Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been a while. Gripe and complain all you want before you read this chapter. Hopefully it won't disappoint, and you'll forgive me by the end of it. If you do, comment, if you don't, comment. Either way, it's a win-win situation for both of us. I will say that I am still inexperienced in the "baby development" part because, well, I've never had one. I mean, I've been one (haven't we all?), but that doesn't mean I remember what all happened during that point and time. So, forgive me for any inaccuracies, I am simply going by the basic research I have collected. Well, I hope you enjoy, now go read!
Happy Birthday to Me-Jade's POV-July 26th
"Jade…Jaade…" Came the haunting call of my name in my dream. I couldn't open my eyes, not because I was weak but because they were sewn shut. This was some sick twisted nightmare that my brain concocted to torture me with, bastard. It had started with Cat being humiliated at school, pushed to her knees and forced to proclaim her "sins". My mind then brought Beck into the picture, and he proceeded to beat her, giving me the cruelest smile his thin lips could muster. I couldn't do anything, my arms having been chained behind me to a wall. I was on my knees, forced to watch while my love was brutally mauled. Her cries were silenced, but another set reached my ears, long having closed them and turned away. The high pitched keening of my own child, my baby, pierced my eardrums. No matter what I said, no matter how much I begged and pleaded for him to spare the newborn, it all fell on deaf ears. My will was broken as my child was quieted with a sharp snap. I was roughly woken up by someone shaking my shoulders. I reacted, my hands grasping tan limbs and ripping them behind their owner's back. I unknowingly flipped Cat onto her stomach into my mattress and I was in the process of screaming bloody murder when my brain finally registered her voice. "Jade! Jade, wake up! It was just a nightmare!"
"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Cat." I jumped off of her and scrambled to the other side of the room, sliding down the wall and taking a seat. I was horrified at my own instincts to lash out at anything, even the girl bearing my child. Glaring at my hands, which had cruelly wrung lithe limbs into submission, I wished for nothing more than to wrap them around a certain ex's neck. I flinched when an arm settled around my shoulders and a tan hand rested in my open palm.
"What was it about?" She whispered to me, her voice steady as she rubbed circles into my skin. I pressed the heel of my empty palm into my forehead, trying to ease the throbbing pain that was pulsing behind my eyes. Too much activity this early in the morning, no food in my stomach, yeah, I was getting a raging headache. Cat's hand squeezed mine reassuringly and I shook my head. "Please tell me?"
"A stupid nightmare, that's all…" I murmured, trying to keep it in. The fear was still thrumming through my system and dancing along my nerves. Cat's answer to that was a kiss to my temple and to turn my head towards hers with a gentle touch. Her brown eyes switched between my blue-green ones, searching for anything that I couldn't speak. The unasked question was just beneath the surface, and I was unwilling to answer it completely. "I couldn't stop it…I was powerless, and he hurt you..Then…"
"Go on, get it off your chest…" She prompted, knowing better than to ask. The past few weeks had left me with little to no sleep due to the horrible nightmares. I could only cover up the dark circles and bags underneath my eyes with so much make-up. Pietro had originally rebuked my request to work as a bouncer, deeming my tension and irritability problematic. He wizened up when he realized that I was at my wits end and needed some other form of stress relief other than running my body ragged. Last night had proved to be one of the more difficult ones, although I have no marks on my skin, there were plenty left on my mind. Beck had once again appeared and easily acquired a few drinks. Apparently he chatted up one of the bar tenders and gained favor in her eyes, enough to make her temporarily "forget" where she placed shots of tequila. Beck had managed to work his way over to my spot and harassed me until I reluctantly paid attention. It took what little control I had left to not throw him out, yet I had every right to call the police on his inebriated ass. I sighed, and shook my head again, dispelling the dark memories.
"I heard her…or him…The baby was screaming…I couldn't do anything to protect her…I was completely helpless…" I wiped my hand down my face, smoothing my creased brow and relaxing the tense muscles. I swallowed thickly, tamping the fear back down into its hidden place in my brain. "I lost both of you, Cat…And I couldn't do anything to stop it."
"Shhh…It was all just a dream…I'm fine, safe and sound. The baby's safe as well…" She ran her fingers through my disheveled hair, catching and untangling the knots they encountered. She kissed my forehead again, placing another on my cheek, and finishing with a chaste one on my lips. "By the way, we need to go visit Doctor Abrams today for my check-up. Go get ready, okay? We've got a long day ahead of us."
"Ugh…Do I have to?" I played the disgruntled teen pretty well, seeing as I still was one, although it didn't seem like it most of the time. I had recently put together a crib in the baby's room and arranged the stuffed animals that Andre, Tori and Robbie had graciously supplied; a little lion that resembled the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz, a pink elephant with ridiculously oversized ears, and a tiny little monkey with a fez that looked similar to the monkey from Aladdin. Poor kid was going to be traumatized at an early age, only to realize that mommy is also daddy.
"Sorry, Jade, we've got stuff to do, and you've got a day off. Get your lazy, smelly butt into the shower and clean up. I'm sure you don't want the doctor to have another reason to laugh you out of his office. Now scoot, you smell like a distillery." Cat had stood up and pinched her nose to emphasize her point. She held out a hand for me to take, and I hauled myself up, easily wrapping my arms around her waist. I was careful not to exert too much pressure in my hug, fearful that I could squish the slowly distending belly. I leaned in for a quick kiss, thinking that I was going to be pushed away and surprised that I was allowed. She was the first to break it, giving me a small smile. "Go on…"
"If you insist…Your wish is my command, princess." I gave her a coy smile as we parted ways, her leaving the room and me making my way towards my bathroom for a much needed shower. She was right; I did smell like a beer factory.
Doctor Abram's office-12:15 PM
"Ah, lovely for you to make it, on time this time! Come, come, we have different tests to make and the room is all set up for you." I rolled my eyes as the eccentric man greeted us with raised arms and a dramatic exit. We followed the doctor into the examination room, seeing the equipment set up for the necessary tests. I sat down in the chair next to Cat as she relaxed into the comfortable table/chair thing. I had no idea what to call it, give me a break. I clasped one of her hands between both of mine, reveling in the feel of her smooth skin against my rougher palms. As Abrams smeared the gel on her abdomen, Cat jumped slightly.
"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately becoming alert at her hiss. She gave my hands a reassuring squeeze and a small smile. She kissed the back of my hand and shook her head.
"It's just cold, nothing to worry about, sweet heart." I sighed and relaxed, still on the edge of my seat. Doctor Abrams coughed, garnering my attention once again. He had some medical instrument in his hand, not that I really cared what it was called, and he was quick to place it on the gelled areas. I watched as he slowly, rhythmically swiped it across her lower abdomen and the picture appeared on the monitor's screen. I saw the black and white photo flicker on the screen, changing with each movement. There was a large black opening in the middle of it, with a white blotch centered in the black mass.
"Ah, there we are…" Abrams stated airily, almost as if lost in thought. He pointed at the white object, motioning for us to look closer. He nudged the machine towards Cat so she wouldn't disturb the instrument's reception. "That little blip on the screen, is actually six inches long, and is your bouncing baby whatever-gender-it-is-because-I-can't-determine-the-gender-at-this-point-in-time."
"Six inches? But it's so small…" The fact that it was the length of my fingers outstretched was surprising. It felt like a short time ago that it was only the size of Cat's pinkie. I guess time really does fly, but I haven't really been having fun lately.
"Well, the photo can distort the image, but yup. That's your little spawn, your little gem, little booger, snot nosed brat-" He stopped when I cast him a caustic glare. I could see him swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat with the action. "Well, I'm going to go finish up the rest of the paperwork…Let me just flip this switch and have you listen to something important…"
"What are you-" He was gone before I could finish my question. In his wake was a rapid staccato beat that permeated the room. I cocked my head to the side, confused as to what this could be. Cat was grinning ear to ear as she cleaned off her stomach with the towel Abrams had left on the railing next to the bed. She pressed my hand to her abdomen, urging me to leave it there. "Cat, what is this?"
"It's a heartbeat, Jade…The baby's heartbeat…" My eyebrows shot up, and I listened more closely. I could distinguish the minute spaces in between each beat, hearing them marching faster than my own. Every other second it would match one of the beats from mine, making it flutter with jubilance. I wasn't one for sappy moments, but this was one that I would gladly relive. Suddenly, I felt a tremor under my hand. Somehow, Cat's grin grew even wider, almost splitting her face in two.
"Was that…" I didn't know if I could finish the question. Just the idea that I had just felt it was too much to comprehend for my tired mind. Cat nodded excitedly, bringing my other hand up to rest next to my own. "Hi baby…"
"Oop, felt that one." Cat grimaced as the baby responded with a stronger kick. A smile of my own crawled its way across my lips. "I think she likes your voice."
"Or he likes it. Either way, she, or he, knows that my voice is fantastic. I think it's what got you so captivated with me, isn't it?" I replied cheekily, nuzzling her nose with mine in an eskimo kiss. I leaned forward to place a loving kiss on her abdomen. "I can't wait to see you, kid. Trust me, you're going to love it here. You'll be surrounded by people who love you, and your mommies will take wonderful care of you."
"You're going to be adorable with her…or him…Gosh this is confusing. I can't wait until we can find out what the gender is going to be." Cat simply gazed down at me, her eyes glazing over with her thoughts.
"Well, keep it to yourself, okay? Even though I said I don't like surprises, this is something that I could live with. Only five more months until I know anyways. Don't worry, I can wait…" I gave her an easy smile and kissed her knuckles.
The Godfather's Humble Abode-Jade's Bedroom-6:00 PM
"Jadelyn, are you quite finished napping in there?" Pietro rapped his knuckles on my door before poking his head in. I groaned as I sat up fully and looked at the clock. The red digits flickered, showing the time as six. I had slept for five hours, and it was a deep sleep. I felt more relaxed than when I had woken up this morning. The last remnants of my dream included me placing a kiss on my newborn's forehead. Sighing heavily, I tossed my covers back and slipped my legs over the edge of my bed. "Get ready, we have a reservation at 7."
"A reservation? For what, and where?" I scratched my head as I stood up and walked towards the door. Pietro looked appalled for a second before shaking his head.
"We are eating at my restaurant, remember? We serve the finest food around, and you deserve the best. Now go on, freshen up, don't want you smelling funky at the remarkable restaurant I own." He waved his hands towards the bathroom before disappearing behind my door. I shook my head. What is it with everyone today?
Ace of Hearts Club-7:00 PM
"Mr. Pietro, so lovely to see you tonight as well as the rest of your family." The hostess greeted us with a casual smile and a bow of her head. She led us to one of the tables around back, laying out the menus with practiced ease. "One of our servers will be right with you."
"Are we expecting anyone else, Pietro?" I tipped my head towards the three other chairs that surrounded the table. Cat was sitting to my right, Meredith on my left, and Pietro had taken his seat across from us.
"Perhaps. They will be coming along shortly." He waved away my question and looked nonchalantly at his menu. Avoiding my question with something he already knew, this man was up to something. In fact, Cat was looking pretty suspicious as well.
"Now, why would the owner of a restaurant need to look at his own menu? Shouldn't he know it by heart?" I attempted to ruffle his feathers, see if he would react to any jabs. His shoulders straightened as he sat back, tongue in his cheek.
"My dear, I am simply checking the grammar. The hostess and host seem to have forgotten how to spell crème brulee." He tapped on the back of the menu, gazing at the dessert section. I rolled my eyes, guessing that I wasn't going to get anything else out of him. I didn't even bother picking it up, already knowing what I wanted. The waiter came by to get our drink orders and promptly left with an appetizer order of dressed potato skins. As he disappeared, I saw three familiar figures approach the table, each with something hidden behind their backs. I bit the inside of my cheek as I tried unsuccessfully to suppress a grin when Andre stepped up to the table. He held out a black Teddy bear with a monocle and a top hat with a matching suit.
"I figured your kid would need a lesson in class, and Fancy Shmancy Bear is the one for the job." He smiled handing the stuffed animal over. Cat gladly took him and snuggled automatically with the fuzzy object. I ignored the jab at my supposed "lack of class" and stood up to give him a hug. He stepped back afterwards and handed me a thin, but long wrapped present. Gently dropping it in my hands he motioned for me to open it. I neatly tore the tape off the sides and popped the lid off to reveal a set of scissors that doubled as a pen. Looking from the gift back to him, I wondered where he obtained such a thing. "I know a few guys that fixed me up with it. I figured since you're so into writing and directing, and you have a disgusting obsession with scissors, that you needed a little of both worlds."
"This is really thoughtful, Andre. Thank you." I kissed him on the cheek in thanks and he returned it with a dip of his head. Tori stepped up next, shyly holding up a small blue giraffe with a pink bow tie around its neck. "Is this to match Cat's purple giraffe?"
"Yep, now your kid can have one so mom doesn't have to give hers up." She looked over my shoulder to Cat who nodded in thanks. Tori turned her attention back to me, her expression turning mischievous. She held up a small cube wrapped in black and red paper. Dropping it into my hands, I quickly removed the paper. Lifting the lid, I was surprised by a small camera. "It's so you can capture those little things in life that make you smile, just like Cat has."
"Thank you, Tori…I don't know what to say other than that…" I shook my head, taking the camera out of its container and holding it up to the light. The sleek metal and plastic caught the dim lighting and reflected it with a cool glow. It was one of the few indestructible types, and I would need it if I was going to have a terrifying toddler traipsing about the house in a path of destruction. I gave Tori a brief hug before she took her seat and turned to the last person. Robbie flinched under my gaze, but not as much as he used to. He got over the fact that Cat was not interested in him, and slowly forgave me. He also left that damned puppet behind for once. He held up a white tiger and offered it to me.
"A big cat that loves water and the jungle. This one should have been called the "king" of the jungle, don't you think?" He prompted, earning a sly grin from myself. I took it, stroking the fur around its ears, wondering what it would have been like to own a cat. Of course, they seem to have such a sour disposition anyways, perhaps they would make a fine pet for me. "And, I got you something that will be helpful for you, and the little tyke."
"And what might that be?" I asked the skinny teen. He held out a rectangular item, messily wrapped but with a neatly strung bow. I stripped it of its paper to find it to be an electronic picture frame.
"This way, you can view the pictures with a click of a button. I know how you like everything to be simple, and well, this is as simple as it gets." He shrugged his shoulders, eager to take his seat before I decided to yell at him over nothing. I shocked everyone, and myself, when I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his slim frame. He froze, not knowing whether to attempt to escape or give in. He slowly relaxed and returned the hug, finally realizing that this was not a trick to kill him. "We'll all be here for you when the baby comes, okay? Nothing will ever change that fact."
"Thanks you guys. This means so much to me already…How did you guys know that it was my birthday?" I had a sneaking feeling that I already knew the answer. Cat raised her hand shyly, and I turned my head towards her. "So, you set me up for this long and exhausting day, knowing full well that I wanted to sit around and do absolutely nothing?"
"I figured that instead of moping about your supposed "old age" that you should get out and do something worthwhile. Were you not ecstatic hearing the baby's heartbeat or feeling his or her kicks? Did you not like going and looking at different baby names? Or were you simply acting just to appease me?" She feigned annoyance and crossed her arms over her chest. I chuckled as I took my seat next to her.
"I'm just kidding, sweetheart. You can't blame me for being depressed about the years going by. I wasted so much time being an idiot, and I have all the time in the world to make up for it." I kissed her on the cheek, earning a groan from our friends.
"Do you really have to do that in front of us? I mean, come on, some of us are still single…" Andre led on, waving at the three of them.
"Don't you mean all of us?" Robbie piped up, crawling out of his shell easily. Since he didn't have a talking cage to beat him down, he could present himself as the strong young man he was slowly becoming without the pressure of his own mind putting him down. He was still weird, but I could tolerate him more so now than before. His comment earned him a chorus of laughter from the table.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved. Can we get some food orders taken?" Just as Tori asked that, the waiter came by with the potato skins and took everyone's orders.
The dinner went on with casual talks about our futures, our senior year of high school, what colleges we had applied to, what our finals were probably going to be like. It was hard to believe that this gang of friends had culminated together three years ago, and a lot had changed. For instance, someone was missing, but nobody noticed and I was grateful for that. No questions asked led to a relaxed evening of friends and family. It wasn't until we had finished off the last of the crème brulee and a glass of lemonade was mysteriously dropped off with a note attached that the night flipped on its head.
"Enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts, Jadelyn. Soon, we will be together again.
~Beckett Oliver"
My heart sank as I glanced around the room, not finding the familiar mop of dark hair. A shiver danced its way up and down my spine, sending chills to the far reaches of my limbs. He was up to something, and I needed to figure out what. This called for a visit to a certain stalker of mine, who hasn't been seen since April.
Dun dun dun! And just a little something to throw into the mix. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I made it longer than the rest because I felt bad for leaving you guys hanging for so long. I hope everyone had a nice break, or holiday, whatever you wish to call it. I wish you all a happy new year! Don't forget to leave a review! Later gators!