Not By Choice

Brooke threw different clothes into an open suitcase. She was getting ready to go away for that night, staying in a hotel near the bus station. Dustin was wandering the house and debating whether or not he should look in her hidden book. It was on his mind ever since he saw her looking at it. It intrigued him, almost haunting him to the point of insanity. Well, not yet but if he left it much longer it would drive him nuts. He had to get his mind off of it and in relief, the baby girl started to cry. He called out to Brooke and ran into the nursery.

He picked up the little girl and told her to 'Calm down dude' and 'It's okay bro'. Brooke snickered in the other room as she barely heard him but made it out. She was going to miss him, even if it was only for a few days. She didn't want to hurt him anymore and she knew this one the only way to make him happier.

"Hey Dustin, are you sure you'll be okay with Kimmy for the week-end?" Brooke queried from the other room.

Dustin thought about it for a while and came to a conclusion. There was always someone to back him up and he knew it.

"Yeah, it's time for you to stop worrying."

"Are you sure?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, I got Tor and Shane and Hunter, I'm good." Dustin laughed at the thought of Shane with Kim.

Brooke folded the last shirt and wandered out of the room and into the baby's room. Dustin stood in the middle of the room with the baby in his arms. Brooke leaned into his shoulder and peered over it at the small baby. She didn't want to cry but it was coming out of her now. She let one tear fall from her eye and it was caught by the bright yellow of Dustin's shirt.

"I should go soon." She said, wiping the tear.

"Did you want me to drive you?" Dustin asked.

"Sure."

Dustin grabbed her suitcase and carried it out to the car. He put it in the trunk and walked back to grab Kim. Brooke moped as she got into the front seat, ready to go. The sun was starting to set and the sun cast an orange colour onto the horizon. Dustin walked back out of the house, locking it on the way, and climbed into the driver's side of the car. He turned the car on and Brooke watched his every move. It was a slow and silent drive with hardly any conversation. When the car pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, Dustin hopped out and hugged Brooke goodbye.

"I'm going to miss you babes." She said in his ear.

"Me too, stay happy." Dustin replied.

"I love you." She whispered as she let go and walked into the front door of the hotel.

Dustin turned and walked back to the car. He switched the baby from the backseat to the front seat and began the drive home. He was silent but halfway home, the child began to cry. He didn't know what to do, it was getting to him. It was his own kid and he didn't have a clue as of what to do. He turned off a road before he should've. It was the road to Tori's house. He drove furiously; the crying was drilling in his head. It was like a loud heartbeat. The longer it went on, the guiltier he felt. When he squealed into the driveway of the familiar house, he dashed to the front door with the screaming child and knocked hard. Tori appeared in the doorway seconds later.

"Can I help you stranger?" She smiled.

"Make it stop!" He screamed and held out the carrier with Kim in it.

Tori quickly pulled the baby out of the carrier and walked into the kitchen with her. Dustin caught a glimpse of the other two guys and went to relieve himself of the guilt. Tori quickly opened up a bottle and filled it with milk from the carton in the fridge. She then filled a mug with the same 2 milk and threw them both into the microwave. She walked out of the kitchen with the mug in one hand and the baby with the bottle in the other. Her hand extended down to Dustin and he took the mug.

"How did you do that?" He asked, taking a sip.

"We'll call it mommy intuition." She winked.

"She's not even your kid." Shane stated.

"Natural reaction?" Tori joked.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Hunter eyed her suspiciously. "Like, I don't know, paying late night visits to your best friends house?"

"That would explain sleeping 'til noon" Shane grinned.

"It's something my mom used to do when I was crying, okay, there's the secret." Tori confessed.

"I knew I could trust you." Hunter smirked.

"Yeah sure, are you okay with her now?"

"I can try dude." Dustin said like his old self.

"Why don't you guys go out for like a night on the town and I'll baby-sit?" Tori asked.

"Cool." Shane retorted.

"You're letting me go out?" Hunter asked.

"I'm in a good mood today, just don't do anything stupid okay?"

"Since when have I-"

"Yesterday." Tori cut him off. "Was the last time you did something stupid."