"Empty Apartment"

(A Yellowcard song title. Mainly cuz no good titles come to mind, and it kinda fits.)

Alex remained non-chalant. "I might be. I'm not sure yet. I just wanna make sure this is what Jack wants. But hey, maybe I'm not...pregnant. Let's not jump to conclusions."

"But let's just say you are for a moment. Do you want a baby?" Kat asked.

"I like Camille's bridge theory. Let's find out first, okay? Until then, no making a big huge deal, and NO telling the guys, not even my suspicions, a'ight?"

So on the ride home, Camille asked, "Alex? Should we stop by somewhere, pick up a test? I think it would be best, to know as soon as possible."

"Yeah. Okay." So they stopped by a small store, Alex hesitant to go in. "Do you want me to go in with you, help?" Sofi asked. Alex nodded. Kat, Kerrie and Camille stayed in the car.

"Oh my God. You realize, Jack might be a father sometime in the near future? Does that sound just a little bit weird to anybody else?" Kat asked. She was freakin' out a little.

"Kat. Not until we know." Kerrie said, calmly. So a few minutes later, Sofi and Alex came back out. They drove home, awkwardly silent. They entered the house, and Alex was greeted by Jack. She slyly slipped the package to Camille, and then wrapped her arms around Jack. Camille slipped it to Kerrie as Jerry approached. 'Damn, what is this, Mission Impossible? Why do you pass it to ME!' But to make a not-so-long story a little more eventful, Alex slipped upstairs with all the girls following, God knows who had it now. "Who has it?" Sofi handed her the bag. "Thanks." She slipped into the bathroom, and came out a long minute later. They all looked like they were waiting to hear their sentence. "Stop that!" She whispered. "I can't HANDLE confrontation! Stop...gawking! I don't know yet. We have to wait like four minutes or whatever." They all sighed, distressed, anticipating.

"What's going on up there?" Bobby yelled up the stairs.

"NOTHING!" The entire population of the second floor exclaimed. Four awkward minutes passed, and everyone scrambled for the bathroom. Alex grabbed the test, then snatched up the box, then looked at the test, then looked at the box, then at the test, then at the box, lather, rinse, repeat. Then she stared wide-eyed at the girls.

"Pay up," Kerrie said, holding her hand out towards Kat. "She's preggers."

"Kerrie!" That was everyone.

"I'm kidding! I'm sorry! I apologize. I'm sorry...But ARE YOU!"

Alex nodded, her expression deer-in-headlights. "I'm nineteen years old, unmarried, and pregnant. If I knew any Catholic nuns, I might actually find a bright side to this. Too bad. Bummer." She walked out, looking phased. She stopped in the midst of the others, and looked down at her stomach, then back at them, before walking downstairs.

"Why are they spending so much time up there?" Angel wondered.

"I don't know, man." Jack said.

"You think something's up?" Jeremiah asked. Alex walked downstairs, looking extra pale.

"Hey..." Jack started. "Wow, you looked traumatized. Somethin' wrong, baby?"

"No, no, I'm fine." She said. She smiled, in the way that some people can tell that you're really not excitedly happy, you're just in a desperate attempt to lift your hopes a little, and she hugged Jack. Jack was still unsure, but he trusted Alex. So he whispered to her "You can tell me anything, but you don't have to tell me everything", kissed her head, and left it at that. She was glad to know that Jack could be so supportive, even without knowing what he was supporting. Anyway, after some chat, and pizza (yay pizza) Alex went to bed early. She hugged the girls, given none of them lived there, then she crashed. She lie there, in the dark, daydreaming, and soon drifted off to sleep. Downstairs, the eight of them talked.

"What was with you guys, earlier?" Bobby asked.

"Nothing. It was nothing." Sofi said.

"Girl stuff." Kat added. "Talk. You wouldn't understand."

"Well, maybe Jack can translate for us." Bobby, obviously

"Jack wouldn't get it either." Kerrie said.

"He might." Camille protested.

"But Alex will explain, and all in good time." Kat said.

Angel was totally lost. "I am totally lost." See?

"It's as if they're speaking some kind of anti-guy code." Jack was no different, neither was Jeremiah, who was silent. "I'm going to bed. This talk is making my brain hurt. 'Night, everyone." Jack went into his room, and layed down next to Alex, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I love you." Alex whispered.

"I love you."

Days went by, and the secret ate away at the girls. Alex was a little paranoid, thinking maybe someone spilled. But eventually, she decided, today was the day Jack would find out. They were sitting in the living room with Bobby, Angel, Sofi, and Kat.

"Jack. I need to talk to you. Come upstairs with me?" Jack followed her upstairs, and into his room. He closed the door. Kat and Sofi looked at each other, then they tried to slip upstairs unconspicuously, and pressed their ears to the door. "What are we listening to?" Bobby whispered, startling Sofi. He and Angel also put their ears to the door.

"Jackie. Okay you know I hate to put you on the spot like this, but I really have to. Jack, down the road, is marrying me, having kids, is all this in your plan?"

"I suppose I can see my life going that direction. But I'm not planning anything, the future should be a surprise, no plan, just let life happen, and go with it. Why?"

"That's exactly the way I feel, you know that, just that, Jack," She sniffled, about to cry. "Surprise! Life is happening, Baby. It's happening out here, and its happening in here." She put her hands on her stomach. "I just...didn't know...how to tell you, baby. I'm pregnant." Bobby, Angel and Jack probably all about shit themselves right there. Jack looked like a Mack truck hit him, then he was trampled by a herd of sheep with ADD.

"Y-you're pregnant? I'm...gonna be a...father? Wha- Is this right? Are you sure? I-I-I..."

"Yeah. I found out a few days ago. I just wasn't sure how to tell you, Jack. I'm sorry."

"No! No no no no no no no, baby, don't, don't apologize. I...I'm...We're gonna have a baby! I'm gonna be a dad! This is..this is...wow! Holy shit! I, I just..." He had no idea of what to say, but he kissed her then. "I love you. I love you so much."

"I know. I love you. But, is this what you want? Are you sure?"

"Well, it's a little late to say no. Not that I don't, just..."

"It's a little weird."

"Really. But now that it's happened, I guess we embrace it."

"Yeah." She smiled. Jack hugged her, then dropped to his knees, hugging Alex's waist.

"Oh my God, Alex." He said quietly. "We're gonna have a baby."

She smiled, and wiped away tears from some overwhelming feeling inside. Bobby couldn't take it. He was shocked, scared, confused, and a little mad. "What the fuck?" He said, a little too loud. Alex reached for the door, not too easy with Jack attached at her waist, and opened it. Kat, Sofi, Bobby, and Angel all tumbled in. "Oof!" Angel fell on Sofi, who was tangled up under both him and Kat. Bobby stumbled out of the pile, and, "Wh--Bu--What the fuck?"

"I'm pregnant, Bobby."

"By WHO!" Angel yelled, still on the floor.

"Angel!" Sofi smacked him in the chest.

"Bobby, just promise me you won't kill Jack in his sleep." Alex said.

"Was that a joke? I really hope you weren't serious, but then again, that's not a funny joke. That is a very bad joke." Jack looked a little intimidated. Okay a LOT intimidated.

"No." Bobby said. "Not in his sleep. Right here right now." He stepped toward Jack, and Alex stepped between.

"Bobby! If this is anyone's fault it's mine! And don't act all holier-than-thou, like YOU are in any position to dish out punishment."

"I can't believe you Jack! She--you--kn--"

"Knocked me up? Sure if you wanna use that term." Alex said. "What's done is done here, you know. And I'm gonna make the best of it. WE, are." She grabbed Jack's hand. "Hopefully you guys will be supportive."

"Come on, Bobby,' Kat said, "we should go. Let's leave them be, now. Jack also just found out." The four walked out, Bobby hesitant. Jack and Alex collapsed in the bed. "Whoa." Jack said, on his back. Alex was on her side next to him. "Yup. Whoa." Jack shifted to his side, so he was facing Alex. "Don't you think this is kinda weird?"

"Jack I--"

"No, I mean, ever since Mom died, I been livin' in the same house, with two of my big brothers. I'm twenty-one, I've got a girl, and a baby on the way. Isn't it a little odd? Should we find our own place?"

"I suppose. I don't know, I kinda like it here, with family. You don't?"

"No, I like it. Just that, is there enough room here? When the baby comes, we should have our own place, where we won't disturb the others."

Alex smiled. "Look at us. I've been pregnant, probably a month, we're already planning. You're handling this well."

"Yeah, it won't actually kick in until later, when it'll wake me up in the middle of the night, I'll be sweating, and I'll start hypervenilating."

"Good to know. Should I have the paramedics on speed dial?"

"You're dating ME. You should be on a first name basis with them already. Sometimes I wonder, why am I always getting shot?"

"Luck of the draw. What I'm wondering is, how do you always manage to survive? You're like, the Mercer family kevlar. If you think about it, it's not a huge negative. Shows what you've been through. None of your brothers have been shot that much, or have been as close to death as you have. In ways, you're tougher than them. And you're still as compassionate and sensitive as you are. That's why I love you."

"I thought it was because I was incredibly sexy."

"That too." She giggled, and pulled Jack onto herself. Ah, more sexage. Or, make-outage. But that doesn't have the same kinda ring to it. Therefore, they had sex. -age. Weeks went by, and they talked more and more about getting their own place, and had been looking. They finally found a two bedroom apartment, affordable for the most part, but not a slum. Rare, especially in Detroit. Now, just to raise the rest of the money they'd need.

"Guess what?" Alex said, laying in bed with Jack one morning.

"What?" Jack said quietly.

"I have a savings account, and I haven't taken anything out of it for a long long time. I always saved, and I don't know why. But whatever I have, it gets us that much closer to our own place."

"And I have my share of concert money, and whatever I have saved. I wonder how much we have."

"Later on I'll go down to the bank, and check my account."

So that day, Alex did what she said she would. She walked to an ATM, and stuck in her card (Why not grab some cash, maybe stop off for coffee on the way home...) and checked her balance. Her eyes danced, and she smiled.

Alex burst in through the door. "Jackie!" A second later Jack was there. "What! Do we have enough!" Alex nodded, smiling. She jumped into Jack's arms, her legs aroud his waist, arms around his neck, and kissed him. He put her down. "Everybody! Guess what? We have enough for the apartment!"

"That's great." Angel said, coming out into the room with Sofi. "Congratulations." She said.

"Thanks. Jack, I'm gonna call that guy, tell him the deal is final, okay? We're gonna have our own place!"

So Jack talked over plans with his brother, until Alex came back in. She grinned, nodding.

Less than a week later, Jack and Alex were packing up their stuff. Everything was already taken care of, now they just had to move in. The family helped them move, so they had it done in no time. They had moved in all the boxes, the new furniture, everything, and now Jack stood in then doorway of what would be the baby's room. It was empty, and he could only imagine what would be in this room, over months, years. He was snapped out of it somewhat when Bobby put a hand on his shoulder, and Angel stood beside them, looking also into the room.

"Cracker Jack: a dad. Who in hell saw this coming?"

"I know I didn't." Angel said.

"Me neither." Jack said, as Alex showed up, putting her arm around Jack's waist. He put his arm over her shoulders, and smiled slightly. The rest showed up behind them.

"So," Kat spoke up, "this is the baby's room."

"Mmhmm." Alex replied, resting her head on Jack's chest.

"You know, if yall ever need ANYTHING," Jeremiah said, "We will be there to help out as much as we can. Me, Camille, all of us here. We love you guys."

"Love you too Jerry." Jack said, looking back at his brother, then at his entire family. "Thank you."

"So," Sofi said, "any name ideas yet?"

"Sofi, I'm hardly two months pregnant. But yeah, actually, we have." Alex smiled.

"As for guys' names, we like Matthew, Jack, Gabriel, Seth, and Andrew." Jack said.

"You had to slip your own name in there, huh?" Bobby smiled. So did Jack, as he continued.

"As for girls, we like Molly, Morgan, Tara, Adeline, and Evelyn, of course. And Dylan as a gender-neutral."

"If your...baby is gender-neutral?" Kat asked, confused. Camille had to smack her upside the head. "The name! Not the damn child."

"Oh. Sorry, today's a slow day. Anyway, I think we should go out for dinner. I'll pay." They started to walk down the hall, before Kat realized her big mistake. She quickly turned back. "For the pregnant woman. And her boyfriend. I'm not a fucking bank." She smiled, and the others groaned jokingly. "Stop whining. This is supposed to be a celebration."