Chapter 29

Thursday, January 17^th

5 a.m.

"Let’s go!" Mike. M. knocked on Erik’s bedroom door, before walking down the hall to knock on Ashley’s door. Dan came out of his room and smiled tiredly at Mike.

"I’m up," he said.

"I knew you would be. Get Trevor up. I’m going to get Jacob," Mike said as he headed for the stairs. Dan went to Trevor’s room.

"Yo, Trev. It’s time to get up, man," Dan said, shaking Trevor’s sleeping form. Trevor moaned and opened his eyes.

"It’s too early," he said, pulling a pillow over his head. Dan smiled and pulled the pillow away.

"Kristi will be here soon," he said. Trevor sat up.

"Okay, I’m up," he said. Dan laughed as he left the room. Trevor sighed and yawned. He knew that Kristi wanted to talk about the kiss---the kiss that she thought he didn’t remember. Well, he didn’t, but he had been told that he had kissed her. Maybe he should bring it up and see what she thought of it. Or maybe he should keep his mouth shut. He didn’t take rejection well.

Jacob was up, sort of. He was sitting on the edge of his bed trying to wake up. His eyes were open, but he was finding it hard to think.

"Jacob!" Mike M.’s voice shouted before there was a pounding on his door. Jacob frowned.

"I’m up, you don’t have to break the damn door down," he called. Mike opened the door and smiled.

"Good. Get your stuff together and be downstairs in a half hour," he ordered before leaving the room. Jacob lay down and groaned.

"I hate mornings," he said to the empty room.

"Ash?" Erik went into Ashley’s room. Ashley came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hey. Dude, it is way too early to be up," Ashley said as he dug a tee shirt out of his bureau drawer. Erik sat down on the bed. "Are you all ready already?" Ashley asked, skeptically.

"Yeah. I’m ready for this tour. It’s gonna be cool," Erik answered.

"That’s because Alex is gonna be with us. Emily’s not and I’m gonna, like, miss her," Ashley told him. Erik nodded.

"It won’t be for that long. I’m sure you’ll survive," he said.

"I don’t know." Ashley got dressed and then faced Erik. "I, we, kinda slept together last night." Erik looked surprised.

"Wow. I didn’t think you two were that serious yet," he remarked.

"Either did I. Either did Emily. She got all weird, like she regretted it," Ashley said, worriedly.

"Did she say she did?" Erik asked.

"No, but, I don’t know, she acted like she wished that she hadn’t done it."

"Was it good?" Erik then asked, smiling. Ashley smiled back.

"It was great," he said. There was a knock at his door. Ashley opened it to see Jacob standing before him.

"Ashley, where the hell did you put all of my towels?" he asked.

"Oh, they’re in the laundry. I’ll get you a couple of mine," Ashley answered as he ran to his bathroom.

"In the laundry? It’s been over a week and you haven’t washed them yet?" Jacob called, shaking his head. He walked into the room and looked at Erik. "How’s your shoulder?" Erik shrugged.

"It’s better. I thought it would hurt longer, but what do I know? I’ve never been shot before," he said. Jacob nodded. There was still tension between them and Jacob didn’t fully understand why.

Ashley returned with a couple of towels. "Here, Jake." He handed them to him.

"Thanks. Next time someone comes home with a bullet wound, use someone else’s towels," Jacob said with a smirk. He turned and left the room. Ashley looked over at Erik, who was examining the ceiling.

"What is your problem with Jacob?" he asked. "I mean I know that you’re, like, upset that he left and all, but is it really worth the hard feelings? We’re a band, dude. We’re supposed to be close and support each other."

"I know, Ash, but Jacob pretty much told me that he’d always put Maria above the band. That, to me, is betrayal. We should come first, even if she is pregnant." Erik got up and walked to the door.

"But, Erik…"

"Not now, Ashley. Not now," Erik said as he left the room. Ashley sighed and finished packing.

Maria rushed to get ready to go. All of her photo equipment was already packed into her jeep. It was her personal things that were keeping her.

"One more," Emily said, handing Maria her a navy blue backpack. Maria smiled as she took it.

"Thanks. You know, you didn’t have to get up this early," Maria said. She had on gray sweats and a white tee shirt with her Nike sneakers. She also had a sweatshirt with her in preparation for the weather in Germany. "Okay, well, take care of Heathcliff." Maria hugged Emily tightly.

"Have a great time," Emily told her. Maria smiled.

"I will. I’ll take care of Ashley for you." Emily got a strange, uncertain look on her face. She hadn’t told Maria what had happened between herself and Ashley, even though Maria had questioned her relentlessly. Emily wanted time to think about it before she talked about it. Now, it looked like she’d have a lot of time to think about it.

"Thanks. I’ll walk out with you. You can’t carry all of this shit yourself," Emily said. Maria laughed.

"True." They left the loft and headed for the parking lot. As they were loading Maria’s luggage into the jeep, a young woman seemingly came out of nowhere, scaring the hell out of Maria.

"Excuse me. You’re Maria Carpenter, right?" she asked. Maria frowned.

"That depends on who’s asking," she said.

"I work for Teen Beat Magazine. I was wondering if you could comment on your situation. Are you really pregnant and is Jacob Underwood of O-Town the father of your baby?" she asked. Maria wanted to hit her.

"Look, I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry," she said as she climbed into the jeep. "Besides, it’s too early for this."

"Please! One comment?" the woman begged.

"No!" Maria said, closing the jeep’s door. She backed up the jeep and took off. Emily looked at the reporter.

"You look familiar," the woman said. Emily quickly turned and ran back into the building. The woman frowned and sighed.

Erik smiled as he watched Alex unload her bags from her car. Miguel had driven her over to the house. They would all take a limo, which was parked in the driveway, to the airport.

Alex and Miguel walked up the sidewalk. Mike C. opened the door and greeted them. Trevor and Dan went by with their luggage. Erik kissed Alex when she reached him.

"I would only get up this early for you, Erik," Alex said, her eyes still half closed. Erik laughed. He turned to Miguel and shook his hand.

"Hey, man. Are you sure it’s okay that Alex comes with us?" he asked.

"It’s up to her. She has work to do, though, so she has to go, I think," Miguel said.

"That’s right. Erik, I’m fine. I don’t need Miguel’s permission to go out of the country. And Maria needs me," Alex told him. Erik nodded.

Jacob appeared with his things. He smiled at Alex and kissed her cheek lightly. "Hey, Alex. How’s it going?" he asked.

"You look like you’re asleep standing up," Alex commented, looking at him. Jacob yawned and continued walking. Alex smiled slightly. Erik frowned. Alex noticed.

"Erik, stop it. Maria’s my friend. I’m going to support her, so don’t give her or Jacob a hard time. You have no idea what they’re going through, so relax and give them a break," she said, turning to bring her things to the limo. Miguel shook his head.

"Man, good luck on the tour," he said.

"Thanks. I think I’m gonna need it," Erik told him.

Maria pulled into the driveway and parked her jeep behind the band’s van. She got out, slamming the door hard. Mike C. frowned.

"I take it you’re not a morning person," he remarked. Maria glared at him. Mike wisely backed away and headed up the sidewalk to the house.

Trevor, Dan and Jacob watched as Maria took her luggage from her jeep and dragged it over to the limo. The MTB camera had joined them. Maria looked pissed about something.

"Good morning," Trevor said, cheerily. Maria frowned.

"Not really," she said.

"What’s wrong? Are you sick?" Jacob asked her. Maria shook her head.

"No, I got ambushed by some reporter at my place this morning when I was leaving. She wanted to know if I was pregnant with Jacob Underwood’s kid," she told him. Trevor and Dan left them alone. The camera stayed with them, of course.

"Did she harass you?" Jacob asked.

"No, she just wanted me to comment on our situation. It was intrusive, though, and I was in a hurry, so I just left," she told him. Jacob put an arm around her.

"Good. That’s what you should do. Don’t let them get to you," he said. Maria nodded. Jacob kissed her lightly on the lips and turned to put her things into the limo.

Kristi arrived five minutes after Maria. She checked with her ‘patients’ and was happy that Trevor’s ankle was healing quickly, as was Erik’s shoulder. They seemed to be in good spirits, too. Everyone was excited about the tour.

The Mikes gathered everyone together before they headed out to the limo. "Okay, guys, you know the drill, but the girls need to stay close to us. Stick with either Mike or myself or O-Town security. You need to keep these ID tags on at all times." Mike M. held up a few laminated ID’s with the girls’ pictures on them. "Also, you will continue to wear body mics for the show. If you have any problems or questions, just ask." The girls nodded. "Now, as for room assignments in the various hotels we will be staying at, it would be easiest to stick with the same roommate for each location. The guys will have their own rooms. Girls, do you want to share or not?"

"With the guys?" Alex asked, looking at Erik.

"Personally, I would prefer the guys to be alone. For publicity reasons and it would be easier to keep track of everyone," Mike M. said. Jacob looked at Maria who shrugged. "Okay, so if there are no problems there, then we can go." Mike M. smiled. The guys and girls then followed the Mikes out of the house.

Jacob took Maria’s hand as they walked to the limo. "Are you ready?" he asked her. Maria nodded.

"As ready as I’ll ever be."

Berlin, Germany

8 p.m.

Weary, but excited, the travelers arrived at their hotel in Berlin with much fanfare. There were fans at the airport to greet them and more fans at the hotel. The group signed as many autographs as they could before they were ushered inside by their security. Maria couldn’t get over the fans and how aggressive they were towards the guys. It made her nervous, but she didn’t think that they were in any real danger---and they had their security with them, so she told herself to relax.

Maria was tired and it wasn’t just from the trip. She hoped that her pregnancy wouldn’t bother her too much. The ‘side effects’ she’d been dealing with had mostly been the recurring morning sickness and the tiredness. She had work to do, though, and couldn’t let it bother her.

"This is amazing," Kristi said, looking around the hotel. The girls were standing in the lobby waiting for the guys. "I can’t believe I’m in Berlin."

"It is pretty amazing," Maria agreed. "And this is only the first stop."

Five minutes later, the Mikes finally came in with the group. They headed to the elevators. Jacob took Maria’s hand. She smiled tiredly at him. "Are you okay?" he asked. Maria nodded.

"My head has a date with a pillow, I think," she said. Jacob smiled and kissed her cheek. The Mikes handed out their room keys and everyone went their separate ways.

Alex looked at Erik longingly. "I don’t want to be alone," she said, softly. Erik nodded. He looked at Mike C.

"Can’t she room with me?" he asked. Mike sighed. He knew what Alex had been through and sympathized with her.

"Yeah, okay," he said. Erik smiled and took Alex’s hand. They walked down the hallway to their room.

"Ashley, your room is next to Jacob’s. Please don’t get lost," Mike M. told him. Ashley pretended to look offended.

"Who? Me?" he asked. Mike shook his head and pointed to a door. Ashley smiled and went to his room.

Trevor and Dan found their rooms and disappeared to get some sleep. Kristi and Maria had a room next to the Mikes, on the other side of the hall from the guys. Kristi went into their room, followed by Maria and Jacob.

"It’s small," Maria said. Jacob sat down on one of the beds.

"I’m right across the hall if you need anything," he told her.

"I’ll be fine, Jacob. I’ve got the doc as a roommate, so don’t worry," Maria said. Jacob pulled her to him and put his hands around her waist. Maria smiled down at him and played with his hair. "I’m going to go take some pictures tomorrow while you’re appearing on that soap. I never thought of you as a German soap opera star." She smirked. Jacob shook his head.

"Don’t make fun of our promotional appearances," he said.

"You hate it, don’t you?" Maria asked. Jacob sighed.

"I do what I have to for the group," he said.

"Good answer!" Maria exclaimed. Kristi laughed. Jacob stood up and Maria put her arms around his neck. "I guess I’ll just have to wait for one of the Mikes to come get me when you’re free. That’s the only way I’m gonna see you." Jacob nodded. He leaned in and kissed Maria deeply.

"Get some rest. Goodnight," he said, after he had released her.

"’Night," she said. Jacob kissed her once more before leaving the room. Maria immediately lay down on the bed. Kristi looked over at her.

"Are you really okay?" she asked. Maria nodded. "Good. I expect you to tell me if you don’t feel well. You don’t have to tell Jacob, but I want to know."

"Yes, Doctor," Maria said. She didn’t want Jacob worried about her. He had the group to concentrate on. He was already in trouble for going AWOL and had to focus on O-Town---not her.

After the band had filmed their appearance on the soap opera, everyone went back to the hotel, packed and headed for the airport. They were now on their way to the UK. The press and fans were constantly following them. Security was kept very busy. Maria stayed close to Mike C., who had taken her under his protective ‘wing.’

Maria had taken Alex to take pictures for their supplement while the guys had been working. Maria planned on doing a short piece on each location that they visited. While Alex helped with the photography, Maria would have time to write up the short article. It would keep them busy while O-Town went about their business.

The tour continued…

January 25^th

Dublin, Ireland

It was a cloudy, bleak day, but the group was having a great time their first time in Ireland. They had their third and final show that night at the Dublin National Stadium. After that, they were flying to London where they had four shows planned plus the filming of the opening sequence for their ‘movie’ episode of Making The Band.

Maria was happy with the way the supplement was coming out. She found time to write at night while the band was performing and she would develop the pictures once they got home. She planned on attending that night’s concert, though. Jacob wanted her there and she wanted to see the group perform again. Jacob had been moody lately. The press was unforgiving and looked to get worse in England. There were constant questions about Maria and the baby. Jacob tried to keep his cool and not comment, but the reporters wouldn’t quit. They smelled a scandal and wanted to make the most of it. Maria barely saw Jacob anyway, so it wasn’t as if they had been seen together much.

Alex was dealing with a different kind of stress: Erik. He was being a stubborn jerk to Jacob and it was making her mad. She didn’t know whether to side with Erik or Jacob and Maria, so she had tried staying out of it. Maria had noticed and hadn’t said anything, but Alex could sense that she was upset that Alex wasn’t defending her to Erik. On stage and in public, Erik was Jacob’s happy-go-lucky band mate, but in private, Erik’s resentment towards Jacob and his situation was all too apparent. Jacob had amazingly kept his temper in check and just ignored Erik. Alex didn’t know what to do. If she defended Jacob, Erik would get mad at her; if she sided with Erik, Maria would get mad at her. Alex was torn and didn’t like it. Plus, she was still having nightmares about the shooting and Carlos, so she hadn’t been sleeping well, either. She found herself thinking more than once that she wished she had stayed home.

The girls were now getting ready to go to the concert. The band was already there getting ready for their performance. Mike C. would be bringing the girls over to the stadium in a little while.

"Maria, you know what we should do?" Alex asked as she looked at the band’s schedule.

"What should we do?" Maria asked back. Alex had been down since the start of the tour. Maria knew that she was still dealing with the trauma of Carlos’ death and of Erik’s shooting. She could relate since she had been through an intense traumatizing experience herself not so long ago. The thing that worried Maria was that Alex wasn’t talking about it. She was burying her feelings---which wasn’t good.

"We should go on a double date; just you and Jacob and me and Erik. None of us has ever been out on a ‘real’ date before. I see the group has February 9^th off. Why don’t we do something?" Maria finished pinning her hair up and looked over at Alex.

"Where will we be?" she asked.

"Stuttgart, Germany. We can ask Mike. He likes you. I think it’s because Rich liked you," Alex said.

"Will Erik go along with that, do you think? He’s pretty mad at Jacob and me right now," Maria said.

"I’ll make him go along with it. The anger has to stop already. I don’t know what Erik’s problem is, but it’s pissing me off," Alex finally admitted to Maria, who smiled.

"It sounds like a plan. We just have to get Mike to go along with it," Maria told her. Alex managed a small smile.

"If you ask him, I’m sure he’ll agree to it," she said. Kristi came out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to go.

"Ready, doc?" Maria asked. Kristi smiled and nodded.

"I guess. I’m tired of arguing with Trevor about dancing, though. He wants to re-injure himself I think," she said, shaking her head. Maria laughed and joined Alex and Kristi as they left the room to meet Mike in the lobby of the hotel.

"Man, the press is annoying," Ashley remarked as he entered the small dressing room. "They’re everywhere!"

"Are they looking for Jake?" Erik asked. Jacob turned on him.

"Dude, enough!" he snapped. "I don’t like it any better than you do, so lay off!"

"Guys, relax. I’ll take care of the press," Mike M. said as he left the room.

Dan glanced at the MTB camera. "Let’s have a good show, fellas," he urged. Jacob nodded, as did Erik. When they were performing together, they were fine---it was when they weren’t performing that Erik allowed his anger to show.

Fifteen minutes later, Mike C. arrived with the girls. Alex walked over to Erik, who smiled. "Hey, baby," he said.

"Hi. We almost got killed trying to get in here. Everyone recognized Mike and thought that you guys were around," she said, frowning.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked Maria. Maria kissed him thoroughly. When she released him, he smiled at her. "I guess you are. We have to get ready. Enjoy the show." Maria frowned.

"You look stressed. Are you okay?" she asked him. Jacob nodded and looked away. Maria didn’t like it. Jacob was letting things get to him. She couldn’t talk to him about it because they could never manage to get a minute of privacy.

"Let’s go, girls," Mike M. suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Kristi glared at Trevor. "If you dance…" she warned.

"What will you do?" Trevor asked, annoyed by her constant hovering over him.

"I don’t know, but you won’t like it," she said, sternly, as she followed Maria out the door. Trevor laughed after the door had closed.

"Man, you like bugging her," Dan said, smiling. Trevor nodded.

"It’s just so easy," he said. Dan shook his head. Trevor and Kristi had this ‘love/hate’ thing going on and it was fun to watch. Their constant flirting was entertaining, too.