The Side You Don't Hear (1D)

Chapter 11

The chapters coming up are going to be down right epic, at least in my opinion:) x

Harry's POV

                I lifted the heavy bags with my left hand as I unlocked the apartment door with my right hand.  Clark-I mean Tony- was asleep in the baby carrier strapped to my chest, not caring what I did as long as I didn't wake him.  Tony, that was a hard name to get used to, but it was necessary to protect us from anyone who would recognize his old name plastered on every newspaper.  Once inside, I put everything down on the table.  Sighing, I looked around at the place that has been my home for the last two weeks.  It was a beat up, one bedroom apartment in a nowhere town lived in almost completely by the elderly.  It was the safest place not to be recognized, as there might have been a total of one teenage girl living here.  It was Ed's choice, as one of his grandmothers lives here.  Smart, but not exactly interesting.

                I unloaded the bags of things I had bought, which mostly consisted of diapers and baby formula.  Pulling out my wallet, I examined my new fake ID, courtesy of one of Ed's very sketchy friends.  I had clearly called the right guy, as Ed had resources with all the wrong kinds of people, which ended up working to my advantage.  The ID was seamless, looking exactly like my old one, with the exception of a new name-Steve Rogers- and a new picture, one with me sporting my new buzz cut.  I rubbed my head, missing my trademark curls that made me one of the most recognizable people ever.   I had to remember that I did it for Clar-Tony.

                Ed has truly been a life saver these last two weeks; a life saver who can keep a secret.  Not only has he hooked me up with fake documents, including birth certificates for both of us,  but he helped me figure out a working money and phone system.  I couldn't get a real job because it ran the risk of being recognized, but then I needed access to the millions of pounds I had in my bank account.  He managed to get all my money put into his name and then just gave me a credit card to his account, making me hard to trace unless they followed his purchases, which they wouldn't.  This was much safer than trying to open a new account in a new name and filling it with crazy amounts of money.  That just screams criminal.

                As for phones, he simply added another phone to his existing account.  That way we could call each other if need be.  He kept my phone, figuring out a way to make all voicemails appear on my phone so I could keep track of who was calling me without being tracked.  I swear, this man was a genius.  And the best part of all of this is that no one will suspect him.  He has continued living his daily routine without more than one or two questions from Liam, who assumed he actually didn't know anything.  It all worked out perfectly, and now Tony and I could live in peace.

                Speaking of Tony, he was starting to stir and would probably want a bottle soon.  I was getting really good at this being a father thing for only having jumped in two weeks ago.  We had a good daily routine, and Tony was finally getting used to me.  I sang him to sleep every night, which was just as much for myself as it was for him.  I missed singing dearly.  It used to be who I am, and it's hard to let go of something that big.  And as much as I loved it, I would never sound the same without my four guys beside me, the ones whose voices complemented mine, and visa versa, perfectly.  It's hard to harmonize by yourself.

                A few hours later, I had put Tony to bed, singing him his favorite part of Moments.  I sat on the couch in the other room staring at the wall when my phone buzzed.  I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that I had six voicemails.  Six?  I normally had five at the end of every day: one each from Louis, Niall and Zayn asking me to come home, as they had no idea what was actually happening; one from Liam, practically demanding me to bring Clark back to his mother, which always hurt to listen to because he clearly cared more about the baby than me; and one from management, which was usually full of threats of things they'd do if I didn't fix things soon.  I suppose it could be my mother, as she called from time to time wishing me well in my 'recovery'.  I decided I'd find out soon enough and started playing them down the list.

                "Beep. Hey Haz, its um, Louis.  Where are you, mate?  This flat is so empty without you here.  Management won't tell us anything besides that you're sick, but I don't really know what's happening.  I'm scared something has happened to you, Haz.  I miss you.  Please come home." Louis' voice was weak and shaky.  It made me want to cry hearing him like that.  He obviously wasn't taking this well, and I wish I could call him and reassure him that everything is fine, but I just can't.  'I miss you too, man,' I thought, wishing he could hear me.  The voicemails from Niall and Zayn went about the same way, but with a little more anger.  I think they already realized I wasn't coming back soon, something that Lou was still optimistic about.

                "Beep.  Harry, it's Liam.  You need to get your sorry ass back home.  You have no idea the kind of pain that you're causing Alice.  You have no right-" I deleted the voicemail.  I had heard enough of Liam lately, as he always said the same things and they always made me feel like shit.  I get it; he's angry, Alice is sad, pain- blah blah blah.  And I do too have rights, he just doesn't understand.

                "Beep.  Harold, this is Mr. Dent, the head of your management's office," the voice on the message started.  The head of the office?  That's a new one.  This must be the guy they called in to talk some sense into me, as I ignore all their other messages.  Now they meant business.  "I'm afraid that your time has almost run out.  You've been MIA for a little over two weeks now and you aren't following the demands we've set forward for you.  This is your final warning.  Either you come back to London with the child by 5 PM a week from today and we fix this whole mess, or we'll be forced to take drastic measures.  And before you just right this off as another empty threat, hear this: if we are forced to take these measures, you will never be allowed to return to your old life.  Harry Styles will no longer exist to the world and you'll face much worse than jail time if you're seen.  Is that really how you want to live your life?"  That is where the message ended.  Not going to lie, it was exceedingly scary, but not scary enough for me to give up my son.  Before I could continue these thoughts, the last message started playing.

                "Beep.  Harry!  Where have you been!  You missed my birthday party and I had told everyone you'd be there as my date!" the annoyingly shrill voice of none other than Payson Stark sounded through the phone.  She seems to be completely oblivious of the situation, or she just didn't care.  Maybe she honestly expected me to come home from my 'recovery' to go to her birthday party.  "I assumed you'd be home in time for it," yup, I was right, "and this is totally not okay.  I don't know if I want to be dating someone  that doesn't care about things that are important to me-" I couldn't listen to that shit anymore.  She seriously believed I cared about her and that we're still dating after all of this.  I wonder what she'd say if she found out I'm with Tony.

                As I sat in bed later that night, I thought of those voicemails.  First of Louis', whose voice made me want to cry.  I missed my best friend, and I wish he could be here to help me with Tony, as he's the best with kids; far better than I've ever been, but that probably comes with having so many baby sisters.  I should think of a way to contact him, or at least let him know I'm okay, seeing as he's the only one who has caught on to the fact that I'm not actually doing what management has told them.   He's one smart kid.

                My mind then wandered back to that threatening message from Mr. Dent.  What exactly did he mean by drastic measures?  I laughed, thinking of what he could possibly do to me without knowing where I was.  I suppose he could tell everyone that I died during recovery from whatever disease he has told the world I have, but how would he explain that one when I'm inevitably recognized and proved alive?  That could be a real mess.  Any threat he could lay on me was empty, as he didn't have my career to hang over my head anymore.  I'm just lucky that I've made enough money to support Tony and I in the past few years.  Having a child changes ones priorities, he must not know that.  Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep.  I had an interesting life ahead of me, but I tried not to think too far in advance, as it could easily be taken from me.