After All (A Jordan Knight/Joe McIntyre Fanfiction)

14

"Hey Mom, how's it going?" Jordan decides to call his mother first. He thinks she'll have some insight on how he should break the news to Evelyn. His mom's one of the smartest women he knows. "Hi son. Oh it's so good to hear from you. You don't call me near enough when you're on tour. How's it going?"

"Mom, I need to tell you something and I need you to listen and let me finish before you say anything." She says okay.  Jordan takes a deep breath and begins his story. "Okay...so there was this girl, I met her back during that spring break Maurice took us all to Jones Beach. 1988. We met the first day we were there and we ended up spending the week together. Then I never saw or heard from her again. Well not until recently. She showed up backstage at one of our shows, in New York. Turns out she's our opening act, Amber's, mom. After I found this out, I did the math per se, and realized Amber was born the next year. I went back to New York a couple of weeks later and looked up the woman. I found out Amber is my daughter." Jordan pauses, he knows his mom must be dying to ask questions.

"Is that all? Can I talk now?" She sounds upset. "No that's not all but you can ask or say whatever you need to say. Go ahead."

He hears her heavy sigh. "Jordan did you know you'd gotten this girl pregnant? How old was she? Why didn't you ever say anything before now?"

"Mom I had no idea she'd gotten pregnant. She was sixteen. She says she tried to call me twice. She told whoever answered the phone the first time why she needed to talk to me so bad. And when she called back a couple of days later she says the same person told her she was going to ruin my life and my career. So Sara Beth told her parents, who sent her away to have the baby and to give it away or be disowned. When she did what they wanted her dad let her come home. And the family never mentioned it again. Sara told me that Amber reached out to her last year. She didn't tell her about me because Amber never asked. Now I know and Amber knows. There's just one problem, how do I tell Evie?"

Marlene is quiet for a few seconds.  "You really never knew you'd gotten this Sara, pregnant. I know I taught you about condoms. My only other question is when do I get to meet my granddaughter? As far as Evelyn is concerned I'm not sure there is any good way to tell her. Just tell her, immediately."

"Okay mom. I'll call her when I get off the phone with you. And I'm not sure when you'll get to meet her. She's not real happy with me right now."

"Well it's a lot for her I'm sure. Finding out you're her father. Give her time to get used to it. She'll love you. How could she not?"

"Mom, that's not ever going to happen. She's been dating Joe since before the tour. They've gotten serious, they're in love apparently. I'm not handling it very well, so I told Joe I wanted him to stop seeing her. She found out. Now she pretty much hates me because of it." Jordan feels a little guilty now. But he can't make himself feel differently about Joe and his daughter being together. It just doesn't feel right. "Jordan, I understand why you did that, but it's really not.."

"My place, yeah I've been told. Mom I need to go, I love you and we'll talk soon." He hangs up and dials home, might as well rip that damn band-aid off all the way. When Evelyn answers the phone he goes right into the reason he called. She's quiet while he tells her that he found out he has a twenty year old daughter. He explains the whole story. To his surprise she doesn't interrupt him with yelling and screaming at him. She actually listens carefully. When he's done telling her everything all she wants to know is if there's a paternity test. When he says no, she insists he get one done before he brings her anywhere near her boys. "Evelyn, she's my daughter. There's not a doubt in my mind. A paternity test isn't necessary."

Evelyn speaks softly but firmly. He knows that means she's really pissed. "Well forgive me if I don't trust your instincts. You may not have doubts, but I've got plenty enough for the both of us. My decision is final. Get a paternity test or keep her away from me and my kids. Good night Jordan." She hangs up before he can respond, no I love you no nothing. Jordan hangs the phone up and rubs his temples. This should be a happy time for him, he just met a daughter that he never knew he had. They shared a true, genuine love of music. Whether she'd meant to or not she was following in his footsteps. This should really be the happiest time of his life. He had everything he'd ever wanted. Instead he felt dread. He felt tired and worn down. He needed to make things right with Amber and Joe. He had to find a way to be okay with their relationship. He wasn't sure how, but he had to find a way.

Jordan has to fix things with Amber. He wants her to know him and his family. He wants her to know her brothers. He wasn't sure how she'd feel about taking a paternity test. He could make it clear he had no doubts about her, he'd explain to her it was just to appease Evelyn.

Jordan makes up his mind that he's going to do whatever it takes to make it up to Amber.