The Star (Leila Ouahabi)

Helpless

WARNING

There is a minor mention of rape in this chapter. It's towards the end.

September 2021

Leila's POV:

Tatiana wouldn't admit it, but she was upset about how Mapi reacted.

She's mostly stayed in bed the past two days.

"Andreas England still fighting for his innocence. The actor has said that he and Tatiana Medeiros became a relationship before production was halted. He states that everything that occurred, was consensual and that Medeiros' father let him into the home. Witness reports, however, deny that claim as many say he broke into the home. Video evidence supports those claims, as do the repair needed to the front door of the Medeiros family home."

Alexia turned the TV off. "You're torturing yourself."

"Because he actually believes he did nothing wrong." I looked down at my hands. "She still wakes up in the middle of the night. Crying, terrified." I shook my head. "And I try to comfort her but in her head, she's still there with him. The minute I touch her, she gets scared."

"She still needs time, Leila."

I nodded. "I know. And I'll wait with her for as long as it takes. I love her, Ale. More than anything."

"Nothing from Mapi?" She asked.

"No." I leaned back on the couch. "I've called but she just sends me to voicemail." I shrugged. 

Alexia opened her mouth but was interrupted by Tatiana. "Leila!" She yelled. 

I got up and ran into the bedroom. "What? What's wrong!" I looked at her.

"Something's wrong." She said. "I don't. Something's wrong." 

"Alexia! Get the car!" 

I went to Tatiana and looked at her face. "What's wrong?"

"The baby. Something's wrong." 

We got her to the hospital and they took her right in. I had to wait outside. Alexia stood next to me. "It's gonna be ok." She said.

After what felt like a lifetime, the doctor finally called me. "I'm so sorry." She said. 

I went into the room and saw Tatiana. "What happened?" I looked at the doctor. 

"Ms. Medeiros suffered a miscarriage." I turned to Tatiana and walked towards her. 

"Tati." I whispered. 

"I was kind of excited to be a mother." She said softly. 

"And you will be one day." I ran my hand through her hair. I sat with her and held her in my arms. "I'm so sorry." I kept whispering to her.

October 2021

"How's she been?" Jenni asked.

"Well, Andreas is in jail, where he belongs. That's one less thing on her shoulders." I sighed. "I just don't know what to do. I want to take her away from all of this. Him, the trial, losing the baby. I want to take her far away."

"So do it." Jenni said. "You still aren't cleared to play. So take her somewhere. Just the two of you."

I saw Mapi and sighed. "Has she said anything?"

"She never asks. I don't think she knows." 

Mapi walked over. "Jenni, have you seen my cleats? My extra pair? I can't find them."

"Think the staff moved them."

"Thanks." She looked at me. "Leila."

"Mapi." I crossed my arms. 

"How's Tatiana?"

"Fine."

"And the monster's kid?"

I scoffed. "Do you actually care?"

"No. But just figured I'd ask."

"Well, since you're asking. Tatiana had a miscarriage a few weeks ago." I said. I saw her freeze. 

"She lost the baby?"

"Yeah. And even though she was pregnant because of something terrible that happened to her, she's heartbroken. She knew something was wrong. Regardless of how the baby was made, it was part of her. And losing the baby broke her heart. But so did losing you. During the hardest moment in her life, she lost someone she thought she could turn to." 

Mapi looked down. "I want to protect her from it! Having his baby? She'd never escape it. She'd look at the kid and it would be a reminder of what happened. Every day. For you too! I don't want that for either of you. I saw her in the hospital, Leila. You did too, Jenni. She was terrified of ALL of us. Even her all father! Because of that," She stopped. "Because of that sick, useless piece of shit. He doesn't deserve to have another piece of him in this world. Especially one that would be half of Tatiana." 

I nodded. "Well, now there won't be. I have to go." 

Tatiana's POV:

"Honey I'm home." Leila walked in. "How's my favorite human?" She sat next to me.

I turned to her. "I hate this."

"What?"

"This feeling."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm not your girlfriend anymore. I'm just someone you're taking care of."

"I take care of you. You take care of me." She smiled. "That's how we work."

"I just hate feeling so helpless." I covered my face. 

"You're not helpless."

"But I am!" I turned to her. "Everywhere I look. I'm just a helpless victim now! Everyone looks at me with that look. There she is. The girl who got raped. The victim of Andreas England. I'm nothing more than a victim now. How did he do that to me, but I lost everything? Kevin won't respond to my emails. I've been taken off all current and future Marvel productions for the time being. My agent said right now, my name coming up is a touchy subject for producers. No one wants to work with me. He's in jail and I'M the one who's being punished! I worked hard to get where I am and now it's gone!" 

Leila sat next to me. "Tatiana, you never gave up once. Never. Why does it sound like you're giving up now?"

"Because it all fell apart overnight." I looked at her. "I lost my dream job. I lost a friend I thought was real." She looked away. "Sometimes when I FaceTime my father, he won't even look me in the eyes. And I thought out of all this pain and darkness, I'd have a bright light. A baby." I smiled and looked down. "And I lost that too." I whispered.

"We'll have that, Tatiana."

"We." I scoffed. "You keep saying we'll have this. We'll have that. Us. We. Together." I looked at her. "Be honest with me, Leila, how much more of this can you really take?"

"What?"

"I see it in your face. You're walking on glass with me. You said it yourself, you're afraid to talk to me because you don't want to say the wrong thing. It used to be so easy for us to talk, but now it's not. You come home and ask me the same thing. How are you? You didn't ask me to move to Spain with you because you love me. You asked me to move here because you felt bad about what happened. You wanted to protect me." I stood up. "And you were ready to throw all of it away for a baby! A baby that shared DNA with that asshole. The asshole that is in a prison cell, but isn't the villain. He didn't lose it all." I pointed to myself. "But I did."

What does this mean for Leila and Tatiana?

Will they come back from this?