Miss You More (A Joey McIntyre/Jordan Knight Fanfiction)

33

The party is over and mostly only family is still hanging out, no doubt talking about Joe getting another woman pregnant. He gets stares from all directions as he walks by, without stopping to talk to anyone. There's only one person he wants to talk to right now and that's Sam.

Joe knocks on the door of the bus she and the other sound techs share. Sam answers the door a few seconds later. A huge smile takes over her face when she sees him. "Joe! I wasn't expecting to be seeing you anytime soon. Please come in."

Joe steps back. "No I think I'd rather talk out here." Sam rolls her eyes, her smile fading, but she steps outside anyway.

"How long have you known your were pregnant? And why didn't you tell me in private? Whatever possessed you to tell me like you did? At my son's third birthday party, in front of my wife's family and our friends? And why have you been whispering details about our past sex life into my wife's ears? What the hell is wrong with you? You're acting crazy Sam."

Sam looks at Joe, no real expression on her face. "Well Joe you wouldn't talk to me. Anytime I tried to be alone with you, you'd just walk away. You were too concerned about protecting your precious Amber that you forgot all about me. It was suddenly like I didn't fucking exist to you. She shows back up and I became a revenge fuck for you. It was like the two years I'd spent taking care of you, bringing you back to life, disappeared. The two years I'd spent fulfilling all your needs didn't matter anymore. The blowjobs. The sex, that you said was unlike any sex you'd ever had before. All the things I'd let you do with my body. Hell, me. None of it mattered once that bitch came back. But you can't just get rid of me that easily. I'm having your baby. You're going to have to pay attention to me now. You're stuck with me for at least another eighteen years."

Joe wants to yell at her. To tell her she can go fuck herself. That he wants nothing to do with her or her baby, that he doesn't care if it's his. But he can't say those things. He could never be that cruel to her. She's carrying his child. And there's something sacred about that. "Listen to me Sam. Really hear what I'm about to say to you. Everything you did for me was not forgotten. I will forever be grateful you were there for me. But that doesn't give you a free pass to treat my wife with such disrespect. You've been saying shit to her about us, that ends now. You will leave Amber alone. If you don't, I'll have nothing to do with you or this baby. If you force me to choose between you and her, it'll be her every fucking time. We can do this amicably, or we can do this angrily. Honestly at this point I'm good either way. I'd rather we all get along and be happy about a baby coming into our lives. But really I leave that decision up to you."

Joe turns to go, relieved he got everything off his chest. And hopeful Sam got the message.

"Joe wait. I'm sorry. I've been terrible, I know. I just miss you. I miss my best friend. I want us to be able to be happy about this baby. All of us. Please tell Amber I'm sorry and I'd really like to start over. I'd like a second chance. Joe, I'm serious, I'd like to make things right. We are having a baby and I want to bring it into a happy environment. A family. Please Joe?"

Joe believes what she's saying. He has to believe she's still the person he knew. That she's the person he'd cared so much for. He'd give her another chance. He wasn't so sure Amber would though. "I'd like that too Sam. And I'll tell Amber what you said. But I can't speak for her or how she'll react or what she'll decide. I better get back to Amber and Joey. We'll talk again soon. Just please steer clear of Amber until she has a little time to adjust okay?"

"Okay Joe. Thank you." Joe nods at Sam before he walks away.

Now he's got to figure out a way to talk to Amber. How to get her to give Sam another chance. He knows it won't be easy. Sam's been pretty nasty to Amber since she got back. Which was completely uncalled for. But Joe feels it would be in all of their best interests if Amber gave her another chance. So he'd do his best to make it happen.

When Joe gets back to the bus he finds James, Susan, Jordan, Andi and Sara Beth sitting with Amber. He hears them talking before he opens the door, but all conversation stops when he walks through the door, this upsets him. His first instinct is to see where his son is while all the adults talk about his father. He sees his son sleeping in Jordan's lap. That's at least a relief. "Don't stop talking on my account, please." Joe's voice is laced with anger and sarcasm.

Amber feels a tinge of guilt. They really shouldn't have been talking about this without Joe here. "Sorry babe. They were just curious about my feelings on the matter. Mom and Dad are getting ready to go home, they just want to make sure I'm okay before they leave. But we really shouldn't be talking about this without you here. This concerns you, not us."

Joe tilts his head. "This concerns us Amber, me, you and Joey. This mistake effects our little family. So you have every right to discuss it, but I'd like to be in on the conversation. And I'd like for my son not to be. It'll just confuse him to hear there's another new baby on the way."

Sara Beth seems to be the only one who caught what he said. "Joe what do you mean another new baby?" Amber's eyes close, she hadn't told them their good news yet. "Amber?" Joe asks her what she wants to do just by saying her name. Amber smiles, almost shyly. All eyes go to her. "Surprise, I'm pregnant."

"So Joe's having two babies. Wow, congratulations Joe." Now it's Jordan's voice that drips with sarcasm.

"Thanks Jordan, just what I always wanted, my own harem to bare my children. Don't be a dick Jordan this isn't what I wanted. But it is what I have. Am I happy about it? No. But I'll make the best of it, what other choice do I have? And I'd appreciate either your support or your silence."

"I think this is great news. Congratulations to you both. I'm really happy to be getting another grand baby." James hugs his daughter and kisses her temple. Susan joins in and hugs her too. "Oh baby that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you both." Amber begins to cry. Joe watches how happy everyone is for Amber and he can't help but feel like he's let all of them down. But then James turns to him and hugs him too. "Congratulations son. This is good news. Babies are true blessings, no matter how they get here. You are doubly blessed. You just have to see it for what it truly is."

This touches Joe's heart. "Thank you James. That means a lot to me."