Terrible Things
This time for real.
I could hear Alex's footsteps nearing the bathroom. I sat leaning against the bath tub, every possible reaction running through my head. What of he changed his mind about kids and didn't want one right now? He had a touring little over a month, what if got angry that it would affect it. Of course, Chloe's Smile's tour would have to be cancelled, I wasn't performing pregnant, but we'd still do warped. At least it wasn't a European tour. The door creaked open and Alex leaned against the door frame.
"What's up, baby?" I stared at him, unsure of how to word it, how to tell him. "Carrie? What's the matter?" I slid the stick across the floor and Alex bent down slowly to retrieve it. He stared it for a while, longer, longer, too long. Please, Alex, just say something. Oh my god, he was angry. I knew it. His face went pale as the stick fell to the floor and he grabbed the side of his head, panting. Holy shit, now was not the ideal time for a panic attack. Mind you, it was never an ideal time. I crawled across the floor and pulled his sunken body into my knees, whispering calmly in his ear that everything would be fine, we would be okay. It took five minutes for him to return to his normal self, and he beamed. What? "I have no idea what that was about, it was just a shock. I'm so happy!" He sat up and pulled me close and I laughed as he planted kisses all over my face. "This time we can be parents for real." I smiled up at him and he pulled me to my feet. He flicked his phone out of his pocket to take a photo.
"No, don't." I put out a hand to cover the lens of the camera. "Not until we've seen a doctor, not until we know for certain. We can't tell anyone."
Alex practically skipped down the hall of the medical clinic into the doctors room.
"Mr. Gaskarth, pleasant as always." The doctor was an aging man, dark streaks in his greyish hair, lines on his forehead. "And what can I do for you today? I trust your panic attacks are fewer?" Alex nodded as I followed him to the chairs near the desk.
"Yes, they're fine. I actually came to see you about Carrie." The man turned and nodded at me.
"What seems to be the issue." Alex snapped his head up.
"There is no issue, doctor. We think Carrie might be pregnant." The doctor smiled and offered his conditional congratulations and asked me to sit on the examining bed. He took a pregnancy blood test and sent it to the clinics lab with his assistant to find the results. I squeezed Alex's hand, hoping to god it was positive.
The doctor flicked through the notes and laughed. His eyes sparkled and I knew it had to positive.
"Well, you re pregnant Caroline." Alex kissed me on the cheek and cheered. "But you're twelve weeks in. Usually we get visitors for tests about three to five. What took you so long?"
"I was on the pill, I didn't think it was anything significant. I missed one day. One day a couple of months ago, but I thought it was fine. Clearly not." I laughed into Alex's shoulder. The doctor nodded and laid me on the table for a scan, fearing nothing as I had stopped taking my pill to induce a period when I realized it had been gone too long.
"Everything seems fine, and as you're past the twelve week mark, I would say its safe to share the news. Miscarriage chances are much slimmer as ling as ou stay healthy." I smiled and thanked the doctor and Alex shook his hand before we left the clinic to go pick the girls up from the mall.
Emily squealed and hugged us both when we told the girls the news, but Ley stayed quiet.
"Ley?" I asked, wanting her to be happy for us. "What's wrong sweetie?" She looked up with a glint of a tear in her eye.
"You won't want us around anymore, will you? We'll have to go into care, because you need to be happy together and with the kid that's actually yours." Alex pulled the girl into his arms and held her to his chest whispering into her hair.
"Oh, darling, you can always stay with us. You've been great to have around. You and Emily can stay as long as you want." She smiled up at Alex and kissed his cheek before walking into the kitchen to get herself a drink. I was glad Alex had come around to the two girls. He had been so hesitant a couple of days ago but now he was so open and kind with them. It seemed as if he treated them like he would his own daughters, firm but loving. I smiled at the idea of Alex running around our yard with a small child toddling behind him, Jack chasing them both and falling over to amuse the toddler. Zack sat on the porch strumming a guitar while Rian and Cassadee cuddled on the porch swing. I sat with Emily and Ley either side of me, singing along with Zack's melody. The perfect life, the greatest family.
"Hey guys!" Alex shouted to his phone. "So, I thought I'd let you all know first..." He swiveled the camera to my exposed belly. "There's a baby in that oven! I'm going to be a dad!" I laughed at the camera and waved, the fading scars exposed by my bracelets falling down, but I didn't care. They were apart of who I was, and I was proud of the faint pink lines on my wrist. They were a symbol of strength. "We're super excited and hope you are too! Unfortunatley this means Chloe's Smile will have to pull out from their European round but you'll see them around! Bye!" He posted the keek with a massive grin on his face. I didn't want to ruin his day but, I needed to tell him.
"Alex, the trials been moved forward to tomorrow." He flopped onto the bed, his face still beaming.
"That's great! It means we can finally see her done for what she put those girls through!" He kissed my cheek.
"No, it's not great, Lex." My face fell as I considered the reality. "That means that if she is released, Emily and Ley have to go back to her. We won't have them anymore." Alex's smile slowly faded.
ALEX's POV
What? Not have... As much as I was opposed to them in the beginning, the five days I had spent with them was crazy cool. I had become so protective and so proud of them. I felt like a dad already. I realised how much losing these girls would totally suck. I had never even considered them leaving as a bad thing before now. I stared at Carrie's forlorn features and sighed. One, two, three. Why not. Who cared? If they turn out to be brats, they were old enough that they would be out of here soon any way. Screw it. I sat up and took Carrie's face in my hands, forcing her to look at me.
"Why not three?" I smiled. She looked confused.
"Why not three what?"
"Instead of just one, three. Three kids. Lets get custody of Ley and Em. Why not?" Her face lit up and I could tell that she had been saddened by the idea of them leaving as badly as I had.
"I thought you wanted them gone?" I shook my head vigorously. I had most definetly changed my mind.
"Let's do it. I love those girls, they make this house full and happy. Let's keep them."
"What's up, baby?" I stared at him, unsure of how to word it, how to tell him. "Carrie? What's the matter?" I slid the stick across the floor and Alex bent down slowly to retrieve it. He stared it for a while, longer, longer, too long. Please, Alex, just say something. Oh my god, he was angry. I knew it. His face went pale as the stick fell to the floor and he grabbed the side of his head, panting. Holy shit, now was not the ideal time for a panic attack. Mind you, it was never an ideal time. I crawled across the floor and pulled his sunken body into my knees, whispering calmly in his ear that everything would be fine, we would be okay. It took five minutes for him to return to his normal self, and he beamed. What? "I have no idea what that was about, it was just a shock. I'm so happy!" He sat up and pulled me close and I laughed as he planted kisses all over my face. "This time we can be parents for real." I smiled up at him and he pulled me to my feet. He flicked his phone out of his pocket to take a photo.
"No, don't." I put out a hand to cover the lens of the camera. "Not until we've seen a doctor, not until we know for certain. We can't tell anyone."
Alex practically skipped down the hall of the medical clinic into the doctors room.
"Mr. Gaskarth, pleasant as always." The doctor was an aging man, dark streaks in his greyish hair, lines on his forehead. "And what can I do for you today? I trust your panic attacks are fewer?" Alex nodded as I followed him to the chairs near the desk.
"Yes, they're fine. I actually came to see you about Carrie." The man turned and nodded at me.
"What seems to be the issue." Alex snapped his head up.
"There is no issue, doctor. We think Carrie might be pregnant." The doctor smiled and offered his conditional congratulations and asked me to sit on the examining bed. He took a pregnancy blood test and sent it to the clinics lab with his assistant to find the results. I squeezed Alex's hand, hoping to god it was positive.
The doctor flicked through the notes and laughed. His eyes sparkled and I knew it had to positive.
"Well, you re pregnant Caroline." Alex kissed me on the cheek and cheered. "But you're twelve weeks in. Usually we get visitors for tests about three to five. What took you so long?"
"I was on the pill, I didn't think it was anything significant. I missed one day. One day a couple of months ago, but I thought it was fine. Clearly not." I laughed into Alex's shoulder. The doctor nodded and laid me on the table for a scan, fearing nothing as I had stopped taking my pill to induce a period when I realized it had been gone too long.
"Everything seems fine, and as you're past the twelve week mark, I would say its safe to share the news. Miscarriage chances are much slimmer as ling as ou stay healthy." I smiled and thanked the doctor and Alex shook his hand before we left the clinic to go pick the girls up from the mall.
Emily squealed and hugged us both when we told the girls the news, but Ley stayed quiet.
"Ley?" I asked, wanting her to be happy for us. "What's wrong sweetie?" She looked up with a glint of a tear in her eye.
"You won't want us around anymore, will you? We'll have to go into care, because you need to be happy together and with the kid that's actually yours." Alex pulled the girl into his arms and held her to his chest whispering into her hair.
"Oh, darling, you can always stay with us. You've been great to have around. You and Emily can stay as long as you want." She smiled up at Alex and kissed his cheek before walking into the kitchen to get herself a drink. I was glad Alex had come around to the two girls. He had been so hesitant a couple of days ago but now he was so open and kind with them. It seemed as if he treated them like he would his own daughters, firm but loving. I smiled at the idea of Alex running around our yard with a small child toddling behind him, Jack chasing them both and falling over to amuse the toddler. Zack sat on the porch strumming a guitar while Rian and Cassadee cuddled on the porch swing. I sat with Emily and Ley either side of me, singing along with Zack's melody. The perfect life, the greatest family.
"Hey guys!" Alex shouted to his phone. "So, I thought I'd let you all know first..." He swiveled the camera to my exposed belly. "There's a baby in that oven! I'm going to be a dad!" I laughed at the camera and waved, the fading scars exposed by my bracelets falling down, but I didn't care. They were apart of who I was, and I was proud of the faint pink lines on my wrist. They were a symbol of strength. "We're super excited and hope you are too! Unfortunatley this means Chloe's Smile will have to pull out from their European round but you'll see them around! Bye!" He posted the keek with a massive grin on his face. I didn't want to ruin his day but, I needed to tell him.
"Alex, the trials been moved forward to tomorrow." He flopped onto the bed, his face still beaming.
"That's great! It means we can finally see her done for what she put those girls through!" He kissed my cheek.
"No, it's not great, Lex." My face fell as I considered the reality. "That means that if she is released, Emily and Ley have to go back to her. We won't have them anymore." Alex's smile slowly faded.
ALEX's POV
What? Not have... As much as I was opposed to them in the beginning, the five days I had spent with them was crazy cool. I had become so protective and so proud of them. I felt like a dad already. I realised how much losing these girls would totally suck. I had never even considered them leaving as a bad thing before now. I stared at Carrie's forlorn features and sighed. One, two, three. Why not. Who cared? If they turn out to be brats, they were old enough that they would be out of here soon any way. Screw it. I sat up and took Carrie's face in my hands, forcing her to look at me.
"Why not three?" I smiled. She looked confused.
"Why not three what?"
"Instead of just one, three. Three kids. Lets get custody of Ley and Em. Why not?" Her face lit up and I could tell that she had been saddened by the idea of them leaving as badly as I had.
"I thought you wanted them gone?" I shook my head vigorously. I had most definetly changed my mind.
"Let's do it. I love those girls, they make this house full and happy. Let's keep them."
This story is so good! OMG. I just found it and started reading it yesterday, and haven't stopped. I just caught up with all of the updates you have of it and really love it.
It's a very dark fan fic. Specifically with the first half, honestly one of the darkest I've read actually... like with that curse of everything happening on Sundays? Man... and you just kind of kept it up too. It was just very dark, and sad, but... different. And I really like that about this.
The second half seems to be deviating from that a little bit, but I sensed that coming back with the babies thing. I mean, not that I want anything to happen, but I almost feel you had something bad happening planned with the pregnancy. Perhaps not, perhaps that was just to raise some of the tone as opposed to keeping it happy go lucky, who knows. But I found it interesting how you did that.
I'm glad that Alex and Carrie finally got together, with the first part of this I was just screaming GET TOGETHER until they finally did. lol. And I was happy. :)
I found it a bit odd how they just took in those fans though. On a realistic writing level, the oddity of this story was the curse thing. But adding the fans thing in too, it just... it didn't really fit. Especially considering legalities and all of that. I feel like it was a little too easy that they gained guardianship.
But overall, I have enjoyed Alex and Carrie's love story. I'm sad to see it was never finished, so I'm leaving this comment to let you know if you ever do choose to finish it, I will be here to read, for sure. I'd love to see how it all ends for these two. Even if it's just a final chapter wrap up or something; I understand what it's like losing inspiration.
But yeah, sorry if this comment sounded harsh at all, but just wanted to leave my honest thoughts. I think you're a truly great writer, though, and hope you have at least kept up with it in your free time. :)
7/12/16