Chapter 27

"Where did he go?" Mike M. was asking Dan, who shrugged.

"Man, why do you think that I know everyone’s plans? I have no idea where Erik went. Probably to see Alex," Dan said. He picked up his cell phone and dialed. He had to talk to his friends or else he’d go crazy. He was missing the ‘normalcy’ of his former life in Ohio a lot right now.

Mike sighed and went over to the long table where Mike C. was working. He sat down and pulled at his ponytail. "You realize that our band is falling apart, right?" he asked. Mike C. shook his head.

"No, it’s not. The guys are just going through a bad period right now. It’ll pass," he said.

"Mike, Jacob’s girlfriend is going to have a baby. That’s a long period of ‘badness’ if you ask me. How the hell are we going to handle it?"

"Look, we can’t alienate Jacob by being against him and Maria---especially because of the baby. Jacob is going to be defensive and expecting us to give him a hard time. It’ll only make things worse if we do that."

"He left, Mike. Without telling anyone, he just left. How can we not reprimand him for that?" Mike M. asked.

"Just be cool is all I’m saying. Don’t make things worse," Mike C. stated.

"Fine, but even if I’m ‘cool,’ that doesn’t mean that I’m gonna go easy on Jacob. Baby or not, I’m going to make sure he realizes that what he did was unacceptable." Mike M. had to make sure that the group stayed together as a cohesive unit. It they didn’t…they were done.

Erik waited in the Hernandez family’s driveway until Miguel came out and they jumped in Miguel’s car.

"Where’s Carlos?" Erik asked as Miguel backed out of the driveway.

"He left a few minutes ago. I know that he was going to stop at the deli on the corner, so we’ll catch up with him there," Miguel answered.

"Do you really think he knows where Alex is?" Erik asked.

"I think so. I mean he’s not even worried about her. He must know," Miguel answered, optimistically.

They neared the deli and Miguel parked far enough away so that Carlos wouldn’t spot the car. "That’s his truck," Miguel said, pointing at an older model Ford pickup truck. Erik nodded, his eyes glued to the deli’s doors.

"So, how did you manage to get out of the house without a camera or a manager following you?" Miguel asked. Erik smiled slightly.

"I have my ways," he said. "We have more freedom with the show this season, although we can’t help but feel that MTV is looking for drama that isn’t there. We’re not about to pretend to fight just to get a good ‘story,’ though."

"Well, thanks for keeping what’s going on with Alex low-key. Our parents are very private people. It would kill them if our family problems were talked about, much less shown on TV," Miguel told him.

"I wouldn’t do that, man. Alex means too much to me," Erik said. Miguel nodded in appreciation and shook Erik’s hand. "There he is," Erik stated. Miguel turned and saw Carlos exiting the deli carrying a couple of bags. He looked toward them, but didn’t see them. He just hurried to his truck, got in, and pulled out. Miguel carefully followed him, staying far enough away so that Carlos wouldn’t see them.

Ten minutes later, Miguel pulled over as Carlos pulled into the parking garage of a somewhat run-down apartment complex. The neighborhood was a rough one. ‘I hope he’s not dealing again,’ Miguel thought. ‘And I hope that Alex isn’t caught up in it.’

"Does he have friends here?" Erik asked, skeptically.

"I have no idea. We kinda lost touch after he went to prison," Miguel replied. "Come on." They got out of the car and walked to the apartment building. They saw Carlos enter the building and disappear.

"How are we gonna know what floor he goes to?" Erik asked.

"Just come on," Miguel ordered and entered the building. They hid in an alcove while Carlos waited for the elevator. After he got in, Erik hurried over to the doors and watched as the elevator ascended slowly. The numbered lights lit until it stopped at 4.

"He went up to the fourth floor," Erik said, pushing the ‘up’ arrow. When the elevator returned, Erik and Miguel got in and headed for the fourth floor. They didn’t notice the front door open and two men enter the building behind them.

Connecticut

Jacob stepped out onto the front porch and shivered. It was snowing heavily now and Maria was sitting on the front porch with her sketchbook, drawing. The bright porch lights were the only source of light in the otherwise dark front yard. Maria hadn’t said a word since the confrontation with her mother. Her mother had retired to her room and hadn’t been seen since.

"Which snowflake posed for that?" Jacob asked, looking at Maria’s sketch of a very detailed snowflake.

"My subjects don’t pose. Except for Ashley. You can’t stop him from posing," Maria said. Jacob was relieved. She was in a better mood, thank God.

"Why are you out here in sub-zero temperatures?" he then asked, sitting beside her on the wicker love seat and shivering again.

"I don’t really feel it. I’ve been numb ever since I found out about the baby," Maria said, her eyes never leaving her sketch.

"Maria, I don’t know what to say other than I didn’t take anything your mother said to heart. She wasn’t being rational and is probably shocked."

"No, she meant everything she said. She thinks I’m some slut who sleeps around for fun. She’s just being her usual non-supportive self. She never supported me before, why start now?" Maria asked.

"Don’t pretend it doesn’t bother you," Jacob told her. Maria turned to him.

"What do you want me to do? Go crying to my room? That will accomplish a lot," she said, sarcastically. "I’m not supposed to get upset, remember? I’m pregnant."

"Would it be less stressful if we went to a hotel?" Jacob asked.

"No, the roads are bad. They won’t start plowing until the storm lets up. The hotels around here suck anyway. You’re used to nice places. I think we’ll be more comfortable here," Maria told him as she continued to draw.

"Don’t let this ruin what we have," Jacob said in almost a whisper. Maria finally looked at him. His eyes were sparkling, but looked sad. Every time he breathed, his breath came out in a puff of visible air. His cheeks and nose were red from the cold. She gave him a small smile.

"I’m sorry I’m not handling this well. My feelings for you haven’t changed, though, Jacob. Please don’t think they have. I love you. I’m just confused and scared. The two women who are supposed to love us unconditionally and who we need to support us really put us in our places today. I know that you’re upset by what your mother said and how you left things with her and although I haven’t gotten along with my mother in years, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want her support or for her to not be a part of our child’s life. I guess we should be grateful that we have my dad and Marilyn on our side."

"I love you, too, Maria." Jacob pulled her to him. Maria put her sketchpad down and leaned into him, enjoying his warmth. "Yeah, I’m upset about how my mom took the news, but I don’t blame her. I think she’ll come around the more time she has to think about it."

"At least she didn’t hear it from the press. Oh, that reminds me, I forgot to tell you that everyone at home knows. Even MTV," Maria said. She felt Jacob’s body tense up.

"How did they find out? Dan or Emily?" Jacob asked.

"No one knows exactly. One of the Mikes got a call from MTV asking about it. Something must’ve been caught on tape or someone heard something. It’s understandable since you guys are in a house with cameras and microphones all over the damn place."

"No kidding. Shit. I hadn’t wanted it to come out this soon. Now the Mikes are really gonna kill me," Jacob said, pulling Maria tighter against him.

"Don’t worry, I’ll protect you," Maria told him. She smiled at him. He kissed her cold forehead.

"So, you still don’t want to get married, huh?" Jacob asked, smirking. Maria smiled. "What?" he asked her.

"I was just thinking. Can you imagine what our wedding would be like? I can and it’s not good. Okay, first of all, my mom would sit as far away from my dad as possible. She’d spend the ceremony looking daggers at Marilyn. Bradley would be crying most of the time. Your mom would be glaring at me, cursing that I was born and praying that I would disappear out of her son’s life forever and that God would come save you. Your dad, I have no idea. I guess that he’d be there, but he would be confused as to what the hell was going on. Sarah would be my maid of honor, standing with me at the altar, trying to flirt with you and wishing that she were in my place. Kathleen would be a bridesmaid and she would be making goo-goo eyes at Kevin the whole time. Alex and Erik would be making out behind a flower arrangement someplace. Ashley and Emily would be pretending not to like each other, even though they really want each other bigtime. Dan would be standing beside you smiling, one of your only true supporters. Well, him and your brother, I would guess. Trevor, um…"

"He sprained his ankle the day that you left," Jacob said, helping her out.

"Okay, so Trevor would be sitting with his bandaged foot up. Your sister would be another bridesmaid and she would hopefully support us. Your family is too normal. Joey would probably be…I don’t know. I think he supports me, but he’s unsure, so he’d be glaring at you one minute, yet smiling at me the next. Susan would be shaking her head wondering why she bothers with me since I’m such a pain in the ass. Kyle would be with her wondering why I’m throwing my life away. Nothing personal against you, but he’s all for my career, you know." Jacob nodded. "The Mikes would be plotting how they could make me disappear and get you to practice immediately following the ceremony. Then, at the part where the priest asks if anyone objects to our being married, most of the church stands up and raises their hands as Geoff and Janie come marching down the aisle together, saying that our relationships with them were never over and that they want us back. In the meantime, I’m, like, eight months pregnant and you’re yelling at everyone to sit down and shut up! You then get into a fistfight with Geoff while I go into premature labor and Kristi delivers our baby on the floor in front of everyone. A perfect fairy-tale romance gone horribly wrong."

Jacob looked at Maria when she stopped talking---and then burst out laughing. Maria joined him and they just sat there laughing uncontrollably.

"Jesus…your imagination…is incredible," Jacob said, wiping tears from his eyes. Maria felt sick she was laughing so hard.

"Believe me, that’s probably how it would happen," Maria told him after she had calmed down.

"I don’t think it’s very far from the truth," Jacob said. "It feels good to laugh after the day we’ve had."

"I know. With all the serious bullshit that’s gone on, we need some kind of release." Jacob eyed her speculatively and smiled. "Not that kind of release. That’s how I got into my current condition."

Jacob laughed and leaned over to kiss her gently. "Your lips are cold," she said.

"Because I’m freakin’ freezing!" he exclaimed.

"Then let’s go inside," Maria said, standing up and pulling him with her. She looked out into the front yard. "The snow is pretty, though. I remember how quiet it would be on a snowy morning." Jacob put his arms around her and held her. "Before the plows were out, I mean. The cars that were stupid enough to be out would barely make a sound as they drove past the house. The snow just fell silently from the sky. It’s so peaceful and pretty."

"You miss being here, don’t you?" Jacob asked, his lips close to her ear.

"Sometimes," she said. She turned in his embrace and Jacob hugged her tightly. He never thought he’d feel so strongly for anyone, but Maria had taken hold of his heart and claimed it as hers. He didn’t think that she knew that she was in total possession of it, though.

"Whatever you want, I’ll try and give it to you, Maria. I want you to be happy…that’s all that I want. Your happiness means the world to me," Jacob told her. Maria backed away and looked at him. His eyes looked into hers and Maria was shaken by the love and devotion she saw there. What had she done to deserve such a look? And from Jacob Underwood of all people?

"Knowing that you’re here and you’re by my side makes me happy, Jacob. I love you," Maria said. She tilted her head up and kissed him deeply. Jacob pressed his cold lips against her surprisingly warm ones. They kissed for a few minutes before Maria pulled back and took his hand, leading him inside. "I’m hungry," she said as she went to the kitchen, Jacob following. Maria opened the refrigerator. "Leftovers. Everything is a restaurant leftover. Mom eats out a lot, obviously," Maria remarked as she took out a container, opened it, smelled it, made a face, and put it back. She checked the pantry and smiled when she found some vegetable soup. "Are you hungry?" she asked Jacob.

"A little," he said. Maria grabbed another can and returned to the kitchen to heat up their soup. Jacob sat down at the kitchen table. A sound suddenly got their attention. Turning, they both noticed Caroline in the doorway to the kitchen.

"There are crackers, too. I know you like crackers with your soup," she said.

"Ritz? They have to be Ritz," Maria said, smiling. Caroline nodded.

"There are always Ritz crackers in this house," she said, looking at Jacob. Maria wasn’t about to question her mother’s apparent 180-degree turnaround right now. ‘Maybe she’s had a few drinks,’ she thought.

"How far along are you?" Caroline asked, softly. Maria concentrated on stirring the soup.

"About six weeks," she said.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" was the next question. Maria looked over at Jacob.

"I haven’t thought about it. I’m still a little shocked that I’m pregnant to begin with. But, thinking about it now, I think I would like a little boy with brown curls and big blue eyes," she said, smiling at Jacob. He looked down, a small smile on his face.

"What about you, Jacob?" Caroline asked him. Jacob looked at her.

"I don’t even have to think about it. A little girl who looks just like Maria," he said. Caroline actually smiled.

"Well, I hope there’s not a problem when the baby is born and one of you doesn’t get your wish," she said. Maria shook her head.

"It doesn’t matter, really, as long as the baby is healthy," she said. Jacob nodded in agreement.

"Where are you sleeping tonight?" Caroline then asked.

"My bed," Maria said without hesitating. She saw her mother frown slightly.

"Joey’s room is available," Caroline told her.

"Mom, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that we’ve obviously slept together before. Nothing’s gonna happen, so don’t worry. It’s just that Jacob isn’t used to the cold and he’ll need some body heat," Maria said, winking at him. Jacob shook his head. She loved to start trouble. Caroline just nodded.

"I see. Okay, then. You’re old enough to make your own decisions. Goodnight," she said and disappeared from the doorway.

"You want to upset her, don’t you? I can sleep in Joey’s room," Jacob told Maria as she placed a bowl of steaming soup in front of him.

"No, you’re sleeping with me. Joey’s bed is too small. I have a double bed and I wasn’t kidding about the body heat. It’s cold and I have to keep you warm," she said. "Now, where the hell are the Ritz?" Jacob didn’t argue with her. He smiled as he ate his soup.

Orlando

Alex was standing by the wall near the door when the door opened slowly. She brought the lamp up and was about to bring it down on Carlos’ head when he saw her.

"Shit!" he reached up and grabbed the lamp from her hands. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to get out of here! What do you think?" she yelled. A sound came from the other room and Carlos grabbed Alex’s arm before she could run by him.

"Carlos!" It was Miguel. Shit, how had he found him?

"Miguel!" Alex shouted before Carlos could stop her. "Erik?" Alex practically whispered. Carlos turned to see Miguel and Erik coming at him. Erik pushed Carlos aside and ran to Alex, who threw herself into his arms.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Carlos yelled at Miguel. "And why the hell did you bring him?"

"We were worried about Alex, man. Did you think you’d get away with this?" Miguel asked, angrily. Another noise got their attention and two men suddenly burst into the apartment.

"Get down!" Carlos yelled. He turned to Erik. "Get her out of here!" Erik saw the desperate and scared look in Carlos’ eyes. He quickly pulled Alex into the bedroom and slammed the door. A lot of furious yelling was heard before the unmistakable sound of two gunshots. Alex cried out in alarm. Erik dragged Alex over to the corner of the room away from the door and behind the bureau.

"Be quiet," Erik warned her as they crouched against the wall. The door to the bedroom opened and one of the men suddenly appeared in the doorway. He looked around and aimed his gun in Erik and Alex’s direction. Erik noticed that Alex was somewhat exposed and pushed her behind him just as the gun went off.

"Erik!" Alex screamed as he slumped to the side. Miguel suddenly ran into the room and jumped on the back of the man, causing him to drop the gun, which slid in Erik and Alex’s direction.

Alex noticed that Erik was no longer moving. She was petrified. She grabbed the gun and pointed it at the man and Miguel, who were struggling on the floor. Miguel managed to push the man off and away from him. Alex glanced at Erik and then without a second thought, she aimed the gun at the figure on the floor and pulled the trigger. The man let out a painful yell and was silent.

Miguel crawled over to Alex. He was bleeding from a scratch on his forehead, but seemed to be okay. Alex shakily dropped the gun and knelt down beside Erik, who was starting to come around.

"Is he okay?" Miguel asked.

"I…I don’t know. Erik?" Alex held his head in her lap. His eyes opened and he looked up at her.

"My…shit, my shoulder…it hurts," he said. Alex then realized that she had Erik’s blood all over her.

"Oh, my God," she said, looking at Miguel with panic in her eyes. Miguel grabbed a pillow off of the bed, pulled off the pillowcase and handed it to Alex.

"Here, press this against his shoulder," he said. Alex did as she was told. "I gotta call the cops." Erik shook his head.

"Get me outta here first. I can’t… I can’t be seen here. The press, the band, I can’t…" he said.

"But, you have to go to the hospital. You’re bleeding," Alex told him, tears running down her face.

"I’m okay. Just help me up. Please, I can’t be seen here," Erik said again.

"Here," Miguel handed Alex his car keys. "Bring him home. I’ll take care of things here."

"Carlos?" Alex asked, softly. Miguel looked at her and shook his head. Alex began sobbing uncontrollably.

"The guy got away, too," he said, softly. Alex started crying harder. Miguel kissed her forehead and left the room. He had to cover their brother’s body before she saw him. Erik managed to sit up and he held the pillowcase against his own shoulder.

"Alex, you have to drive, sweetheart. Please," Erik said. Alex took a deep breath and calmed down. "The gunshots were probably heard by someone. We have to get out of here." Alex nodded and stood up. She helped Erik up and they slowly made their way to the bedroom door, not even looking at the body on the floor.

Miguel immediately approached them and helped get Erik out of the room. Alex saw Carlos’ body on the floor, now covered by an old afghan that had been on the couch. She choked back a sob as she continued walking. Miguel kissed Alex again and closed the door. He ran to the bedroom and picked up the gun, wiping his fingerprints all over it, hoping that Alex’s were coming off. He then returned to the other room and looked at Carlos’ covered body. Miguel wiped the tears that were falling from his eyes and soaking his shirt. He then picked up the phone to call the police.

Once they were out of the building without being seen, Alex practically dragged Erik to Miguel’s car and they got in. They could already hear sirens in the distance.

"Where is everybody?" Alex asked, thinking it was strange that no one was around. "I mean someone had to have heard the shots."

"I think it’s common in this area," Erik said. His voice sounded weak. He still held the blood-soaked pillowcase against his bleeding shoulder.

"I should bring you right to the emergency room," Alex said as she turned the car around and headed for O-Town’s estate. Erik shook his head.

"Kristi’s at the house…at least I hope she’s still there," he said. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder. Alex had to pull over once as a police car sped past them, heading in the opposite direction.

"Carlos is dead," Alex said, softly, tears sliding down her cheeks. She wiped them away and concentrated on the road. "He was just trying to protect me, you know. He didn’t deserve to die!"

"Baby, don’t. You’ll only get upset," Erik said, groggily. He was starting to lose consciousness.

"Erik, keep your eyes open. Don’t close them!" Alex ordered. Erik tried, but his eyelids were so heavy, he couldn’t keep them up. Unable to fight it anymore, he closed his eyes…and passed out.

Kristi was sitting, watching TV with Trevor and Dan when they heard a car pull up outside. Frantic knocking at the front door followed a minute later. Dan ran to answer it. A panicked Alex was standing before him. She had what appeared to be blood all over her.

"Turn you microphone off, get rid of the cameras and come with me!" she said, running back to the car.

"The camera is with Ashley. What’s wrong?" Dan saw Erik in the car and ran after Alex. When he saw the bloody pillowcase, he looked at Alex with wide eyes.

"What…?"

"Not now! Is Kristi here?" Dan nodded. "Good. Help me get him into the house," Alex said opening Erik’s door. Dan gently slid Erik out of the car and put his arm around him. Erik moaned when his shoulder was jostled. Dan quickly got Erik into the house and surprisingly took off toward the guesthouse rather than bringing Erik upstairs to his own room. Kristi ran after them. Trevor brought up the rear, but was slower because of his ankle.

Dan brought Erik to Jacob’s room. "Get something to lie him on," Dan told Alex. Alex ran to the bathroom and returned with some dark towels, which she spread out on the floor. Kristi had arrived and helped lower Erik to the floor, careful not to move him too much. She pushed Alex aside and knelt down, pulling the pillowcase away and ripping Erik’s shirt so that she could see the wound better.

"I need a wet washcloth and bandages. Shit. Why didn’t you take him to the hospital?" Kristi asked Alex, who had a haunted look in her eyes.

"He…there were men…they shot Carlos and Erik," Alex sobbed, unable to hold in her grief any longer. Dan pulled her to him. They both now had Erik’s blood all over them, but they didn’t care.

"A washcloth?" Kristi asked again. Dan released Alex and ran to the bathroom. Trevor limped into the room just as Erik’s eyes opened.

"Alex?" he asked, weakly. Kristi held his hand. Her other hand was pressed against his wound.

"She’s here. It’s okay, Erik. I’m going to help you," Kristi said. Erik nodded. Dan came back and handed Kristi a wet washcloth. She wiped away some of the blood. "It’s a gunshot wound all right," she said. She gently turned Erik, who groaned. Kristi examined his back. "There’s an exit wound. The bullet went through."

"Is that good?" Trevor asked. He felt guilty because he had known what Erik had been up to and he hadn’t said anything about it.

"Well, he should still be brought to the hospital. I don’t have my med kit with me here," Kristi said. "Or, I could bring him to the clinic and make sure that it’s kept quiet. I know the doctors who work there. I’m sure I could get them to keep it confidential."

"Let’s go, then," Trevor said, standing up and wincing.

"You, stay. Dan, change your clothes and Alex…you need to change, too," Kristi said. "Trevor, hold this cloth against the wound while I call the clinic and tell them we’re coming," she said. Trevor knelt down holding the cloth to Erik’s wound.

"I don’t have clothes," Alex said.

"Um…" Dan looked around the room. He smiled and went over to a chair in the corner. "Luckily Maria didn’t bring all of her stuff home the last time she stayed here," he said, handing her a pink tee shirt. "Are your jeans bad?"

"No, it’s mostly my shirt," Alex said. She went to the bathroom to change her shirt. Dan grabbed one of Jacob’s tee shirts and changed right there.

"I gotta tell Ashley what’s going on," Dan said.

"No, I’ll tell him while you’re gone. What about the Mikes?" Trevor asked.

"They’re gone for the night. We’ll tell them tomorrow morning," Dan answered. Kristi returned.

"Okay, they’re expecting us," she stated. She bent down to look at the wound again. "The bleeding isn’t as heavy, which is good. He’ll probably just need a few stitches. Erik? Can you walk?" Erik sat up and shook his head as dizziness washed over him. Slowly, with Kristi holding one of his arms and Dan holding the other, they made their way out of Jacob’s room and down the stairs.

Alex came out of the bathroom and followed them. She felt like this was all her fault. Her brother was dead, Erik had been shot and her brother’s killer had gotten away. What if he came to finish the job? And what if he went after Erik now, too? Alex pushed those thoughts away as she climbed into Dan’s van and slid the door closed. Right now, she just wanted Erik to be okay…that’s all she wanted.

Trevor went in search of Ashley. He found him with Emily in the game room playing pool. "Uh, Ash? Can I talk to you?" Ashley nodded and followed him out of the room. "No, you can’t come," Trevor said to the cameraman, who frowned. Trevor’s mic was already off. He motioned for Ashley to turn his off as well.

"What’s going on?" Ashley asked after turning off his mic.

"Erik’s been shot."

"What? What do you mean? How?"

"With a gun, how do you think?" Trevor asked. Ashley shook his head, not understanding. "He’ll be okay. At least that’s what Kristi says, so we shouldn’t worry too much," Trevor said.

"Shouldn’t worry? Erik was shot! How are we not supposed to worry?" Ashley asked in exasperation. "Dude, like, what is going on with this group? Jacob’s girlfriend is pregnant and he takes off without permission; you sprain your ankle a week before our tour and now Erik’s been…shot? The Mikes are gonna freak out! Hell, they’re already freaking out, this is gonna put them right over the edge!"

"You’ve got a point there. And if Jacob and Maria come back tomorrow, and that’s a big if, it’s going to be crazy," Trevor said, running a hand through his thick hair. "We’ve got a tour next week, Ash. How are we gonna perform with everything that’s going on? We need to have a meeting to discuss it…a meeting with all of us. The tour should be our first priority right now."

"I agree with you there, but we do have personal lives. Jacob and Erik just have to try and separate their personal lives from their professional ones. The tour is not gonna be fun if all of this ‘drama’ continues…that’s for sure," Ashley remarked. He wanted Jacob home and he hoped that Erik was okay, but he wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow…he wasn’t looking forward to it at all.