Readers of dragonsprit's stories he unfortunately won't be updating for a while because of technical difficulties, hard to update without a laptop. He will post an update as soon as he can.

Thanks to everyone that read the first chapter and especially those that took the time to review. Enjoy the chapter!

Ch. 2 Steal the Sun from the Sky for You

(CLARE)

"Clare we're going to be late for school," Adam calls up the stairs knocking me from my daydream.

After informing Riker last night that he was soon to be a dad I had chickened out and turned off my phone. Not because I didn't want to tell him, I'd already done that, it's because hearing his voice brought it all back. Our time together may have been extremely brief but I can't deny my feelings for Riker, even if they do terrify me. I even dreamed about him last night, a wonderful happy dream of being in his arms.

"Coming," I call back setting down my brush. I grab my backpack from my room and run downstairs to put on my coat. It snowed again last night but stopped this morning thankfully, however it's still very cold outside. "We're leaving," I call into the kitchen as I open the front door.

"Clare you didn't eat," Mom scolds. Glen already left and Mom is usually gone by now too but she's running late.

"Not hungry I'll grab something at school later," I tell her. "You drive," I say to Adam when we're outside.

"You have morning sickness or something?" He asks.

"No just thinking," I reply.

"It might help if you turned your phone back on," Adam scolds.

"I can't not yet I'm afraid he'll call," I sigh and Adam shakes his head at me.

"Clare you can't get through this together if you avoid him," Adam censures.

"I don't see how we can get through it together at all Adam. It's long distance, far more long distance than me and Eli and he couldn't even be bothered to come home unless it suited him. This will just be worse, and the really awful thing is that I want to with him. We had one night together and I felt things more intensely with him than I did with Eli. I ran away because I knew we wouldn't work, not with our different lifestyles and how far apart we live but it doesn't mean I want him any less."

"That's a good thing Clare," Adam argues.

"Not if I can't have him it's not," I reply looking out the window.

Adam parks at the school and we get out, the courtyard is covered in snow but several kids are in the foyer. Including Alli, Jenna and Connor, I also see Drew and Dallas on the steps to the second floor. Adam and I join Alli, Jenna and Connor, they were talking about our upcoming chemistry test but when we approach they go quiet.

"So if it's not Drew th…" Alli begins but I cut her off.

"I'm not talking about it and I'm not telling anyone," I assert.

"But you really are pregnant," Jenna says in a dubious voice.

"Yes I'm really pregnant," I confirm.

"Who's that? Is Fiona visiting the school or something?" Alli inquires and I turn around to see a town car with tinted windows pull up. The car itself pulling up doesn't attract much attention, but when a driver gets out and starts walking to the doors this does attract some attention.

"Oh I really hope so," I mutter under my breath but Adam hears me. Then I turn around walking very quickly to the front doors because just like I know the baby I carry is Riker's, I know it's him in the town car out there.

"Miss Edwards," the driver begins and I'm already running down the stairs. I can hear everyone whispering, feel their eyes on me but I don't care. The driver runs ahead to open the door for me and I jump in the car quickly closing the door and thankful for all the snow because no one was outside. The driver gets in, I give him my address and tell him to go then look at Riker.

"What are you doing here?"

"You didn't answer your phone when I tried to call you back," he replies.

"So you show up at my school in a town car with tinted windows that's subtle," I respond.

"Well I would have come and got you myself but I thought sending the driver would attract less attention," Riker replies.

"Okay fine," I mumble.

"Clare we have to talk," Riker says in a pleading tone.

"Not until we reach my house," I tell assert.

Being close to him is like torture, I just want to kiss him. I can smell his scent, sweet and soft with just a hint of spice, somewhere between warm apple cider and leather that's been washed with honeysuckle. I close my eyes as the flood of memories from our night together begins to flood my thoughts. I don't even notice the car stopping or hear the driver opening the door, but I do feel Riker brushing his fingers over my cheek and I open my eyes.

"We're here," he says and I look at my house.

I grab my backpack and the driver helps me out, he stays to talk to the driver for a moment while I unlock the door. I set down my backpack and take off my coat, Riker comes in and I lock the door while he hangs up his coat.

"This changes nothing," I state walking into the living room.

"Clare this changes everything, you ran away because you were scared but now you're pregnant with my baby," he argues.

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm terrified and I have no idea what to do. It doesn't change the fact that you live in L.A. and I live in Toronto, or that I want to go to Columbia next year, or that you tour the whole Unites States at least. I don't see how we can possibly keep the baby or be together, Columbia has been my dream and I'm not going to give it up to be a teen mom," I tell him and my voice becomes strained with anxiety.

"I would never ask you to give up your dream Clare. I'm living mine and I want you to have yours, I want you to have everything. I want you, I always wanted you I wanted to be with you and when you ran scared I tried to give you your space. Now you're carrying my baby and that changes everything," Riker argues.

"It doesn't make being with you any easier or any more possible. You should just get out now; I'll give the baby up for adoption and say I have no idea who the father is."

"Geez you're more stubborn than my brother, have you been listening at all? The fact that you're pregnant with my baby makes me want you more not less. I'm not going to leave, I can't forget about you; I've done nothing but think about you and talk about you since you walked out of my hotel room. If you don't believe me you can ask my family I've been driving them all crazy with how much I talk about you. I want you, and I want to have our baby with you, it will be difficult but not impossible and if it's what we both want then we can find a way to do it. What do you want?"

I bite my lip, I want to look away but I can't his eyes are locked on mine and I can't look away. I want to answer him but I have no idea what I want, I just stand there staring into his eyes and rolling my lower lip between my teeth.

"I want to wrap myself in your arms and never leave them," I finally admit quietly. Riker grins, stepping forward and taking my hand, he turns me around putting my back against his chest. His arms encircle me; I feel his breath drifting over my cheek, his heartbeat against my back and the warmth of his body.

"Then don't," Riker whispers in my ear.

"I have to, you can't stay here, I can't move to L.A., well I could move to L.A. but only if I give up everything I want and I can't do that. So explain to me how we can do this?" I question getting out of Riker's arms. "How can we be together and have this baby together if you're in L.A. and I'm here? If we're going to have this baby together then I need you here not in L.A. and not touring. I'll need you here, with me and you live in L.A. so how can you be here? I want you to be here for appointments and important decisions, and to hold me when I feel lousy but how can we if you're four thousand kilometers away?"

"I'll be here Clare, for everything I can be I'll be here. We can schedule appointments for when I can fly back here. I'll be here and with you every possible moment I can. I would never keep you from your dreams and we can get a place in New York. We have money, we all have trust accounts and I can use some of it to get us a place, and hire us a nanny, fly out here as often as possible and even fly you out to me. I will do anything to make this work but is this what you want?" Riker asks putting his arms around me again.

"I…I don't know, I just don't see how this can work. You can promise all you want but Eli did that too and I barely saw him. I know you aren't Eli but he couldn't fit it into his schedule to come from New York when I needed him and I'm supposed to believe you can just hop on a plane and be here every time I need you," I argue wishing this storm of emotion inside me would subside. My brain has all these arguments for why this can never work while all my heart wants to do is kiss him and be in his arms.

"You're right I probably won't be able to be here for every minute that you need me but I probably couldn't do that even if we were in the same town. I will be here for every moment that I can and I will do everything I can to make sure I'm here as much as I can be. I will be here for the birth of our child, for your appointments and everything else I can. We can do this Clare, I want to be with you and I will do anything to make that happen. The question is do you want to be with me and are you willing to make it happen?"

"I want to be with you too and I…I want the baby," I admit and Riker grins while I get out of his arms once more. "But you can't just show up at my school to sweep me off my feet and expect me to just admit that I can't stop thinking about you."

"You just did," Riker smiles triumphantly bringing me into his arms again, "you want this, you want me, you want our baby, you want to make this work that means we're doing this."

"Don't gloat it's not cute," I scold him twisting my mouth.

"I'm happy, let me be happy, we can do this," he assures me.

"Stop saying that, you have no idea if we can do this, wanting it and being able to make it happen are two totally different things. You can't just say we want this and expect everything to fall into place and suddenly be easy. Have you even told your family that I'm pregnant?"

"I told Ross but nobody else," he admits and I turn away from him again.

"See you haven't even told your family a…"

"Because you weren't answering your phone," he cuts me off, "I needed to talk to you, I boarded a private flight to get here and find you at school so we could talk. I will tell my parents and the rest of my family and our manager, I will tell the world i…"

"No," I interrupt him this time, "no don't tell the world I don't want anyone to know that's why I ran in the first place. I don't want to be swarmed by press; I don't want to be Riker Lynch's mystery girlfriend. As badly as I want to be with you I don't want anyone to know that we are…whatever we are. I'm not going to be a story, I'm not going to be tabloid fodder and hated by millions of girls who don't even know me but hate me just because I'm your girlfriend. I'm sure your manager will feel the same way considering R5's image and the fact that your brother is on a Disney Channel show. So I can't imagine that people finding out that you got a girl pregnant after one night would be very good for your image or the band. I want to be with you but no one can know, besides our families, no one can know."

"Okay we won't tell anyone, are you okay you look a little pale?" Riker questions with a worried voice.

"I haven't eaten today and I'm starting to feel it," I respond walking to the kitchen and Riker runs over catching me by the arm.

"Okay see if we're in this together these are things you need to tell me," he says in a slightly admonishing voice.

"Sorry I was a little preoccupied stubbornly arguing my point that this can never work," I respond sardonically and Riker laughs.

"Alright you need to eat and I should eat too," he replies. We go to the kitchen and find something to eat; we sit at the table and start eating in silence.

"So if we're going to have a baby together I guess I should know some more about you," I remark breaking the silence.

"Ask me anything," Riker says but before I can think of a question I hear the front door open.

"Clare?" Adam calls as he walks in.

"Adam what are you doing here?" I query standing up.

"Well your phone is still off and you never came back to school after riding off in a mysterious town car. Why is Riker Lynch in our living room?" Adam inquires.

"You know who he is?"

"Yeah he played Jeff on Glee, I love that show you were awesome," Adam grins.

"Thanks, and you're Adam, Clare said you were in a band last year," Riker comments standing up and shaking Adam's hand.

"Yeah he's also my best friend and he lives here now, it's a long story," I tell him quickly.

"Which I'll have time to hear since I'll be here as often as possible from now on," Riker remarkss sitting down again.

"Wait are you the dad? Holy crap you had sex with a rock star and now you're pregnant with a baby Lynch," Adam grins. "So are you keeping the baby? Are you guys together?" He questions sitting down at the table with us.

"We're still discussing that shouldn't you be getting back to school?" I ask.

"It's lunch, so are you guys going to tell Helen and Glen when they get home?" Adam asks.

"I actually have to be at the airport by 5:30 for my flight back," Riker answers and I look at him.

"Wait you flew here to talk to me and you have to leave in a few hours?"

"Sorry but we have another concert in New York tonight, I'd ask you to come but you have school tomorrow, however I was hoping that you'd come to Boston this weekend. Meet my family and we can tell them," Riker comments.

"I…uh…" I pause as I think about all the reasons I shouldn't go and all the ways this could go wrong.

"She'd love to, I'll help her pack and drive her to the airport," Adam answers for me.

"When did I appoint you decision maker?" I query in a sarcastic voice shooting Adam a look.

"I'm your best friend I know what's good for you," he replies with his usual charming grin.

"I can't go to Boston without telling my parents why," I comment.

"Then I guess you'd better tell your mom to come home early. I'll get back to school so you two can talk, but if your mom is coming home right now call me because I'm not missing that conversation," Adam tells me.

"If Mom is coming home I'll want you here for support. Adam don't tell anyone okay? About Riker I mean, I don't want the press to find out, I don't want people to know. There will be enough rumor and gossip as it is I don't want that to add to it. I had no idea who he was but other people do and I don't want to be caught in that storm."

"I won't mention any names but I'll say you're talking to the dad, who flew here, picked you up in a town car, and is flying you to Boston this weekend. That should drive Drew crazy," Adam chuckles. "Call me when Helen's coming home," Adam says before leaving to go back to school.

"I like him," Riker smiles.

"Yeah Adam's great, guess I should call my mom," I remark grabbing the house phone.

My fingers hesitate on the buttons, I don't know what to tell her but she should meet Riker and he has to leave in few hours. I'm still not sure about all this, still not convinced that we can make this work but if I don't try I'll spend the rest of my life regretting it.

(RIKER)

"She's going to yell," Clare says pacing the living room while we wait for her mom to come home. "She's going to yell a lot and she might accuse you of things, and me of things. Glen probably won't say anything; he'll probably just sit there and tell my mom to calm down. You don't have to stay here, you can leave at any time, your car is outside."

"If you don't stop her she'll keep up the neurotic babbling," Adam informs me in a whisper.

He came home right after school and was very amused that his brother seemed to be jealous of me, well of Clare's mystery guy but that's me. He said Alli and Jenna, two of Clare's friends, couldn't stop conjecturing about who the possible baby daddy was and were very impressed that I'd flown here to sweep Clare off her feet. He also helped me convince Clare that we can have the baby and this can all work and she should stop arguing. She finally got worn down by the both of us.

"How do I stop her?" I ask Adam while Clare continues to babble.

"Well I usually say her name really loud or clamp my hand over her mouth. But I suggest you kiss her," Adam recommends and I smile. I grab Clare the next time she passes this way and spin her around dipping her for a kiss. Clare stops babbling, putting her arms around my neck and melting into the kiss.

After Adam left this afternoon Clare and I got to know each other a little better. Talking about our families and our lives, she told me about school and her interview at Columbia. I told her about living in Colorado, moving to L.A. and what I like to do when not preforming.

"Relax everything will be okay we're in this together remember?"

"Yeah, wait I hear her car, she's here. Let go of me she's going to yell if she sees us like this," Clare scolds hitting my arm lightly. I stand up and let go of her, Clare's mom comes in and looks at the three of us.

"Alright Clare I left the office early, Glen is on his way. Who's this and what is this all about?" Clare's mom asks.

"Riker this is my mom Helen Martin, Mom this is Riker Lynch," Clare tells her and I step forward to shake her hand.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Martin," I say with a genuine smile.

"You as well, you look sort of familiar do you go to DeGrassi with Clare and Adam?" She questions.

"No he doesn't, we met while I was on vacation with Dad at Disneyworld," Clare speaks up.

"Oh? And what are you doing here?" Helen questions with a discriminating look.

"You should sit down Helen," Adam says and Helen narrows her eyes but she sits down on the sofa while we remain standing.

"Mom Riker and I…we sort of…I'm ummm I'm pregnant and Riker is the dad," Clare confesses.

"EXCUSE ME?!" Helen yells standing up quickly and Clare backs up a couple of steps. "What do you mean you're pregnant? How could you get pregnant young lady?"

"Well mom I had sex and we didn't use birth control so now I'm pregnant," Clare replies sardonically.

"How could you just have sex? Do you even know this boy? How old are you? Where do you live? I hope you intend to do the right thing. If you abandon my daughter and your child I will rein hell down up on you!" Helen threatens, the woman is rather frightening.

"I want to be with Clare and raise our child together, I won't abandon her. I live in L.A. with my family but Clare wants to go to Columbia so we'll get a place together in New York. I'm twenty three b…"

"Twenty three?!" Helen shrieks.

"Mom it's only five years difference," Clare says trying to calm Helen down but it doesn't work. Before Helen can yell again the front door opens and a man comes in, judging by the wedding picture on the mantle I assume him to be Clare's stepfather.

"What's going on?" He inquires.

"Well it appears Glen that Clare and this 23 year old are going to have a baby," Helen informs him in an angry voice.

"Oh, well I presume your presence means that you want to be involved?" Glen questions.

"Yes Sir, Riker Lynch it's good to meet you," I reply extending my hand.

"Did you not hear me he's twenty three," Helen exclaims.

"Yes I heard you, Clare were you eighteen when you two…uh…" Glen pauses not wanting to say the words.

"Yes," she replies.

"Then it was legal, five years is not much of a gap and the older they get the smaller it will seem. He wants to be involved that's a good sign," Glen says in our defense.

"They barely know each other, they met at Disney World, they had one fling over the break and now she's pregnant," Helen argues.

"Yeah they had one night and Clare was upset so Riker spent time with her, he sang to her and got her to smile. He cared about her and was nurturing without even knowing her. The more he got to know about her the more he cared about her and in his own words he hasn't stopped thinking about her. Don't you want Clare to be with someone that cares about her so much and wants to be with so badly he will hop a plane from New York? Someone that is wants to be with her so badly and cares about Clare, and their child, so much that he'd change his whole life to make sure Clare can live her dream of going to Columbia?" Adam speaks for us and I smile at him, he's obviously a really good friend and he and I will get along very well.

"You did all that for my daughter?" Helen asks.

"Yes I'd do anything for Clare and our baby," I smile taking Clare's hand and putting my arm around her.

"He really did all that mom, he's wonderful and we would have been dating from the time we were at Disney World but I was scared. Not so much about his age, although I was a little concerned with that. But Riker, and his family, are famous. He and his siblings and one of his best friends are in a band called R5 and they're currently on tour. Riker was also on Glee and his brother is on a show on Disney Channel."

"Also my cousins are on Dancing with the Stars, we're a show business family. Clare doesn't want to be a part of that; she's worried about being in the tabloids and followed by press. I wouldn't want her to be caught in that so we'll keep her from that but I will provide for her and our child. We'll hire a nanny and get our own place wherever she goes to school. I know we only had a night and we don't know each other very well but we have time for that. We are touring, I do live in L.A. and I do have other commitments but I will be here as much as I can, I'll fly her out to be with me. In fact I want her to come to Boston this weekend to meet my family, and tell them we're having a baby," I inform her parents.

"Well it's obvious that you care about my daughter. When you come to see her I expect that we'll get to know you better ourselves and meet with your family at some point?" Helen asks.

"Yes Ma'am of course, my family will want to meet you too. I've wanted to be with Clare since that night, she's an amazing girl and I couldn't get her off my mind. My feelings for her are real and strong and only got more so when I found out she was pregnant. We know it won't be easy, we know we face a lot of challenges, and Clare still has a lot of fears but we're in this together and we have Adam's support," I say to Clare's parents while holding her tightly.

"And you have ours," Glen smiles holding his hand out to me and I shake it again, "right Honey?"

"Yes you have our support, we're here for you Clare, we're here for both of you," Helen says hugging us both.

"Thanks Mom," Clare grins.

"I'd like to stay and let you get to know me better but I have to get to New York for a concert. I have a car outside waiting to take me to the airport," I tell them.

"You flew here all the way from New York for one day just to see Clare?" Helen asks.

"Well she called me and told me she was pregnant and then she turned off her phone. I had to talk to her so I came here," I reply.

"Oh that's so sweet, it's like something from a movie," Helen gushes.

"Oh brother, leave now before she starts comparing you to romance movie leads," Clare insists.

"Come to the airport with me? The car will bring you back," I say to Clare.

"Yeah take lover boy to the airport, have some nice alone time and tell us all about it over dinner when you get back," Adam comments pushing Clare toward the door.

"It was nice to meet you both, I'll let you know when I can come back," I tell Clare's parents and hug Helen again. "Adam I'll call you, I'll need best friend information," I say shaking his hand again.

"Any time, I got loads," he smiles and Clare rolls her eyes.

"I'll be back soon," Clare says taking my hand and we leave her house for the town car. "So what are you going to tell your parents?" She asks as we start driving to the airport.

"That I'm crazy about this amazing girl and she's coming to Boston this weekend. We'll get you a ticket and I'll send you the info and we can tell my family together," I reply.

"So it's your parents and your brothers and sisters, and your friend uh…"

"Ratliff."

"Right, that's a lot of people," she says nervously.

"Plus our manager Andre," I inform her and she bites her lip anxiously. "If you're worried I'm sure Adam will come out with you," I offer.

"That would be nice, what if your parents hate me?"

"They won't but I understand why you could be nervous. I'll make sure you can both come to Boston for the weekend," I assure her and she smiles.

"Now I'm not saying that I've changed my mind about people knowing about us or that all my fears have been assuaged but what are we? I mean we're having a baby together so are we…how will you introduce me to your family?"

"Wow that was possibly the longest way ever to ask if we're dating and you're my girlfriend," I laugh and Clare twists her mouth at me and crosses her arms. "You know you're adorable when you do that," I say and she smiles.

I take her hand interlacing our fingers; put my finger under her chin and capture her lips in a wanting kiss. She links her arms around my neck, melting into the kiss, her lips parting just slightly and allowing my tongue in. We don't break from the kiss until the car stops at the airport.

"I would love for you to be my girlfriend, if you want to be?"

"I do," she smiles and the driver tells me the plane is starting and I need to go. "Let me know landed safely please," Clare requests.

"I will, I'll call you after the concert and I'll see you this weekend," I remind her.

I take her lips for one more kiss and get out of the car. Boarding the plane just in time, it takes off and all I can think of the entire flight is my girlfriend and our future child. The plane lands in New York, Andre is here with dad to pick me up. As soon as I'm in the car I text Clare that I made it safe and sound

"How'd it go?" Dad asks as we start driving to the arena for tonight's concert.

"Amazing, I am crazy for her Dad. She's incredible, more than incredible, is it possible I miss her already? I want you guys to get to know her so I thought she could meet us in Boston this weekend. I'd like her and her best friend to fly out and spend the weekend with us," I inform my dad.

"Wow you're really serious about this girl Riker," Dad comments but he has a proud grin.

"You have no idea," I reply.

"We'll get them tickets for Boston and a room at the hotel, I can't wait to meet the girl that stole your heart," Dad says.

"She really did, uh but her best friend Adam is a guy so maybe she and I can share a room and Adam can share with Rocky, they'll get along," I comment.

"We can talk about it after the concert, are you ready to play? You're not too tired?"

"I've never had more energy I feel like I could fly," I reply.

"Wow, you really are hopelessly gone for this girl. Should we arrange for an interview and photo shoot?" Andre asks.

"No she actually doesn't want any media attention, she wants to stay totally anonymous," I inform them.

"Well can't wait to meet this girl," Dad comments as the car parks.

I can't wait to be with her again, I wish she was in my arms right now. I just hope telling my parents has less yelling than telling hers, and that we can keep Clare and the baby out of the press.

Update Thursday March 5th starting either the next day and Clare at school or her and Adam in Boston for the weekend.