Ain't No Way We're Goin' Home (a Rydellington/R5 Fan Fic)

Chapter 25

Rydel's POV

“I’ll be back to tell you the sex of the baby tomorrow.  I promise,” I whisper in Ellington’s ear as I hold him close.  I’ve visited him in prison every day for the past week, expecting leaving to get easier.  It hasn’t.  If anything, it’s gotten harder.  So, as usual, we whisper our somber goodbyes and I rejoin the rest of my family while Ellington stays here.  I give him one last glance, and he gives me one last wave, and we leave him.  Silently, we all pile into the car and drive off.  

“So now we’re homeward bound?” Dad asked to everyone, looking at me.  

“Actually, can we stop by the cemetery, so I can pay my respects to Ryland?” I ask somberly.  He gives me a silent nod as we get going.  My stomach churns along the drive, second guessing the idea of going to see Ryland’s grave.  Part of me still doesn’t believe it exists.  It’s like Ryland is just on vacation or something.  A really long, scary vacation that put Ellington in jail.  

We stop so I can pick up some flowers for Ryland’s grave, and then we complete our ride there.  It’s just as spooky and cold as I thought it would be.  The tears come before I can even get out of the car.  Ross, Rocky, and Riker hover around me as they guide me over to where he is.  Mom and dad stay in the car, probably since they don’t want to have to face the fact that their youngest son is dead.  Dead because I didn’t cooperate.  If only I knew Ryland’s life was at risk, I’d have given up everything I had with Ellington.  

I can tell we’re getting close because of some girls that are looking at us.  Some are crying, some are somber, but none dare to approach us.  A cluster of girls around one certain grave quickly scatter as we walk up.  I kneel down in front of it, setting down the flowers and reading the plaque that spell out “Ryland Lynch”.  My brother is six feet below me, lying dead.  

I run my hands through the cold, wet grass as tears stream down my face.  The reality of it all hits me in one quick blow.  Ryland’s body lies beneath me, but the rest of him is gone forever.  There is no way I can ever see him, or hear his voice ever again.  Not until I die, at least.  Seeing my baby brother is impossible.  I expected to feel some sort of closure from coming here, but all I feel is alone.  That is, until the baby starts moving.  

I rest my hand on my abdomen as the baby squirms, as if he was letting me know that I have him.  Or her.  I’m not sure yet, but I have a feeling it’s a boy.  “Boys, the baby is moving,” I yell to them.  The all sit down around me, and soon I have three large hands on my baby bump.  

On a lighter note, I told them I was pregnant a few days ago.  It was nothing creative or eventful, I haven’t been in the mood for any of that lately.  They seemed okay with it.  They just teased me about it a little bit and that was all.  After all of this moping around about death, it seems like it’s been nice for them to look forward to new life.  They’re getting pretty excited as the days go on.  

“Are you sure you’re not just getting fat?  Whenever you tell us the baby is moving, I can’t feel anything,” Ross complains.  

“Well I can.  Maybe you’re just too slow!” I exclaim playfully, shoving him.  I take a deep breath and get focused on the matter at hand.  I’m at Ryland’s grave.  I never thought I’d have to say that.  I always assumed that I’d die first since I was older, but I guess you can’t predict murder.  Unless the murderers directly told someone about their plans to murder.  Which they did.  Ugh, why was I so stupid?  

We spend a few more silent moments at Ryland’s grave before we head back to the car.  The rest of the day goes by quickly, consisting of eating, hanging out, briefly discussing the distant future of the band, moping around, and going to sleep.  That’s what every day has been.  Life is so empty without Ryland and Ellington.  

After an almost sleepless night, I get up, shower, eat breakfast, and get ready for my doctor’s appointment.  Although I’m finding out whether I’m having a boy or a girl today, I really couldn’t care less.  I mean, I’m excited to know, but all I want to do is nap for the next nine months, until I have my Ellington back.  At least I can see him today and we can find out the gender of our baby together...in prison.  

My plan is that I’m going to have the doctor put the ultrasound pictures in an envelope, along with the gender of the baby, and we can pick up some cupcakes and we can all find out the gender of the baby together, as a family.  That way Ellington can be as involved in the process of having the baby as possible, even with him in prison.  

Mom takes me to the doctor’s office while the boys go to a bakery to pick up the cupcakes.  As usual, the doctors hook up my belly to a tv screen, make some observations on the baby, and they put together the envelope after we ask for it.

Then, mom drives me to prison.  When we get there, the boys are waiting.  I grab the envelope and we all anxiously go inside.  We wait inline to sign in, squirming with anticipation.

“We’re here to visit Ellington Ratliff,” I smile to the police officer.  

“I’m sorry, Miss.  You won’t be able to visit him today.  The two men involved with his case were acting particularly hostile to him, and we moved him to a maximum security unit for his own safety,” the officer informs me.  

“O-Okay.  When will we be able to visit?” I question.  

“When he is released,” the guard states.  

“That’s not fair!  He didn’t do anything wrong!  Please let me see him!  I-I’m having his baby!  I need to see him!  Please!” I beg.  I keep yelling at the unamused guard, getting so angry that dad has to drag me outside.  I sit on a bench pouting until mom and my brothers come back out.  

“Well?  Are they gonna let us see him?” I say tearfully.  

“Nope,” Riker sighs.  

“But at least we have cupcakes!” Rocky smiles goofily, opening the box and offering me one.  I pick up a chocolate one and take a bite out of it.  

“At least we can all have two now, since there are twelve cupcakes and six of us, instead of seven of us,” Ross smiles weakly.  

“I want Ellington,” I whimper as everyone sits down around me.  

“Well we don’t have Ellington, but we do have cupcakes,” Rocky states.  

“Yes Rocky, you’ve made that clear,” I sigh.  

“Let’s find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.  That’ll lighten the mood,” Ross suggests.  I take another bite of my cupcake before opening the envelope.  I pull out the pictures of the baby and look on the back to find the words, “Congratulations, it’s a boy!”

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Hey everyone! I'm sorry the chapter is so short, I've just been having a lot of writer's block in general, but mostly for this story.  I've kinda been going through a lot of hard things lately, like a kind of break upish complicated thing, and also fighting with a close friend of mine, so yeah.  It's been kinda suckish for me. I didn't wanna be one of those authors that posted an A/N instead of a chapter explaining everything, because that's kind of annoying and dissapointing when there's no actual chapter.  So anyways, sorry guys!  Love you all!  Don't forget to vote and comment!  Xoxo!  Goodnight *insert city you're reading this in here*!