Disclaimer: The Secret Life of the American Teenager and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.
Summary: After a confrontation with his dad, Ricky is charged with assault and sent to prison. Who visits him and who doesn't? Will life be the same after his release? AU, this is before the whole Adrian and Ben sex/preggo incident and Adrian and Ricky are still together for the moment. However, this will eventually end up being Amy/Ricky.
Dedicated to Jelsi4Life, who gave me the idea for this story.
And of course, thanks to my awesome friend and beta Jazzy…
Chapter 1: A Modern Myth
Did we create a modern myth
Did we imagine half of it
What happened then, a thought for now
Save yourself
Save yourself
The secret is out
The secret is out
To buy the truth
And sell a lie
The last mistake before you die
So don't forget to breathe tonight
Tonight's the last so say good-bye
The secret is out
Good-bye
~"A Modern Myth" 30 Seconds to Mars
Adrian and Ricky walk hand-in-hand through the moonlit park. This commitment thing isn't so bad, Ricky thinks as Adrian lays her head on his shoulder. Suddenly a man steps out in front of them.
"Aww, how sweet," the man drawls sarcastically, "a stroll through the park." Ricky's body tenses and Adrian gasps as they recognize the man standing only five feet away from them. "What? No 'hello' for your old man?" Bob sneers. Ricky's eyes narrow as he slowly shakes his head and pushes Adrian behind him. "Oh well," Bob shrugs nonchalantly.
"What do you want?" Ricky asks angrily.
Bob shrugs his shoulders again. "Can't a man visit his son and grandson?"
"Stay away from him!" Ricky yells, taking a step forward.
"Ricky no," Adrian whispers fiercely, grabbing a hold of his shoulders, her eyes wide as she stares at Bob.
"Or what?" Bob smiles evilly. "That boy of yours, he's gotten so big," he continues, tauntingly. "And Amy – wow – pregnancy sure was good to her." Ricky growls and launches himself at Bob.
"RICKY NO!" Adrian cries out. Surprised, Bob just lays there as Ricky pummels him.
Adrian watches, horrified, as a cop leads a handcuffed Ricky to one of the squad cars. All of his anger now gone, Ricky walks with his head down, ashamed and exhausted. Out of the corner of her eye, Adrian can see them load an unconscious and bloodied Bob into an ambulance.
Adrian, Ruben, Margaret, Shakur and Amy, with John in her arms, sit in the front row of the courtroom behind Ricky and his attorney. Everyone tenses as the Judge returns with his verdict.
"Will the defendant please rise?" Ricky does. "Richard Underwood, you have been found guilty of assault in the third degree."
'No' Amy and Margaret gasp.
"You are being sentenced with 2 years," the Judge continues, "with the possibility of parole after 6 months."
Adrian stands and gives one last look of disappointment toward Ricky before walking down the aisle and out of the room. Ricky's eyes follow her out before he turns to Amy and John.
Amy smiles sadly at him as she hands him John. Ricky holds him close. "I love you, buddy." Ricky looks up at Amy over John's head, his eyes pleading. "I'm sorry about this."
Amy nods her understanding. "I'll bring him by to visit as much as possible."
"Thanks," Ricky sighs as he returns his son to Amy's arms.
Margaret and Shakur walk up to Ricky and wrap their arms around him. "We love you," Margaret says.
Too soon, the bailiff approaches, and they sadly watch as he leads Ricky out of the room. "Dada!" John cries out as he tries to get out of his mother's arms. Ricky can only close his eyes as he walks away, the sound of his son breaking his heart.
AN: I'm sorry it's so short but that's the first chapter. REVIEW and let me know what you think and whether or not I should continue this story.
-Nichelle