Memories That Fade Like Photographs.

"So you're due to have the baby any day now, right?" Bailey asked.

"Not just any day. Today. Right now." I whispered.

"Oh my God." Bailey whispered.

The next thing I knew, I was being rushed to the hospital, but I couldn't have the baby yet, so we waited.

"Where's Alex?" I asked.

"He's playing a show with the band." she replied.

"Get them to come." I demanded and she took out her phone and stepped out.

--

Alex’s Perspective

"Guys, you're on in ten." the stage manager told us.

Jack's phone rang and he danced along to his ringtone, until he realized he had to answer it and did so.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Okay." he said a moment later and put his phone on speaker.

"Can you guys hear me?" Bailey 's voice came through Jack's phone.

"Yeah." we all replied.

"Okay. August is having the baby, so get to the hospital really soon." she told us.

"But they have a gig." Flyzik objected.

"Doesn't matter! She wants you guys here and she's pushing out a fucking baby for Alex, who has been a dick to her for half the pregnancy, so I suggest you all get your asses over here now or face two angry women tomorrow." she said.

"Look, would it be okay if I go and the guys do the gig and come later?" I asked.

"I guess so." Bailey replied.

"Okay. Guys, find someone in the crowd with a not-shitty voice who knows some songs to cover for me and then come after." I told them.

"Good, so it's all settled. Hurry, Alex!" Bailey told us and hung up. I ran out of the venue and drove to the hospital.

"I need to see August James, right now." I panted to the receptionist.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Alex Gaskarth, the father of the baby she's giving birth to." I told her.

"Room two-sixteen." she replied and I took off running.

"August!" I cried, bursting into the room.

"That ain't my name, but I don't got no one comin' to see me, so you can call me anything you want." A crazy-looking old man said.

"Whoops, wrong room. Sorry, dude." I said and backed out of the room. "August!" I cried, bursting into the room. The right one this time.

"Alex, thank God, I thought you weren't coming." she breathed.

"I almost didn't." I admitted.

"But what about your gig?" she asked.

"The guys are handling it, but even if they couldn't and I had to stay, I'd still want to be here." I replied.

"Oh God!" she cried.

"What is it?" I asked frantically.

"Contractions!" she gasped and then she suddenly relaxed. I grabbed her hand and held it in my own.

"Feel free to squeeze hard. I deserve whatever pain you'll cause me, but it won't come anywhere close to what I put you through." I told her.

"Ow! Alex, why does it hurt so much?" she whimpered, her face crumpling in pain.

"I don't know. Squeeze my hand. It's okay, we'll get through this." I whispered to her comfortingly.

"Alex, what if something goes wrong?" she asked nervously.

"Nothing will. You've come this far. Everything will be fine." I replied.

It hurt to watch August give birth. She screamed, she pushed, she squeezed my hand, which I would've minded, but I'd been a dick to her so I deserved it.

"Come on, August. One more push. You're doing fine, babe. It's okay. You're fine." I coaxed.

“STOP BEING SO CALM, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PUSH A DAMN BABY OUTTA YOUR UTERUS.” she screamed. I fell silent.

A few screams and pushes later, the baby was out.

"Would you like to hold your daughter, Mr. Gaskarth?" The nurse asked and August looked at me pleadingly.

"Sure." I smiled and August relaxed. I took the baby and saw she was almost a miniature version of me.

"She looks just like you." August breathed in awe.

"What are you naming her?" the nurse asked August.

"Josie Alexandra Gaskarth." she answered.

"Josie Alexandra Gaskarth." I repeated, smiling.

"It fits her." she answered. The nurse left with the twins. I kissed August on the forehead.

"This isn't working." she sighed.

"What isn't?" I asked, clueless.

"This." she said, gesturing between us. "I can't just go on like the last nine months didn't happen. So much has changed and we've got a little girl now." she said softly.

"August, no. Just give me one chance to prove to you I can be there for both of you." I begged.

"I gave you a fuckload of chances and you just blew them off! You'll just fuck me once and leave in the morning and I don't think I love you enough to go through that." she replied.

"Please. I'll be the best father in the world. Trust me." I pleaded.

"So you'll go off on tour with your band and I'll have to explain to Josie why you're not there every day until you come back and by then, she might forget what you look like. And what if you find a girl on tour? What then? Just go. Go on tour and back to being a manwhore. It's what you do best." she replied.

"Don't do this to me." I whispered weakly.

"Don't do what?" she spat.

"Take everything away. I need you." I whispered.

"No. You need to go. Move on." she told me.

"But-" I protested.

"Go!" she cried and I walked out to meet Bailey the guys.

"How'd it go? How's August? Is the baby okay?" Jack asked.

"They’re both great, but August wants nothing to do with me." I replied sadly.

Bailey put a comforting arm around my shoulders.

"Well you did treat her like shit." Jack pointed out.

"I know! Do you really think you have to remind me?" I snapped.

"Sorry, dude. Just stating the facts." Jack said.

"Leave it alone, Jack." Zack said.

"He's right. Let's just tour and forget about this." I replied and walked out of the hospital and out of August's life. Or so I thought.

Notes

Title: Actors, All Time Low

This is it, folks. Tune in next week for the sequel, Time-Bomb!