Cameron was driving as fast as he could; fast enough to get them home and then to the hospital, but slow enough to not get them killed.

The road was quite lonely, surrounded with tall trees and street lights. Asides that, it was pitch black and a starless night. He would glance at Leal occasionally, while trying to keep his eyes on the road. Leal kept taking long breaths while sipping water from her bottle to stay hydrated.

"Leal, we are almost home, just keep breathing for me babe" Cameron said in utmost despair. He wished he could take the pains from her.

He had been driving for ten minutes but it seemed like hours. The lonely path wasn't even helping, one could easily be lurking in the thick dark forest. He took the next bend towards the direction of their home and noticed the car behind him did the same, going slowly to stay unnoticed. It was the same car that had been tailing him that evening. The driver still had the same mask on.

"Leal, we are being followed"
...and it's the same car from the evening" Cameron whispered gripping the steering firmly.

He watched Leal's face grow pale for a second, before she started searching for something frantically. She got her phone and dialed 112.

"...112, what's your emergency"

"My husband and I are being followed" Leal replied.

"What's your location?"

"We just took a bend into McOwen street!"

" Okay, copy that. We'll be there soon"

Leal cut the call and placed her phone in her hands squeezing and trying to even her breathing.

"Princess, please relax, let me try accelerating, we might lose him" Cameron said worried the situation would worsen her condition.

Cameron tried to get a look at the driver through his side mirror but the driver was a little far behind.

"Cam, the truck!!!" Leal screamed.

He turned his gaze back to the road fast enough to see the oncoming truck and swerved to the left causing a collision with a tree. The truck brushed the car following them aside and sped off.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Cameron stuttered, running his hand through his hair. He did that everytime he got nervous and anxious.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The seatbelt helped. We need to go now" Leal said taking in long breaths.

The car refused to start. He tried it again, but still nothing.

"What do we do now?" Leal was starting to panic.

" We have to leave, he's coming"

The man who had been following them had stepped out of his car. He was dressed fully in black, and a black mask with something like a sign or logo on it. He had a gun in one hand which he put in his back pocket.

                          ***✴️***

They had gotten out of the car and into the forest, going as fast as they could and farther from him. They could barely see, but didn't want to use their phones to avoid being caught.

The hem of Leal's gown got stuck to a thorn while they were running. Cameron tried to get it out, but it ended up ripped.

"Well, I wouldn't be wearing this dress ever again" Leal sighed.

The police siren seemed far but it got them hopeful. They found a hillock, since Leal had gotten tired, they decided to rest there. Their car was still packed so locating them should be easy, they thought.

"I'm sorry we are in this situation" Cameron started, running his hand through his hair.

"I really don't know who would want to hurt us" Leal added

"... maybe from school, college, work. I can't even tell" she continued, already hyperventilating, almost having a panic attack.

Cameron pulled her into a kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist so there would be no space between them.
He leaned back, staring into her brown eyes.

"Better now?" He asked

"Yeah" she exhaled, her breathing had steadied.

"I'll always protect you and our babies.

...And I will always love you, no matter what happens" Cameron said hugging her.

"Always?"

"...and forever" he kissed her forehead.

"Now wasn't that pleasant to watch"

They flinched at the sound of their predator, his voice muffled by the mask. Cameron's eyes lingered on the gun the man hid behind.

"It'll be over before you know it, I promise" the man said with a sinister look in his eyes, pulling the gun out.

The police were around, the siren had gotten louder. They could hear footsteps and see beams of light around. The man cocked the gun and aimed at Leal. Cameron swiftly wrapped himself around her just in time as the man pulled the trigger.
The bullet pierced through his shirt and into his skin. He stared down, watching his blood seep out and smear their clothes.

Leal stood frozen, tears flowing down her face as she watched the colour drain from his face. His hands slipped down her sides till he was on the ground in the pool of his blood. She was in a daze. The man wasn't there anymore and the police had surrounded the area. A policewoman kept tugging her away from the site and into a car with a policeman.

                        ***✴️***

The sharp pain in her lower abdomen brought her back to reality, making her scream.

"We should call the ambulance" the policewoman offered.

"I can't wait, we need to go to the hospital now, please" Leal cried.

The woman got into the car with them and they drove to the hospital.

Cleveland clinic was not far from where they were. Luckily, that was the one Leal had her antenatal, so she had filled in her birth choices; natural birth without epidural.

Her water had broken and her contractions had started overlapping when she got to the hospital. A nurse examined her and noticed she was crowning already. Leal was wheeled to the theatre room with doctors.

                       ***✴️***

Seconds turned to minutes and then hour. One was out already but Leal had grown so weak. She recalled the events of the day. A lot had happened in barely 24 hours. Her "parents" were leaving. Cam had died in her arms. She was tired and didn't want to try anymore.

"Mrs. Cutler... One more push, your baby is almost out" The doctor said.

It seemed so faint to her and everything was going blur. She forced a final push, then she heard a baby's cry echoing the room. She let herself fall into the darkness.

"Mrs. Cutler... Stay with us"

Her heart rate on the monitor kept dropping. They had prepared the AED to defibrillate her. The room was in uproar. With the beeping from machines, the cries from the babies and NRPs examining them before taking them to NICU.

"1, 2... clear" placing it on her chest, shocking her.

No response.

"1, 2... clear"

Still no response, he said after analyzing her heart rate.

The doctor took in a deep breath, rubbing the pads together.

"One... Two... Clear" he placed the pads on both sides of her chest.

*Beeping sound*

"..._we got a pulse" he said heaving a sigh of relief.

~~~~~

Finally, another update ❤️.
I didn't even get to ship Cameron and Leal (Cameal... Yay or nay 😂). Vote and leave your comments 🤭
And thanks for over a 100 reads!!