I Love You
"Yeah, well I am trying to convince Mom to let me come see you. Yeah, okay. Love you too Gabe. Bye." Jack hung up the cell phone and sighed, resting his head against the wall. He missed Gabe, a lot.
"Jack! Oooo- Jackie!" Annie bounced into the boy's bedroom and smiled.
"What do you want Annie?" Jack asked, rather annoyed.
"I just talked to Molly!"
"And..." Jack didn't see where this was going.
Annie grabbed a hold of the bedpost as the bus lurched.
"And," She continued; unshaken.
"I convinced her to let us take a detour going to New York, and stop in Ohio."
"You what?" Jack asked surprised.
"You heard me. I'll finally get to meet Gabe!" Annie was practically jumping up and down with excitement.
"You can thank me later." She said as she bounced out of his room.
Jack let out a small laugh. He couldn't believe Annie did this for him!
"Yes!" Jack shouted out loud and reached for the cell phone again to call Gabe back. When he talked to her earlier, she sounded really bummed. She just wouldn't tell him why. But he was sure that this news would cheer her up.
***
Meanwhile back in Ohio....
Gabe hung up the phone with Jack. Gabe's friend Cindi frowned at her from across the table.
"Why didn't you tell him?" She asked.
"I couldn't. Not yet. It's not even real to me yet."
Cindi smiled weakly.
"But Gabe, you've know for five months now. You've got to tell him."
"Your right. I can't do this to him. I'll call him back."
Tears started to fall down Gabe's face.
"I can't! Cindi, he'll hate me forever I just know it!"
Cindi pulled her into a hug.
"No, Gabe, no. If he is as great as you said he was, listen to me. He won't hate you. This will bring you guys ... closer?" Cindi said suggestively.
Just then, the phone rang. Gabe wiped away her tears and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Oh... Hi, Jack."
"It's him." Gabe mouthed to Cindi.
"Tell him." Cindi mouthed back.
"What? That is so awesome. Yeah I can't wait either. Love you too. uh – huh bye..." Gabe said in a monotone and hung up.
"He had to go. His mom needed the cell." Gabe said to Cindi's questioning face.
"So what? What can't you wait for?" Cindi asked.
"He is coming to visit." Gabe answered.
Cindi's eyes grew wide.
"What? Then you'll get to tell him face to face!"
"That's what I'm afraid of..."
***
~Back to the bus~
Jack frowned. Gabe didn't seem happy at all. He hoped nothing was wrong. Jack got up and walked into the kitchenette. Molly and Carey were seated there, playing a song on their guitars.
"Thanks mom!" Jack interrupted them.
"Your welcome baby." Molly turned her attention back to the song.
Jack walked down the narrow hall to Annie's room. He walked inside, to find Annie scribbling down lyrics to a song; as usual.
"Hey Annie. Thanks again. Gabe seemed pretty down. I hope this will cheer her up."
"Of course it will." Annie smiled.
"Can I use your laptop?" Jack asked.
"Sure!" Annie handed it over.
Jack sat next to Annie and started glancing through his emails. He didn't notice that Annie had stopped writing and was staring at him.
"Something's wrong Jack. With Gabe. I can feel it."
Jack grew scared, this is what he feared.
"Shut up Annie! You don't even know Gabe! How could you know something's wrong? There is NOTHING wrong! Just shut up!" Jack stormed out of Annie's room and into his.
Annie sat there on her bed stunned. Once inside his room, Jack began to cry.
"Please, please let nothing be wrong with Gabe." He prayed.
He was worried. Gabe did sound upset.
"5 more minutes – get your stuff together!" Ned called from the front of the bus.
Jack jumped up and grabbed his bag.
***
~ 5 minutes later ~
"We'll be back tomorrow around 5 okay?" Ned asked as he dropped Molly, Annie, and Jack off.
"Yes, that's great. Thanks Ned." Molly said.
They dragged their bags up to the house and rang the doorbell.
"Hi Molly!" Seth answered!
"You must be Annie – Molly told me about you." Seth added.
"Hi Mr. Crawford." Jack said
Seth just nodded at Jack. Jack frowned. Just then, a girl with black hair and intense black eyes appeared from behind Seth.
"Hi. I'm Cindi – and you must be Jack." Cindi said.
"Uh.. Yeah."
"Follow me."
Jack looked around confused and followed Cindi up the steps, to Gabe's bedroom. When she got to the door Cindi stopped abruptly. She turned around.
"Gabe couldn't tell you on the phone." Was all she said.
"Tell me what?"
Cindi ignored him and opened the door. Gabe walked up to Jack.
"Jack, I'm pregnant."
"Wh.. what?" Jack asked.
"I'll leave you two alone." Cindi smiled.
"It was nice meeting you Jack."
Cindi smiled and thundered down the steps. Jack took Gabe's hand.
"Tell me everything."
They sat on Gabe's bed and she started to explain,
"Remember when you came here a few months ago?" She asked. (***note: EPISODE FALL***)
"And how we were messing around? Well that's about it. My dad is really pissed at me and..." She trailed off as Jack kissed her.
"We can make this work. We will make this work." Jack said as he kissed her again.
Gabe kissed him back, eagerly, wanting to believe what he was saying. The door to Gabe's room opened quickly.
"Well I see you two have started right where you left off." Seth was standing there.
They broke apart.
"No, dad." Gabe started.
"Mr. Crawford, it's all my fault. I'm so sorry." Jack said sincerely.
"Yeah, well Molly's sorrier. You should have seen the look on her face when I told her. I can't believe you didn't tell her."
"He didn't know daddy! I never told him. He just found out a few seconds ago!" Gabe pleaded.
Seth shook his head in disgust and left the room. Gabe started to cry.
"Don't cry, Gabe, I'm so sorry. Listen, this is our senior year in high school. After I graduate, which will be in like only a month, we can find some place to live, you can have the baby, and we'll live happily ever after!" Jack was so eager to make her feel better, he wasn't listening to what he was saying. Gabe stopped crying.
"Jack – there is something else I didn't tell you."
"What?" Jack asked.
Gabe looked him in the eyes.
"My dad is kicking me out."
"What? When?"
"I am five months pregnant. He said I could stay here for the first 6 months but then I'd have to leave."
"That makes no sense at all!" Jack was so frustrated.
"I know!"
"Hey! That's it! Maybe you could come on tour with us! Until we can figure something out!"
"I ... I don't know. What about Molly? And that new girl Annie?"
"I'll talk to them. But we'll figure something out." Jack promised.
***
"... so what do you think?" Jack had just finished explaining his plan to Molly.
"I don't know what to think Jack. Your whole life is going to be ruined by this one experience."
"No – mom it's not. I love Gabe. She loves me. What more is there to know? Once I finish high school, I'll get a job and an apartment. We can make it work. We just want you to support us just till you finish the tour. Please?"
"Do I have a choice? I'm your mom. All there's left to say is yes, but I'm still very disappointed."
"I know."
Jack left the guest room, and headed to Gabe's.
"She said yes!" Jack said as he entered her room. But Gabe wasn't there.
"Gabe?" Jack walked across her room. There was Gabe lying on the floor in an awkward position.
"Gabe!" Jack shouted.
"Help! Somebody help!" Jack screamed.
Annie, Molly and Seth all rushed in the room at the same time. Seth saw Gabe on the floor and ran out again to call an ambulance.
"What happened?" Annie asked.
"I was coming in to tell her and ... and I found her like this." Jack was really scared.
A few seconds later, the paramedics came. Jack rode to the hospital with Gabe in the ambulance. Once they got there, Gabe was whisked away immediately. Jack and the others had no choice but to re-treat to the waiting room. Finally, hours later, a doctor came back and talked to them.
"I'm afraid it isn't good." He told the crew gathered around him.
"She is in critical condition. We lost the baby."
Jack gasped. Tears formed in his eyes.
"But what about Gabe? What happened?"
"We won't know for sure until the tests come back, but I think Mr. Cancer has taken another turn for the worst. I'm afraid her only hope will be another bone marrow transplant. If that's what's wrong."
"I'll go call Fi." Molly looked at Seth and walked away to use her cell phone.
"Fe?" The doctor asked
"Fi. F-I. She was the one who Gabe got her first transplant from. Her daughter." Seth nodded to Molly.
"Oh, well I'd have her come tonight, just in case."
Seth nodded. They went back and sat down. Sensing they needed time alone, Annie got up and walked around. Seth looked at Jack.
"Oh Jack, I've been such a jerk to you and Gabe. I'm sorry. You've got a good head on your shoulders. I wouldn't want Gabe to fall in love with any one else."
"Mr. Crawford." Jack started to cry.
"Call me Seth. We're family now." Seth pulled Jack into a long hug.
***
Two hours later, Fi was on a plane to Ohio, Molly was at the airport waiting, and Jack, Seth and Annie were still in the waiting room. The doctor came back. A very grim look on his face.
"Things don't look good. She's gotten worse." The doctor said as kindly as possible.
"Can I see her?" Jack asked hopefully.
"Family only at this point." The doctor nodded to Seth.
"Common."
"Wait. Jack is family. He's coming with me." Seth and Jack followed the doctor down a narrow white hallway. They entered intensive care and put on the proper gear.
"Oh, Gabe." Jack's voice cracked.
He hated to see her like this she just had to get better.
TO BE CONTINUED.... maybe if i get enough reviews....
