Modern Family

Got Your Back

With the hood of his jacket pulled over his perpetually messy hair, Jace Russo weaved through the London streets, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black skinny jeans as he did his best to look inconspicuous.

Normally, he wouldn't go through this much trouble. It wasn't as though he assumed there would always be paparazzi around, because he still found it hard to believe that people wanted pictures of him buying groceries, but there were some situations where it was better to be safe. They had a knack for taking innocent photographs and turning them into something scandalous and after the previous year when they'd captured him simply trying to help a woman when she dropped her purse and twisted it to make it seem like he was stealing, he knew better than to make himself vulnerable.

And meeting someone of the opposite sex was a paparazzi gold mine, so he was being extra cautious. He'd snuck out the back of his hotel and taken the underground system to a stop three blocks from the small bed and breakfast she'd asked him to come to and walked the rest of the way, keeping his hood up to stave off any people who could potentially recognize him and cause a scene.

He arrived at the hotel five minutes after she'd told him to meet and spotted her in the front room, sitting so he could see her profile in a red chair with a high back. Weaving his way around the low coffee tables, he stretched his lips into a friendly smile as he plopped down in the empty chair to her right, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek in greeting.

"Hey, Jen, it's good to see you."

They'd met at a club a little over a year earlier. He'd been blowing off steam after a show, happy that he was finally old enough to be let into clubs and she was out celebrating her friend's birthday. She'd laughed at his jokes and made him feel like he was the only person in the room, which is why he'd kissed her on the dance floor and why he hadn't objected when she suggested they go back to his hotel room. They'd hooked up a few times over the course of his two week stay, but when he left London, neither was under the impression that their relationship would continue. Still, he was happy that they were catching up; he didn't want to be the type of person who just forgot about people when he left.

She didn't look quite as happy to see him, though, and as he laced his fingers together and set the atop where his knee was exposed through the hole in his jeans, he noted that she seemed a little nervous.

"Everything alright?" he asked, furrowing his brow and turning the corners of his lips downwards into a small frown, bringing the corner where his lip ring was between his teeth to scratch at it out of habit.

Twisting in her chair, she turned her torso to face him, her hands coming to lace in her lap, flashing him a completely unconvincing smile. "Yeah...I'm glad you came."

"Of course," he grinned brightly, fond memories of being tangled up in hotel sheets flashing through his brain.

She seemed to be having the same train of thought, because her smile softened and her eyes glazed over for a moment before she shook her head to bring herself back to the present. "I know we had a lot of fun the last time you were here..."

"Yeah..." his smile widened as he wondered if perhaps they would soon be headed upstairs for some more between the sheets enjoyment.

Lips parted, she stared at him for a moment before inhaling deeply and turning to her left and reaching down towards something that was obscured from his view by the arm of the chair. When her arms reappeared, his eyes widened and he found himself paralyzed by the sight.

Cradled in the crook of her elbow, she held a sleeping baby.

"This is Savannah," Jen whispered, looking particularly uncomfortable. "She's yours."