I'm Back! Finally! Sorry this took me forever, but with high school scheduling (eighth grader here), a birthday party (seriously? He turned 14. Did he really need a bowling party?), and writer block (worst thing EVER), it was hard to write. But I finished it!
I had a lot of people tell me that Julia was too young. Yes, I know that. But there is a story behind the plot.
I moved before eighth grade and, through the power of Facebook, I found out that I girl who was in most of my classes in seventh grade is pregnant.
I did this plotline to raise awareness of early teen pregnancies.
Also, I have 4 reviewers of my apology note (I took it down) that inspired me SO much that I finished this during the NASCAR Budweiser Shootout (I'm a total NASCAR GIRL! Hate all other sports, but love NASCAR. Love Labonte and Logano). So you, along with me, can thank eclarefanaticxoxo, CraZybitch, DegrassiFFLover12, and Hamester157. Thank you so much! It means the world to me that you really like this story. These stories are the first time anyone has read my work.
So now that my LONG intro is done, you may read the story.
Enjoy!
"Eli, calm down," Adam said, watching Eli pace around the living room.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?" he yelled back at him. "How am I supposed to calm down when my pregnant, now 14-year-old daughter and her boyfriend are missing?"
"Panicking isn't going to help." He took Eli by his shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "We will find them."
"But how? We've been looking over a month," Eli sighed, flopping down on the couch.
"We're not the only ones looking," Adam reminded. "Brookie and LA have been looking non-stop."
Eli smirked for the first time in a while. His son really loved his sister. He was so dedicated to find her and nothing would stop him. He even said once that he was going to kill Brady when they find them. "Yeah. The boy's a trooper."
"And Fiona and Clare are doing everything they can."
"Yep. I just feel… like I can't help her. I want to be there for her so badly. She needs her dad now, to help her. Sure, I'm really pissed off, but that doesn't mean I won't help with my grandkid…"
"Wait!" Adam interrupted. "It was a home pregnancy test, right? It could have been a false positive."
"We know. Clare and I talked about the possibility, but we don't think she would just leave if she wasn't," he explained as Adam went to the kitchen.
He came back and handed Eli a cup of coffee. He smiled, "I remember when she was about six months old and you were all about her. You stayed up for nights with her and were running on a dump truck load of coffee."
He half-laughed, half-sighed. "Yeah. I love that girl."
"It's obvious," Adam smirked. "That's why you can't give up on her."
"I know… I know."
"Julia? Are you okay?" Brady asked, patting her back as she was puking.
"Just fine," she groaned sarcastically. She sat down, leaning against the tree. "I feel like crap. How long does morning sickness last?"
"I don't know. That's why we need your mom…"
"Brady, I said no!" Julia barked. "I can't go back."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to disappoint them…"
"Julia, running away is going to disappoint them even more!"
She took a minute to take that in. With her eyes starting to water, she buried herself into his chest. "I'm so sorry!" she cried.
He started patting her back, trying to comfort her. "It's okay, it's okay." He started to rock her in hopes that it would help.
"I'm just ruining everything."
"No you're not," Brady whispered, smoothing down her hair. "I am."
"You? You're not the one pregnant."
"I know. I'm just the moron that got you pregnant."
"You're not a moron, Brady," Julia whispered, almost asleep in his arms.
"Quit defending me," he smirked.
Just before she fell asleep, she managed to say, "I love you, Brady."
He smiled. "Love you, too, both of you."
… … …
Julia slowly came back to consciousness. Yawning, she sat up and stretched. "Brady, are you awake?"
"Brady's not here."
Her eyes shoot open. "Brady?" She looked around, but all that was around her was black, until a glint of light caught her eyes. Standing in front of her was a girl with thick, black hair that thinned out as it got to the ends and a black and crimson strapless dress that came highway up her thigh.
"Like he said, he's not here," she said, starting to walk around her.
Julia's breathing became shallow and she started to panic. "W-Where am I?"
"Um, dream-like state?" the girl guessed. "I don't know."
"Who are you?" Julia asked, trying to sound confident, but it came out as a squeak.
The girl smirked. "I'm Julia, the one you were named after."
"Wait!" Julia said, a shocked look upon her face. "My dad's ex-girlfriend, Julia? I thought you were dead."
"I am."
"Then how are you…"
"Listen, kid, I don't know everything," she spat with her hands on her hips. "But I've been watching you for the past 14 years."
"Well, I feel stalked."
Angel Julia groaned. "Oh, my god. You're my first love's first kid, only daughter, and he named you after me. I feel obliged to watch over you, to protect you, and the only way to protect you this time is to actually talk to you, inside your dreams."
She was still confused. "O…kay? Well, what do you need to tell me?"
Two simple words flowed out: "Go home."
Her eyes widened, starting to water. "I can't! You watch over me! You know why!"
Angel Julia sighed, "I know, I know. You're afraid of your parents being mad about the baby, but you're not the only one I still watch over. Come here." Reaching behind her, she pulled a small, black heart from her bag.
Julia stood up, cautiously walked over, and peered into the now open heart.
"We're not the only ones looking," Uncle Adam reminded. "Brookie and LA have been looking non-stop."
Her dad smirked. "Yeah. The boy's a trooper."
"And Fiona and Clare are doing everything they can."
"Yep. I just feel… like I can't help her. I want to be there for her so badly. She needs her dad now, to help her. Sure, I'm really pissed off, but that doesn't mean I won't help with my grandkid…"
Angel Julia then snapped the heart shut. "Pretty blunt and to the point, but do you get what I'm saying?"
"I… I understand," she admitted, still looking at heart. "Everyone- my friends, my family- they all want me back. It doesn't matter that I'm…" She still didn't like to admit that she was with child sometimes.
"Pregnant," Angel Julia finished for her. "Nope. You need go back."
"But what about Brady?"
"He follows your lead. He's your sidekick, your partner in crime," she smirked. "If you want to go, he'll follow."
Julia smiled. "Thanks, thanks for everything."
"Anytime. Well, not literally anytime, but you know what I mean." She turned to walk away, then turned back around. "Oh, and tell your dad I said hi."
"Will do," Julia laughed before Angel Julia disappeared.
"Julia. Julia, wake up," a voice filled the room as it turned black again.
… … …
"Julia, wake up," Brady whispered, moving his hands down her hair.
She opened her eyes to see a smiling Brady. She smiled back at him. "Brady, can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
She smirked up at him. "Seriously."
"Go ahead."
Taking a dramatic pause, as if to test what she was going to say out loud in her mind, she then said, "Can you take me home?"
Smiling, he helped her sit up. "Never thought you'd ask."
… … …
Eli sat down on the couch, watching the 11 o'clock news. Clare and a reluctant LA had gone to sleep, but Eli wanted to be up. He just couldn't sleep not knowing where his little girl was or if she was safe. A new story came on. It was about a teenager being shot to death that morning. Even though he didn't want to, he had to watch, just to make sure it wasn't Julia… or Brady. But it wasn't and he then could breathe again. Every time something like came on, he had a mini heart attack in fear that it was his daughter.
Just as he had started to relax again, he heard a noise coming from the front door. Curious, he walked over to it and heard the noise again. He went into the kitchen, grabbed the nearest utensil, a whisk, and went back to the door. Staying close to the wall, he opened the door, and then proceeded to jump in the door way, whisk raised to attack.
"AH!" Julia shrieked, cowering back, key in hand, as Brady moved in front of her.
Eli's eyes went out of his head. "J-J-J… Julia?"
She pushed Brady's shoulder out of the way to face her dad. "Hi, Daddy," she said, weakly.
"Julia," he sighed, then pushed Brady out of the way to pick up his daughter in a hug. But he couldn't help feel her small baby bump. He set her down. "So you are pregnant."
She nodded before bending down to pick up the whisk. "What were you going to do: whisk us to death?"
"Come inside," he commanded, ignoring her comment.
Julia looked back at Brady with a sad, worried look on her face. Brady grabbed her hand and walked inside.
"What's going on?" Clare asked, coming down the stairs in her baby blue robe. She rubbed her eyes, looked towards Julia and Brady, and looked rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "J-Julia?"
"Hey, Mom." She gave her a weak smile and wimpy wave.
"JULIA!" Clare ran over to her and hugged her tightly.
"Mom… Mom… Can't breathe…" she pleaded, her face turning blue.
"But I can't let go! You may leave again!"
"Mom, you're going to hurt Baby Lancaster!" Julia cried.
Clare's grip loosened and she released her. Her stare was very serious. "Julia Carolyn Goldsworthy, are you pregnant?"
"Obviously. I just implied that."
"No smart mouth from you," Clare ordered. "You are in trouble, so much trouble. You're barley 14, 13 when you left! How could you?"
Julia looked from Eli to Brady, then back to Clare. "I'm sorry, Mom."
Clare sighed. "How far along are you?"
"Um…" She started to count on her fingers. After a couple of minutes of mumbling, she answered, "I'm almost four months. We… 'did it' in February." She grabbed her mom's hand and placed in on her stomach. "Feel that bump? That's your grandchild."
She was silent for a moment, taking it in. Inside her daughter, her own flesh and blood, was another life. It was beautiful and her daughter never looked happier than when she said "grandchild."
"Julia…" She was lost for words.
"Crazy, huh?" Julia whispered back. "I've been around people that were pregnant, but it's different when it was you. For once in my life, I feel needed, like there's something to live for."
"And her name is Oliviera," Brady interjected.
"Oliviera?" Eli asked.
Julia smirked, then sighed. "He thinks Baby Lancaster is going to be girl and he's always loved that name. But, sad for him, we're having a boy and his name's going to be Dunstan."
"Oliviera? Dunstan? You guys have some crazy names picked out."
"They're real names!" Julia protested, giggling. "Look them up!"
Eli walked over to her wife and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Never thought I would be hearing this conversation now."
"Just be happy she's home, that they're home."
… … …
"LA?" Julia whispered into his room. With no reply, she walked in and sat down on her knees by his bed. She pushed his curly, auburn hair from his face as he slept. He looked so peaceful and she didn't want to wake him up, but they needed to talk.
LA groaned a little. "What, Mom?" he asked.
"I'm not Mom."
His eyes opened immediately. "Julia!" he cried. "You're back!"
She got up off the ground and sat on LA's bed. "Yep."
LA threw his arm around her and started to cry. "I thought you were never going to come back."
She patted his back, letting him cry. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left in the first place." She pushed him off of her, then wiped in cheeks with her thumb. "But I couldn't leave you to fend off Mom and Dad alone, especially through your fast-approaching teenage years."
LA chuckled quietly. "Nope."
They sat there in an in silence for a while. They were both uncomfortable, but also relieved in a way.
"So…" LA broke the awkwardness, "Mom and Dad have been talking about… your baby. Is it true?"
She sighed, then laid down on his bed. "Yep."
"Did Brady… want to…?" he asked, extremely uncomfortable.
"It took a lot of talking, but… I'll tell you when you're older." She started to stroke his hair, trying to get him to calm down and get more comfortable. She was his sister and, despite popular belief, she loved him. They have always been there for each other. Julia helped him relearn his love of hockey after he got a concussion during a game and he helped her stop biting herself. They may fight and make fun of each other a lot, but, deep down, they were best friends. "But don't blame Brady, okay?"
LA smiled, "I'll try not to."
"You're such a freak," Julia whispered, smiling, not smirking.
"And you're a vampire," he mocked. "But I'm probably going to end up killing him."
"We'll watch her!" Julia eagerly offered. Alli and Clare's eyes widened as they turned towards Julia and Brady.
"We need the practice," Brady explained.
"Besides Melina loves us. Right Mel?"
Melina, Alli's four-year-old daughter, came running up to them, her pink flower dress flowing behind her, and hugged Brady's leg. "Uh-huh!" she agreed.
Alli sighed. "Okay, you watch her while I'm in Paris." She had a big fashion meeting she had to go to.
"Yes," Julia whispered. "Thank you. She'll be on her best behavior. We promise, right?"
"Totally!" Melina squealed.
"Okay, we'll be back Friday." Alli picked up Melina. "Come on. Bye, guys."
"BYE!" Melina called before shutting the door.
Clare turned to them. "You guys are in for a world of trouble."
"Come on. She's four," Julia said. "How hard can it be?"
… … …
"UGH!" Julia laid down on the messed up couch.
It was Friday night. Melina was dropped off around noon. Since then, the living room turned from clean to pigsty. Dress-up clothes were everywhere, hanging from the lamps, T.V, and couch. A tea set was scattered around the room. The T.V. had on Sesame Street, Melina favorite show (AN: that show will be on forever, man. I swear). Crayons, markers, and colored pencils were all over the coffee table.
Julia closed her eyes, trying to block out Melina's squeals and giggles. "For the love of all that is good, shut up…" she whispered.
Brady plopped down next to her. "She put make-up on me. Where does a four-year-old get make-up? This is so weird."
"Well, duh," Julia giggled, wiping his eyelid. "That eye shadow doesn't go with your eye color."
Brady smirked. "Shut up, Goldsworthy."
"Having fun?" Eli asked, coming downstairs. His head moved as he examined the room.
"Does it look like it?" she asked, watching Melina run across the room in a pink puffy dress and purple lipstick.
"No. It looks Brady got a glam make-over," Eli laughed as he walked into the kitchen.
Brady groaned. "Mr. Goldsworthy, I respect you and all, but shut up."
He laughed even harder, tossing a water bottle at each of them before opening his. "Need help?"
"With what: my makeover or Melina?"
"Melina."
Julia smiled. "Thank you, Daddy." Eli walked over to Melina as Brady helped Julia get up. Before he could help, Julia pulled him to the other side of the room.
"I'm not ready."
"Ready for what?"
She gave him the 'Are You Serious?' look. "I'm not ready; we're not ready to be parents."
"What are you talking about?" he asked, shocked by her decision. She was so excited to keep their baby.
She sighed. "I'm seven months along, two months until our baby comes. We've been trying to become good parents, but… we just aren't ready, not now."
"We don't need to be ready now," Brady said.
She couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry…"
"You're right." He hugged her. "We aren't ready. I've known that, but I've just ignored it."
"Thank you," she whispered into his chest.
"So what's the plan?"
"Well…"
… … …
"Are you sure, Julia?" Clare asked, sitting down at the kitchen table.
"We're positive," Julia answered, nodding. "We talked about it all night." Brady's parents kicked him out for getting Julia pregnant, then running away with her.
"This is a big decision," Eli said dead serious.
"We know," Brady spoke up. "We think adoption is the best option for us."
Eli sighed. "Okay, do you have an agency in mind?"
"Actually, we have some parents in mind," Julia answered, "if they still want another baby."
Clare and Eli looked at each other in a state a shock. "Y-You mean…"
"Mom, Dad, we want you guys to be the parents."
"Are… Are you sure?"
"Of course!" Julia exclaimed.
Clare jumped up and hugged Julia, then Brady, saying, "Thank you."
Julia looked over at her dad, giving him a questioning smile. Eli smirked back, then mouthed, "Thank you." Julia's smile grew.
"Brady?" Clare whispered, smiling, as she came into the waiting room. Brady stood up, followed by Eli and LA. They had been waiting for twelve hours, but, even thought it was three in the morning, they were wide awake. Clare smile grew even bigger. "Do you want to meet your son?"
Brady's face showed fear. "Son? I have a son?"
Clare nodded, wiping a happy tear from her cheek.
Eli smiled down at Brady. "I know you're scared."
"Ha. That's an understatement."
Eli chuckled. "I was that way with Julia. Come on. Let's meet your son."
They started to head towards her room, LA running ahead. "Technically, he's your son," Brady pointed out.
"It doesn't matter who's raising him. He has your genes in him. He will always be your son." They stopped outside of the door. "Are you ready?"
He sighed, extremely nervous. "Before we go in, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for not killing me and for helping us."
"She's my daughter," Eli said. "I would do anything I could for her." His face held a small smile. "Let's go." He opened the door.
Julia sat in the bed with Clare tying her hair in a ribbon. LA tried to lean over her elbow to look at the blue bundle in her arms. "Hi," she whispered.
"Hey," he whispered back, nervously walking in. Once he got to Julia, he took a look at his son. He had his blonde hair and her nose and lips, but he was asleep, so he could see his eye color.
As if she was reading his mind, she said, "He has your eyes: ice blue."
"He's perfect."
"So what are you naming him?" Julia asked, looking at her parents.
"Us?" Eli asked. "We want you to name him."
Brady smiled. "You have your Dunstan."
"Actually, I've changed my mind," she announced, looking at her son. "Bryson Elijah Goldsworthy."
"After my brother?" She nodded. "He looks like him, too."
"You did good, sis," LA congratulated.
"Thanks, LA. Honestly, it means a lot."
"You do realize I still haven't changed my mind about killing Brady, right?"
She laughed a tiny laugh, trying to not wake up Bryson. She turned her head towards Brady. "Better watch out."
Eli looked down at his grandson. "This is typical family conversations. You'll get used to it."
"Welcome to the family."
Failure? It pretty much was. I think it was really rushed, but I had total writers block. I don't even know where I'm going to take this.
I need ideas (again) for LA, because this chapter lacked him. I want to do something with LA, Calissa, and Cayden. If you can give me any ideas, that would be great. Remember, he will either be 11 or 12. I haven't decided, but I'm leaning more towards 12 to do the whole 'Julia Driving' thing and LA starting middle school (I started middle school in 7th grade).
Review? Pretty please?
Thanks for Reading!