Welcome to the Jungle, Sweetheart

Thanks Sugar

"Axl? What's Slash?" Axl held his tongue. He had no idea what to say. "Uh... Um... My... My uh... My car...? Wait... yeah, my car...! Yes, Slash is my car."

Michelle looked at him confusedly, "Your guilty pleasure is your car?" Axl nodded, not believing it himself. "Yeah, uh, I call my car Slash." Michelle eyed at him. "..." Axl swallowed nervously. She finally replied. "What type of car is it?"

Axl felt a lot of tension ease from his shoulders, "It's a Cadillac convertible." Michelle grinned, "Really? You have a convertible?" Axl could've freaked out again but the hard part was over, somehow, he was much better at lying when it wasn't about Slash. "Well it was actually a friend of mine's, he was a lawyer, but then he went broke after he was fired for fucking with a client and he sold it to me for a really good price."

Axl was only partially lying.

Okay, he was lying a lot.

But the guys did have a convertible. They all bought it to share because they didn't have money or space for all of them to get one. So they just had the one car and two Harley Davidson motor cycles, one Izzy's, the other Duff's. They were going to get a third one though so all of them could ride at once and just two would hop on the backs. But, they did not get the convertible from a provocative lawyer and it wasn't named Slash. Because, you know, Slash was a person.

"But yeah, I just love to drive Slash." Axl could barely even say it. All he could think about was how close that sentence was to I just love to drive into Slash. Whatever, she didn't have to know Slash was a person.

Michelle looked down. "Axl." Axl tilted his head at her, "What?" Michelle played with her fingers, "Well, I mean, I... I don't know what to do. I'm, going to have a child... That's, really scary. I mean, I'm only twenty-one years old. I never... I never thought this would happen. My life will never be the same. Or what about my baby? I'll never be able to give my baby the life it deserves. I just... Feel like my parents. They had me when they were young too and look what happened. My mom died from heroin overdose at twenty-eight and my dad's a porn actor. I thought I would do better than them when I grew up. And I could have kids that would grow up with the life that I never had. But here we are. And then they're gonna grow up and be a failure like me and have kids when they're seventeen and-"

Axl cut her off, "Michelle, listen to me. You aren't like your parents, and just because you're going to have a kid, doesn't mean you have to be. Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean your life will fall apart. You can still give your child a wonderful life, Michelle. Look, I've only known you for hardly two weeks and I already think you'd make a great mother."

Michelle looked at him with deep blue eyes. "Thank you Axl." She looked around, "Oh! And before I forget here's your stuff back-" Axl stopped her, "Just keep them. I have plenty. But I know a lot of people, if you can remember his name I might know the father?" Michelle shook her head, "No, I appreciate it but... I think its just better off this way."

Axl tilted his head, "How come?"

Michelle looked at her feet, "Well, I've only met him once and he was just really nice to me. I'm sure a lot of it was just to hit on me, and I doubt he's actually that nice in reality. But I would rather just leave him with the memory of how I do know him. Then maybe my child won't know their father, but at least know he was a nice guy."

Axl bit his tongue, "Well, you can always call me if you need anything, okay? I'll help you out with whatever it is."

Axl stood at the door ready to leave. "Bye Michelle, and uh, it's gonna be okay." Michelle gave him another hug, squeezing him tight, "Bye Axl. Thank you."

Axl walked back into the house, flopping onto the couch. Slash looked at him, who sat at the other end. "Geez Axl, where've you been? You look exhausted." Axl sighed, laying down on Slash's legs. "Ugh, I feel like I just became a father."

Slash's eyes widened dramatically. "Did you get a girl pregnant!?"

Axl shook his head, "Of course not! I was just talking to a friend who's expecting. Boy, pregnant women are a handful." Slash eyed at him. "Your friend's a pregnant girl?" Axl nodded, "I know, I'm as surprised as you are." Slash was puzzled. "A friend, who's female, clearly not a virgin, and is pregnant. That does not seem your type Axl."

Axl looked at him, "I know! I asked her like three times just to make sure it's not mine but I guess not." Slash tilted his head, "Did you have sex with her?"

Axl shook his head. "At least I'm very certain I didn't. I was drunk but she says we didn't so I'm gonna trust her judgement. Also, if she insists that I don't become a father, I'm not gonna fight her on it." Slash nodded. "I wouldn't either."

Axl thought for a second, resting the side of his face against Slash. "But, I can't help but feel like, maybe that baby does need a father figure."

Slash patted Axl's head, running his fingers through his ginger hair. "How come?"

Axl shrugged, "I don't know. She says she can't remember the father because she was drunk too, and she's really scared of raising that baby. And I just feel bad, leaving her to handle this alone. I know what it's like to not have a real Dad, and I wouldn't want her or the kid to have to go through that. I just hope the father's a good guy or something, and he'll find her and help her out. But, I really just don't think it'll work out very nicely for her and her baby," Axl sighed, "I just wish there was something I could do for that poor girl."

Slash gave him a sympathetic look. "Axl, are you being... compassionate?" Axl paused. "Oh. I guess I am. It's unsettling. Slash make it go away."

Slash smiled. "Sorry Axl, I don't think that'll work very well," Axl smiled softly. "Listen Axl, I think you've done everything you could for this girl. You've done a lot for her, a lot more than other people would. And I'm very proud of you for that. You're being very considerate, and its good to see you like this."

Axl closed his eyes, "I guess. But what about her? She'll be all alone with her baby." Slash sighed, "Axl, if you're really worried, maybe you should ask her if she wants to stay with us while she's pregnant? At least so she could have company to help her out a little, until she thinks she can handle it on her own. Would that make you feel better?"

Axl sat up a little. "Really? But wouldn't that be weird? She's a girl, she's pregnant, and I don't know how the other guys would feel and we don't have much space." Slash nodded.

"That's true, we could talk to them if you want before you ask her. If that's what you want." Axl smiled gently, resting his head against Slash's chest. "Thanks sugar. You're a good listener." Slash grinned, "Well its easy when you're a good talker."