Growing with J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 4

The sun wasn't even peaking over the horizon yet when Jack and I walked hand in hand to the open-air truck. We were going on an early morning safari, to see wildlife we otherwise wouldn't be able to see. The air was still crisp, making me grateful for my beige, zip-up fleece hoodie. Jack had his own in a darker shade and fluffier fabric, making it impossible not to constantly want to hug him.

While Elias had taken us to this location, the lodge had its own rangers with a different expertise to guide us. A sand-coloured truck had been modified to include extra seats on the bed, allowing us to see as much as possible while in the safety of a car. Another couple had already arrived before us and was chatting with the ranger as we approached.

"Good morning!" The ranger greeted us with a wide smile.

"Morning," Jack replied, returning the smile. I nodded in agreement, the early hour still making words feel heavy on my tongue.

The middle-aged couple turned our way, and the woman waved. "Hi! I'm Nia, this is Mike."

"Nice to meet you," I replied, matching her wave.

Jack took the initiative to introduce us. "I'm Jack, and this is Jacie."

"Great to have you all on board," the ranger said, gesturing towards the truck. "We're in for a treat today. Got some reports of a lion pride in the area. With any luck, we might spot them."

Anticipation buzzed through me at the thought of getting to see some lions as we all got into the truck. Nia and Mike got in the front row, leaving the back row for me and Jack. Jack climbed up first, holding out a hand to help me up. After checking that everybody was seated, the ranger turned on the engine and our journey began.

We didn't get all too far until the car slowly came to a halt again. I wasn't sure what exactly we were supposed to be spotting until I saw these small heads popping up from behind a rock and some more from behind a large fallen tree branch.

"Looks like the meerkats are waking," the ranger whispered towards us, watching the small animals.

I couldn't help the smile that started to spread across my face. They were absolutely adorable as they climbed up, standing up on their hindlegs and their little eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Oh my god, they're so cute!" I nudged Jack, using a hushed tone. "I love them."

"You're more excited to see these than you are for the possibility of lions," he chuckled, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"I can't help it! Look at them!" I whispered back, my eyes fixated on the meerkats.

The ranger shared some facts about meerkats as we observed them for a bit longer. They lived in tight-knit communities, took turns standing guard, and lived in a complex tunnel system. I was completely enchanted by the small creatures, and Jack seemed to share my enthusiasm.

While the meerkats continued their morning routine, the ranger decided it was time to move on. The sun was rising higher and higher as we drove deeper into the reserve. We came face to face with a herd of elephants peacefully grazing. All the animals seemed to come out to avoid the heat later on in the day. The giraffes looked even more majestical when backlit by the rising sun.

Once the landscape was fully illuminated, we stopped close to a waterhole to share some breakfast. The truck's engine was turned off, letting us blend into nature as much as we possibly could. We all shuffled around a little as the ranger pulled out two larger thermoses and some boxed breakfasts.

Nia and Mike were seasoned travellers, sharing tales of their adventures across various continents. They were an easygoing couple, their laughter blending with the sounds of the animals around us.

"Where are you guys from?" I asked with curiosity, although their accents already gave it away.

"Sydney," Nia answered as she looked in between the seats she and Mike were sitting on, "Australia."

"Wow, you came from far!" I gasped. Australia felt ages away even though I knew Jack and I spent a day travelling to get here as well.

"What about you? Where are you from?"

"Los Angeles," I responded.

However, at the same time, Jack answered for himself as well. "Baltimore."

I noticed the slightly confused looks and clarified. I pointed at myself first. "LA." I then gestured towards Jack. "Baltimore. Although we're currently based in New York... and LA."

Both Nia and Mike seemed amused by our mess of a backstory. It did sound pretty funny outloud. We grew up on opposite sides of the country, and now lived on both sides as well. It wasn't the most common answer to where we were from.

"So how did you two meet?" Mike chuckled, clearly attempting to do the math in his head.

"In LA," Jack explained as he swallowed a bite from his sandwich. "Jacie was interviewing to be an intern where I was having a meeting, and we bumped into each other at the water cooler, where she rejected me."

I glared at him and set the record straight. "I didn't reject you, I had plans! Plans you crashed."

"Coincidentally."

I rolled my eyes softly and smiled at Nia and Mike. "And the rest is history."

Nia and Mike exchanged amused glances, as if we were family. The story we told strangers was technically the truth, but it obviously wasn't the whole truth. They didn't need to know about my twenty-first birthday, the friends with benefits situation, the accidental wedding. It would only make us sound more insane.

"Is this your honeymoon?" Nia asked, taking a sip of her hot coffee.

"No, we've been married for four years," I shook my head. "Although, our anniversary was three weeks ago."

Nia's eyes widened in surprise, and she set her coffee cup down, leaning forward with a smile. "Married for four years? You two look like newlyweds."

I chuckled, glancing at Jack, who wore a grin that echoed my sentiment. "Well, we never had a honeymoon, so I guess we're forever stuck in the honeymoon phase."

Before the questioning could continue, the ranger was holding up a cup for me, "Jacie, tea?"

I stood up and reached over to carefully take the warm cup from him. I still wasn't drinking coffee, so it meant I had to wait a little longer for my drink. The cup was almost spilling over, so I quickly took a sip before I burned anybody with it. Before I could sit back down, I noticed Jack had pointed his camera at me and took a picture.

"What do you think you're doing?" I laughed.

"Nothing..." Jack said, but his smile told me otherwise.

He turned the camera to show me the screen and the photo he had just taken. I expected it to just be a weird photo of me, one where I was moving. The result wasn't the most mind blowing picture ever. By no means. But I understood what he was capturing. You could actually see my bump. For the first time, I actually looked like I was in the early stages of pregnancy, and not just bloated. Maybe others couldn't tell like we could, but it was significant.

I smiled at him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before I sat back down. It was such a thrilling idea, finally seeing the effects of growing our family.

"Good news," the ranger spoke up, "I just got a report of a lion sighting!"