MJ Fantasy- Traveling Soldier

Ch. 7

Jacob's hands start trembling and it doesn't surprise me when he runs to his trash can and throws it away as if he cant stand the sight of it. I cant either, but throwing away the pregnancy test wont solve my problem. I cry harder into Jake's pillow and rolls over on my stomach to cry into his sheets. Jacob and his sheets and everything uses smells like home. Like heaven... like him. I hate the thought of losing him because of this AND I know he'll want to know whose the baby's father.

...

Oh shit!

I haven't even thought about Michael when I found out. I only thought of myself.

How this baby will impact my life. My family, friends and my schooling. I haven't even put Michael's feelings and life into consideration. How will he be impacted? Well... he said he didn't have any family. No one loves him, except me, and he had no one to love, except me.

Well... now he has a baby. But him and I cant possibly raise a baby! He's 17, I'm 16!! We are still kids ourselves! Plus, he's in the army. I cant possibly put myself and a child though that kind of lifestyle. Wondering if daddy is gonna come, worrying if he is alright, fearing when he has to go again and worse all off... all the goodbyes.

I nearly could say goodbye to him a month ago. I cant do that several times, my heart will run out of goodbyes and I can't bare the thought that one of those goodbyes could be our last.

It's silent for a while and now I'm worried about Jacob. I sit up from the bed and rid my eyes of tears. I call tentatively, "Jacob?" Slowly I get off the bed and walk towards him, his back turned to me. He turns to face me after I call him, but... his expression makes me fall to the ground crying. His eyes burn with sadness, disappointment and worst of all... pain. "Jacob I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen.. it just did!" Jacob turns back around and takes a small step towards the door. This one movement makes me lose it. "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!!!!" I shout at him, reaching a hand out to grab his wrist. "I don't know what I would do without you!! Your my best friend and the only one that can help me!! Don't leave... PLEASE!!!" I crawl up to his legs and hug them tightly like a small child crying my eyes out.

I'm afraid he'll ask me to leave and never come back. To never speak or come near him again. Or he'll, leave me here all alone trying to figure out what I'm gonna do, next, with my life.

He does neither....

Instead, I feel myself lifted off the ground and pulled into familiar, strong, warms arms that I would recognize right away as Jacob's. I immediately stop crying, as I always do, when I feel Jacob plant soft, warm kisses on my head. He does this to show me everything is alright and that there is no reason to cry. My body reacts to it and it always works. I don't know what I would do without Jacob honestly. He is like my savior, I need him. I know it doesn't sound very genuine on my part when I say I don't love him and it doesn't seem fair for me to play with his feelings like I am, but I cant help it.

He leads me to the bed and holds me for a while letting me stain his shirt with tears. Giving me the comfort that I know I don't deserve. Showing me love that I know will hurt Jacob even more when not returned.

After a while I start to calm down until I cant shed another tear... for the time being. I force myself to look into Jacob's eyes that are on me and have been for a while. "Jacob, I'm scared." I whisper hugging myself into him. "You have no idea. My family is gonna hate me. You probably hate me and the baby's father is gonna hate me!!"

"Hey..," Jacob puts a finger under my chin and gives me a small, yet pained smile. "I could never hate you... your my best friend. I love you too much to just leave you alone at a time like this. I don't have the strength or energy for that kind of cruelty. Especially in your... um... *coughs* condition." He's having a hard time getting use to the idea of me being pregnant. Hell! I found out last week and I still cant believe it. "Whose the baby's father?" Jacob whispers after a while in my ear. I refuse to look into Jacob's eyes and tell him. "Ssh, take your time. I'm not gonna rush you and I'm not gonna judge you. I promise."

Biting my bottom lip I take a big breath and let out everything I've kept from Jacob. The day I met Michael, why I cancelled our walk, and since I cant leave out this important detail, I tell him about Michael and me when we... yeah. He tenses up at the part. I force myself to finish the story leading up to the day he brought me home from school early.

"I walked inside and went directly to my laptop. I was getting worried. I had a feeling I was pregnant, but I was not one hundred percent sure. I had all the symptoms; vomiting, headaches, mood swings, lower back pain and weird cravings. I didn't want to believe it and I didn't. It wasn't until the next day when my period didn't start that I did. I was late, I got a little worrisome and tried to make myself believe I was a day late for some reason. Maybe I miscalculated something and I suppose to start the next day. Only on Saturday, when I was five days late, I got myself an early pregnancy test. Anaiya took me to her house to test it. And... I tested positive." I whisper starting to get upset again. Jacob rubs my arm soothingly and I lay my head on his shoulder. "Anaiya took me to the doctor. Her doctor, not mine which is why my father knows nothing about this. I was.. 2 weeks pregnant when we went. I AM two weeks pregnant I should say."

Jacob's fingers trace the palm of my hand as he listens, never interrupting and never giving away any emotion. Finally I trail off, wanting to have something from Jacob. Any emotion. Disappointment. Pain. Hurt. Anything! Not the hollowness I see. I give him a while because this is a lot to take in and I don't want to rush a response out of him.

Soon he takes a deep breath and quietly whispers, "Well... guess there is one thing left to do now."

"What's that?" I ask desperately, I have to do something and keeping it a secret isn't helping.

"We're gonna have to tell your parents." He says looking into my eyes.

I gasp and jump off his lap. "No! Jacob I cant!"

"Yes you can." Jacob whispers holding me tightly. "You can and you will. We will. "

Wait, what? Did Jacob just say...? "Jake? Did you just say 'we'?" I ask looking back at him. He nods his head and gets off the bed. I feel arms wrap around me from behind then Jacob's hands cradle my stomach in such a loving and protective way it brings tears to my eyes.

"You don't think I'm gonna let you go through this alone, do you?"

I turn around to face him and let my tears fall, "Oh Jake!" I throw my arms around his neck tightly. "Thank you."

He hugs me back and whispers in my ear, "Anything for you... Are you keeping it?" He asks. I bit my lip thinking. I want to. I really do, this is my baby. This is Michael's. I cant just give it someone stranger. And... I think I've already loved it since I've found out. It's my baby and only mine. I smile and nod my head. Jacob smiles at me and tightens his grip on my waist. "Come on," Jacob says pulling me towards the door.

"We're telling them now?" I asked shocked. Jacob nods his head and before I can object, lifts me in his arms and runs out of the house. I-I'm... I don't think I'm ready to tell them! But I'm too late. Jacob has already placed me in the car and has started driving. Oh boy... the closer we get to the house, the more sick I feel.

I'm so scared that they're going to resent me and that they will demand to know who the father is... I hope Michael gets back soon, I cant do this without him. This is his baby too. Oh Michael, where are you?

.

Michael's P.O.V

.

A few hours later I wake up to the smell of smoke. My body acts before my brain does and I'm rolling out of my cot in search of my roommates. I see no one in sight. "Dan?... Peter?" Where is everyone? The smell of smoke is getting strong and thicker and I begin to cough violently against the fumes. I have to pull up my shirt to cover my nose as the smoke starts to suffocate me. I have to get out of here before I get killed.

No one seems to be here so I believe they left. Good that means I don't have to worry about anyone else.

Feeling the thud of running stampede I run out of my tent. It's not dawn yet, but my stinging, yet tired eyes can still see it. It would be hard to miss the wall of fire descending on me.