A/N: Holy crap! This took me way too long to post, sorry followers! Haha, I got my groove back, hopefully I'll be able to finish this bad boy before I leave state to have my scoliosis fixed. Anyway, back on track. More turmoil for Jack and Nina, dig it! Hahaha, read and review please!
"What?" he mumbled to himself. The front was a baby rabbit with a wrapped up gift between its paws and holding it in the air, big calligraphic letters read "Merry Christmas to my daddy," Jack didn't get it at first, until he opened the card. One the blank side, a sonogram still was pasted in place and the inscription in pretty elegant cursive, Nina's handwriting.
'Merry Christmas, Jack.
Not many of us in this world get second chances at anything. But it looks like this is ours, our second chance to start where we left off. Look who will be here in July.
I love you,'
It finally clicked and Jack stumbled to pick Nina up by the waist and spun her around much to the bewilderment of everyone else but Sofi who stood there with a wide grin and tears in her eyes. Bobby, the brute of them all, pushed ahead of his family and snatched the card out of Jack's hand to read it.
"Jesus did she give him like a million dollars or somethi—GOOD GOD!" Fucking Bobby.
New Year's flew by and so did Valentine's Day. Jack couldn't believe how fast the months were going by, and Nina just kept getting bigger and bigger, she was so small her baby bump was more adorable than he could admit. This turn of events even softened up hard ass Bobby, more often than not he was the one running to the store when Nina had her outrageous cravings. Of course, the time was drawing near that she and Jack would find a place of their own, saving up every penny they possibly could for a respectable home near the Mercer house. Couldn't very well raise a kid in a full house with no space.
At 7 months pregnant, Nina was still a ball of energy even when her feet ached and her spine was in a bind. But when she finally went to sleep, there was absolutely no rousing her whatsoever. Now was a good example. It was the middle of the afternoon and Nina was on her side and out like a light, Jack lay in bed beside her reading one of the dozens of baby books that Sofi had thrown at him in the last 3 months. A mug of cider was set on Nina's belly, he had to admit it was a convenient and cute surface to rest things on. Both were resting up for another of Jack's big Friday night shows that packed the club full of his fans.
"Oh damn!" Jack sputtered as the mug of cider bounced off her belly. Startled, Nina woke and gasped from Jack falling out of bed and covered in cider. She couldn't help but laugh and rub her sore rounded side.
"Did the jelly bean kick your drink?" She managed between giggles and crawled out of bed to help the soaked Mercer to his feet. With a roll of his eyes, Jack sighed heavily and gave the bump a quick pat. A heavy, sweet kiss was planted on her lips before that gorgeous smile cracked on his handsome face.
"Little shit, must be dyin' to get out of there I guess. Anyway, we'll throw that in the wash before we leave. You still wanna go? It's gonna be packed tonight, I don't want you to get hurt or overwhelmed," Nina smiled with bashful intent, stroking the side of his face with the back of her fingers. Jack's concern for her well-being always made her shy for one reason or another, gave her butterflies even.
"I'll be fine, Babe. Go shimmy into those pants that make your ass look good and I'll get dressed,"
"Isn't that every pair?" Jack snickered.
"Just get!"
That evening
Tonight was Throwback Night where Jack's band had put together a list of cover songs and any audience member who could guess the name of the song and artist by the end won a night of free drinks on their next visit. It was easy to say that the club was packed for this event. In the back at a table with a sweet tea and a bowl of grapes, Nina sat and watched her Jack with glittering eyes full of absolute adoration.
"Alright, alright settle down. This is an oldie, but a goodie, let's see who can guess it. It's an easy one," Jack spoke into his mic on its stand and sent a wink in Nina's direction. The way his voice sounded as it vibrated through the speakers always had an invigorating effect on Nina. It made her hotter than the cherry on a cigarette, but of course, in her current state she couldn't jump on stage as easily as she used to. Her heart flipped in her chest when the starting chords of 'I Want You To Want Me' by Cheap Trick pierced the dense club air. Instantly, the crowd was in an excited uproar.
I want you to want me.
I need you to need me.
I'd love you to love me.
I'm beggin' you to beg me.
Jack held his guitar, the gift from Nina, in front of his pelvis as he leaned forward into the mic with his lips just inches away and sang into it. His voice was surprisingly melodic for how deep it was when he spoke, the pitch sent shivers down Nina's spine. His bright blue eyes never left her from the back of the club as he performed.
I want you to want me.
I need you to need me.
I'd love you to love me.
I'll shine up the old brown shoes, put on a brand-new shirt.
I'll get home early from work if you say that you love me.
Nina clapped her hands in rhythm and tucked her lip under her top teeth and whistled. She loved watching Jack play, he never looked happier.
Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin'.
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
I want you to want me.
I need you to need me.
I'd love you to love me.
I'm beggin' you to beg me.
I'll shine up the old brown shoes, put on a brand-new shirt.
I'll get home early from work if you say that you love me.
At the edge of the stage, young girls scrambled and clawed the air to touch Jack, Nina found it all too amusing watching them try. A look of confusion crossed her features when she watched the Mercer reach down, he never did that at any show. A pang of hot anger and anxiety flooded her veins, nervously she rubbed her belly as she gave this audience member a full scan.
Didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin'.
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin'.
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
It was a girl, not much older than Nina. Tall too, with long black hair that was sleek and smooth that reached the small of her back. Her skin was an olive tone and her eyes were a sharp emerald green. The Russian's blood boiled when it appeared Jack knew this woman when he let her lean in and sing with him on the mic. Slamming her glass on the table, the little pregnant woman stormed out of the guest area to the hallway that led backstage to the dressing rooms.
I want you to want me.
I need you to need me.
I'd love you to love me.
I'm beggin' you to beg me.
I want you to want me.
I want you to want me.
I want you to want me.
I want you to want me.
The last note rung out as one the crowd members screamed into the mic that Jack lowered for him to answer. He chuckled and high fived the man before glancing up to see Nina's spot empty, his waist being hugged by the woman he pulled on stage. He already knew he'd made a mistake by inviting this woman here tonight, Nina's jealousy was a force to be reckoned with and he knew better than to mess with it. Especially, since he was a First Class fuck up.
"Alright folks, we're taking a break. We will be back, go drink!" Jack didn't relish in his spotlight for long and took off, leaping from the stage and sprinting down the hallway to his dressing room. Nina was sitting at the vanity mirror with her legs crossed and her temple leaned against her knuckles. If she wasn't so mad, Jack would compliment her on how gorgeous she was tonight. A turquoise cocktail dress from Versace, silver bracelets along both of her wrists with matching flats. Her hair was teasingly curled and framed her porcelain face like a beautiful painting.
"Nina, Baby what's the matter—Woah!" Jack ducked just in time to avoid being hit in the face by a box of guitar picks, he winced when they exploded all over the floor. Down the hall he could hear the high heels clicking of that girl and hurried into his dressing room and closed the door. Nina was hunched over the vanity counter as he leaned his back against the door, she was putting the pieces together in her head without his help.
"How long, Jack?" Her voice was small, almost silent, but he somehow heard the serene chime. He swallowed thickly to push that painful knot in his throat out, in his ears his pulse thundered as he quickly tried to think of something to say. "How long?!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Nina!" Pushing herself to her feet with a small grunt, the little Russian balanced her belly with one hand below while she pointed a slender digit right at Jack.
"That! What the hell was that all about? You never pull people up on stage, let alone another girl. You better start talking before I figure it out on my own,"
"I'm not allowed to invite people to my shows? Or pull them on stage like they asked? Shit, Nina. You need to harness this fucking jealousy issue of yours because it's exhausting to keep up with it. I didn't expect her to show up tonight, I invited her weeks ago to another show after I met her a few months before," Wrong thing to say, he knew it the second the words left his mouth when he caught that second of agony on her face before she hid the emotion away.
"Don't turn this around on me, Jack. No one knows you better than I do. That wasn't just some friend, not with the way you had your arm around her waist," They were interrupted by a knocking on the door and a voice.
"Jack? You in there? Come on you said you'd buy me a drink!" Jack couldn't stop Nina when she shoved him out of the way and opened the door. "Oh hi, is Jack in here?"
"Who the fuck are you?" Nina was sour, Nina was cold. She didn't give a damn how rude she seemed, she was getting to the bottom of this now.
"Uh…Rachel? Excuse me, but who the fuck are you?" Behind Nina, Jack sighed heavily and rubbed his hands over his face. The other woman marched past Nina and stood right in front of the handsome Mercer, she met him eye to eye. He stared her down angrily while clenching his fists at his sides. This was spiralling out of control and he was helpless to stop it. "Who is she, Jack?"
Nina knew then what was going on and she could hardly stand to believe it. With her eyes as wide as saucers, filling to the brim with tears, she stood and waited for him to speak. That woman, Rachel didn't budge until he said something. "She's my fiancé."
"Fiance?! You told me you were single! This pregnant bitch is the one you've been running off home to for the last 4 months?! Hey—" Nina pushed the tall raven haired woman out of her way and slapped Jack right in the jaw, her palm making contact with a reverberating SMACK. Jack held his wounded jaw as Nina turned on her heel and made her way out of the door, she didn't need to hear anymore to know what was going on.
"Nice, Rachel. Thanks, I said I couldn't see you anymore and you show up anyway," Jack's voice was low, like it had been that afternoon when he confronted Anthony. Rachel crooked a brow and rolled her green eyes.
"Hey, you're the one who pulled me on stage, asshole. I didn't expect to walk into an engagement. You lied, Jack. Not me. Now, it's either that bitch or it's me. I'm hotter, I'm definitely not pregnant, and I definitely recall all those times back at my apartment where we-"
"I faked it, now get the fuck out of my way," Jack put his hands on her shoulders to remove her from his path. Like a needy, clingy fan, Rachel clutched Jack's shirt and begged him not to go. It took all of his effort to pry her fingers out of the fabric and burst out of the room and against the hallway wall.
"Nina! Nina, don't go!" Leaving Rachel in the dressing room, angry and screaming, he ran after Nina as she marched down the hall to leave. Grabbing her by the elbow and turning her sharply to look at him, he caught her hand as she went to slap him once again. "Will you let me explain?"
"What's to explain, Jack? You're fucking some whore behind my back while I'm pregnant with your child and working my ass off to buy a house and so we can get married. That's pretty self-explanatory. 4 months, she said Jack, 4 fucking months! What, did your dick twitch because I won't have sex with you? Because I feel like a fat cow? Go to hell Jack Mercer; I will have this baby on my own without you. I don't need you to do this to me. I'm picking my shit up and I'll be gone by the time you get home," Roughly, Nina retracted her arm from his grip and left him there before he could say anything else and draw her back in.
Jack watched as the black double doors closed and Nina disappeared once again. Behind him, he could hear Rachel coming and ranting about Nina. Walking right past her and into his dressing room, he slammed the heavy door in her face and locked it. Once again, he fucked up and he couldn't blame Nina for the way she reacted, but now he'd lost her all over again. This time, it was really his fault. He didn't go back on stage that night and polished off an entire pack of cigarettes in his own personal misery. Nina was gone and she took the baby with her. Now what?
A/N: Aw snap. Look at that. Jackie, tsk, you gotta control your urges man. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon. Patience my duckies!
