Runaways (A Jack Barakat Fanfic)

12 - Baby

Rhianne

It had been a week since we returned from the tour, and my life had been turned upside down. Soph had moved out of our apartment, and my things were at Leo's while I stayed to look for another place to live. So far, things were good, and I was enjoying living with him. Every night, we would play Mario Cart and cook food, and every day, he would go to work while I headed over to Alex and Lisa's place to check up on the band. Marty, Joey and Charlie had stopped touring with everyone else, as we were only the support act. I hadn't spoken to Jack while Jasey was around since she moved in with him, but that didn't bother me too much. He had visited Leo and I last week to let us know when the baby would be born, and he seemed very excited about it. I had to say, I didn't really feel the same.

"Rhi, you know that he's going to be the same for a long time, right?" Alex said. We had been having a drink at the Gaskarth house that evening, and Lisa had ordered us pizza. It was only when Jack had called and I had released a groan of frustration at the sound of Jasey's voice down the phone that he had been brought into the conversation. I shrugged, but Alex interrupted me as I began to answer. "That is assuming that she doesn't ditch him again, which is highly likely considering who we're talking about."

"But he'll still be pining over her after that," Lisa pointed out. "Look what he was like when she last left him, and that was the first time around. If she leaves with the kid, he'll be a broken man," I didn't know what to say but agree with her. Although I didn't know Jack half as well as they did, I was sure that she was right, and that I knew him enough to know that.

"Don't throw her dreams in the gutter just yet," Leo warned.  "You just wait. He'll come running back to you in no time,"

"I don't care so much about it now we're on speaking terms again. I just didn't want things to be awkward between us, and its obvious that we're not going to get together any time soon." I told him.

The pizza arrived, and we ate before playing on Mario Cart, as usual, and Lisa beating us all. It was a fun night, but I couldn't stay awake any longer after the time hit eleven, and so Leo and I made our way home. It didn't take long, but the streets were dark and I clung to his arm happily all the way back to the flat. We talked about this and that, but mainly about work and what we were going to do in the next few weeks. I couldn't say I missed touring too much, but I missed my band, as I hadn't seen them in a while. Nate had also come to visit us at practice the day after we got back, wanting to come back to them, and although I offered to leave, they wouldn't have it and turned him away.

I remember only sleeping for a few minutes before my phone rang with a panicked Jack on the other line.

"Rhi! You need to get down to my place now! Jasey's gone into labour and I don't know what to do," He shouted. I sat upright and called Leo.

"Right, I'll be over in ten minutes." I promised him. "Stop panicking and call 911."

"What's wrong?" Leo asked. I hung up the phone and explained what was going on, and he grabbed his keys. I silently thanked any higher power that Leo was straight edge, as he was safe to drive me to Jack's place in time. When we arrived, he fell out of the doorway and collapsed into my arms in shock.

"I don't know what to do. She's crying and screaming and-"

"Come on, lets go inside," I told him, leading him in. Leo rushed over to Jasey and held her hand, and I sat with Jack to try and calm him down until we could get her to the hospital.

It was twenty minutes before the ambulance arrived and Jasey was helped into the back. When Jack tried to climb in with her, he was denied by the paramedic. With a rush of panic, we all climbed into Leo's car and chased down the ambulance, desperately trying not to lose it. Jack was crying, having not witnessed anybody having a baby before, and was gripping my shoulders to support himself in the car. I tried to make him get his shit together, but it didn't work.  So I slapped him. He looked pretty shocked, but wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sat up. I apologised, but told him that he had to pull himself together for Jasey's sake, and he silently agreed.