An Arranged Marriage with an Old Friend [one other]

"Get in the f*cking car," Damien yelled, obviously pissed off. "I'm taking you home. If you really want the baby, you'll give birth to her. If you don't you'll get an abortion. I'm not taking care of you anymore."

"And if I do have the baby," she asked.

"Then I'll take care of her. You don't have the resources to," he said, getting into his car and slamming the door shut. "Get in, Stacey," he said more calmly.

Marisa sighed with some relief. At least it wasn't him who was taking her to get the abortion done. She watched, almost hoping somewhat that Stacey would just get in the car. It was obvious she would never touch that money, she can't take care of the baby herself so why get equal custody? "Is this even right..?" she asked Michael quietly.

Michael sighed, shrugging. "Not sure. Just hopefully that chick either turns around for the better or just gets in and accepts what happens." he added, almost glaring at Stacey's back. She was despicable.

"Even if I want the baby, she'll die if I go home. We don't have food. We barely have a roof over our heads," she mumbled.

"I'll bring food for you. Just get in the car," he told her, getting irritated. She finally got in after five minutes of standing there. He drove to her place and dropped her off. "Just... If you have the baby, please tell me," he told her. "I want to be there when she's born."

"If I have her, I'll tell you," Stacey told him. "You're the only one I know who can take care of her and not struggle with it." She got out and went inside her house.

Damien drove off and back to his house and went inside, sighing. "She's home," he told them, enjoying the silent house.

Both Michael and Marisa stood in the kitchen, having taken care of dinner already. They were just about done. "What about the baby...?" she asked him, looking at Damien over her shoulder. Michael sighed, only starting to put out dishes on the dinner table.

"She'll tell me if she's going to have it or not. She'll give the baby to me if she's born," Damien told her, helping his brother to set the table. "Sorry she caused so much trouble for you two," he told them. He didn't want them caught up in his drama.

"Wasn't she after your money?" Michael asked rudely, hating women like that. That's why he joined the Navy, to avoid meeting women like that and having them know he was wealthy. Marisa grunted, punching Michael in his side and looking at Damien. "You sure she'll be ok?" she asked, more worried about whether or not the girl would take her vitamins and such for the baby.

"I think she was," Damien agreed with a sigh. He felt like an idiot for just realizing it. Four months of her being in his place and complaining about everything. "I'll drop by food and vitamins for her a couple times a week," he told Marisa. "Whether she takes the vitamins or eats the food is up to her. But I'm done letting her use my money."

Marisa nodded, sighing with some relief. Maybe she wouldn't be so cruel....How could anyone really just hurt themselves in order to hurt the unborn child? "Hey let's just all sit down and eat eh?" Michael said, wanting to avoid the subject.

Damien nodded and sat down. He wasn't sure what to talk about, so he just began eating silently.

The whole rest of the dinner went by silently. Michael had no idea really what to say, but he did feel for his brother. After all was done and cleaned up, he grabbed his brother's shoulder and took him to the study, closing the door. Marisa had gone to take a shower of course, feeling the jet lag hitting her hard and fast. "Hey..Damien..just, what do you think about this arranged marriage thing? Do you really want to be married this early?"

Damien sighed and shrugged. "I dunno about this early... But Marisa would be the woman I chose to take as my wife. I might be able to convince dad to put it off for a couple years, at the very least..."

"What, so you guys have more freedom or what? Have you talked to dad at all about it?" he asked, sitting down near the fireplace in the study. "I mean..she's a good girl, definitely. But you guys are so..young. Ya know?"

"I haven't hardly talked to dad at all lately. He's been out on a lot of business trips. He called earlier to tell me to pick my fiance up from the airport. Didn't tell me who it was, just where to find her. Then hung up. That's the last I heard from him."

"Man he really wants you to marry eh? Did he say why though? I don't see the point. It's not like we're going to be poor." Michael chuckled, crossing his arms and nodding towards the other chair for his brother to sit down.

Damien took a seat, sighing. "I don't even know why. But if I disappoint him... He's threatened to take all this away and leave me on the streets."

"Damn..." Michael sighed, shaking his head. Their dad always was a sort of tyrant, but not always. "Well, I'm sure it won't be that bad. Marisa's a good girl.." he grinned.

"I know she is," Damien nodded. He never forgot her, after all. Never stopped caring about her or loving her. But now he had to get to know her all over again - she'd changed somewhat with age.

Marisa never stopped loving Damien either, but things had changed, he changed as well. It wasn't just her! She sighed as the water cascaded over her back , relaxing her. "This is all too surreal...To think that this all happened because of our parents.." she mumbled to herself, shaking her head. She was reluctant in marrying so young, but she didn't want him to lose all the comforts he had now.

Michael yawned, shaking his head. "You really have a mess going on right now..sheesh." he mumbled, rubbing his brother's head. "Either way, how about you and I go out for drinks? Hm? Just try to celebrate that we got that chick out of the house, you're gonna marry a great girl, and hell, you're ok." he said, smiling.

Damien felt like a little kid with his brother rubbing his head like that. "Sure," he chuckled. He was glad his brother was home. He'd missed him. "There's still some vodka and stuff down in the bar. You think we'll need more than that," he asked him.

"Nah, that's plenty to get us wasted real good." Michael laughed, getting up and challenging his little brother to a race to the bar.

Marisa of course by the time she finished her shower, had noticed that the boys were gone. "Huh?" she asked herself, looking around. "Guess they went out?" she muttered, shrugging and walking to the kitchen to see what was in it to snack on, fruits and such of course.

Your reply: Damien laughed and thought about the question. "I'm not sure... I think it's too early to tell but she seems about the same. Just... well, older."

"Yeah, but what happened between you two anyway? It can't be just because you lost contact with one another." Michael said, not able to understand their quarrel.

"Because we moved without any warning... And I'd told her I loved her not long before then," Damien admitted to his brother. "She never got any of the letters I wrote and Dad wouldn't let me call her."

Michael grunted. He remembered the big move, it pissed him off too. "Yeah...I always wonder why Dad's so..Dad. You know? Like whether his actions have any meaning or something. Either way, that's when I decided to join the service, he wanted me to marry too. Some chick, cute, but I didn't want to get tied down."

"I wonder that, too," he agreed. "But I dunno... I dunno why he wants me to marry so young."

"Why not join the service like I did?" Michael asked, raising a brow. It may just be what the kid needs!