Chapter 29

"Time to get ready," Jacob informed everyone. They were left alone so that they could get ready for their show.

Two and a half hours later, everyone was back in the dressing room watching Kristi examine Ashley, who had somehow fallen during his solo performance. He had been singing fine and then had somehow tripped over the microphone, landing on his back. The audience hadn’t noticed that anything was wrong as Ashley continued to play his guitar and scoot along the stage on his back.

"Does anything hurt?" Kristi asked, gently feeling his lower back. Ashley shook his head.

"No," he said.

"You’ll probably be sore tomorrow, but I don’t see anything," Kristi said, continuing to run her hands over his back.

"I might need a massage," Ashley said with a smile. Trevor frowned. Kristi laughed.

"I think you’re fine," she said, pulling his shirt down.

"Damn," Ashley exclaimed.

"Only Ashley would fall during his solo," Jacob teased. Ashley curled his fists and got into a ‘fighting’ position.

"Oh, yeah? You wanna go, man?" he said. Jacob just shook his head and laughed.

"Alright, guys. We have to get to London, so if Ashley is over his embarrassment, let’s go," Mike M. instructed.

"No one even knew what was going on!" Ashley exclaimed. "The crowd loved it. They just thought I was doing my ‘rock star’ thing!" He’d never live this one down. Laughing, the guys went about changing and packing up their things.

Maria watched Jacob closely. He looked tired, but that was understandable since he put so much into his performance. He seemed distracted, though, and he barely acknowledged her as she stood there. Maria didn’t like it. She wished that she could talk to him about it, but they barely got two minutes to spend alone together. There were always people around and the MTB camera was a constant presence. Maria decided not to say anything to him---yet.

February 6^th

Cologne, Germany

Since O-Town had so many dates in Germany, they rented a tour bus. It was a big, silver, double-decker bus, which was very roomy and comfortable. They had been in Hamburg for a couple of days and were now headed for Oberhausen, where they would have one show before going to Frankfurt. That afternoon, however, they would be in Cologne where they had to do promotion at the Media Park, which was a huge complex of media companies in downtown Cologne. They then had to do VIVA Interaktiv, which was kind of like TRL, but it was for the German music channel VIVA. After that, they were to do an interview on Eins Live radio station, which was next door to VIVA at the Media Park.

The group had done an interview for Bravo TV a couple of weeks back and had been given a small video camera to make a ‘tour diary’ in order to document what they were going through. They weren’t thrilled about being in front of yet another camera, but since they were the ones behind the camera, they didn’t mind and actually had some fun with it---especially on the tour bus. They taped mostly each other and left the girls alone.

The guys slept a lot on the bus. There was also very little to no privacy. It was hard, especially for Maria. The English press had been merciless. She hadn’t been able to go out with Alex to take pictures for the supplement while they had been there because there had been so many reporters wanting to talk to her. Apparently, everyone knew who she was. It wasn’t exactly the kind of ‘celebrity’ that Maria wanted. She had ended up stuck in her hotel room, bored out of her mind.

"Does the sun ever come out?" Maria asked, crossly, as she looked out the window of the bus. "Talk about depressing." Jacob was sleeping. Maria missed him even though she was traveling with him. She was starting to wonder why he had even wanted her to come on this tour with him.

"Someone’s crabby," Alex remarked. Maria ignored her and began to sketch a picture in her sketchbook. She missed drawing and developing pictures. She wanted to work, but under these conditions, it was nearly impossible.

"I’m just…frustrated," Maria said.

"Why?" Trevor asked. He was sitting opposite Maria on the small seat.

"Well, I’ve been on this tour for almost two weeks now and I’ve barely seen the sun or Jacob. I got stuck in a hotel in London, a place that I really wanted to see, and I’m tired. I think I’ve got good reasons to be ‘crabby’ as Alex puts it," Maria said, sighing.

Erik walked in and sat down next to Alex. "Complaining? Why did you come, then?" he asked.

"Don’t even start with me, Erik. The way that you’ve been treating Jacob has been ridiculous. You need to adjust your attitude or something!" Maria told him, glaring at him. She got up and left to go back to her bunk.

"She’s moody," Erik remarked. Alex frowned.

"You have been acting like an ass. We’re all stressed right now. Lay off of them," she said, getting up and following Maria. Erik looked at Trevor, who shrugged.

"Don’t look at me," he said. Erik looked out the window. He had to talk to Jacob and straighten some things out. Alex was mad at him now and he never wanted that. Erik sighed. He needed to talk to Jacob---and soon.

Ashley was filming Dan, who was hanging over his bunk. "Are you ready for another day of being a member of O-Town?" Ashley asked as if he were a reporter.

"Yes, sir, I am," Dan said, smiling. He reached down and grabbed the camera.

"Hey!" Ashley protested. Maria came charging into the bunk area and literally ran into Ashley. "Geez! Are you okay?" Ashley asked, helping Maria up off of the floor.

"No!" she yelled and climbed into her bunk, pulling the privacy curtain closed. Ashley looked at Dan and frowned. Jacob’s head then poked out from his bottom bunk and he looked up at Ashley.

"Dudes, what’s all the yelling?" he asked, sleepily.

"Your girlfriend," Dan answered, gesturing to Maria’s bunk. Jacob sighed. He couldn’t deal with her right now. There was too much going on and he was getting stressed.

Ashley grabbed the camera back from Dan and pointed it at Jacob. "So, Jake, how do you like touring?" he asked.

"I love it. It’s great. Get that thing out of my face," Jacob replied. Ashley laughed as Jacob covered the lens with his hand.

"You’re no fun," Ashley said. Jacob smiled and stood up. He stretched. "What are you going to do now?" Ashley asked, the camera trained on Jacob again.

"I’m going to write. Now, go away," Jacob told him as he headed for the back of the bus. Ashley looked back up at Dan, giving him a ‘what’s going on?’ look. Dan shrugged and lay back down in his bunk. He wasn’t about to try and figure out what was going on in Jacob’s head---he was afraid it would give him a headache.

When the time came for the interview on Eins Live radio, the guys all gathered around the microphones. An interpreter was there to help with their answers. Maria had decided to tag along. Alex and Kristi had stayed on the bus to get some more sleep.

The DJ introduced the band and asked a few questions that took twice as long with the interpreter. He then posed another question. Maria knew it was directed at Jacob when the interpreter looked at him.

"Jacob, fans want to know if it’s true about your girlfriend being pregnant with your baby," the interpreter said. Jacob cringed. He had lost count as to how many times he had answered or refused to answer that question. He glanced over at Erik, who had a bored, unreadable expression on his face.

Realizing that everyone was quiet, waiting for an answer, Jacob sighed and put his mouth to the microphone. "Yes, it’s true," he said, not offering any additional details. The DJ, who understood English, relayed Jacob’s answer in German. Again, after a question, the interpreter looked at Jacob.

"Congratulations. How do your band mates feel about this?" he asked. Jacob looked over at Maria, who was looking at the floor. Jacob then motioned Mike C. over to him and whispered something in his ear. Mike said something back and motioned for Jacob to answer the question.

"They’re supportive," Jacob said, not looking at Erik. Mike went over to the studio director and said something to him. The man then said something to the DJ, who nodded.

"Are you enjoying your tour so far?" the interpreter relayed the next question. Maria looked up and saw Jacob nod at Mike. Jacob must have told him that any questions about her were off limits or that he wouldn’t answer any more questions concerning her and her current condition. She saw the frown on his face and sighed. She was the reason for his being stressed and she was starting to feel guilty. Maria slipped out of the studio and stood against the wall. People stared at her, but Maria was used to the looks by now. She stared right back until they walked away. What would it be like when she actually looked pregnant? Would she have to be kept inside out of the public’s eye altogether? Maria hadn’t thought of her situation as ‘scandalous’ until now.

After the interview, the guys took some pictures with the radio station’s staff before leaving the building. Maria walked quietly beside Jacob. He glanced at her, but didn’t say anything to her. He had seen her leave the studio during the interview. She didn’t look happy.

Trevor had also noticed Maria leave during the interview. She looked sad, so he went over and put an arm around her shoulders. "How are you holding up?" he asked, wondering why Jacob was keeping his distance from her. If he was letting Erik get to him, Trevor would kill him.

"I’m okay," Maria said with a small smile. Trevor hugged her to him as they returned to the bus.

"Guys, we’re going to the concert venue now. You have to do all of your pre-show preparation. The band is already there, so they should be set up so that you can do sound check as soon as possible," Mike M. informed them.

Jacob watched Maria walk to the back of the bus and close the door. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"Are you two fighting?" Dan asked him, softly. Jacob shook his head. "Do you want me to talk to her?" Jacob shook his head again and walked towards the back of the bus. Dan frowned as he watched him go.

"See?" Erik said as he came up behind Dan. "He’s starting to realize what a mess he’s created." Dan turned to him.

"Erik, you have to try to be supportive. Even if you don’t agree with what Jacob did, man, we’re all tight. We’re a group and we have to act like one," he said. Erik looked at the floor. Dan was right, of course, but Erik was too stubborn to tell him that.

Maria sat on the seat looking out the window of the bus. She bit into her second Snickers bar that she’d had that day. At least she didn’t really have to worry about her weight---not too much anyway. She looked at the door when it opened. She was kind of surprised that it was Jacob. He stood looking at her uncertainly for a minute before closing the door.

"Are you ashamed of me?" Maria asked, playing with her candy wrapper.

"No," he replied.

"Then why do I feel so alone right now? You barely look at me. You don’t acknowledge me in public or in front of the fans and the press. It never used to be this way, even if it was only a short time ago. I feel like you’re leaving me," Maria said. Jacob stepped forward and sat down beside her.

"I’m sorry," he said quietly. "I don’t mean to make you feel that way. It’s just the press and all of the publicity is getting to me. I know that it shouldn’t, but it is. It’s constant and you’ve only just found out that you’re pregnant. What will it be like later? You know, when the baby is actually born?"

"I think the press will back off. If they don’t, then we really need something exciting to happen news-wise. The story will get old. I mean, you’re not exactly Michael Jackson, no offense," she told him. Jacob smiled.

"None taken. I guess you’re right." He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. Maria turned and hugged him. She didn’t think that much of anything had been resolved, though. Jacob was tightly wound and Maria couldn’t help but feel that it was only a matter of time before he snapped.

Orlando [AN: This is the same day, but things are not happening at the same time as what’s going on overseas. I didn’t want to deal with the time difference.]

Emily was looking at the personals in the newspaper when there was a knock at the door. She went to get it and was shocked to see Sarah standing on the other side of the door. Emily smiled as she hugged Sarah tightly.

"This is a happy surprise!" Emily exclaimed.

"I was hoping you wouldn’t turn me away," Sarah told her.

"Of course not. What are you doing here?" Sarah walked into the loft with a couple of suitcases and a bag that was slung over her shoulder.

"I’m sorry for coming unannounced. I needed to get away. Mom is freaking me out. All she talks about is Maria and the baby," Sarah said. "And then she asks a million questions about Dad and Marilyn. I don’t know what’s going on. I think Mom needs some new psychotic medication or something." Emily laughed. Sarah seemed like she was her old self again.

"Before she left on the tour, Maria said that you were doing better. I’m sorry I didn’t keep in touch," Emily told her, apologetically."

"That’s okay. I was going to a therapist, like, every day. I didn’t feel much like talking to anyone. What happened at the cabin was embarrassing. I almost died when I saw Jacob at Dad’s. He was so cool, though." Emily nodded. She hoped that Sarah was over Jacob. The way she said his name, though, made her think that Sarah’s crush was still there.

"Well, you can stay as long as you like," Emily told her. Sarah smiled.

"Thanks, Emily. I really appreciate it," she said. Sarah wanted to start over---and she wanted to do it in Orlando.

Germany

The Oberhausen show went well. No one fell and the group sounded good. They got a rush out of performing American Game because it was new and they had written it. The crowd reaction to the song was favorable every time they had performed it so far.

They all boarded the bus, tired but still pumped up. Maria went right to her bunk to sleep. She was still getting used to the time difference and she was just always tired. Jacob went to the back of the bus with his guitar, Ashley following behind him.

"Dude, you didn’t fall off the stage. I’m impressed." Jacob smirked as he sat down, his guitar in his lap. Ashley stuck his tongue out at him. "Oh, very mature, Ash."

"It’s not funny. I could’ve been really hurt," Ashley said. Jacob just smiled.

"Hey, Ash? I’ve been meaning to ask you, what happened with Emily the night before we left? She came to my room to get Maria and she looked kinda confused or upset about something. Care to share?" he asked. Ashley looked down and blushed slightly. Jacob noticed. "You slept with her. Didn’t you?" Ashley looked up at him.

"It wasn’t planned. It just kind of happened," he said, quickly. Jacob nodded.

"And she’s upset about it? That’s not good, dude," he said.

"Tell me about it. I really like her, Jake, but she looked like she regretted what happened."

"Did she say that she regretted it?" Jacob asked.

"No. She just acted like she did. It was very confusing," Ashley remarked, running a hand through his messy blonde hair.

"Go slow. She was probably just thinking that it was a mistake even if it wasn’t. I’m sure once she’s had time away from you and she’s had time to think about it, she’ll feel better about it," Jacob told him. Ashley nodded.

"I hope so. I don’t think I could handle it if she regretted it," he said, sadly. Jacob patted him on the knee.

"Dude, she digs you. She wouldn’t have done anything if she didn’t like you," he tried to reassure his friend. Ashley nodded again.

"Thanks, Jake. Look, I just want you to know that I support you and Maria. No matter what Erik says, I hope everything works out with you two and the baby." Jacob looked down at his guitar. Ashley frowned. "What? You’re having second thoughts about the baby?" he asked.

"No. Yes. I don’t know. Maria can tell that something’s bothering me and it’s just the thought of us having a kid---it’s scary, Ash. It’s really scary. I hope we’ll be able to pull it off," he said, softly. Ashley had never seen Jacob looking so vulnerable or so unsure of himself before.

"You’re gonna have lots of help, Jake. Don’t worry. We’re here for you," Ashley said. Jacob looked up and managed a small smile.

"Thanks." Ashley nodded and leaned back.

"Now, play," he said. Jacob began to play.

February 9^th

The band’s ‘off’ day finally arrived. They were now in Stuttgart. That morning, Alex and Maria dragged Erik and Jacob into the back of the bus to talk to them.

"What’s going on? I haven’t even eaten yet," Erik asked, annoyed.

"Shut up, Erik. We’re going to do something together today---just the four of us," Alex told him. Jacob frowned, looking at Maria, who nodded.

"Yeah, we’re going on a double date," she said.

"What? Why?" Erik asked, looking at Jacob, who shrugged.

"Because this shit going on between you two has got to stop," Alex stated. Erik sighed. It would be a good time for him to talk to Jacob.

"When are we going?" Jacob asked. Maria smiled.

"When Mike is ready," she said. "He’s agreed to be our chaperone."

"Great," Jacob said, sarcastically. "You know, I think he’s got the hots for you." Jacob smirked. Maria rolled her eyes.

"No, he doesn’t. He’s just protective of me," she said. Jacob put his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. Erik left the small area and Alex gave Maria a thumbs-up before following him.

"You two had this planned all along, didn’t you?" Jacob asked. Maria smiled at him.

"Nothing gets by Jacob Underwood, does it?" She kissed him, managed to free herself from his embrace and left to find something to eat. Jacob shook his head and yawned.

Trevor eyed Kristi as she sat at a table in the front of the bus eating a banana. She looked up and their eyes met. Trevor looked away quickly. Kristi sighed. He was so shy. Kristi respected that, but it was frustrating. He barely said two words to her.

"Good morning," Ashley said, happily, as he pulled a box of cereal from a cabinet. "I love days off. We have all day to do nothing."

"Enjoy it," Mike M. said, coming in behind Ashley. "You have shows coming up in Bremen, Hannover, Furth, Stuttgart again and Cologne. Oh, and a live web chat before the Cologne show. Then we go to Emsdetten, Bielefeld, and Braunschweig. We head to Switzerland and Austria after that before coming back to Germany for a show in Munich."

"Thanks, Mike. You always know how to make our days off so enjoyable," Trevor said, pouting. Mike smiled.

"I try," he said and sat down further up in the bus. Trevor made eye contact with Kristi again. She smiled and Trevor actually smiled back.

The double date turned out to be the four of them walking along the streets of Germany, taking in the sites and talking amongst themselves. Mike C. followed closely behind them. It was a cloudy, dark day. Erik had a hooded sweatshirt on with the hood up and Jacob wore his orange knit hat with a windbreaker jacket. They hadn’t gotten noticed---so far.

Jacob was holding Maria’s hand as they walked. Erik was next to Jacob, holding Alex’s hand. The four of them walked in silence for a while. Alex changed that.

"Okay, now that we got you two together, talk," she ordered. Erik looked at the ground. "Erik, come on. You can’t stay mad forever. Jacob’s your friend and band mate. You have to work out your problems." Alex looked at him imploringly. Erik looked up at her and sighed. He then looked at Jacob.

"Fine. Jake, look, I never wanted to stay mad, but what you did really got to me," he told him.

"Erik, what would you expect if you got Alex pregnant?" Jacob asked. Erik frowned.

"What would I expect?" he asked. Jacob nodded. "I would, um, expect some anger and resentment."

"Wouldn’t you want some support, though?" Maria asked him, looking past Jacob at Erik.

"Of course," Erik answered.

"Especially from your band mates, right? Your closest friends," Maria then asked. Jacob smiled to himself. He thought that he was supposed to be the one talking to Erik.

"Okay, I get it. I see what you’re saying, but it’s still a complicated situation," Erik said.

"We know. Believe me, we know." Jacob sighed. "And I don’t blame you for being mad, but under the circumstances, I had to go."

"I know. I suppose I would’ve done the same thing. I guess what really bothers me is…um…could we maybe speak alone here for a minute girls?" Erik asked, looking at Alex and Maria.

"Sure. We’ll take a walk around the park for a bit. Take all the time you need," Maria said pointedly. Both she and Alex gave a look that clearly said, ‘you’d better work this out,’ before strolling off in the direction of a statue at the other end of the park. Mike rolled his eyes and quickly followed after them. Jacob watched them go before he turned to Erik.