Chapter Eleven.
"We just have to think of this as a gift from Harry," Beck said as he stroked Jade's face.
She listened to his heartbeat, her ear pressed firmly to his chest. "He'll make sure everything is okay this time."
"Of course he will. He's the only one who didn't scream the house down for days on end after he was born. Therefore he had my personality so he will see this through."
"What are you trying to say?" Jade tried to act offended.
Beck smirked. "Nothing at all, sweetheart."
"Can you come with me to see the doctor tomorrow?"
"You know I will." He kissed her hair.
She sighed. "I just don't want to go alone this time. I can't face it."
"We'll do this together, babe. We always have done, we always will do."
"You said that to me on our wedding day," Jade recalled, glancing up at him.
He nodded. "I meant it then and I mean it now."
"Why did we get married at 19?"
"Because we were in love, that and you didn't want to look old in the pictures."
She laughed lightly. "My mother didn't even look at me never mind speak to me, my dad just stood outside the church and sighed like it wasn't over quick enough for him. I remember my step-mom went mental, she said she couldn't believe I was throwing my life away so early."
"Then you slapped her so hard…"
"I still don't think she has feeling in that cheek."
Beck kissed her head again. "Do you regret anything?"
"No."
"You don't even regret the smallest little thing?"
She shook her head then paused. "Wait, actually I regret not buying that black dress a couple of months ago before that cow got it…"
"You know that's not what I meant."
"I don't regret it. You make me a better person and a lot of money when you star in my movies." She winked at him. "But honestly, I love you."
"I love you too." Beck smiled. "So what shall we do with our quiet evening?"
"It's gone midnight, we should sleep. We need to pick the kids up tomorrow. I feel like I haven't seen them since forever." Jade poked his nose gently.
"You're a brilliant mom, Jade. We just have to do it all over again."
She looked at him after sitting up. "That means the labour. It's the 21st century; surely they've worked out a way to bypass that part."
…
Cat snuck in through the door, her hair was a mess and her make-up turned her into some panda related creature.
"Morning, beautiful, did you have a good night?"
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" She groaned.
Robbie laughed. "Nope. I made your favourite."
He gestured to the table were two plates waited.
She sat at the table. "Thanks."
"Did you sleep well?"
"You move too much in your sleep."
He blushed. "I'm sorry…"
"Don't worry about it; it was cute watching you sleep."
"You watched me sleep?" Robbie raised an eyebrow as he dished up the chocolate pancakes and cream.
She looked up at him. "I was going to get up but I didn't want to wake you."
"I know this doesn't change anything." He sat down, avoiding her gaze.
Cat didn't reply instead she began eating. "When did you learn to cook?"
"I'm a single guy. I haven't got anyone else to cook for me."
"Fair point," she agreed. "What time is it?"
Robbie looked at his watch. "Almost eleven."
"I really should go home."
"Home being…?"
Cat stood up searching for her clothes which were littered around the open plan floor. "Jade and Beck's, though I'm considering buying the house for sale next to theirs."
"That's convenient."
"I know, it'd be nice for Evie to grow up with them." She picked up her dress that Robbie had kindly laid on the back of a chair. "Thanks for the loan of the shirt by the way."
"You should keep it." He smiled. "It suits you."
Cat put her hands on her hips. "You better not get used to me lounging around your house in just a shirt, Robert Shapiro."
"Oh don't worry, I won't. That's why I'm enjoying it for now."
She laughed, pushing her hair back from her face. "I better go."
"You may want to put more clothes on if you're going to see your daughter."
"Good point, close your eyes."
Robbie smiled, placing his hands on his eyes. "I don't see why I have to do this."
She quickly dressed. "It's gentlemanly. You can look now."
He took his hands away. "I'll drive you back."
"Thanks."
"Maybe we could take Evanna to get ice-cream…"
Cat looked at him.
"No, sorry, that was a stupid idea." He held his hands up.
"No, I like it. We could go to the one we used hang out at."
He grinned. "Just like old times."
…
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, I can't ruin his life," André assured her.
They sat at the bottom of Sherry's drive.
"What do you want? Don't think about Sherry or about messing up his life, what do you want?" Tori looked at him.
He fell silent for a few seconds. "I want him to be happy and that means his dad being there for him. I'm just the guy that gave half of my DNA to him."
"This is what you want?" Tori asked again.
He nodded. He opened the door of the car, walking up the path and the front door opened.
"I was hoping to see you," Sherry said. "Have you thought about it?"
"I know you don't need my consent but I just wanted you to know I'm happy for you to put Isaac's name on the certificate."
Sherry smiled at him. "Thank you. Zach loves your music by the way."
"I guess that'll be our bond," André said. "Look, Tori and I thought about it. My mom walked in and out of my life when I was younger. She thought she could pick me up and pretend she was never missing. He has a dad; I have no right to change that."
"I heard Tori is pregnant, congratulations." She smiled, squeezing his arm. "You'll make a great dad."
André nodded. "Yeah, I hope so."
"You will be, stop doubting yourself."
"Thanks Sherry." He looked at the letter in his hand. "This is just in case he ever finds out and wonders who I am."
She reached out, taking it. "Thank you André. I promise if he ever wants to know, I'll give it him."
"That's all I ask."
André walked away from the woman, a boy ran to the door, standing behind her.
"Mom, who was that?"
She watched André pull away from the house then looked down at him. "A good man."
…
"I'm home!" Cat shouted as she opened the door.
Evie had eaten as much ice-cream as she possibly was able to manage. Robbie had managed to keep Evie entertained while Cat called to enquire about the house.
"Can I go play with Seth and Blaise now?"
Cat looked at her little girl. "Yes but only if they're not doing homework."
"I can help them!" Evanna grinned. "Mommy?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"I like Robbie, he's nice."
Cat smiled. "Good, I like him too."
"He let me have another scoop of ice-cream when you went to ring the house lady."
"Did he?" she said in mock horror.
Evanna nodded with a huge smile, she kissed Cat's cheek and ran off to find the twins.
"So did you enjoy your night?" Jade asked with a certain mischievous tone.
"It was okay," Cat said taking off her coat.
"Only okay? That's not what I've heard."
She frowned. "Why? What have you heard?"
"I called the hotel last night to make sure you wanted to stay there, there was no answer." Jade smirked as she cradled the mug in her hand.
"I just crashed at Robbie's…"
"In his bed? Yeah, yeah, I may not be an expert in many things but I am when it comes to you."
Cat blushed. "Nothing happened…"
Jade took Cat's shoulders. "Caterina."
She looked guiltily at her best friend. Her mouth opened to explain.
"Hey, it's two of my favourite girls!" Beck appeared from the kitchen and put his arms around both of them.
…
"Mrs Valentine!"
Cat looked up from her desk. "For the fifth time, please call me Miss."
"Will you sing us a song?"
She frowned at the class. "We're supposed to be working on the musical for the end of the month!"
The girl shrugged. "I want a break, it's nearly lunch anyway. Please, Miss Valentine?"
"You don't want to hear me." She laughed, perching on the edge of her desk.
"You sang in Karaoke Dokie on Saturday," some kid pointed out.
Cat nodded. "I did…"
"So why can't you sing for us?"
"I'm singing at lunch, apparently."
"How come?"
She saw Jade and Beck waiting in the doorway. "Blame Mr and Mrs Oliver, they seem to like hearing me sing my own music and apparently I need the confidence boost. But class is dismissed."
The class started moving out, talking about the performance at lunch. Jade and Beck popped their heads around the door.
"Are you ready?" Beck asked.
"I hate you two, you know that?" Cat directed at them.
"Yep, but you love me too much to hate me, Cat." Jade winked at her.
Beck put his arm around Cat. "We just wanted to make sure you wasn't going to do a runner."
They walked towards the benches outside. Cat climbed up to the platform. André sat waiting with his guitar.
"Are you okay, Little Red?"
She nodded. "Fine, I just wish Jade wouldn't keep making me sing my own songs."
"They come from the heart which makes them special. You'll be after my job soon."
She smiled at him as she stepped up to the microphone. "This is a song I wrote about heartbreak."
André looked at her, she nodded. He began playing.
"Can't you see, what you do to
Break my heart every night?
Can't you see what you're doing to me?
Crush me, force me to fight."
Cat could see Jade smiling up at her; Jade had heard her rehearsing earlier that morning.
"But why,
Every time I fall,
Do you appear as the light?
And why every time I cry,
Do I give you my all?"
She unintentionally caught Robbie's eye, he shifted uncomfortably. He thought the song was about him, she knew it was. The nights she'd spent waiting for him to come back as she watched Evanna sleep were all poured into this song.
"You seem to be the perfect answer,
To any of my questions,
But do you really care?
Should I give into my hesitations?"
Beck gave her thumbs up as the crowd below swayed slowly to the music.
"But why,
Every time I fall,
Do you appear as the light?
And why every time I cry,
Do I give you my all?"
Tori looked at her husband; he was watching his hands play the strings. She wondered if it would be worth it in the end, fighting for their drowning relationship and wading through the waters to get back to dry land. She watched his hands play and the look of concentration on his face. She smiled, it would be worth it. Every last bit.
"I feel like you are a prison,
My heart can't take anymore,
Your word isn't the law,
Just disappear, away from me."
Cat stared out into the crowd below, the faces and the lost teenagers. She found six of them dancing at the back, three boys and three girls. They were smiling at one another. They were like them, Cat thought, just ten years older and not a lot wiser.
"But why,
Every time I fall,
Do you appear as the light?
And why every time I cry,
Do I give you my all?
Just not anymore."
Cat sang the last note, pulling away from the microphone.
"Thank you!" she shouted as the people below clapped.
"I only have one word for you and that's 'wow'." André grinned at her as he put the guitar over his shoulder.
Cat smiled, glancing down at Robbie. She saw the sad look on his face.
He finally understood a bit about the heartbreak he'd caused her.
Yeah, I wrote that song! It's something I wrote a month or so ago, I've been debating whether or not to use it but I decided I should thanks to a little nudge. :)
So yeah, I hope you liked it! :) Please tell me if you did or not because if you don't, I'll stick to using professional songs. :')
I hope you enjoyed the chapter as well! :D
I must say, it's the first story I've enjoyed writing every chapter even if I am in a bad mood. There's something about it. Or it's you guys. ;)
Love always, Chasing Midnight.
(I can't believe I used my own song still, haha. Surprisingly, I enjoy editing this.)