Serena was tired of it, she wouldn't take it anymore, every night her husband came home he was drunk and she would try her hardest to give him what he wanted and maybe, just maybe he wouldn't beat her. Of course there were times that even a perfect night couldn't get her out of it, sometimes it was a bad day at work, others it was that they were out of his favorite kind of beer, just about anything set him off and she was convinced a night didn't go by that she didn't wake up with a new bruise. In the movies the heroine would call the cops and then they would file a restraining order and everybody went on with their pathetic little lives. Not in her movie. There was a little problem, Devon? He was a cop. Cops stuck together and who would they believe? A cop or a woman from a rough family with a young habit of lying to get what she wanted? Oh yeah, she had lied a lot as a kid but now she was an adult, almost 32; she wasn't the same little brunette that stole and fought and fucked around. Serena was jerked from her thoughts as the front door creaked open and she automatically twitched.

"Serena you dumb bitch! Get your ass over here!"

Devon bellowed as he slammed his things on the counter and threw his hands wide, staring at the table. Serena reluctantly went to him, as she had no choice.

"Yes Honey?"

"Don't take that mocking tone with me or I'll crush your fucking throat."

She didn't doubt he would.

"Yes Honey, what is it you need?"

She asked, her voice pleasant but not too pleasant.

"Where's my dinner you dumb broad?"

How could she explain that it was indeed done but she had put in the oven so it wouldn't get cold? That didn't fly, it was suppose to be fresh the moment he arrived home; it was hard when he wasn't home until eleven o' clock, two hours past normal.

"I put it in the ove-"

The words were torn from her mouth as a fist connected with her face and she hit the linoleum, sliding into the fridge.

"I don't want your excuses! Get up!"

He roared and Serena did as she was bade, if she stayed down it was hell, if she stood at least she had some sort of chance... right?

"Now... Where did you say my dinner was?"

He snarled, his breath hot and steamy, it reeked of booze.

"It's in the ove-"

Serena was silence by another blow, this time in her stomach; doubling over she clutched her stomach and wheezed for breath.

"What's the matter Honey? Can't you breath?"

Devon asked, his tone mocking and torturing her from within.

"Get up and defend yourself. Now."

He growled and she tried but couldn't, she could hardly breathe as waves of agony rippled out from her stomach. Her response was not satisfactory and Devon made it know by backhanding her across the side of the head. Ears ringing and head throbbing Serena hit the floor on her shoulder and tried to crawl away but Devon was quicker; grabbing her by the ankle he pulled her across the linoleum as she clawed not to be taken.

"You're going to make up for my dinner Honey..."

Devon grabbed her by the shirt collar and pulled her to her feet far enough that she could scramble after him, up the stairs and to their room.

--

Serena sat on the toilet seat crying; in her hand was the thing she wanted to see less than anything besides maybe Devon himself. Opening her hand she looked at it and fury replaced depression as she screamed at it and threw it into the wall.

"How can you be so happy?"

She screeched through her tears before storming out.

The smiley face stared up at the ceiling and on the box was its mate, next to one word.

Positive.

--

Serena stayed where she was, crumpled in the corner, it had only been two days ago that she found out and she was trying to muster the courage to tell Devon when he came storming into the living room, fury etched on his face...

"D-Devon... Honey? What wro-"

He had grabbed her by the throat and thrown her over the back of the sofa where she landed on her back, the breath sucked out of her; Devon wasn't done though, oh no, he grabbed a lamp and tried to hit her with it but she rolled away, some of the shrapnel bounced off her back. Tearing to her feet Serena tried to run out of the house but Devon was faster and tipped the china cabinet in front of the door out. After her escape was blocked Serena did the next best thing and took up a piece of shattered lamp, wielding it like a knife. Devon growled aggressively and panted almost like he was in anticipation of her next move, she gave him one as she feinted left and then went right, driving the lamp shard into his shoulder. Devon bellowed in pain and rage and turned, hitting her in the neck, she gasped but choked on it as she stumbled to the floor, balancing herself there with her hands. Devon took his advantage and kicked her squarely in the chest. Serena dropped to the ground clutching her chest with a scream of agony. Devon smirked then grabbed her shoulder, throwing her backward of her haunches and into the wall, there was a distinct crack as her shoulder fractured and she screamed once again. Devon glared and walked over, prying her jaw open and cramming in few doilies of the counter to keep her quiet. Tears ran down Serena's face as the pain in her body consumed her and she drifted into a state of shock...

When she awoke two hours later she was still crumpled in the corner of the living room, she daren't move.

--

Things went well for awhile after that and things were actually happy for once. Serena was getting fat and was taking amazing care of her baby, it was her pride and joy and every bit of happiness, she didn't know what she would do if she lost it.

One day she was standing at the top of the stairs and vacuuming when her husband threw the door to the den open so hard it broke one of the hinges. He started to bellow about her spending too much on the baby things. Serena panicked and tried to run to the bedroom, she knew what was coming. Devon darted at her and grabbed her wrist, ripping her back and throwing her down the stairs, she rolled a short flight and became stuck on the landing. Serena screamed as cramps tore through her mid-section, she could feel the blood slipping down her thighs and she moaned in pain grabbing at her stomach, her baby, her love, was slipping away from her and. It. Was. His. Fault.

Devon cooley strolled to the phone and dialed 911.

"Hello? Yes... My wife is having what I believe to be a miscarriage. Yes, no, yes, yes, no, I'm not sure. 12871 Fiona Court. Yes. Alright, I won't."

He hung up the phone and watched Serena.

"Look what you made me do. Stupid girl."

He shook his head and then Serena blacked out. when she awoke she was in the hospital and the Doctor was looking over her records.

"You're in here a lot Miss, fractured bones, internal bleeding... is there something going on?"

Serena wanted to scream the truth at him, to make him give her the baby back in exchange for her awful husband.

"No, I'm just clumsy and yeah, I'll admit, I do get drunk and I do fight, just not him!"

She snapped then calmed down.

"Doctor... the..."

She couldn't say 'baby', it hurt to much to think it.

"I'm sorry Miss."

Serena covered her face and cried.

--

Serena went home the next day and was making chili in the kitchen when Devon came in and struck her, Serena tumbled to the ground and something inside her snapped. Not physically, no, mentally, she pulled herself up off the floor, adrenaline rushing she ducked his next blow and grabbed the chili pot, throwing it on his face she slammed the pot into his head. Screaming Devon staggered and tripped, catching himself on the hot stove. Sizzling filled the room as his hand burned. He yelled again but Serena was on him ripping at his hair and slamming his face into the hot stove, leaving huge burns where it wasn't bloody and smashed, she punctuated each word with a smash on the stove.

"You, son, of, a, BITCH!!"

She screamed and pulled him away tossing his uncoordinated and stumbling figure into the table.

"I'll show you!!"

She grabbed the next thing that came to hand, it happened to be a skewer from last night's kabobs. In a fit or adrenaline fueled rage she ran it into his eye and then into his brain. Devon screamed and clawed at it but there was nothing he could do as his eyes fogged over and life slipped from him.

"I- I just...I'm coming Joshua..."

She whispered as she went and fetched a knife from the drawer, staggering upstairs she entered the spare room and leaned against the wall next to a rocking horse, slicing her wrists wide she lay back as the life ran from her. The word on her lips was silent as she feebly pulled the tag off of the horse.

To: Joshua, my baby boy.

From: Mommy Serena.