After All (A Jordan Knight/Joe McIntyre Fanfiction)

43

"Stay with me, Amber." Sara blurts out as Amber cries about Joe possibly cheating on her and Jordan being a total letdown.

It does the trick, Amber stops crying and looks at Sara. "What?"

"You can stay with me. I'll take care of you. And Joe doesn't have to know where you are if you don't want him too. I would suggest letting him know, but I'll support whatever you decide to do."

Amber begins to cry harder. "Thank you Sara."

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It's been a month that Amber's been with Sara. And she hasn't spoken to Joe or to Jordan. Amber promised Sara she'd talk to Joe if he called her. But he hasn't so much as sent one text. He's just as stubborn as Amber is, she knows this. But she would have thought, and hoped he would call and check up on his pregnant wife. So the longer he goes without calling, the less she wants to speak to him at all.

Amber also hasn't told James and Susan she's with Sara. Because they've both voiced their opinions on how they feel about her keeping it from Joe. She knows they'd tell him, if he ever notices she's not at home.

One day while Amber and Sara are watching some crappy daytime TV, Sara gets a call from Jordan. He's all worked up and Amber can hear him from where she's laying on the couch.

"Sara, have you seen or talked to Amber?"

"No, not recently. Why?" Sara gives Amber a sad look. She hates lying to Jordan.

"I've been trying to call her but she won't answer me. And I just found out that she and Joe aren't speaking. I had no idea they'd had a fight the same day she got so angry with me. So I called James, he said she called them once about a month ago, but only told them she wasn't speaking to Joe and she wasn't at home. They have no idea where she is either. You were my last hope. I'm so worried about her, she's getting close to having the baby and she's not with any of her family." Jordan sounds so sad and defeated to Sara, it breaks her heart for him. But she has to stay strong for her daughter, even though all she wants to do is tell Jordan she's with her and she's fine.

"Sorry Jordan, I wish I had better news for you. Why isn't Joe trying to contact her?"

"Because he's a stubborn asshole. And he's pissed at her for accusing him of cheating on her. He's pissed at her for leaving like she did. And to be completely honest, I think he might be a little pissed she got pregnant and left the tour. He's just really messed up over her right now. He says she walked away so she needs to be the one to call him first. Like I said he's stubborn."

Sara sighs, she really hates these lies so much. "I'm sorry Jordan. I really am. If I hear from her I'll tell her to call you." Sara says goodbye then hangs up.

"Oh Amber, I hate the lying. This isn't healthy. You really need to talk to Jordan. He's your father, he loves you. He'd keep your whereabouts a secret, if you asked him to."

Amber turns to Sara. "I said no Sara Beth. I don't want him knowing. He wouldn't be able to keep it from Joe. He's a father, he'd never be okay with Joe not knowing where his son is."

Sara can't believe what she just heard her daughter say. "What do you mean by that? How long do you plan on not talking to Joe? He's your husband, you need to stop being so stubborn. You're going to have to talk to him at some point. You two are having a baby. You can't just not let him know where his son is Amber."

"You mean like you did to Jordan?" Amber snaps at Sara, and it hurts Sara to hear Amber say this. Sara walks away before she starts crying. Amber immediately feels terrible for what she said to Sara. She knows their circumstances are completely different. Sara and Jordan were just kids, who'd only known each other for a week. Joe was Amber's husband, but he'd really hurt her. Even if he wasn't cheating on her physically, it felt like he was at least cheating on her emotionally. He'd missed a very important doctor's appointment, for their baby. He hadn't called her and she found another woman, who was very beautiful and very comfortable, on Joe's bus. She couldn't help but feel how she felt. And she felt forgotten. Abandoned. Left behind by her husband.

But even that didn't give her the right to keep her whereabouts from him. If it was just her, okay, but she's carrying his child. She can't keep his whereabouts from him. She swears to herself that she'll tell him where they are, if he ever calls her.

The next three weeks are really awkward between Amber and Sara. Sara's still very hurt by what Amber said to her, but she continues to take care of her. Amber wants to make it right but she can't. She isn't ready to tell anyone where she is. She figures Joe will call her in another week when the tour ends and he gets home to find she's not there.

It's just a few days until the tour ends and her phone rings. Jordan's name comes up on Amber's screen. She decides it's time to talk to him. "Hello."

"Oh hey, Amber I wasn't expecting you to answer. Are you okay sweetheart?" Jordan is so scared she's going to hang up before he has a chance to explain himself. "I'm fine Jordan. Thanks for asking. What do you want?"

"Amber, I need to explain. I'm sorry you found out the way that you did. I never expected things to go so far with Andi. But it's not just a fling. We really like each other."

Amber laughs sarcastically. "Oh give me a fucking break Jordan. You really like her...I'm sure you do. What man your age wouldn't love a little attention from a much younger woman? I bet you love the constant sex, when you're not used to getting any from your wife. How is your wife Jordan? You and Joe are cut from the same fucking cloth." Amber's so upset, she gets up and starts pacing the floor, yelling at Jordan. "Both of you prefer the company of another woman over your wives. I wish Joe would have never walked into that bar I was singing in that night. You both have totally fucked up my life and I hate you both for that."

A sharp pain rips through Amber's abdomen. She gasps from the pain, dropping her phone. She can hear Jordan apologizing to her and asking what she means about Joe cheating. But Amber can't talk, the pain is just too bad. She manages to pick her phone up and she whispers into it, "Jordan, I've got to go." Then she disconnects their call. She needs to get back to her bed, but as she turns to go into her room she feels warm fluid run down her thighs to her feet. She hopes it's just her water, it's a little early, but labor is possible. When Amber looks down, it's not her water, it's blood, a lot of blood.

Amber lays on her bed and calls Sara.