Why are you like this?

A/N: I own nothing...

Early Saturday morning, Jordan was sitting on the sofa on the bus, distractedly strumming his guitar. He should have been focusing on the details for tonight's show, but all he could think about was Angela. After two nights in Dallas, two sold out performances, the guys were heading to do a Saturday night show in New Orleans and then moving on to Gulf Port on Sunday. Jordan just wanted to skip it all and head home, but he knew he couldn't. He'd be home soon enough.

Jordan VO: What the hell is going on with her? Why doesn't she want to talk to me? This is too weird. Something's wrong, I can tell it.

He hadn't heard from Angela since he left Three Rivers on Tuesday afternoon. He'd been calling her everyday, but she still wasn't answering her phone. He'd emailed her and sent her text messages, but she refused to talk to him. He called Patty, but she said she didn't know why Angela wouldn't talk to him. She just said that she knew Angela loved Jordan and maybe he just needed to give her some time.

He talked to Maddie on the phone every night, but Angela never got on the line. He always asked Maddie to put her mom on, but she always told him that mom was busy, she'd call him later, but she never did. She sent him one text message. "I love you. I'll call you soon."

The phone on the cushion beside his leg rings and Jordan picks it up to look at the display.

"Hey, Baby girl. How're you doing this morning? You're up early." He can't help but smile. His daughter always makes him happy. She was so sweet and innocent. Just listening to her chatter lightened his mood.

"Hey, Daddy! I just wanted to call you and ask about your show. Did you do good last night? Did you see any crazy people in the audience?"

"Maddie-paddie, there are always some crazy people in the audience. That's ok, though...I have to share the stage with the two craziest people in the place every night. Your Uncle Shane and Uncle Tommy are crazy, crazy!" Shane and Tommy were like brothers to Jordan. They'd been with him since high school, they'd been around through it all with him and Angela. They were even at the hospital when Maddie was born. "And we did real good. The audience cheered really loud when Uncle Shane turned his drums over at the end."

"Daddy, Uncle Shane is crazy. Uncle Tommy isn't, though. I don't know how he puts up with you guys." He sits there smiling, loving to hear his baby girl laugh. "Hey, are you still coming home next week? I'll be on Spring Break and I want you to be here with me. Grandpa said Uncle Jamie could come stay the night with us while you're here and we want you to go to the fair with us."

"Didn't I promise that I would be home? I'll be home with you and mom for two whole weeks. And I'd love to take you and Jamie to the fair. It'll be fun. You think about what else you want us to do, ok?" He was looking forward to being at home in his bed for a few weeks. The bed on the bus was comfortable enough, but he was missing his wife, more so because he knew she was upset with him. And he wanted to spend some quality time with his daughter. Every time he got home, he noticed more and more that Maddie was growing up without him. Her 11th birthday was coming up way too soon.

They talked a while longer. Maddie told him about her science project and about how Graham and 13 year old Jamie had taken her fishing a few days before. He was glad that Angela had finally forgiven her father and that she was letting Maddie spend time with he and Jamie. He knew that she still didn't like Hallie, but she needed her father and Maddie needed her Grandpa. Graham was a good guy. He'd just made some mistakes.

As Maddie finished telling him about the fire drill they had at school Jordan started thinking about Angela again. "Hey, Maddie. Is your mom up? I really want to talk to her."

"Hold on, Dad. I'll go check." He can hear her walking up the stairs. "MOM! Dad's on the phone! MOM." He listens as Maddie goes into his bedroom in search of Angela. "I think mom's sick or something."

"What do you mean, sick? Is she ok?"

"Well, she's in the bathroom. It sounds like she's throwing up, but I can't be sure because the water's running." He hears her knocking on the door. "Mom, are you ok?"

"Maddie, you've got to get your mom to talk to me. Tell her that I'll wait until she comes out of the bathroom." He can hear Maddie trying to talk to Angela through the bathroom door.

"Daddy, she says she can't talk right now. She says that she promises that she'll call you when she gets out of the shower in a few minutes."

"Baby girl, is your mom alright?" He doesn't want to ask Maddie the questions that he needs answers for, he doesn't want to pull his daughter into whatever is going on with him and Angela, but he needs to know.

"Well, Dad, she's been crying a lot lately. She doesn't want to do anything with me when I get home from school. I spent Tuesday night with Grandma after you left and then I rode the bus home on Wednesday. When I got here, mom was lying on the couch watching TV in her jammies. It's been like that everyday this week. That's why I think she's sick. When I'm sick, I just wanna lay around. And now she's throwing up, too."

Jordan VO: What the hell? Is she really that sick? Why wouldn't she just tell me that she was sick? And she's been crying? Well, I know she's mad at me, but this isn't like her.

"Hey, Maddie. Go ahead and call Grandma, ok? Tell her daddy said to call because your mom's sick. See if you can go stay with her today. Then tell your mom that she better call me back. Daddy loves you, baby girl. I gotta go, ok?"

"Ok, Daddy. I'll call you tonight. Love you, too! Bye." Jordan ends the call and immediately texts Patty. "Patty, Mad says Ang is sick. I told her to call you. Pls go check? Let me know. -J"

"GOD DAMN IT ALL!" Jordan yells in frustration.

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?" Shane yells from his bunk. "I'm trying to sleep, if that's ok with you."

"Whatever, Shane. Sorry, go back to sleep." Jordan gets up and fixes himself a cup of coffee.

"I'm awake now, Jay. Thanks for letting me sleep in. It's not like I need my beauty sleep." Shane jumps down from his bunk and hits the bathroom.

Shane comes out and sits beside Jordan on the sofa. "So, what's been bugging you, man? And don't say nothing, 'cause I know you better than that."

"Just leave it, Shane. I really don't want to talk about it." Jordan starts to chew on his thumbnail.

"Jay, c'mon. Tell me. What the fuck has got you in this pissy mood lately? Even Tommy noticed something was up and he doesn't notice shit."

"It's nothing, Shane. Angela won't talk to me, that's all. And I just got off the phone with Maddie and she said Angela was sick. Like, throwing up sick, and laying around the house in her pajamas all day. She got pissed at me because I wouldn't stay home Tuesday night, but she should have at least told me she was sick. She wanted me to fly to Dallas on Wednesday and I told her I couldn't. She gave me the cold shoulder when I left, but I thought she'd get over it. Jesus, Shane, it's not like it's the first time I had to leave!" He puts his hands in his hair and sighs. "We've gotta take a break, Shane. When this tour is over, we're gonna wait a good long while before we head out again. I've gotta be there for my family."

"I know what you're saying, Jordan, believe me. We just gotta make it until August." They were wrapping the tour up in New York at Madison Square Garden in August. Only 3 and a half months from now. "Dude, maybe she is just sick. You worry too much." Shane pushes him over and gets up, heading back to his bunk. "I'm going back to bed, so keep it down. And, Jay...she loves you, man. Just let it blow over. She can't stay mad forever and she ain't going nowhere. We'll be home next weekend."

He sits in silence for a while with his head back against the cushions. Just as he starts to doze off, his cell phone rings. He looks down and sees that it's Angela.

He doesn't give her a chance to to say anything. "Angela, what the hell is going on? Why haven't you called me? I told you I was sorry. What do you expect me to do, cancel the fucking tour?"

"Well, hello to you to." She says quietly into the phone once he stops.

"Dammit, Angela. I've been worried. And now Maddie says that you're sick. Are you ok?" He didn't mean to snap at her, but his frustration was getting the best of him.

"Jordan, I'm ok. I think I've just come down with some bug or something. Don't worry. You didn't have to send Mom over, either. I'm not a baby. I don't need someone to take care of me, I'm doing fine all on my own."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, babe? I was worried. I hate it that I can't be there when you need me. I just thought your mom could take Maddie for the day so that you could rest." Shit, why did they have to do this? "Angela, Maddie said you've been laying around the house all week and crying, too. Is everything alright? Are you just sick or is something else going on?"

"I'm fine, Jordan. You're worrying for nothing. Look, I've gotta go. Mom and Maddie are getting ready to leave and I'm about to go to the grocery store." He can tell that she's trying to rush him off the phone and he's not ready to hang up.

"Angela, talk to me. What's wrong? Why are you like this?"

"Like what, Jordan? I'm not being like anything. I don't feel good, that's all. I love you. I'll see you next weekend." He can't believe that she's just dismissing him like this.

"Babe, don't hang up yet. I haven't talked to you all week. Just give me a few more minutes, ok? You know I love you, right? I really hate being away from you. When I get home next week, I'll make it up to you. I can't stand it when you're mad at me." He doesn't understand why she's so upset, but he'll do whatever it takes to make her happy. She's his rock, the one thing he can always count on. She's what keeps him going. He can't take it knowing she is still mad at him.

"I'm not mad, Jordan, I'm not. I just don't feel good. I'll be fine by the time you get here. I'll call you tomorrow. I do love you. Maddie's calling for me, so I'm going now. Love you. Bye." He's left holding the phone in his hand after she ends the call.

Jordan VO: What the fuck was that? Did she just hang up on me? I don't need this shit right now. I'm done trying to talk to her. I don't know what's going on with her, but it'll have to wait until I get home. I've got to get my head wrapped around tonight's show. FUCK!

He gets up and heads back to his bunk. He may as well sleep the rest of the way to New Orleans. He's tired of trying to figure out what's going on in her head. Maybe if he sleeps, he can pretend that everything's ok, even though he has the feeling that things are just about to get worse.