A/N: Ok, a bit of a change. This chapter has a little twist. And, I know I'm harsh againts Jim, but its for the ff. I like Jim, I really do :) you might already noticed that Im very sarcastic, but please forgive me, Im a very dramatic person :P Please review, and enjoy :)
Chapter Four:Let me take you out dancing
Melinda drove home in her Saturn once Rick dropped her off on the square.
Once she entered her house, she started to cry.
Then, she went up in her and Jim's room upstairs, and took a nap.
"Melinda, Melinda, wake up." Mel groaned and she saw Jim standing there, with a hand on her stomach.
"Don't you even dare touch me, Jim Clancy!" his hand still resigned in the same position.
His eyes were looking profoundly in to hers.
"Melinda, I just got a call from the hospital."
"So?"
"So... you're pregnant." Melinda's heart shattered.
She was hoping to just divorce him and leave, so she could be with Rick.
But now, she was pregnant with Jim's child.
He is probably going to force her to stay, only because she was carrying his baby.
"Oh, great. I'm pregnant. Whoo. Really Jim, are you expecting me to be happy about this?" he nodded.
"Well, I'm not." she was about to get up, but he pushed her back down.
"Baby, you're still my wife. Felicia was just my girlfriend for a year. I didn't even know I had a child until last year, when Felicia called me and told me that I had a son and he's dying."
"How did you react to that?"
"Not very well, Melinda. I started to drink. I went into depression. I took pills to ease my guilt. For not being there for my son, Bryant." he actually started to cry.
"It isn't fair that my son is dead! The poor little guy was only eight years old. That is way too young for a child... I didn't know that she was pregnant when I left her... Melinda, what is the point of life when you can't live it?"
"I don't know... Jim, if I only knew what was going on, I would have been more sympathetic."
"Don't worry about it, Mel. Oh... are we ok? You don't know how much I love you...." Melinda thought, I guess I could give him a second chance, for the baby....
"Alright. But, please, don't drink around the baby when it comes."
"I'll be done drinking by then... say, let's go dancing, Mel. We haven't done that in a long while!"
"Ok! Let me shower and change." he nodded, and he went to take a shower himself.
Melinda sat on the bed, and waited for Jim to be done.
Then, her cell phone wrung.
It was Rick.
"Hey, Mel! Do you want to come over for a bit?"
"Oh... sorry, I already have plans with Jim."
"Like what? Meeting with lawyers? Oh, come on, Melinda!"
"No. We are going out dancing. Everything is fine between us."
"Oh. Um, congrats."
"Only because we found out I am pregnant ten minutes ago! Rick, save me!" she blurred out.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that Mel, I'm sorry! Should I say congrats again?"
"No, ok? Listen, I need to go. Bye!"
"Bye." he muttered.
He slammed his cell phone shut.
"That god d**n Jim! Now, I'm never going to get the love of my life! Screw the baby, too! Oh... I know! I'll just make her want me!" then, he dialled his friend Claudia's number.
"Hey Claud, its Rick. Hey, are you busy? Oh, you're bored? Fantastic! Let me take you out dancing. Ok! In 45 minutes? Alright! I'll be there! Bye!" Rick rubbed his hands together, and let out an evil laugh.
"Oh, Jim Clancy, you're going down!"
"Oh, come on, sweet heart, just one more kiss before we go in."
Melinda got tense.
She smiled at her husband to hide it.
"Ok." Jim leaned forward to kiss his wife.
"We'll make this a night to remember. A night to remember to tell our little Clancy." they both hopped out and Jim locked the doors to the truck.
He took her arm and escorted her.
"What should we call it?"
"Jim, isn't this to early to discuss?"
"Never! For a boy, Michael-James Clancy, after my father, if you wouldn't mind. Also perhaps Halley or Grace for a girl." Melinda twitched. She hates the name Michael!
"Um, but Michael is already used to much already! Besides, Andrew or Peyton would be nice.... Also, I can't really picture us calling my daughter Halley or Grace. Probably Andrea? Or Mary-Anne? Oh! Maybe Mary-Andrea!"
"Melinda, no. No offense, but Andrew or Peyton doesn't work. Mary-Andrea is ok. It is settled. Mary-Andrea for a girl, Michael-James for a boy."
"Michael-James! Michael, come here!" oh good lord, please don't give me a boy! Melinda thought.
"I hope we get a boy!" Jim exclaimed.
Melinda nearly passed out.
"You know Claudia, I always hated the names James and Clancy. They are both dumb and arrogant names. But, I like Richard, my name. I could never be more thankful to my parents for naming me Richard."
Claudia gave him a strange look.
"Alright. Say, when do we get there?"
"When we get there, Claud. Oh, my god, what do you know, were here. Hey! There is my best friend, Melinda Gordon."
He parked the Land Rover and ran to Melinda.
"Hey! If it isn't the soon-to-be new parents, Melinda Gordon and Jim Clancy!"
Claudia raised her eye brows.
"Melinda, this is my date, Claudia. You've helped out Claud before, remember, Mel?"
Melinda was hurt.
She slowly nodded.
He doesn't love me, and he came here to prove it.
"Mel, baby, why don't we go inside?" she looked down and nodded again.
Jim took her hand and led her away.
Half way there, she told Jim that she needed to go to the washroom.
Once inside, she almost cried her heart out.
Meanwhile, back to Rick and Claudia....
"Oh, I see, you're in love with her, Rick, I see. I get it. You used me! I could tell. The way you looked at her. And you said you hated the names James and Clancy. For her husband, Jim, right?"
they walked near the bathroom.
Melinda could hear footsteps.
All of a sudden, she heard Rick's voice: "No, no. You have this all wrong, Claudia! Melinda is only my best friend. I could never be in love with her. She's annoying (but I like that about her). She could be really wrong sometimes. She's weird because of her gift. She is married. And most importantly, she is not perfect, like you."
"If you mean that Rick Payne, kiss me. Now."
But what if Melinda's around?
"Rick?" he kissed her quickly.
Melinda was so hurt by what Rick said about her, she started to shake.
HOW COULD I EVER BE IN LOVE WITH HIM, LET ALONE BE HIS FRIEND? OH, MAYBE HE'S RIGHT! I AM DUMB! WEIRD, ANNOYING! I CHOSE THE WORST MAN ON EARTH TO MARRY! I'M NOT PERFECT! NO WONDER NO ONE REALLY LIKES ME!
She whipped away her tears.
Once she heard them walk away, she went back to Jim.
He escorted her to the dance floor.
They danced a slow song.
After, a fast, disco song came on.
Melinda was actually having fun.
Rick was getting jealous watching her having fun with Jim, and led Claudia to the dance floor right next to Mel and Jim.
Melinda was being drenched watching Rick having so much fun, and stopped, then gave Jim a long, passionate kiss.
Watching her, Rick suddenly kissed Claudia too.
At the end of the song, Rick went over and stopped Mel.
"Melinda, could I talk to you, please?"
"No. I'm having too much fun with my husband."
"Well, that's good to hear!" Jim leaned forward and kissed Melinda.
"Well, that's good to hear!" Rick muttered, storming away.
He went to the bar, and had 3 drinks in 40 seconds.
Claudia went over to her date.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting drunk. Getting drunk is fun, did you know that, Claudia? Melinda Gordon loves people who are alcoholics. Jim is one. Did you know that? He's so lucky. He is so lucky to have Melinda. Now, she is pregnant. Did you know that Claudia? I wish the child was mine. But no. It has to be Jim Clancy's. He's perfect. Really perfect. That's why she married him. That loser. No. I'm the loser. Because I don't have Melinda Gordon." he told her after his seventh drink.
"That's it. I knew you were in love with Gordon. I'm taking a cab home." she stormed away.
"Fine, Claudia! Run away, run away like you always do!" he yelled after her.
Melinda saw him, holding up a beer bottle, and nearly coming down to the ground.
"Oh, no. Jim, he's drunk! Time to bring him home." they ran up to Rick, and they took him to their truck.
Melinda helped him climb in, and got in herself at the front with Jim.
"Rick, do you have your house keys?" he held them up.
Then, they drove away from the event that broke the close friendship apart, and headed to Rick's house.