Chapter One: Safe Little Assumptions
Derek Jupiter was many things to many people. To his band mates Burger Pit, Tripp Campbell, and Ash Tyler he was a friend, lead singer, and the heart and soul of their band Iron Weasel; while to their fans (and more importantly himself) he was a British heartthrob and overall Rock God. Never in a million years could he imagine adding the title of father to that list. Actually he'd never really considered the possibility, especially since with every woman he'd been with, they were always careful to use some sort of contraceptive, be it a condom, birth control, or both; that and the fact that he hadn't received any phone calls demanding child support allowed the rock star to safely assume he wouldn't be fathering any babies in the near future. Unfortunately for Derek his "safe" little assumption was about to blow up in his face.
A taxi cab pulled up in front of the Campbell residence, dropping off a young woman in the driveway. Her name was Scarlet, and for a moment she paused starring up at the house debating over weather or not what she was about to do was the right thing. "Of course it is; He deserves to know." She whispered to herself. "Besides maybe he'll be excited… Oh who am I kidding, he's going to freak when he sees me!"
Without even realizing she had moved, she found herself at the front door. From inside she could hear the muffled sounds of laughter and what she assumed was the T.V. She gazed down and began caressing her swollen abdomen. This was it, now or never. Taking a deep breath to steady her shaking hand, she knocked on the door.
"I'll get it!" someone yelled.
"The door opened and Scarlet was greeted by Iron Weasel's drummer, a tall man with wild spiked up black hair.
"Hi, my name's Scarlet Buxton. I'm looking for Derek Jupiter, is he in?"
"Wow you're really pregnant." He blurted out.
"Yes I am. Seven months very pregnant. It's also the reason I'm here."
"Who's at the door Ash?"
Scarlet poked her head through the door to see another man sitting on the couch. He was a husky build with medium length blond curly hair, and a blond and black goatee.
"This is Scarlet."
"Hi." Scarlet waved.
The man sprung from the couch and ran over to the door, and tried to slick back his hair. "Burger Pit, bass guitarist for Iron Weasel." He held out his hand and Scarlet shook it trying to be polite, but she really just wanted to get this over with and find Derek.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound rude but I really need to speak with Derek; Do either of you know where he is?"
"I think he's in the garage with Tripp. I'll go get him." Burger offered
"Thanks." Scarlet gave him a half hearted appreciative smile. Burger left through the kitchen to the back door, leaving Ash and Scarlet alone in awkward silence.
"So…" Ash began, "If it's alright with you could I feel your belly?"
"What?" Scarlet was a bit surprised by the forwardness of the question.
"I just wanted to feel the baby kick. I think it's such a miraculous event, and…" Ash began to ramble on trying to sound convincing enough so she'd let him.
She laughed and nodded. "Sure go ahead."
"Alright!"
Scarlet took Ash's hand and placed it where she felt the baby moving, just below her belly button. "Do you feel it?"
"Yeah; this is so awesome!"
"You know the baby will respond if you talk to it too."
"Really?" Ash got to his knee so he was eye level with Scarlet's stomach and began speaking very loudly. "WHAT'S UP LITTLE DUDE!" Expecting a response he pressed his ear up against her belly. "Ouch!" Ash jerked his head away. "It kicked me!"
Scarlet laughed. "Do you mind if I sit down?"
"Will I still be able to talk to the baby?"
"Yes."
"Awe Yeah!" Ash helped her down to the couch then sat next to her and continued to listen for the baby's response. "Ouch he –or she- kicked me again!"
For the first time since she'd stepped on the property, sitting there watching Ash play with her unborn child, she started to relax. Unfortunately any feelings of ease she may have felt were quickly crushed when she heard the sound of hurried foot steps and an enquiring British accent.
"Scarlet? Who's Scarlet?" Derek thought out loud as he, Burger, and Tripp entered the living room. However as soon as the Rock star laid eyes on the woman on the couch he immediately froze dead in his tracks. "Scarlet!"
"Hi Derek." Scarlet said timidly as she rose from the couch revealing he baby belly to him. "I think we need to talk."
Derek let out a short shriek and tried to run back to the garage, but Burger and Tripp caught him.
"I think he remembers her now!" Burger said tightening his grip on the lead singer.
"Derek calm down!" Tripp yelled.
"No way kid! Let me outta here!"
"What's the problem?"
"The problem is, the baby's his." Scarlet said quite frankly.
"What?" Burger and Tripp were so shocked, they lost their grip and Derek bolted through the kitchen door.
"So that's why the baby sounded British." Ash said. Everyone starred at him blankly.
Suddenly a loud crash came from the kitchen.
"What was that?" Scarlet asked.
"They all rushed into the kitchen and found Derek lying on the floor with a big red mark running down his face. Turns out he'd been in such a hurry to leave, that when he opened the door, he somehow managed to smash himself in the face with it, knocking himself out.
"Oh my gosh, Derek!" Scarlet knelt down beside him and tried to wake him up, but it was no use, he was out cold. "Guys help me get him on the couch."
Burger took hold of Derek's feet, while Ash grabbed his arms.
"Watch his head." Tripp warned.
"Don't worry little man, we got this." Burger replied.
"Yeah we got this." Ash repeated as the two of them shuffled into the living room. They stood in front of the couch and tried to hoist Derek up on it, but they were finding it harder than they originally thought.
"Man, unconscious people are heavy!" Ash panted.
"We just need to build up some momentum." Burger said. "On the count of three," they began swinging him from side to side. "One…"
"Geez Derek you gotta lay off the sweets." said Ash.
Suddenly Derek's eyes snapped open. "How dare-"
THWACK!
Not realizing Derek was awake, Ash and Burger kept swinging causing his head to connect with the coffee table, knocking him out again.
"Did you hear something?" Burger asked Ash.
"Nope"
The two of them shrugged it off and continued what they were doing. "Two… Three!" Finally they got him on the couch without any further injury.
"Psh, and Tripp was worried. Watch his head!" Burger mocked.
"Yeah look at him, not even a scratch…. Hey Burger?"
"What?"
"Was that bump on his forehead there before?"
They looked at him, them to the coffee table, then back at Derek. "Oops."