Chapter 9

Bay laid awake staring at the clock as it slowly ticked from one second to the next. It was only five thirty the next morning. She had listened to it ticking much of the night as she struggled to fall asleep. There was just no way to shake the stress that had been brought upon her in the last twenty-four hours. She had hoped a DNA test might bring clarity but instead it had only put more on her plate.

Unlike her Emmett was fast asleep on the little pull out bed. He had come by shorty after Tank had left but refused to talk about anything serious. Bay tried to not let it upset her but she thought that perhaps it was for the best at least until she knew if the child would be his responsibility.

Bay tossed and turned this time facing away from the clock. She put some music on and tried to tune out what was happening. Bay closed her eyes and listened to the lyrics that comforted her current mood.

It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep.

"How are you feeling?" Katherine asked when Bay finally woke again. Bay sat up from her bed and wiped the sleep out of her eyes.

"It's ten already?" Bay said yawning.

"Ten-thirty." Her mother corrected.

"Has the doctor said anything?" Bay asked.

"They're making their rounds, I think you're next!" Katherine said enthusiastically.

"So how are you feeling?" Katherine asked again.

"I feel great." Bay said with another yawn.

A few minutes later a couple of people walked in the room.

"How are you feeling today?" One of the doctors asked Bay.

"Much better." She answered.

"No pain anywhere?" He asked again.

"None." She replied.

"We weaned you off of the medicine last night and we haven't registered any more contractions so if you are not having any pain I think it's safe to send you home."

Bay almost jumped out of bed she was so excited.

"What about work?" Bay asked. "When can I go back?"

"You'll need to rest for a few days and then try to take it easy at work."

Two hours later after Bay had promised to be careful and take it easy Bay was finally back in her own bed. Katherine had been in the room more than a few times to ask her if there was anything she needed. If Bay wasn't so tired she might think Katherine was hovering.

Bay fell asleep for a few hours but after some time she could no longer sleep. She stretched her restless legs and decided to look at her phone. A few seconds later she threw her phone back onto the bed.

"Ugh!" She screamed! "How long is this going to last?"

"The doctor said until Monday morning." Katherine said walking down the hallway.

"I'm just so bored!" She exclaimed.

"It'll be over before you know it." Katherine reassured.

"Can you bring me my computer?" Bay asked Katherine.

Bay sat in bed and turned on some comedic TV. Although the day went by extremely slowly the sun eventually set.

It was eleven o'clock when Bay was abruptly awoken by the sound of a knock on her window. Bay squinted her eyes just barely making out Emmett's silhouette. Bay switched on a light and got up to let him in.

"What are you doing?" She asked Emmett.

"My mom doesn't know I'm in KC." Emmett explained. "I need a place to stay."

Bay sat back down in her bed.

"What do you mean she doesn't know?"

"Do you really think I'd tell her I might be a father?" Emmett shrugged.

"And if this," Bay pointed to her stomach. "If it is your baby?"

"I'm sure eventually she will find out." Emmett shrugged.

"You don't want to be the one to tell her?"

"I don't know."

Bay shook her head.

"I have to use the bathroom." She said standing up almost losing her balance but Emmett was quick to catch her.

A few minutes later Bay came out of her bathroom to find Emmett lying on her bed.

"I can sleep on the floor if it is weird." Emmett suggested.

"No, It's fine." Bay said climbing back into bed.

The two of them lay there for a moment not saying a thing. Bay tried to give Emmett his space but she was finding it hard not to sprawl across her entire bed. Although she was still relatively small pregnancy was already proving to be pretty uncomfortable for her. Bay tossed and turned a few more times before finally falling asleep.

Stop! Bay screamed. Get off of me! She tried yelling to no avail.

I always loved you! Tank said crushing Bay with his drunken weight. Tank removed her clothes Bay too tired to do anything about it.

Stop! She tried again but the words only echoed in her head. No! She tried again but she failed to coordinate the muscles in her face to form her words.

The weight of Tank began to shift above her.

Stop! She yelled trying to kick him off. Stop! I said stop! She tried to say again.

God you feel so good! Tank slurred still moving above Bay.

Stop! Bay kicked and screamed. Stop! Please! Bay tried fruitlessly.

Bay! A muffled voice chimed in. Bay tried to push away from Tank's weight.

Stop! Bay tried to tell Tank so that she could tend to the voice calling her.

Bay! The voice tried again this time shaking her.

No. She said pushing away. Stop!

Bay! The voice said again suddenly Tank denigrated. Bay opened her eyes to see Emmett staring at her with concern.

"Are you okay?" Emmett said holding onto Bay.

"It's just a nightmare."

"About what?" Emmett asked.

"They're flashbacks or something from when," Bay trailed off afraid to utter the words. "Tank."

"How long have you had these?"

"I had panic attacks in the beginning and then a few weeks later I started having these."

"You looked like you were screaming 'no'?" Emmett asked.

"I try to but he doesn't stop because I'm too drunk to get the words out." Bay admitted with tears in her eyes.

Emmett held bay a little tighter.

"I'm sorry," Bay, said embarrassed. "This is weird."

"What do you mean?"

"We've been," She paused. At first she was going to say that they had been apart for so long. Then she thought she might say that they had agreed to stay apart forever but then something different slipped out of her lips.

"What if it's yours?" Bay wanted to look away afraid of the answer. "What are we going to do?"

"I want to be here for you." Emmett said. "If it's not mine…" he paused "I still want to be there for you. I should have been here all along."

"What about school?" Bay asked.

"I want to be here for you." Emmett said again. "Even if I have to come home."

"No, no!" Bay exclaimed. "You have to stay in school." Bay insisted. "No matter what happens."

"I want to stay in school," Emmett said. "But if it wasn't for me leaving..."

"Please!" Bay interrupted. "You can't go there."

"I just want to be here for you now." Emmett said. "I can go to school here."

"You're still going back to school right?"

"I leave tomorrow afternoon." Emmett said.

"So then are you going to tell your mom?" Bay asked.

"Why do we have to talk about that?" Emmett asked.

"I just don't understand how you plan on 'being there' for me." Bay said using finger quotes. "If you can't even tell your mom."

"Why do you always do this?" Emmett looked irritated.

"And I don't know why you are always so defensive." Bay felt hurt.

"You always try to fix things." Emmett sat up. "Do you have to fix everything?"

"You do realize you do the same thing right?" Bay asked. "Not everything is your fault."

Emmett started to stand up but Bay grabbed his arm.

"I don't want to stay if we're just going to fight." Emmett said pushing Bay's arm away.

"Please, don't go." Bay surrendered. "We'll figure this out later."

Emmett sat back down and Bay laid her head on Emmett's chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat. For the first time in a long time it seemed as if everything was all right. Emmett sighed and wrapped his arm tightly around Bay.

The next morning Bay woke up still laying in Emmett's arms. She wanted to lay there forever but she had the bladder of a pregnant woman.

When Bay came out of the bathroom Emmett sat on Bay's bed smiling at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing." He insisted.

"So when are you leaving again?"

"I have to leave soon." Emmett said. "Skye wanted me to take an earlier flight."

"Skye?" Bay asked alarmed. "I thought…"

What about everything he said last night? Bay thought. Did it mean nothing?

"Are you two together?" Bay was afraid to ruin the atmosphere of the night before.

"What makes you think that?" Emmett asked.

"Well why else would you take an earlier flight for her?" Bay asked.

"We're still just friends." Emmett emphasized.

"And what about us?" Bay asked. "Where do we stand?"

Emmett stood up and walked towards Bay.

"We need to take things slow." Emmett said. "But I love you."

Emmett hugged Bay tightly and gently kissed her on her forehead.