Title: The Ties That Bind
By: Rudy
Rating: PG-13 (a little swearing)
Author's Note: Okay everyone, listen up and listen good. I. NEED. FEEDBACK. Less than 20 reviews is just not cutting it. So PLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZ leave a review (I'll even accept constructive bad ones) or send me an email at rudy_lana7@hotmail.com . Thank you in advance,
Rudy
Chapter 4: Scared
-2 AM THAT NIGHT-
**BRRIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG**
The shrill ring of the phone spitefully ripped Jess from his slumber. At first he tried to ignore it but the phone just kept on ringing. Groaning, Jess swung his legs out of bed and trudged down the hallway to the source of that god-awful noise.
"What!" he barked grumpily into the receiver.
"Whoa! And you say I'm bitchy in the morning," came Rory's voice over the phone. Jess immediately forgot his anger at being aroused as such and ungodly hour and started to worry instead.
"Rory? Oh my God! Is something wrong? Are you-"
"Jess. Jess!" she said interrupting his little panic attack. "I'm okay. I'm just…really scared." Jess needed no further explanation. He could hear how shaky her voice was over the phone.
"I'll be right there." He hung up the phone, threw on some sneakers and walked down the building corridor to Rory's apartment. Before he even had a chance to knock, a teary-eyed Rory swung open the door and stepped into his embrace. Jess lead her back inside and sat on the couch with her still in his in arms. Rory didn't say a word, she just cried all over the front of his shirt as he pulled her closer and stroked her hair.
"Rory?" he whispered, wiping at the streaks of tears on her cheeks.
"What are you so scared about? Whatever it is, I'll make it go away. I promise." The genuine concern in his words was already beginning to comfort Rory. Being with Jess always made her feel safe. He had a way of making all the things that were wrong with her life seem like nothing. No one, not her parents, her friends or even Tristan, had been able to do that for her. And at this moment that's exactly what she needed him to do; to make the bad things go away; but in her current situation, that was impossible. Just having him there would be enough. Rory sat up and clutched a pillow to her chest.
"That's just it Jess, this time, you can't make it go away. No one can," she said as a few more tears slipped down. "Hell, I don't even really want you too." Now Jess was more than a little confused.
"Please don't cry. Just tell me what it is. I'll do whatever I can."
"I'm having twins." Jess' brow furrowed in confusion.
"I already know that. I was there; remember?"
"No, you don't understand." Rory stood and began pacing in front of the couch. "The thought of raising A baby alone was scary enough, but Jess, I can't handle two!"
"Yes you can. It's not going to be easy, but you'll deal with it. You always do." Rory threw her hands in the air in frustration.
"And just how do you know that, huh? Every example I've ever had of how to be a mom has screwed up royally at it. When my mom got pregnant with me at 16, her mother pushed her into a marriage that had no hope of success. And then, as soon as my dad left, my mom gave up completely. And all she had was me to take care of! Do you know what it's like having to hold back your mother's hair and watch as she pukes her guts out in the toilet? Jess, I don't want my kids to grow up with a failure for a mother. I'd give them up before I hurt them like that." Rory sank hopelessly back down on the sofa and buried her face in her hands.
"So you see, how can I be a good mother when all I know how to be is a bad one?" Jess pulled Rory back into his arms and held her once again as she cried. Seeing her so scared and vulnerable made everything in him ache to make her feel safe.
"Rory. Listen to me," said Jess as he tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. "You have got to be the strongest person I've ever met. Life dealt you one of the shittiest hands ever; there's no arguing that. But everyday I see you working your ass off to make sure your kid gets something better. If that doesn't make someone good parent material, I don't know what does. Rory, your kids are going to be lucky to have such an amazing woman as their mother; no matter how many you have." Rory sniffled and smiled weakly at him.
"How do you do that?" she questioned him.
"What?" Jess replied, happy that she'd stopped crying.
"Chase the bad stuff away in the blink of an eye?"
"Oh, that. It's a gift," he said nonchalantly.
"Well, whatever it is, I'm really glad you use it on me…thanks Jess."
"Anytime Rory. Anytime…" Jess let go of Rory and glanced at the clock. It was almost 3 AM.
"Well, seeing as my work here is done, I'd better get back to bed. We have to open the diner at seven tomorrow."
"Oh, your right…uh, thanks again Jess." As Jess rose from the couch he planted a kiss on Rory's forehead and made his way towards the door. But before he even opened the door Rory called to his retreating form.
"Jess?"
"Yeah," he turned at the sound of his name
"Could you stay with me? I don't wanna be alone right now." Jess nodded, lay down on the couch, pulled Rory to him and covered them both with a blanket. Within minutes Rory was fast asleep, her head resting on his chest. Jess watched her sleep peacefully. Feeling sleep quickly overcoming him too, he placed a hand protectively on her belly and kissed the top of her head. The whispered words, "I love you Rory," escaped his lips and then nothing but silence was heard in the apartment.
A/N: Well I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I know it's a little short but this is how I wanted it. Now if you'd just do me one HUGE favor before leaving: quickly type of a little review and send it to me, ( rudy_lana7@hotmail.com ) or press that pretty blue button to your left if you're on fanfiction.net . Thanx a bunch,
Rudy
By: Rudy
Rating: PG-13 (a little swearing)
Author's Note: Okay everyone, listen up and listen good. I. NEED. FEEDBACK. Less than 20 reviews is just not cutting it. So PLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZ leave a review (I'll even accept constructive bad ones) or send me an email at rudy_lana7@hotmail.com . Thank you in advance,
Rudy
Chapter 4: Scared
-2 AM THAT NIGHT-
**BRRIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG**
The shrill ring of the phone spitefully ripped Jess from his slumber. At first he tried to ignore it but the phone just kept on ringing. Groaning, Jess swung his legs out of bed and trudged down the hallway to the source of that god-awful noise.
"What!" he barked grumpily into the receiver.
"Whoa! And you say I'm bitchy in the morning," came Rory's voice over the phone. Jess immediately forgot his anger at being aroused as such and ungodly hour and started to worry instead.
"Rory? Oh my God! Is something wrong? Are you-"
"Jess. Jess!" she said interrupting his little panic attack. "I'm okay. I'm just…really scared." Jess needed no further explanation. He could hear how shaky her voice was over the phone.
"I'll be right there." He hung up the phone, threw on some sneakers and walked down the building corridor to Rory's apartment. Before he even had a chance to knock, a teary-eyed Rory swung open the door and stepped into his embrace. Jess lead her back inside and sat on the couch with her still in his in arms. Rory didn't say a word, she just cried all over the front of his shirt as he pulled her closer and stroked her hair.
"Rory?" he whispered, wiping at the streaks of tears on her cheeks.
"What are you so scared about? Whatever it is, I'll make it go away. I promise." The genuine concern in his words was already beginning to comfort Rory. Being with Jess always made her feel safe. He had a way of making all the things that were wrong with her life seem like nothing. No one, not her parents, her friends or even Tristan, had been able to do that for her. And at this moment that's exactly what she needed him to do; to make the bad things go away; but in her current situation, that was impossible. Just having him there would be enough. Rory sat up and clutched a pillow to her chest.
"That's just it Jess, this time, you can't make it go away. No one can," she said as a few more tears slipped down. "Hell, I don't even really want you too." Now Jess was more than a little confused.
"Please don't cry. Just tell me what it is. I'll do whatever I can."
"I'm having twins." Jess' brow furrowed in confusion.
"I already know that. I was there; remember?"
"No, you don't understand." Rory stood and began pacing in front of the couch. "The thought of raising A baby alone was scary enough, but Jess, I can't handle two!"
"Yes you can. It's not going to be easy, but you'll deal with it. You always do." Rory threw her hands in the air in frustration.
"And just how do you know that, huh? Every example I've ever had of how to be a mom has screwed up royally at it. When my mom got pregnant with me at 16, her mother pushed her into a marriage that had no hope of success. And then, as soon as my dad left, my mom gave up completely. And all she had was me to take care of! Do you know what it's like having to hold back your mother's hair and watch as she pukes her guts out in the toilet? Jess, I don't want my kids to grow up with a failure for a mother. I'd give them up before I hurt them like that." Rory sank hopelessly back down on the sofa and buried her face in her hands.
"So you see, how can I be a good mother when all I know how to be is a bad one?" Jess pulled Rory back into his arms and held her once again as she cried. Seeing her so scared and vulnerable made everything in him ache to make her feel safe.
"Rory. Listen to me," said Jess as he tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. "You have got to be the strongest person I've ever met. Life dealt you one of the shittiest hands ever; there's no arguing that. But everyday I see you working your ass off to make sure your kid gets something better. If that doesn't make someone good parent material, I don't know what does. Rory, your kids are going to be lucky to have such an amazing woman as their mother; no matter how many you have." Rory sniffled and smiled weakly at him.
"How do you do that?" she questioned him.
"What?" Jess replied, happy that she'd stopped crying.
"Chase the bad stuff away in the blink of an eye?"
"Oh, that. It's a gift," he said nonchalantly.
"Well, whatever it is, I'm really glad you use it on me…thanks Jess."
"Anytime Rory. Anytime…" Jess let go of Rory and glanced at the clock. It was almost 3 AM.
"Well, seeing as my work here is done, I'd better get back to bed. We have to open the diner at seven tomorrow."
"Oh, your right…uh, thanks again Jess." As Jess rose from the couch he planted a kiss on Rory's forehead and made his way towards the door. But before he even opened the door Rory called to his retreating form.
"Jess?"
"Yeah," he turned at the sound of his name
"Could you stay with me? I don't wanna be alone right now." Jess nodded, lay down on the couch, pulled Rory to him and covered them both with a blanket. Within minutes Rory was fast asleep, her head resting on his chest. Jess watched her sleep peacefully. Feeling sleep quickly overcoming him too, he placed a hand protectively on her belly and kissed the top of her head. The whispered words, "I love you Rory," escaped his lips and then nothing but silence was heard in the apartment.
A/N: Well I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I know it's a little short but this is how I wanted it. Now if you'd just do me one HUGE favor before leaving: quickly type of a little review and send it to me, ( rudy_lana7@hotmail.com ) or press that pretty blue button to your left if you're on fanfiction.net . Thanx a bunch,
Rudy