My Note: I got a lot of stuff going on, but please bear with me. Also, if you have any personal issues with events that arise in the story i.e. abortion, I don't want to hear it. I appreciate the enthusiasm but I have enough 'what is the meaning of life' talks to last me till whatever happens after we die. I own none of which is SOA, I swear by it. Enjoy, Imagine.
…
It was the hardest phone call Ezzy ever had to make. She literally just set up a plan for her to kill her unborn child, or in the words of the receptionist, 'terminate the pregnancy.' Ezzy has had friends who got abortions, she's even escorted them to the clinics, and she's never had a problem with the procedure. But now it's her body, her baby, her sanity…
The cell rings, startling her. It's Gemma. Ezzy looks at the clock, and answers the phone, "Hey Gemma," she hides her choked back tears well. "Are you outside?"
"Yeah, hun," Gemma said pulling up to the curb and lighting a cigarette. "I called the guys, they're meeting us there in 20."
"I'm on my way down." Ezzy said and hung up the phone. She sat there for a minute on the bed before standing to meet Gemma in the SUV. When she did, Gemma could tell something had the girl all shook up, but she knew it was no use trying to get anything from her. Instead she engaged her in a lil chit-chat till they arrived at the carnival. Gemma could tell Ezzy was distraught and trying to hide it. All she knew was that Ezzy was pregnant- also something she was determine to hide from all of them. But then again, any young woman would be a little distraught at trying to keep that secret.
"Any luck on finding your mom?" Gemma asks coyly.
"I told you, Gem," Ezzy said shaking her head. "I'm done looking for her. I have my own life to figure out."
"Oh yeah?" Gemma finally saw an opening, "Like what?"
Sighing, "Like getting a job, getting stable, and figuring out what's next for me."
"Done." Gemma said with a victorious smile.
"What's done?" Ezzy asked, brushing her loose hair behind her ear.
"Everything you just said- you got a job: the garage. You're stable: staying at Tig's. And what's next? Getting to know your family…and letting them get to know you." Gemma explained warmly eyeing Ezzy over the top of her sunglasses.
Ezzy's smile hid her fear about the baby, her mom, and her future. She didn't want to tell Gemma about the baby, it was her own problem. She put up a front that locating her mom was not on her todo list, but the fact is- she still hopes that something will come up. And her future- well that has always been up in the air, but lately, it seems even further out of her grasp. "Thanks, Gemma." She said not wanting to get too emotional. She felt like she could bust out in tears at any moment.
…
The guys located Gemma and Ezzy by the Ferris Wheel. The girls weren't facing them, but Jax could still tell they were picking at two sticks of cotton candy. They snuck up behind them, trying to scare them.
"Miss us?" Jax asked taking a piece of cotton candy from Ezzy's stick.
"Didn't even notice you guys were gone," Ezzy said sarcastically. "Nice of you to join us, though."
Jax eyed her as he let the cotton candy dissolve in his mouth and tried to hide a smile. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as the group made their way through Fun Town. Although Gemma's eyebrow cocked nearly up to her hair line at her son's move, no one was more surprised than Ezzy.
After walking to the ticket booth and the guys getting a handful of tickets, Ezzy shrugged away from Jax and announced to the group, although more to Gemma, "I'm going to the restroom."
Jax watched her skeptically as she walked away until he felt his mother's gaze on him. He turned to her and asked, "What's up with her?"
"Nothing to worry your pretty little head about," Gemma teased. When her son shook his head with a weary smile and went to catch up with the rest of the guys, she turned to Clay. "I'm gonna go catch up with her, you know- to touch up my make up." Clay laughed as he kissed her and caught up with the rest of the guys as well.
Gemma met Ezzy outside the porta-pottie she was using, startling Ezzy as she walked out. "So I can't go to the restroom alone?" Ezzy tried to make it sound like a joke.
"What are you talking about? I didn't squeeze in there with you, did I?" Gemma smirked. After a few moments of walking back towards the group Gemma asked, "So…you and Jax"
A little too quickly and defensively, Ezzy said, "There is nothing there between me and Jax!"
Gemma held up her hands in surrender, suppressing a smile. "Okay, okay…It's just…the way-"
"Gemma, it's really not healthy to speculate." Ezzy said, before running a hand through her unruly hair and walking faster to put distance between the two of them.
"That cheeky little bitch," Gemma said smiling, walking slowly to give the girl her distance.
By the time Ezzy caught up to the guys, they were standing in line to get on some kiddy ride made of planes that would put them in the air like they were flying. Tig called her over to cut him in line, but Ezzy shook her head, "Nah, I think I'm going to sit this one out." The guys all were 'boo'ing her trying to get her to join them in line, but she kept shooting them down.
"What's the problem, darling? Are you scared?" Jax asked with a sly smile.
"You are grown men standing in line to get on a carnival ride for toddlers." She smiled back at him.
"The details aren't important." Jax said, stepping out of line to approach her and grabbing her hand. He led her back to the line, so she was standing in front of him. Giving up, Ezzy crossed her arms and just hoped her stomach could handle it.
…
Ezzy had to admit, she was having a blast with guys and Gemma. They've been at the carnival for an hour already and they still seemed to be having more fun than half of the parents being drug about by their kids. After a few of the rides though, she was beginning to feel nauseous. It wasn't until they got off the Ferris Wheel that Ezzy had to adamantly decline the guys' offers to get on another one.
When Ezzy returned from getting herself a drink at a food stand, she witnessed the guys physically harassing the dunk-tank clown. "Huh, go figure," Ezzy said turning to Clay and Gemma who were holding each other. "They're a bunch of bullies," she said making the couple laugh.
"Ah, he deserved it." Gemma said nodding confidently.
"Don't they all." Ezzy said before walking with them towards another game booth. The boys followed laughing at the clown who was spitting out water, trying to catch his breath.
Before Jax could make his way to Ezzy and kiddingly harass her for not getting on another ride with them, he saw Tig make his way for her and wrap his arm around her and pull her close. He heard Ezzy's soft laugh, and had to admit, it was the most beautiful thing he's ever heard and was a little more than jealous that Tig was the cause of it and not him. Next he heard Tig say, "You either give me a drink of that soda, or I'm tossing you in the dunk tank next."
"I wish you would," Ezzy threatened him, narrowing her eyes.
Without missing a beat, Tig picked the young woman up, tossed her over his shoulder and walked back towards the clown's dunk tank. A long moment passed before the rest of the guys and Gemma turned to find out why Ezzy was hollering for Tig to put her down. They all laughed until a spine-tingling shriek made all of them stop and surrounding carnival goers turn their heads. It was Ezzy, "Tig!" She had put her hand over her mouth and she began to look sick. "Put me down! Now!" She barely got the last word out before she felt her soda, cotton candy, and the giant corndog her and Gemma shared an hour before begin to creep back up her throat.
Tig stood her upright and put both hands on her shoulders, trying to make eye contact with her to find out what was going on. He had completely forgotten about Ezzy's current 'condition' and was worried he might have hurt her, or worse- the baby. Jax had run to her side and put his arm around her waist and drew her close to him, away from Tig. No one noticed except for Tig who stared at Jax suspiciously while Gemma came between them and began interrogating the younger woman. "Ezzy- what's the matter?" Gemma asked alarmed.
"I don't feel too good," Ezzy said, swaying a bit. Jax kept her upright. Her face looked pale except for her cheeks which were flushed, more flushed then they were earlier, Gemma silently noticed.
At the sight of Ezzy, Gemma knew she was nauseous. And it wasn't the average 'at the carnival riding rides' kind of nauseous. It was a 'holy shit I'm pregnant and need to lay down' kind of nauseous. "Come on, sweetie," Gemma said, guiding Ezzy out of Jax's arms and into her own. "I'll take you home."
It wasn't until Ezzy agreed that Clay hung up his cell phone, ending a call he had taken while Tig decided to throw Ezzy in the tank. "We gotta go too." Clay said to the group. And just like that, they separated ways.
Reluctantly Jax loosened his arms around her, but not before placing a hand on the side of Ezzy's face and asking, "Are you sure you're okay?"
Ezzy didn't trust herself to open her mouth. Instead, she just nodded at Jax before she turned back to Gemma with a look that said, 'Get me the hell out of here.'
Tig stayed behind, not wanting to leave Ezzy's side. But at Clay's call, he left her side to join his brothers. Tig yelled after Gemma and Ezzy, "I'll come check on you later!"
While the guys made their way to their bikes, Gemma led Ezzy to a secluded bench on the other edge of Funtown. "So, you going to tell me what's really going on or am I going to have to use my imagination?" Gemma asked the younger girl, sitting down next to her.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Gemma." Ezzy said uneasily, readjusting her shirt. She was all the sudden extremely tired and still a little nauseous.
"Oh I think you do." Gemma said, crossing her arms.
"What do you want me to say, Gemma?" Ezzy was getting irritated. "I wasn't expecting to get thrown around like a rag doll today. If I was, I would have taken better care of my hair."
"He barely swung you over his shoulder," Gemma reasoned. "There's something else going on, and if you stop hiding it, we can get ahead of it before it's too late."
That's all it took for Gemma to say for Ezzy to burst into tears. Gemma wasn't expecting it and neither was Ezzy, but once they started they weren't stopping. 'Only if Gemma knew how right she was,' Ezzy thought. Instead of answering her right away, Ezzy shook her head and remained silent.
"It's not going to go away, Esmeralda. You can tell me anything, we're family." Gemma said, pulling the girl into her warm, motherly embrace. She rested her head on top of Ezzy's and let the girl cry into her shoulder. Gemma had to admit, it was nice to be acting like a mother again, and not just an old lady.
After ten minutes, Ezzy was finally able to compose herself and speak without hiccupping or sounding choked up. The way Gemma spoke to her definitely sounded like she knew more than she let on. This really spooked Ezzy. "How did you know?" Ezzy whispered to Gemma.
"Know what?" Gemma teased. She wanted to hear Ezzy say it.
"How did you know I was pregnant?" Ezzy said, exasperated.
"Oh, that," Gemma waved off. "The doctor at the hospital might have mentioned it when he was explaining why you were there in the first place." Recalling that day, a thought popped into Gemma's head causing her to ask, "Hey, did you know that those pills you were taking could hurt the baby?" When Ezzy didn't answer, Gemma got her answer. "You don't want this baby?" Gemma asked with surprise and scared shock that made her sound like a sad and small child. But once again Ezzy didn't answer. Ezzy couldn't even meet the older woman's eyes.
"I just wanna go home, Gemma." Ezzy sounded like the scared little child now. This made Gemma's heart break. Gemma wondered, if this had something to do with why Ezzy was searching for her mother, or why she has decided to stop that mission: Impossible. Either way, Gemma didn't care- Ezzy had said she wanted to go home, and she knew she was talking about Tig's place. And if Ezzy was calling Charming home, no matter how relative it was, then she'd take it.
"Let's go baby," Gemma said, picking the girl up and holding her as they walked towards the parking lot. "Let's take you home."
Both Gemma and Ezzy were too preoccupied with their wild thoughts about Ezzy's pregnancy and the possibilities now that more than just she knew that they couldn't hear Elliot and his wife yelling for their daughter.
…
My Note: I hope you enjoyed. Sorry for it being so long. I would have written more, but I wanted to give you guys a lil something asap! Laterz, Imagine.
