Safe & Sound - A Jenna McDougall Fanfiction

Part 1 - Nothing compares to what we share. I don't have a care in the world.

Somewhere in the heart of the British countryside there was a tiny village. It consisted of many fields and a few grand houses and quaint cottages. There was a small bakery which always smelt like freshly baked bread and the scent drifted across the village giving the whole place a homely smell. In the spring there were always flowers everywhere, along the front of every house and dotted around the streets. In the main village there wasn't very much, just the bakery, a local pub (which served very nice roast dinners on a Sunday) and a tiny post office which sold sweets in jars like an old fashioned sweet shop. The village was right in the middle of the countryside and was at least 45 minutes from a town or city.

Just outside the main village stood a medium sized cottage. It was lilac and had rustic brick work. The cottage was surrounded with an old wooden fence and the garden was filled with roses and different flowers. A wild looking pink rose trailed one side of the house and ivy covered one corner of the back. Steam poured out of the chimney and guitar music fell out of the windows. Birds pecked at a bird feeder in the front garden and a blue tit perched on a children's climbing frame. There was a slight morning chill but the spring sun poked its face out from behind a cloud and the sky was a perfect blue.

The guitar music stopped and a few minutes later the front door opened. A blonde woman stepped out, her hair was messy and wavy and she wore a beanie hat. She was wrapped up in a large coat and gloves with black skinny jeans. After her appeared a little girl around four or five who looked like a tiny version of herself. She had almost the exact same face as the blonde woman but her hair was a light shade of brown, almost blonde but not quite. Her features mirrored the woman who now took her hand and lead her down the garden path.

Next out of the front door was the front end of a buggy. In the buggy was another little girl; however this girl had slightly more tanned skin and much darker hair and was much younger maybe only one or two. The toddler wore a purple hat and pink wellington boots. Behind the buggy appeared the person pushing it. Another woman, only slightly younger than the first, with dark brown curly hair and golden brown caramel coloured skin. She pulled a strange face and muttered under her breath as she struggled to get the buggy out of the front door.

Once finally making it safely out of the house and onto the garden path, the lady stopped to lock the front door to the adorable cottage. The whole family walked out of the garden and onto the road. The little girl in the middle of the two women, holding one of each of their hands and the taller dark haired woman pushing the buggy. They walked along in the fresh spring air in the direction of the village.

"Mummmmyyyyy." The brown haired girl said in a sweet voice.

"Yes monkey." The blonde woman said; she had a strong Australian accent.

"Can we get sweeties from the shop?" She said beaming up at her mother.

"No Sydney we've got sweeties at home baby." The Australian said "but we'll see how your mama is feeling when we get there." They giggled together. The dark haired woman tutted.

"You two are so naughty." She said with a slight laugh, she had a British accent.

"Oh come on Allie, you know you want to buy us sweets, they have strawberry bonbons." The blonde woman said trying to convince her wife.

"Honestly Jenna, you're worse than Sydney and she's four." The dark haired woman whose name was Allie said.

"I'm nearly five actually!" Said Sydney excitedly.

"I know, it's gone too fast monkey," Jenna said, stopping to pick up Sydney, tickling her wildly "it seems like only yesterday you were our little baby." She said as Sydney squirmed and giggled as she tickled her.

Jenna placed Sydney back on the floor and they continued to walk until they reached the village centre. Allie went into the post office while Jenna stood outside with Sydney and the baby in the buggy who had fallen asleep. Sydney held onto her Jenna's hands and jumped up down.

"Mummy look how high I can jump." She said enthusiastically as she jumped. "My ballet teacher told Mama that I can jump the highest in my class. Even higher than Louise and she's much taller than me. I wish you could watch me do ballet Mummy." She continued to bend her knees and spring off the floor. Jenna sighed slightly.

"I'd love to come and see you do ballet baby, but Mummy has to go back to work in a few days." She said her voice full of guilt as she watched her daughter's face turn into a frown. Jenna bent down so she was on eye level with Sydney. She hated leaving her family to go on tour but it was part of the job.

"Hey, listen monkey; next time I'm home I'll definitely come watch you do ballet okay. In fact, you, Mama and Hope are coming to visit me in two weeks and you can show me your whole performance then." Jenna pulled Sydney in for a hug.

Allie came out of the shop, with two lollipops in her hand.

"Look, I got one for each of you, my little girl, and the big kid." She said poking Jenna with the lollipop, with a smile on her face. They walked a bit further up to a small duck pond, where Allie gave Sydney some bread to feed the ducks. The ducks quacked loudly as Sydney threw the bread and the noise woke up Hope. Jenna lifted Hope out of the push chair and they watched Allie and Sydney on the other side of the pond laughing and throwing bread. Jenna snuggled Hope into her chest and rocked her back to sleep. Jenna sang gently under her breath until her baby drifted off.

Jenna wished that she could live in this moment for ever, listening to her wife laughing and playing, her daughters still young and innocent, not a single care in the world. But in a matter of days she'd be back on a plane, flying off to some other country. Jenna still loved her job, she loved to perform and write music. But before it was her life, her life was the band, but now that's just her job, her life was back at home with Allie and the girls now.

Allie used to go on tour with Tonight Alive as the merch girl so they could be together all the time, but then they got married and wanted a real family. So Jenna had Sydney, and when she was a few months old the band scheduled a tour. The plan was for Allie and Sydney to go with them on the bus. But a band’s tour bus isn't the place for baby. Syd would be up all hours of the night and there wasn't enough space. The boys pretended they were okay with it but Allie could see it just wasn't working. Although Allie did most of the night shifts with the baby, she could still see that Jenna couldn't cope with performing on only four hours sleep. So Allie left, she took Sydney and went back to Australia to stay with Jenna's parents.

It was hard for Jenna to be away from her family all the time but it just wouldn't work otherwise. Before Allie had Hope they moved to England, so that Allie could spend more time with her family and friends. Now Jenna tried to get home as much as she could but it was hard with her family in Australia as well, she couldn't be everywhere all at the same time. When Sydney had school holidays Allie would take the girls to see Jenna, even if it wasn't for very long. And they had frequently visited Jenna's family, even when Jenna was away.

They all headed back home to start making lunch. This time Jenna pushed Hope's buggy and Allie carried Sydney on her back. They walked along, enjoying the peace and quiet of two sleepy girls.