Chapter 14: The Band Got Noticed

The 2nd Week of December

"Cam, are you sure you'll be okay without me?" Jack asked, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Stop worrying about me. Go tour the country! I'll be fine! You're mom'll help me out! So will Justin, Bec, and everyone else! Just go!" Camryn said. She gave him an intense kiss and then a hug.

"I love you, sweetheart…" Jack said, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you, too, Jackie…"

"Jack! Let's go!" Devin called from the van. "Stop with all the lovey dovey shit and get over here!"

"Just because you don't have a girlfriend doesn't mean you can take me away from mine! Wait a minute!"

He turned towards Camryn again and looked her in the eye. "Call me if you need me."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"Promise." She quickly kissed him again and let him get in the car.

Jack was off to tour the country with his band, leaving 8-month-pregnant Camryn with his mother and Bobby.

Camryn took a seat on the porch and Evelyn went inside where Bobby was watching from the kitchen window, while eating his cereal. It was 7:00 in the morning.

After Bobby finished his breakfast he took the leather coat Jack left for Camryn (her favorite of his) off the coat rack and went outside onto the porch. He threw it over her shoulders and took a seat next to her.

"I want him to be here for this." Camryn said, quietly.

"I know. I wish he was here for you, too. I can't believe he actually left you here."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"What did you mean then?"

"I meant I want him here for the birth of our kid."

"When you go into labor I'll call him and tell him to come home. Sound good?"

"I don't know if he'll make it in time but yeah. That sounds good. Thanks, Bobby." She shivered against the cold air.

"Why don't you come inside and watch a movie or something. You're gonna freeze your boobs off out here. I'm sure you're gonna need 'em!" Bobby laughed.

"You're fucked up. Did you know that?"

"Yep. And proud of it! Now come on. Go take a nap or something."

"Fine." Camryn sighed.

Bobby stood and helped her up.

-A Month Later-

January 25 - Hospital

"Jack, go in and meet your daughter." Sofi urged, from her chair in the waiting room.

Jack was zoned out in the waiting room. He had just gotten to the hospital 10 minutes before Bobby came out of Camryn's room.

"How's Camryn?" Jack stood up.

"She's fine. She wants to see you." Bobby said.

Jack nodded and walked over to the door. He opened the door and his heart melted at the sight.

Camryn was propped up on the hospital bed, holding a little girl only a few hours old.

"Camryn." Jack breathed. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Hey, Jackie. Come see your daughter." Camryn smiled.

Jack approached the bed slowly, and then rested his hands on the side of the bed.

"How ya feelin', sweetheart?" He asked his voice weak.

"Other than 2 hours of pain, I feel great! I wish you coulda been here." Camryn said, looking him in the eye.

"I wish I coulda been here, too. But I'm here now so don't worry about it, 'cause I'm not leaving again."

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too…"

"You wanna hold her?"

"Uh…yeah…"

Jack held the baby so fragilely.

"She looks just like you, Cam." Jack smiled.

"She's got the baby blue eyes I melt in every time I look at you, though."

"Did anyone else come down to see you guys yet?"

Camryn shook her head. "No. Bobby wouldn't let anyone except Becca come see her until tomorrow. Ma was gonna let 'em but then he said I needed rest… Hell, I don't even believe that."

Jack laughed at that comment. "He's in overprotective-big-brother mode. Maybe I can convince him to let Justin and Connor come see you guys."

"I just wanna go home and sleep in our bed. It's so un-colorful and un-creative here…"

"You're tellin' me. I've been sleeping on a table that folds into a bed…alone… Do you know when you can go home?"

"I think tomorrow. But Justin's gonna be happy to hear the baby shares his birthday."

"Did you think of a name?" Jack asked, looking down at the baby girl in his arms.

"No. I saved that for you."

"Melanie Leah (pronounced Lee)."

"Or Emma Rose?"

"We've both got ideas; let's see what everyone else has to say about 'em."

"Okay. I'll go get 'em." Jack handed Camryn the baby and left to get the family.

"Is she up for visitors?" Sofi asked, standing up.

"Actually, we need help with a name. Come on."

Bobby, Angel, Jerry, Camielle, Sofi, and Evelyn followed Jack down to Camryn's room. Bobby was carrying Katie and Alex was at Danny's house with Daniella.

Jack opened the door and the 'crowd' followed him in. Evelyn shut the door.

"Okay. So were thinking either Emma Rose or Melanie Leah." Camryn said.

"Well, you guys are both pretty creative, so which one sounds more musical and artsy?" Evelyn asked.

"I like Melanie Leah. It sounds more like Camryn and Jack." Katie said; quiet enough only Bobby heard her.

"Katie said she likes Melanie Leah. So do I." Bobby added.

A chorus of 'Me too's rang out and Jack smiled.

"Melanie, welcome to the family." Camryn said, softly, to the sleeping baby in her arms.

-2 Days Later-

3:00 AM

Jack woke up in a cold sweat, next to Camryn in their bed. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes in an effort to calm himself, but it didn't help. He didn't want to wake Cam, but it was too late.

"Jackie?" Camryn said, sleepily.

"Did I wake you up?" Jack breathed.

"Yeah. But I wasn't fully asleep anyway. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just go back to sleep." Jack whispered, wiping his damp forehead.

"D'you have another nightmare?"

Jack nodded.

"'Bout what?" Camryn asked, wrapping her arms tighter around his toned body.

"A couple months ago when I wasn't here, that you got shot and it killed the baby. Or something like that…?" Jack said a hint of confused trailing his words.

"Forget it. I'm right here and Melanie—" Just as Camryn said her name she started crying from the next room.

"I'll get her." Jack said, about to get out of bed.

"No, it's alright. She's probably hungry."

"At 3:00 in the morning?" Jack whispered, in a shocked tone.

"What can I say? She's like her mother!" Camryn laughed. She walked to the next room and picked up the baby.

Camryn sat down in the chair and started feeding her. When Katie slowly opened Jack and Cam's bedroom door. Jack was lying in the bed, starring at the ceiling.

"Jack?" Katie whimpered.

"What's wrong, Katie?" Jack asked, sitting up and picking up Katie off the floor and into his lap.

"I can't sleep." Katie whispered.

"You wanna sleep in here with us?" Jack whispered.

"Where's Camryn?"

"She's feeding Melanie. She'll be back in a few minutes. Come on." He laid Katie down under the comforter and pulled her close enough for Camryn to still sleep next to the 2 of them.

Camryn returned a short while later.

Katie had already crashed and Jack was stroking her back to help her stay asleep.

"Nightmare?" Camryn whispered, crawling over to him.

Jack nodded and looked down at Katie. "She's got nothing to worry about, but she has one almost every other night."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I know you're lookin' out for her, but even though we live in Detroit no one's after her, she hasn't done anything wrong. Yet, she still has nightmares and none of us know what they're about."

"They're probably just flashback sorta nightmares. Like I used to have."

"From what though? She never got beaten or anything did she?"

"Maybe only once or twice when she's was, like, 3 but I always covered her. Like I did for Alex and anyone else who got in the way of my dad and Chris…including my mother." Camryn stroked Katie's brown hair and looked at her intently.

"How come you never told me? I thought it was just you and Alex."

"I didn't want you to worry about it." Camryn whispered, shifting her head so she could look at Jack.

"Well, it's kinda something that's worth worrying about, Cam. I don't want you or your brother or any of your family hurt or killed because your dad can't control his anger towards something useful."

"You have nothing to worry about now. He's dead and Chris is locked up so relax and go back to sleep." Camryn said, angrily.

"What was that!"

"Nothing. Good night, Jack."

"Night, Cam."

-The Next Morning-

10:00 AM

"What's for breakfast, Cam?" Jack asked, sitting at the kitchen table.

"Nothing yet…unless you meant for Melanie."

"I'll take what she had." Jack joked.

Camryn crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Don't. Start."

"Sorry. I had to do it." Jack laughed. "I'll cook my own breakfast."

"Thank god! I can't cook for my life!"

"You can for Melanie…"

"You're gross." Camryn smacked him in the head with a dish towel.

"Where's Bobby?"

Camryn took a seat next to Jack. "He left already. 7:00 this morning. I was asking him to stay an extra day but—"

"It's alright. I'll see him…some other time. Where's Melanie now?"

"She's in the living room with Connor."

"You let Connor touch our baby? That's dangerous, don't you think?"

"Just about as dangerous as the big, loveable, muscular, soft teddy bear I sleep with every night."

"Are you saying I'm not dangerous?" Jack asked, with a laugh.

"Maybe…" Camryn said, sitting in his lap. "Or I could just be saying my big, loveable, muscular, and soft, teddy bear comes alive every other night for some action to try and prove he's dangerous…"

"You're so weird…"

"Oh my god! My teddy bear talks! How cool!"

"And evil!"

"I'm sure you weren't thinking that when you first knocked me up, Jackie."

"Of course not! I was more concerned with your boobs and other useful body parts!"

"What is with you this morning, Jack!" Camryn exclaimed with a laugh.

"I missed you and your hot body."

"It ain't so hot anymore, is it?"

"Yes it is. But if I know you well enough, I can say you're gonna work on your abs until they're rock solid and completely kissable again, am I right?"

"Damn straight."

"Camryn! Come get your little monster!" Connor screamed.

"Hey! I worked very hard for that "little monster." Don't call her that!" Jack yelled.

"Ew! Did not need to hear that!"

"Oh well! You did!"

"What's wrong, Connor?" Camryn sighed, walking into the living room.

"She won't stop crying!"

"Well, what'd you do to her?" Camryn said, taking Melanie from Connor.

"He probably tried talking to her like she was a dog and then started to pet her." Jack laughed, sitting on the couch.

"I was 3! How was I supposed to know the difference?"

Jack started cracking up at that comment. Camryn sat down on the arm rest of the couch with Melanie in her arms and she was laughing hysterically.

"You guys are mean." Connor pouted.

A/N: I know it's kinda a short chapter compared to my other ones! But the next one is gonna be flashbacks of what happened while she was pregnant and while jack was gone and some funny stuff, some fights, and…yeah you get the idea! REVIEWS! REVIEWS! PLEASE! 3 to update!

\!Cm/