Broken Down And Built Back Up
Chapter Fourteen: (Milton's And Jen's) Advice
Warning: Jack is going to be a little OOC.
emeralgreenlove: Hi, everyone! Thank you for reading and reviewing and I will be answering to some reviews at the bottom. (By the way, I'm already working on the next episode, so I have sneak peeks for those of you who review!)
XxX
I snuggled into my blankets and pillow as I slowly started to wake up.
Somebody kissed my head and my stomach, then left.
I blinked as I heard Eddie's voice say, "So, are you ready to leave for the tournament?"
XxX
KIM
Tournament? Leaving? What was going on? What was Eddie even doing here?
I sat up and wrapped one of the blankets around me. I'd been sleeping on the couch, which wasn't all that comfortable to be honest.
"I don't know if I'm ready, guys," Jack said.
I entered the kitchen to find all the guys in a huddle, talking. As I walked into the kitchen, they stopped talking abruptly. I felt as if I'd walked into my parents' heated conversations.
I glanced at all of the guys' faces and asked, "What's going on? What tournament are you guys talking about?"
Eddie, Milton and Jerry all looked confused and Jack looked annoyed. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Kim, you weren't supposed to wake up until later," Jack stated.
"What time is it?" I asked quietly.
"Seven," Milton replied.
"I've been sleeping for almost twelve hours and you didn't expect me to wake up?"
"I, uh, no—"
Milton's phone started ringing and he answered with his usual "Hello."
I stared at Jack as he opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"...Okay, Rudy. I'll let them know," Milton said, hanging up as I wrapped my blanket tighter around me.
"Guys," Milton said, "Rudy said that he was having car trouble, so we can expect to be here for a while."
Everyone grumbled their responses.
"Yo, I'm going to watch TV since Kim's awake," Jerry said and left to go to the living room.
"I'm going to make sure he doesn't break anything," Milton said and left.
"I'm going to help Milton out," Eddie said, smiled and left.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" I whispered.
"I didn't want to say good bye while you were awake."
"I think that would have been the best thing to do—not just leave me behind in a big, empty house by myself."
"You wouldn't have been alone," Jack said.
"Jack, if you haven't already figured it out—I really don't like your turtle."
Jack rolled his eyes.
"I'm not talking about her. Mom's coming home from her business trip at noon, and Jaymee and Grandpa are coming back from Colorado in two days. You aren't going to be alone."
I blinked, drinking in the new information.
"Whatever. Rudy will probably take up to five hours to get here, so I'm going to freshen up and change. Don't leave without saying good-bye."
"Okay," Jack said, sounding defeated.
I ran up the stairs, anxious to get the tasks of showering and putting on a new outfit of the way.
XxX
I wanted to run down the stairs, to check if he hadn't left without saying good-bye properly, but I made myself slow down and walk calmly down the stairs. I trusted Jack with anything and everything, but sometimes I thought he was just way too perfect to be real—he had to have some flaws aside from having coulrophobia (which he had more or less defeated after fighting the Black Dragons dressed as clowns) and an allergy to Blue Cheese, right?
"Nice shirt," I said after I entered the kitchen and noticed he had taken off his jacket. Underneath he had a black shirt with white letters that said "Blink If You Like Me."
"Thanks," Jack said absentmindedly as he searched the fridge.
A feeling told me to look down, and when I did, I screamed.
Jack echoed my scream and turned around, at my side quicker than I thought it was humanly possible to be there.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his shoulders tense.
"Nothing. We're just wearing the exact same thing—it's…weird and creepy"
We both had on jeans and the same T-shirt, except that my shirt, of course, was smaller and tighter (since I was had…expanded) and Jack didn't look like he had a basketball under his shirt.
"I thought something bad happened," Jack whispered.
I started breathing normally again as Jack walked away, going to the cupboard and taking out a couple plates.
"Sorry," I said as the guys ran in.
"What happened?" the guys asked, at different times, but still managing to sound unified.
"Nothing happened," I said. "It was my bad, guys."
"Oooh, look, you guys are twins," Jerry said, his eyes wide and his mouth shaped into a grin of child-like joy.
"We're not twins, Jerry," Jack said.
"Yeah," I said, "we just so happened to have the same taste in clothes and wear the same outfit on the same day. It's not a big deal, and it's not like you have to be a twin to have twins. That's ridiculous."
My voice started getting high. Being Jack's twin would be…awkward in the least.
Milton had a far away look, his eyes wide and his smile showcased his excitement.
What's going on with him? I thought.
XxX
After breakfast, the boys had gone back to watching TV as if sensing Jack and I needed to talk.
I helped Jack put the dirty dishes in the sink and put on rubber gloves as Jack grabbed a dish. I took it away from him and gave him the drying cloth.
As we started washing the plates, my eyes were on the plate I was washing as I asked quietly, "You knew about this beforehand, but didn't tell me about it, right? Why?"
"I didn't tell you because I didn't know what your reaction would be. If you'd reacted badly, then I wouldn't have been able to make myself leave and focus on the tournament instead of thinking of you. I would have rather had you get mad at me after coming back rather than leave town knowing we're not in good terms."
"I wouldn't have done that, Jack," I said and shook my head. "You're the one person I have left that I'm close to. You're not the only one in this relationship that cares, you know, and no matter what it is that you want to pursue in life, I'll always stand by you—well, unless you want to kill someone," I finished off jokingly.
"I've thought about it several times," he said seriously, "but it's just not worth it."
"Jack," I said sadly, "I don't want you to think like that."
"But—"
"'But' nothing, Jack," I said, raising my voice. "You go out there and you follow your dreams. That's all I want you to do, so don't worry about anything but the tournament, 'kay?"
"So it doesn't matter to you what I have to do in order to reach my goals and dreams?"
"That's not what I meant. I don't want you to step on anybody in the process, but that's not what I meant. I just don't want you to worry about me, that's all."
"But I do worry—it's not like there's anything you can do about it."
"Well, try not to. I'll be fine, it's not like I—"
"Like what?" Jack whisper-yelled, throwing down the wash cloth. "Like you weren't raped? You try to down play it, but it's not like you tripped a couple times or got hurt during practice and that's how you got pregnant—it was abuse, Kim. Abuse. I'm frightened of the possibilities. What if I'd told you about the tournament and something happened to you simply because you were blinded by anger? What if you'd reacted badly to it? The 'what ifs' are kept me from telling you."
I sighted and noticed how the living room had become absolutely silent, even the TV set had been muted. I hoped Eddie, Jerry and Milton hadn't heard my secret.
Jack was absolutely still, his Adam's apple being the only body part he moved.
I silently removed the rubber gloves off my hands and covered my face with my hands.
Jack had never talked to me like that and on top of that, the guys might be aware of the most embarrassing secret I had. My insides grew hot and it felt as if my guts were being squeezed.
After a few minutes of silence, someone knocked on the front door, then came in.
Suddenly, Jack pulled me towards him. He buried his face in the crook of my neck and sobbed into me, holding me as if his life depended on it.
"I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm under so much stress, but I didn't mean to take it out on you. I just want you to be okay. And I haven't been sleeping well, Rudy and our principal have been pushing me too hard and I just can't take it. I never meant to shout at you or make you upset, I swear."
"I know," I said, rubbing his back. "You never act out, but it's not okay to have all this stress going on without you doing something about it. I thought karate helped you relieved some of it, but if it's only causing you more stress, you need to find a hobby or something that helps you relax. I know I may not always be in my best state, but maybe talking things out with somebody wouldn't really hurt, you know?"
He nodded against my shoulder.
"Jack…can't…breathe."
He loosened his grip on me and laid his cheek on my shoulder.
"Hey, Jack, I need you to help me with—" Rudy said as he entered the kitchen. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," Jack said and let go of me. "I'm going to get my luggage."
Jack left and went up the stairs.
"Did he just say he went to get his luggage?" Rudy asked.
"Yep," I said as Rudy and I glanced at the pile of the guys' bags, Jack's familiar ones at the bottom.
After a while of silence (except for Rudy's occasional muttering and some sound coming from the living room), I said, "Rudy, can I ask you something?" then sat down since my feet and back were killing me.
"Sure, Kim," he said and sat down at the kitchen table across from me. "What can I do for you?"
"Jack's really stressed out and he's kind of overwhelmed by everything. Could you go easy on him?"
"Jack? Are we really talking about the same Jack, Kim?"
"Yes, Rudy. He was feeling down about it. You're putting too much pressure on him."
"What?" Rudy asked, his voice high. "Jack can handle it, Kim. Thanks for the lack of trust."
"I'm telling you the truth, Rudy," I said, angry at my sensei. "Jack is a strong person, but even strong people get overwhelmed sometimes. Just go easy on him."
"Okay, if you say so. How are things going?"
"They're going," I said. "I'm getting bigger every day and my body's getting all swelled up, but not much has really changed since the last time we saw each other."
Rudy hesitated before he asked, "Are you ever going to do karate again?"
I was taken by surprise, but didn't hesitate when it came down to replying.
"Of course I am, Rudy. I may not be able to do it as often as I did before, and I may not improve as much as I would if I practiced it as regularly as I did before, but, I will always do karate…at least I can hope I do."
Rudy smiled at me and nodded.
"Remember when Jack was going to leave and when I made the mistake of giving up the dojo?" I nodded. "We all miss you back at the dojo. It just isn't the same. We're all worried about you and it just doesn't feel right to do karate while you're here, suffering."
I sighed and ignored the urge to roll my eyes.
"Who told you that, Rudy? I'm fine. Sure, I'm a couple pounds heavier than before, but it's not like I'm really paying attention to it."
"Nobody has to tell me anything for me to notice that you're not in your best shape. Back at the hospital, I saw all I needed to see." Rudy paused. "Do you not trust me enough to tell me what's really going on…or what already went on?"
"No," I said, "of course I trust you. It's just too painful to talk about and it's not something I'm exactly proud of."
I absentmindedly started rubbing my stomach as the babies moved inside me.
"Someday I will tell you and the guys. You all deserve to know, but I'm not ready to tell you guys yet."
Rudy sighed.
"Okay. I can work with that…we won't judge you and if you don't want to tell the guys, then that's fine, but I do want to help you."
I smiled and said, "Thanks, Rudy, and I know I can always count on you guys."
XxX
Rudy had finally gotten help from a neighbor and fixed his car up…after getting his mini van towed.
The boys (excluding Jack) and Rudy had left after I'd given them hugs and wished them luck, and Jack had stayed behind to say good-bye properly.
"I'm sorry I behaved like a selfish jerk," Jack said. "I didn't mean it."
"As long as you really mean it, never do it again and let me stay in your house, we're good," I said half-jokingly, half-serious. "I understand you were under stress, but, just, get help next time, okay?"
"Of course, Kimmy. I can't promise that I'll never do it again because I didn't mean to do it this time, but I'll try not to get upset or make you upset.
I nodded and walked into his arms when he invited me into his embrace.
"I'm gonna miss you, Jack," I said, against his chest, holding on tightly, knowing I'd have to let go soon.
"And I'm going to miss you, my Kimmy, but I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back."
"You better text me, call me and IM me, mister," I said in a mock stern voice.
Jack chuckled and said, "Yes, ma'am."
Jack let go of me and knelt down to the level of my stomach.
"You guys, be good for your mom, okay?" Jack asked my babies. "Uncle Jack might even get you a gift from a couple states away." He looked up at me and asked me, "What do you think, Kim?"
'Uncle'? I thought and almost chocked as Jack patted my stomach and stood up.
"You shouldn't spend money on me," I said, then realized what I'd said and shook my head, "us, I meant. You're just…" I tried not to let sadness seep into my voice, "Uncle Jack. You shouldn't spend your money on gifts, really."
"I'm not just Uncle Jack," Jack said as he pulled me back into his arms. "You're my best friend."
I nodded, not replying.
"Are you okay?" Jack asked,
"I'm fine," I squeaked out.
Jack held me a little tighter and said, "Of course you are, princess. You'll be fine, don't worry. You're strong and it's only a week." He paused, then continued. "I'll miss you like crazy, though…Promise me that when I come back you'll give me a big hug?"
I smiled and nodded against his chest as I realized that it sounded as if he were reassuring himself rather than me. Maybe that meant that he was going to miss me maybe as much as I was going to miss him, though I doubt it since he really didn't rely on me like I relied on him.
We stayed like that as we heard the door slam and Jennifer came in a few moments later.
"Jack, why are you still here and why is your sensei on my drive way?" Jennifer asked and dropped her keys into the kitchen table.
Jack kissed my forehead, let go of me and turned towards his mother.
"I was just about to leave," he said. "Rudy's car broke down, so we were stuck here till one of our neighbors decided to come help fix it."
Jack hugged Jen and kissed her cheek.
"Love ya, Mom," he said, then let go.
He waved at me and left, slamming the front door a couple seconds later.
Jennifer turned to me and asked, "So, what do you think about a girl's night?"
XxX
As the credits to Sky High rolled down, Jennifer left to do something and I picked up the snack bowl and walked to the kitchen. I refilled the bowl and went back to the living room where Jennifer was putting on Just Go Along With It.
After the first fifteen minutes of the movie, Jennifer turned to me and asked me, "Is there a certain reason why we're watching movies where best friends fall in love?"
"What?" I asked.
"In all the movies you've chosen, the characters have been best friends for a while and they end up getting together."
"I didn't notice," I muttered and didn't dare to look at her.
"It doesn't really surprise me."
I stopped nibbling on a Dorito, and turned towards her.
"What do you mean you're not surprised?" I asked. "Not surprised about what?"
"You're not really subtle about your feelings, Kim. I know you have feelings for Jack."
"What?" I said, my voice becoming high-pitched. "What do you mean I have feelings for Jack? Of course I have feelings for Jack. He's my best friend."
"You have romantic feelings for him is what I mean."
"No, I don't," I automatically replied.
"See what I mean?" she said.
I didn't reply.
After a brief period of silence, Jen said, "It's okay if you don't want to talk, but I'm aware that you can't talk with Jack about everything, and I wanted to spend this time with you so we could bond because you're an unofficial part of our family and I barely know you."
I glanced at her and nodded.
"I appreciate that," I said. "I'm just so confused about who I've become." I hesitated before I said, "I do kinda like him, but I really don't know where we stand."
"The key to a good relationship is good communication and seriously, honesty honesty honesty. It looks as if he likes you, but you have to know who you are and what you want before you commit to a romantic relationship."
I stared at the movie as I said, "I'm scared. What if it doesn't work out and we can't go back to being simply friends?"
"That's entirely up to you. If you think you're both ready to step into a relationship where you're more than friends, then do it, and make sure you discuss with him what would happen if things end up taking a bad turn. I'm not telling you to throw your friendship away…it's more of a leap of faith, you know?"
"I do," I said. "I guess I'm afraid of doing something that will tear us apart. I know it makes me sound dependent and weak, but I rely on Jack more than I've relied on anyone in a while and I don't want to lose him."
Jennifer smiled at me.
"I know how that feels like. No matter what you decide to do, just go with the flow and enjoy it because it will get harder and trickier once you're older and you have your babies to take care of." Her eyes went wide for a second, and added, "Oh, and don't forget to use protection. There's no need for me to be a grandmother till I'm in my fifties."
XxX
"Jennifer, do you know what Cody said to Jack to make him so mad a while back?" I asked, remembering my initial confusion on the subject. "I'd never seen him so upset."
"Cody said, 'The chick's got you wrapped around her little finger.' Even though it was disrespectful of Cody, Jack took it to the heart and that's why they got into a fight. He only did it to defend your honor. I'm not saying that I agree with his method of solving things, but standing up for the people that he cares about is something his father and I taught from a very young age."
I smiled and nodded, glad I had someone as awesome as Jack standing behind me.
XxX
One second I was laying in bed, with Jack behind me, his arms wrapped around my rounded stomach, and the next, I had a baby girl pressed against my chest. She was wrapped in a pink blanket, sleeping soundly as I smiled down at her lovingly. I glanced away for a second, then looked back and she was gone. I looked around frantically until Aaron appeared in front of my bed with the baby in his arms.
I reached out for her, but he stepped back and smirked.
"No, no," he said. "It's Daddy's time with our little girl. You should have gotten rid of her while you had the chance, baby sister."
He turned his back to me and disappeared along with my daughter.
I looked around the hospital room, then ran out the door after I realized that they were truly gone. I ran around the hospital corridors until I knew I had to look inside a room. I opened the door slowly, and looked at the person in the rocking chair. He wasn't looking at me, but I instantly knew it was Jack. As he continued to rock the chair, I noticed he had a pink bundle in his arms.
I let out a sigh of relief and slowly approached him. He slowly turned to face me.
My eyes widened as I saw blood on the pink blanket, then froze as he started to transform into Aaron.
I started to back up, but knew I was trapped. Besides, why should I live if I allowed my baby to get hurt? I deserved it. I let her get hurt and now she was gone.
I didn't know why (maybe it was a rush of adrenaline), but I screamed out, "Jack!" and ran to the door—
"Kim. Kim," someone said.
"Jack," I muttered and opened my eyes. Jennifer was crouched down to my level and was looking at me with worried eyes.
I closed my eyes, remembering the pain I'd felt as my baby had been snatched from me and killed.
"Jack," I whimpered quietly.
My fingers traveled down to my stomach on their own accord and clutched the top and bottom of my stomach as I realized that my babies were fine. They were going to be okay and I wasn't going to ever allow anyone to hurt them. That didn't mean that I wanted to cry any less. At any moment, I could easily hurt them without meaning to. Though Aaron had turned the shape of Jack, I still felt as if Jack had been the one to kill my little girl, not Aaron and the betrayal stung.
"Kim?" Jen asked.
I sat up and realized I had fallen asleep on the couch yet again.
"Are you feeling better?"
I shrugged.
"A little," I said in a shaky whisper.
"Do you want me to call Jack?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"Talk to me, then."
I shook my head again.
"Can-can you call Jack? Please?" I shakily asked.
"Yeah," Jen said and left.
A few minutes later Jen came back with the house phone on her hand.
"I'm going to go back to sleep. If you need anything, just knock on my door, okay?" I nodded. "And don't fall asleep on the couch again. It'll hurt your back more than it would if you slept on a regular bed."
I nodded and hesitated as I reached out for the phone.
"Ja-Jack?"
"Hey, Kimmy."
I didn't reply. I got off of the couch and folded the blanket that had been over me quickly.
"Are you there? Hell-o?" Jack asked.
"I'm right here, Jack," I said and climbed up the stairs quickly, locking the door behind me once I'd gotten to the guest room.
"Are you okay? Mom told me about what was going on."
"Y-yeah. I-I-I—"
I couldn't take even thinking of Jack's betrayal, much less talking about it.
"I'm so sorry I called you at this hour," I said as a few tears rolled down my cheek. "I shouldn't have bothered you, really. I'm going to hang up now."
"No, Kim, stay on the phone. You're obviously not okay. Why don't you tell me what got you so shaken up?"
I sniffled and laid on my side on my bed.
"Jack, really. It's nothing."
"Kim, why don't you just tell me?" Jack asked, hurt. "? We could work this out together. I promised you we were going to do this together, remember?"
I swallowed and said, "I was in a hospital room, alone with my newborn daughter, then Aaron appeared and took her away from me, saying that I should have killed her when I had the chance."
I stopped talking, too overwhelmed by emotion to speak. I started to sob, forgetting Jack was on the phone.
"Kim. Kimmy, don't cry. Please keep going. Sometimes all you need is to get things off your chest so you can feel better."
I got my sobs under control and said, "I searched what felt like the whole hospital for my baby, then my gut told me to go to a room. It was small and there was a rocking chair. You had your back to me and you had my daughter. I walked up to you and I realized that my baby was dead," I stopped to catch my breath, "then you turned around and transformed into my brother. He cornered me and I thought I was going to die…"
My sobs got louder and I looked at the phone, wondering if I should hang up and leave Jack out of my suffering. He didn't deserve to be involved at all. It was all on me.
"Shh, shh," he said. "Kimmy, I would never hurt you or your kids, I swear."
I took a big breath before asking, "Why do you care about them?" I asked curiously.
"Why do I care about who?"
"My children," I replied without missing a beat.
"Oh," he said and became silent. I wish I'd been able to see his expression and read his mind. After a period of silence, he said, "I care about them because they're a part of you."
That doesn't mean you have to be so loving towards them, I thought.
"Hey, have you thought of any names yet?" Jack asked.
"I've thought of some names, but I'm not really sure about them and I'm having a hard time thinking of nice girl names."
"Ummmm, how about…Jackie?"
A giggle escaped my lips.
"You just want to name someone after yourself, don't you?" I asked.
I grinned, then stopped, feeling ashamed and guilty of how quickly I'd forgotten about the nightmare, when it could easily become true. I shook my head. Worrying so much and stressing out wasn't good, especially while I was in the middle of my pregnancy. If I did too much stressing out, there was a possibility that the babies would be born premature.
"Alright," Jack said in defeat. "You caught me. Guilty as charged."
My grin returned and I laughed along with Jack.
"I will eventually be their favorite uncle, Kimmy, and you know it, so why not? If you have twin girls, one of them could be Jackie and other one could be Jackie…Kimberly. See? It works out."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I'm not going to name my daughter or daughters Jackie. Seriously, Jack, I want my kids' names to be unique, something you're lacking when it comes to the name department."
"Ouch."
"Do you have any suggestions for boy names?"
"Why? Are you going to further critic my suggestions? Anyhow, I hadn't really thought about it, so, no."
"So, how's the tournament going?"
"It hasn't really started yet. Well, it has, but they're just eliminating the people with the lowest belts." He paused. "I wish you could have come with me."
"Me too, sweets, but we'll see each other soon. It's only the second day and you're going to have tons of fun, enough for the both of us."
"Can you promise me something, Kimmy?" Jack asked, his tone of seriousness surprising me.
"Unless you're going to ask me to do something crazy, sure, I'm in. What do want me to promise?"
He became silent, but I could still hear his breathing.
"I want you to promise that you won't go ahead with your plan to get you-know-who in jail. I don't want you to get hurt, much less when I'm so far away and won't be able to do anything. Just…promise me that you'll stay out of trouble, and if anything happens, you'll call me."
I smiled, touched by his words.
"Of course, I'll promise, Jack. I told you I wouldn't go ahead with it, didn't I?"
"Do you really mean it?" he asked.
"I do, why wouldn't I?...Well, I have to hang up now, unless you want people to hear my snores across a couple of states."
Jack chuckled.
"Okay. 'Night, baby girl."
I closed my eyes and my smile grew wider.
"Sorry for waking you up, but thanks for listening like you always do. Night, Jack. Sleep tight."
I pressed the 'end call' button, then pretended that Jack was right next to me and mouthed the words I really wanted to say.
I love you.
XxX
JACK
"I love you," I whispered. "You have no idea how much I love you. I wish I could just tell you, but it's not the right time."
I shook my head, put away my cell phone on the pocket of my sweat pants and laid back on the deck chair that was out on the balcony of Milton's and I's hotel room. I didn't want to go back inside and disturb Milton's sleep (he's a light sleeper), so I just covered myself with the throw I had brought out beforehand, knowing it was a bit cold outside. I was sure I wasn't going to get any sleep with Kim on my mind, but I could always try.
I tried to relax, so I could go back to sleep, but before I had the chance, the sliding glass door that connected the hotel room and the balcony opened.
I turned, curious as to who it was.
Milton walked up to the deck chair next to mine and sat down on the edge.
"Milton? Buddy, are you awake?" I asked cautiously, trying to figure out if Milton was awake or if he was sleep walking.
Milton frowned at me and shook his head.
"Of course I'm awake," he said annoyed.
"Okay, good," I said, sitting up in my deck chair. "I have no idea how to deal with someone who's sleep walking."
"What was all that about? What happened to Kim?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, hoping he hadn't heard anything.
"I heard most of the conversation, Jack. You shouldn't put your calls on loud speaker if you don't want anyone else to hear them."
I looked at him, wondering if I should reply.
"I know. I know. I just wanted to hear her voice."
Milton nodded.
"Who's Aaron?"
I was about to reply, but remembered he was pretty much in the dark about Kim's condition.
"Someone who was a jerk to Kim."
"Is he the father?"
I nodded.
"He is, though he doesn't deserve to be."
Milton didn't comment, and stared into space.
"Wait, you say his name is Aaron, right?" I nodded. "It sounds familiar. Aaron? Where have I heard that name before?"
I laid back and closed my eyes, knowing it'd take a while for Milton to think.
"No way. The Aaron we're talking about can't be the same Aaron, can it?"
"What Aaron are you talking about, then?"
"Aaron Crawford."
My eyes widened as far as they would go and I was way too surprised to deny it.
"So it is true?" Milton asked, his voice full of disbelief.
"I never said that," I said, and swallowed audibly.
Milton stared at me, but didn't say anything.
"Kim is my friend," he started out calmly. "If she wants to go ahead and have a secret romance with her brother, then that's fine with me, but they both should have been more careful. Now they're going to bring two innocent children into this world that might end up deformed and with high chances of being ill for the rest of their lives."
"It wasn't like that, Milton."
"I won't treat Kim any differently, Jack. Yes, incest is gross and it's a touchy subject for many people, but if it makes her happy, then so be it. What I would like to know is what happened afterwards."
"Kim didn't have a choice."
"You always have a choice."
"Not when you're being forced," I snapped. "She didn't just get up one day and said, 'I'm going to have intercourse with my brother.' It just happened and it broke her. You haven't seen her cry, Milton; you haven't been there to comfort her almost every night when she wakes up screaming, desperate to wake up from her nightmares. You haven't gotten past her smile, and when you get there…it's a dark, dark place you wish you could just get her and yourself out of. What she has gone through is something I don't wish on anyone and I regret not being there for her when she was going through it. I thought that you out of all people would understand, but I guess I was wrong."
"I can't say I perfectly understand," Milton said quietly after he thought things over, "because I don't and I don't think I ever will, but I wish she would have let us know about it."
"Me too."
"So, are you and her…?"
"We're not going out. I don't think she could handle everything at once, and I'm certainly not going to test her limits."
"But you do see a future with her, don't you?"
I nodded.
"I don't think I could imagine one without her," I said.
Milton nodded and became quiet as I got lost in thought.
"How does it feel knowing you're going to be a stepfather in a couple months?" Milton asked, surprising me.
"What?" I asked.
"You see a future with her, but you haven't thought of her children?"
"Of course I've thought of her children, I'd just never thought of them as…mine. And we're not married, so, really, they're not going to be my stepchildren."
"Yes, they are. If they're not going to have their dad around, they're always going to look for a father figure, and if you're always with their mom, who do you think they're going to think of as dad?"
"Me?"
"Exactly."
"I'd never thought of that," I said, then hesitated, but continued. "I'm too young to be a dad. I don't even know if I'd be the right person for it. What if I messed up with both Kim and her kids? She would never forgive me."
"I'm not telling you that you have to act like their dad, Jack. I'm just saying that it's the logical thing. And Kim's too young to be a mom. If you truly love her as much as you say you do, then it wouldn't be a problem."
"You're right. How do you know this?"
"My dad's not the person that made me. He's the person that married my mom after she had me, raised me and treated me like his son even though our DNA doesn't match up."
I smiled and remembered Milton's dad. Though he was a bit loony, you could see just how much Mr. Krupnick loved and supported his son. Maybe I could eventually do it, too, even if the idea was a little far-fetched.
"Milton, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"Do you have feelings for Kim?"
"When she joined our dojo, Jerry, Eddie and I already had crushes on her. Who wouldn't? I mean, she's beautiful, athletic, smart, funny, but at the end of the day, she's also our sister, and all we want is for her to be happy. We've all gotten past the fact that she's a beautiful girl and really started thinking of her as one of the guys, and a sister of course."
I laughed.
"I bet Kim would be flattered yet offended if she heard you say that."
"I'm sure she'd be," Milton said and walked towards the glass sliding door. "Come on, aren't you going to get any sleep?"
I nodded and got up, following him inside.
I was about to ask Milton how he'd gotten so wise when I noticed he was already snoring in bed.
XxX
I hope you enjoyed it and I meant to ask you guys, do you guys think I go a little over board sometimes with the fluff? And if you have any names for Kim's twins (whose genders I will not yet reveal), then I would really appreciate it and this would be going on till the chapter where they're named. I would appreciate it if you reviewed with guesses for the genders of the babies, their names and any kick idea or any idea at all that you have for this story. Also, I meant to ask you guys if you have all watched Girl Vs. Monster starring Olivia Holt? Please tell me about the things you enjoyed about this chapter/story: favorite parts, moments, quotes, and anything's fair game. (I would also love if it was more than two sentences. It's not that I don't enjoy short reviews, but longer reviews help me out better if you give me longer reviews.) I could also benefit from some well-thought out criticism. (My goal is to have at least 15. Chapter 12 has 17 reviews while chapter 13 has 11, so I want to bump the reviews up.) Remember, if you review, I will reply and give you a sneak peek! :.) And last, but not least, there is a lot of drama to come for this story, so I hope you enjoy it :).
Review Replies (Guests):
Misery Buisness: Thank you :).
ALEXIA WEASLEY KICK: Thanks :) and when you said "accidentally in love" I instantly thought of the song in the movie, Shrek, which is a really good song but I don't think you did that on purpose. I also liked that part where Kim's babies kick Jack's hand ;), so don't think I don't suffer from Kim's blindness and Jack's hesitance, but I think that the screenwriters from Kickin' It would agree with my methods. Thanks for all the love ;).
Wild112: Thanks. Here it was :).
Kelsey Thomas: Hope that sad face was turned upside down.
REVIEW!
~emeralgreenlove