Hmm... I'm not sure how this will turn out, but still Please Read and Review!
*Disclaimer* If I owned N2N I don't think I'd be writing fanfiction, and I've said it before, but you never know so I'll say it again anyway... I don't own N2N
"Remind me why we're going to your mother's?" Natalie asked Henry as she got out of the car.
"She wants to see you and Amie." Henry flashed his goofy grin at Natalie "Come on, what could go wrong?"
"Your family hates me." Natalie crossed her arms as Henry helped their three year old daughter, Amie, out of her car seat.
"My dad's the only one that doesn't adore you. And he won't be here so you don't have to worry about it. At least my sister will be here, she loves you. And my mom? Well ever since she and my dad split she's become surprisingly down to earth. Remember last time she came to visit Amie? She didn't make any remarks about the apartment or anything. "
"I guess." Natalie smiled grabbing a bowl of fruit salad she had made off the back seat, she didn't know why by every time she came here she felt she had to bring something.
"I got it," Henry took it out of her hands "You shouldn't be carrying anything."
"I'm not due for another three months Henry," Natalie laughed "I think I can handle a bowl of fruit salad. Besides, I carry Amie all the time…"
"Amie's an exception." Henry told her as they made their way through the house and into the backyard of Henry's old house. Natalie rolled her eyes at Henry but secretly he liked when he was overprotective, it made her feel safe and reminded her that at least someone cared about her, something she'd grown up always questioning and wishing for.
"Henry! Natalie sweetheart! How are you?" Henry's mother smiled from the backyard hugging them "And where's my Ames?"
"Grandma!" Amie jumped excitedly tackling her grandmother.
"You didn't have to bring anything," She smiled seeing the bowl of fruit salad, Natalie waved it off setting it down on a table with food and paper plates which Natalie noticed had blue baby rattles on them, she looked around and saw blue "Congratulations" banners around the yard.
"This is a baby shower?"
"Surprised?" Henry beamed as Amie clapped excitedly "It was kind of an anticlimactic surprise I know, I wanted to have everyone jump out and shout surprise, but they're all running late."
"You guys didn't have to, I mean you already gave me one for Amie."
"But you guys are having a boy this time," Henry's sister Heather pointed out "you'll need new things! Besides," She grinned "we love throwing parties! Would you deny us the chance to just because we already threw you one?"
"Guess not," Natalie laughed.
"Your mom's here." Henry nudged Natalie as Diana came walking out carrying food from inside Henry's old house.
"Nat, hey sweetie!" Diana smiled placing the food down.
"Hi mom," Natalie returned the smile hugging Diana who grinned back waving at Amie who was saying hi to her excitedly.
"Hey…" Henry was starting to say to Diana, but he stiffened looking towards the gate.
"What?" Natalie asked before looking over to see Henry was staring at his father.
"He wasn't… He wasn't supposed to come." He said turning to his mother, whose face was red.
"Well he mentioned he might stop by." She said "To see you and Amie. He seemed really upset, he says you haven't talked to him in years."
"There's a reason for that." Henry muttered as his father came up and shook his hand. Ever since he had told Henry that he was leaving his mother for another woman, this on top of remarks he had made about Henry's job as a music teacher, and Natalie's family, Henry wanted little to do with his father.
"Son," He grinned.
"Dad." Henry said stone-faced "What are you doing here? It's a baby shower…"
"You're here."
"I just came here to see everyone, I'm going out with Dan, you know, Natalie's father, in a few minutes."
"Cool I'll come along."
"I don't think that's a good idea" Henry started.
"Nonsense." Henry's father said "It'll be fun!" Henry had little to say before his father dragged them out to the car to go pick up Dan.
The four women watched before the tension was broken by a storm of giggling girls walking into the backyard with packages in their arms. In the chaos of seeing some old friends from college Natalie stopped worrying about Henry, and so, it seemed had everyone else. Until a loud voice could be heard yelling.
"Is that Henry?" One of the girls said. Natalie stood up from in the middle of opening up a cute blue onesie with the gleeful help of Amie. She peaked over the fence only to see Henry, his father, and Dan who was following looking extremely uncomfortable enter the backyard. Henry's face was red.
"Never," He told his father "talk about my wife or her family that way. If you want to call me a fuck-up fine. But never talk about my wife like that."
"Henry!" Natalie said taking Amie in her arms. Amie was looking up at her father confused.
"We're leaving." Henry said simply grabbing Natalie's wrist and pulling her out of the yard.
"Thank you," Natalie said apologetically looking back at her small group of family and friends who seemed just as bemused as she did.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on," Natalie asked as she helped Amie into her car seat.
"My dad." Henry muttered getting into the driver's seat angrily.
"Do you think maybe I should drive?" Natalie suggested.
"Just get in the car." Henry breathed, Natalie obeying looking at Henry frightened. This wasn't her Henry. Not the Henry who stayed with her all throughout her drug use and her mother's illness. The Henry who stayed up with her all night listening to her cry about how her mother had left without saying goodbye, staying on the phone with her until she fell asleep. The Henry who planned this surprise baby shower for her. This wasn't her overprotective Henry who wouldn't let her carry a stupid bowl of food twenty feet.
"Will you please just talk to me?" She begged as he pulled out of the driveway not saying another word.
"He starts off making these snide comments to me about my job. 'And how much to they pay a jazz teacher?' he asks and then he has a few beers and starts making comments about you and your mom, saying you'll end up just as crazy as your mom. Then I said I didn't care, as long as I didn't turn out like him. Then we started yelling and your dad said we should just go back to the shower." Henry took a deep breath.
"You didn't drink anything did you?" Natalie asked tentatively looking at Henry's eyes. Noticing how recklessly he was driving.
"No." Henry said "Of course not." Natalie could tell he was being honest, but she looked back at Amie, now asleep, and adjusted the car seat.
"Henry just pull over and let me drive, please." She pleaded as he continued to go faster. He looked at her, then in the rear-view mirror watching Amie asleep. He sighed putting the blinker on looking for a spot safe to pull over but the car in front of them all of a sudden slammed on the brakes and Henry hadn't slowed down enough yet "HENRY!" Natalie screamed before everything went black.