin dirty with soot.

"Alicia please I must seek help for Caroline," Eva inched towards the door.

Immediately her path was blocked.
"You're not going anywhere you little harlot."

Eva stopped and frantically began to look around for a way to escape. But, it was no use.

She held Alicia gaze once more with agitation.
"Why are you doing this?" she shouted.

"You have the nerve to ask!" Alicia screamed stepping closer.

Alicia continued slowly towards Eva.

"You have been nothing but a discord in my life." Alicia cried out.

"You ruined any chances I hoped for in being happy." she pointed at Eva's stomach.

She cornered Eva lunging for her and grabbed her tightly by the arms and shook her furiously.

"First you take my fiancé from me, you marry him and now you're having his child. God how I hate you," she screamed at Eva before striking her across the cheek.

Eva shoved Alicia and slapped her back.

Feral blue eyes filled with hate reached for Eva once more rapping her fists in her hair in a tight grip. Shrill screams echoed through out the room as the two forcefully shoved, scratched and fought.

Eva fought with all her strength trying to keep Alicia from harming her. The first blow she managed, sent Alicia fumbling back. Eva quickly ran for the door but as her fingers brushed the door knob her head snapped back with Alicia's tight grip of her hair then she was whirled around and slammed into the nearby wall. Breathless and frightened for her child's safety, she pushed away from the wall preventing Alicia from cornering her.

"Harming me will get you know where," Eva yelled.

"It will give me satisfaction to see you and that...die," she pointed with disgust towards her abdomen.

Shaking her head, Evangeline stepped back horrified. She trembled with fear as Alicia stalked her.

She searched for something to defend herself. She needed to get out of the room.

She dodged to her right quickly as she could reaching for a medium sized ceramic figurine on a nearby table and through it at Alicia missing her head by mere inches gaining enough time to get to the door.

Alicia hot on her trail followed her towards the end of the hall. Eva did not stop as she headed for the stairs in haste.

Clattering down the steps in a rush gripping the railings, she caught the sudden glare of light from the entrance door as it opened.

With a whimper and cry for help she screamed for Adrian as he cleared the threshold and entered.

His head snapped up in alarm and immediately he ran towards the steps to her but he was late. Shock evident on his face to see Alicia then it quickly wiped then turned murdreous.

Alicia ran down the steps quickly behind Eva and caught her midway by the hair. The shrill scream had Adrian cursing out loud at Alicia demanding she let Eva go.

"Bloody hell you harm her you bitch and you will pay," Adrian shouted.

With that threat Alicia smiled with a menacing glare hauling Evangelines head further back.

Adrian stalked up the steps with his murderous glare but stopped when he saw the shiny metal of a sharp letter opener pressing against Eva's neck.

"Would be no good for your whore to birth your child headless," she grounded out between clenched teeth tugging viciously at Eva's hair and pressing the sharp metal harder.

Eva's cries squeezed his heart. Panick settled over him in the worst way as he watched Alicia press the letter opener further on to Eva's neck. The slight trickle of blood beading up and slidding down her neck enraged him.

"Damn you Alicia unhand her. Now," he growled inching closer.

"Tsk..tsk..mlord any closer and you will be sorry," she warned tightening her grip on Eva.

Her heart beat was erratic and fear gripped her hard. The feeling of a dull pain began at her back making its way around her stomach and she whimpered slightly.

Adrian helplessly stood by with the fear that Alicia would push Eva down the steps. He could not risk their lives.

The sudden breathless cry from Eva had him stepping forward when she gripped her stomach.
"Eva!" he called out.

Desperation and panick had him pleading with Alicia.
"You dont want to do this. Let her go take me in her place," he urged.

But she refused, pulling Eva's head back taut exposing her neck more as she pressed the letter opener into her neck even harder.

"This for all the shame and humiliation you have caused me," she gritted out with an enraged sob.

Furiously Eva began to shake. The pain was getting stronger the slight trickle of sweat slidding down her back as she gasped with another surge of pain.

The rise of Adrenaline pushed her to fight back against the pain, the fear and she fought against Alicias hold.
"Let me go!!!," she screamed at the top of her lungs and shoved against the tightening grip of her hair. But the wave of another contraction broke her down until she began to crouch over in more pain.

"Ahhh....seems I will be present for a birth," she snickered yanking Eva back.

Adrian enraged stepped closer but stopped with view of the shadow standing behind Alicia.

He focused on Eva. His mind only on her. He would die if anything happened to her. It all happened in a split second. Caroline wobbled down the steps near Alicia brandishing a large glass vase. Rising it above her head in a blink of an eye with all her strength she brought down over the womans head.

As the force of glass stunned her she let go of Eva loosing her footing and going side ways over the railing in a blood curdling scream falling to her death.

Adrian was before Eva in quick strides catching her in his arms. She turned intime to look over the railing but before she could see the horror of Alicias mangled body below, Adrian pulled her head close to his chest shielding her from it.

His eyes darted immediately to Caroline that weakly slumped to the steps. But the moment he heard Eva moan and tense in his arms he leaned back to look down at her.

Pain and fear was etched on her face.
"Eva...," he whispered her name.

"Tis the baby Adrian. I think..," a shrill scream ripped from her throat.

"Brother the baby. She is in labor," Caroline spoke out trying to stand.

Immediately Adrian craddled Eva in his arms. In quick strides he took her up the steps to the first room he saw. Urgency was of importance as he quickly stood her beside the massive bed and yanked off the dusty sheets.

Turning he lifted her up and placed her on the bed and Caroline slowly walked beside her and rested near her.

He stood and watched as Eva writhed in pain on the bed.
"Brother look at me." worried eyes clashed with hers.

"We have to help her deliver the baby. Can you do this?" she breathed holding back her own pain throbbing in her head.

With a quick nod of his head he roughly tore off his jacket, cravat and waist coat and helped Eva get comfortable.

He was terrified. He fought for the little courage he lacked to be strong for his wife and unborn child.

He crooned and soothed her with his words as he leaned between her legs.

Caroline coaxed her to push when she felt the urge. He watched the love of his life cry and scream and his world was crumbling with every breathless whimper. He had no idea this was what awaited her.

"Love you can do this," he croaked rubbing her trembling legs as she groaned with another push.

It was then when his worried gaze left hers and lowered to focus on whatbwas before him, his vision blurred with tears. Her slow pushing was bringing their child intontheir world and he was witnessing it.

The dark round head breached and he sobbed out loud.
"Love I see the head," he reached forward with natural instinct to help free his child from the mothers womb.

Astonished and amazed he gasped as the head cleared, then Eva with Carolines help cried in agony with the next push that was her most difficult yet.

The baby let out a great wail of protest at its new, cold environment and Caroline quickly stood and hurriedly tended to cutting the cord and helping Eva in discarding the afterbirth.

Anxiously, she brought her head up and asked if the baby was ok.

"A girl, we have a girl peach," overjoyed he sobbed.

Adrian carefully wrapped his daughter warmly in his jacket gently touching the thick crop of black hair that covered the wrinkled head. He handed her to an exhausted Eva, and sat at her side lovingly kissing her forehead as she touched her babies face, then her fingers.

After the harrowing ordeal they went through, reluctantly he left a badly injured Caroline alone with Eva and the baby to get help.

By the time he returned with the local physician and sent for the constable to explain Alicias death, he found Eva breastfeeding their child.

All three were attended to and were given a clean bill of health. Caroline suffered a minor concussion from the blow to the head caused by Alicia, rendering her unconscious.

********
After the stressful delivery of their child and with the physicians ok. Eva, Caroline and Adrian finally returned home.

The journey was short but all the same Eva felt so much happiness to be back. Rosie, cook and an apprehensive Penniford cooed and crooned over the new arrival. Soon Brendan, Tonk and Arlington were at the the forefront admiring the newest St. James addition.

It was a joyess day as they spoke of their ordeal and sat in awe of what she went through. Saddened that it had to come to the death of one person because of their jealous rage all the same they were relieved nothing happened to Eva and the baby.

The sat and spoke amongst eachother.

"So what is this little princess' name?" Arlington held her and looked up to them as they beamed with his question.

Loving grey eyes looked down at beautiful brown eyes before they turned to look at Caroline, Arlington and Brendan and Tonk.

"We decided to let her Godparents and uncle decide on her name. We know it is unheard of. But, we feel since the 4 of you have been there for us both, I can't think of anybody else worthy as the four of you to do the honors," Eva spoke smiling at them then up at Adrian sitting at her side.

Awe struck with her words Caroline stood with open arms and walked over to them both and hugged them both.

Trully honored and humbled with their decision the four agreed.

With a sniffle and a laugh Brendan dashed away a tear, embarrased a little by the show of such a tearful emotion, he looked from the baby to Caroline and Arlington then his son.

"I've always thought the name Victoria a strong name and I feel it would suit her splendidly," he looked at them both.

Their eyes all lit up with the name. Then Tonk spoke up and his eyes met Eva's.
"Can I choose her name instead?"

Adrian smiled and looked down at Eva.

She looked at Tonk.
"I think if it weren't for her we would have never met any of you. I would have never been reunited with my father, you would have never met Adrian. I think Pheobe should be her middle name. In honor of her."

Eva nodded and stood as Tonk did and the two closed the distance in an embrace. He was the brother she never had and has grown to love him as such.

They settled on the name.
She would be called Phoebe Victoria St. James.

**********
Finally settled in for the night they all retired for bed. Adrian stood now by the doorjamb to their room watching his daughter and wife sleep.

The slight stir of Eva broke him away from his thoughts. He pushed away from the door and went to her side.

He knelt down at the side of the bed and looked at the baby. She was so tiny and so beautiful just like her mother. The matted patch of curls she had before she was cleaned up, now lay in small soft ringlet on the top of her head.

So inlove, and filled with elation for their new child, he tried to swallow past the lump in his throat to talk. His eyes raised to look at Eva. He felt such an inmense love for her. He was relieved she was ok.

"Do you want to hold her?" Eva asked.

Hesitantly Adrian looked at the petite child sleeping beside his wife.
He inched closer and stood slowly craddling her with so much care in his arms.

She inched over so that he could sit with the baby beside her. In the candlelit room Eva could see his profile, the glow of grey eyes as he held his child; it was a private moment for the two of them that no one else could have. His large hand was gentle when it touched her soft cheek, her head then her tiny fingers, suddenly a smile formed on Adrian's lips when Victoria curled her fingers around her father's pinky finger.

He turned to Eva then. His gaze softened and a sheen of tears formed in them.
"I Thank you for my daughter," he lowered his head and kissed her sweetly.

He broke away from the kiss and nuzzled his nose into her cheek.
"I love you both so much," he breathed.

He gently placed their baby by her side and stretched out beside them and they slept together peacefully, bound together by so much love, inmense joy and the hardship they went through to get here.

********

Whooo here you go guys
Hope you like it let me know what you think...
Bring your opinions to the table and your comments weigh in my peeps.