Love Menagerie: Chapter 21: In The Dark

Freddy/Brittany

"Hey, uh, I think milk's supposed to go in the refrigerator," the voice from behind startled her, causing her to drop the carton of milk onto the floor.

Brittany turned around to find Freddy leaning against the counter, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Funny," she mumbled, walking to the sink to get something to wipe the milk off of the floor with.

It was then that Brittany realized she'd been about to put the milk into the freezer. So she'd been a little distracted since waking up in Freddy's arms that morning. So what? Who could blame her? How many times would she allow herself to completely lose herself to Freddy? How many times could she keep acting so careless--carefree, whatever she was--about having sex with someone she was in love with?

"Wow, you're gonna clean that up?" He watched her kneeling on the floor. "You're not gonna pull the pregnancy card again?"

Brittany looked up, hair falling across her face, and couldn't help but laugh. The look on his face and the sarcasm in his voice was just too much for her.

Freddy's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Wow, a smile from the Ice Queen?"

"Thanks, Fred."

He laughed and knelt down on the ground next to her and pulled her hair back, holding it for her as she wiped up the mess. "Something wrong, Brittany?"

It was apparent upon looking at him that he knew exactly what was wrong and was just being a pain in her ass. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he acting like what they'd just shared--for the second time--was something to joke about? Did it mean absolutely nothing to him? Okay, so maybe they'd only been friends, maybe he'd thought of her as a sister before, maybe she was only twenty-one and knew nothing about relationships or guys in general... but he'd slept with her, whether it had been because she turned him on or because of more than that... it didn't matter... he'd done it and he'd gotten her pregnant. He could deal with it. But not by using her for sex!

Brittany looked up at him with fire in her eyes. "Truth?"

"Truth."

"How many times are we gonna have sex and act like nothing happened?"

Freddy watched silently as Brittany stood and went to the sink to dispose of the dirty washcloth before stalking angrily from the room. Well, that sure hadn't gone too well.

"El Señor, ahora me ayuda," Freddy mumbled, still kneeling on the hard kitchen floor.

Nick/Sarah

Nick grabbed the remote back from Sarah and changed the channel again. Who knew life could be so boring? They were so bored it wasn't even funny.

"It was more fun when Brittany and Freddy were here." Sarah sighed, giving up on the tug-of-war over the remote. If her boyfriend wanted to watch a bunch of guys body slamming each other in a dumb ring, that was his problem. "At least they added entertainment to our otherwise mundane lives."

"Yeah," Nick nodded without looking away from the screen and bothering to correct her by telling her that his life was anything but mundane. Well, usually, at least. "Freddy's actually a pretty cool guy."

"And my best friend isn't cool?"

Nick looked at her, annoyed. "Did I say that?!"

"No," Sarah smiled up at him and touched his face. "I just miss her."

"You okay with her being gone while you're here? When is she coming home, anyway?" Nick moved so he could grab the remote again and turn off the television.

"I'm not sure. We've only talked on the phone twice since she got to Seattle and she hasn't said; I haven't asked."

"She'll probably end up staying there 'till the baby's born," Nick laughed. "I don't think she could tear herself away from Freddy if she tried. What are you gonna do? Go back to school?"

"Actually?" Sarah sighed and looked away. "I was thinking of not."

"You're gonna drop out of school?" Nick's eyes widened. It wasn't like he was really one to talk... he'd never been to college, himself... but that was just what his life was like. He'd thought Sarah enjoyed going to school. Plus, it was her senior year. Why would she drop out now?

Sarah shook her head and smiled at him, knowing what he was thinking. "No... Actually, I was supposed to be back weeks ago," she sighed and glanced away. "Brittany got pretty mad at me when I told her I was thinking about not going back at all. So I rethought it all and realized she was right... it would be stupid to drop out now... I'm so close. So she and I compromised and decided I should just not go back until the fall... and... I'm thinking of transferring to FSU. There's nothing for me there, y'know? Ritt's graduated and everybody I know and love is here."

"Really," Nick's eyebrows rose and he reached over to hold her hand. "What happens when I go on tour, baby?"

"I don't know," Sarah sighed, before shaking her head and standing up. "No need to think of that now. It doesn't matter right now, Nick. C'mmon, let's go do something, okay?"

Nick nodded and let her pull him up from the couch. "We goin' upstairs?" He rose his eyebrows up and down suggestively, leaning down and ravaging her mouth with his own.

"Mmm," Sarah murmured as she pulled away and looked up at him with a glint in her eye. "Mayyyybe," she drawled, pressing herself against him. "After..."

Nick sighed dramatically, "After...?"

"After we go to the mall!"

Nick listened to her giggling as she ran from the living room and out to the car. She was going to end up killing him. Before he knew it... eventually... one day... she was going to end up killing him.

Freddy/Brittany

Freddy sighed and walked up the staircase a couple of hours later. He'd been sitting downstairs at the dining room table since Brittany had stormed off and slammed her bedroom door behind her. He knew he'd made her mad and he also knew she had reason to be... but he still wished she wouldn't have thrown a temper tantrum and instead would have stayed downstairs so they could talk it out.

With a deep breath, Freddy rose his hand to her bedroom door and knocked. There was a shuffling on the other side, and the sound of something falling and Brittany cursing, before the door opened slowly and Brittany's tearstained face came into view.

They stood silently in the doorway for a few minutes, neither knowing exactly what to say, and both kind of embarrassed at the situation they'd found themselves in. Okay, so Brittany shouldn't have taken advantage of Freddy's depression the night before... and Freddy shouldn't have used her as a means of comfort... not in that way, at least. They both knew they'd been wrong. Now the question was exactly how to move forward from this point.

"Can I come in?"

Good start, Freddy.

"Sure," Brittany shrugged and moved aside so he could come into the bedroom.

Good response.

Things were going... good.

Right?

Freddy took a seat on the bed and looked around the room. He wished he would have decorated the room a little more, but he'd never imagined someone would be living in it. It had just been an extra bedroom, one that he figured would only be used if family came to visit him during baseball season. There weren't even curtains on the windows and he cringed at the thought.

I hope she changes in the bathroom, he thought silently, before looking up at her, his eyes meeting hers.

"I'm sorry."

Brittany nodded and looked down. Of course. Of course he hadn't come there to tell her that he loved her... that he was madly in love with her, in fact... wanted to get married... have their child together... have a gazillion more... a house full, even... of course not! He was sorry. He was frickin' sorry?! Of course.

"It's okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Promise?"

Brittany rolled her eyes and looked up at him. This was ridiculous. "Either accept my answer or get out, Freddy. You're driving me insane."

Freddy sighed and looked away, at the window again, mumbling incoherently in Spanish. She hated when he mumbled to himself. "Ritt, you don't change in front of the window, do you? I completely forgot this room doesn't have curtains."

There was no response and Freddy looked back over at her and tried not to laugh. She was standing with her hands on her hips, her slightly pregnant tummy poking out a little from the bottom of the tank-top she normally wore to bed. To bed. Freddy's face grew warm at the thought. She sure hadn't worn it to bed the night before. Lord, what had he done?!

"You're mad at me," he stated blandly, their eyebrows raised at each other.

"No," Brittany responded without emotion, her hands moving to pull down on her shirt after having seen him looking at her stomach. So she was self-conscious. Who wouldn't be? "Not at all."

"I don't believe you."

"Then don't! What are you still doing in here, anyway?"

Freddy groaned, getting sick of her attitude. There was no way their arrangement would work if she kept letting petty things like this bother her. He closed his eyes at the thought. It wasn't petty and he knew it. They'd been using each other to fulfill something... whatever it was, he didn't know... but something, and she was sick of it. It was understandable. If the sex hadn't been so good both times, he'd have to say he was sick of it, too.

"You know, we used to be friends."

"Well, what are we now, Freddy?"

The question caught him slightly off guard. But the fact that he didn't know how to answer the question completely stumped him. What exactly were they? He'd like to think that they still were really good friends. He'd like to think that the fact that she was carrying his child would never change them. That was what he wanted, right? Maybe not. So he'd admitted once... once... when she'd come to his door, after they'd said good-bye at the airport in Venezuela, saying that she missed him and wanted to stay with him in Seattle... that he loved her. But did he? In that way? Could he really allow himself to be in love with Brittany Jeter? She was a Yankee's sister, after all. He tried not to laugh at the thought but didn't exactly succeed.

"Is something funny, Freddy?! 'Cause I'm not laughing! Get out!" Brittany pointed to the door and Freddy swore he'd never seen her look so angry before.

Freddy's eyes widened for the second, third, fourth, fifth time that day. She sure was a shocker. "What??"

"Oh, did you not understand me?! I said Salga, usted cabron. ¿Usted entiende esto? ¡Salga! Nunca deseo verle otra vez, Freddy Antonio Garcia!"

"Brittany, mire su boca!"

"Que te jodan!"

"You already did that!"

There was silence once again in the room as Brittany took a step back, surprised he'd said what he had. Okay, so f*ck you hadn't been a wise thing for her to say... it was practically begging for a smart-ass reply... and she'd gotten one. With a sigh, she flopped down onto the bed next to him and bent over, burying her fingers in her hair.

"What are we doing, Freddy?" Brittany mumbled, her eyes welling with tears. She pushed them back, refusing to cry one more tear that day. She already had a head ache.

"I don't know."

Silence.

"Look, Brittany," Freddy spoke up again after a minute or two, "I'm sorry, okay? I really, really am." He looked at her and she could see how sincere he was. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was on the verge of tears. But she did know better. Freddy cried over his career... not her. "I'm just really confused right now, y'know? I've never been through something like this. I mean, sure, I've had girlfriends before... but nothing like this... I mean, you're pregnant with my child, after all."

Brittany nodded and sat up straighter, placing her hands protectively across her stomach.

"I didn't mean what I said."

"I know," Freddy smiled over at her before reaching over and pulling her into his arms. He placed a kiss against her forehead and squeezed her tighter. "After all," he smirked, pulling away slightly, "who could think I'm a f*cking bastard?"

Brittany laughed and rolled her eyes at him, "I'm sure it's possible, Fred... I'm sure it's possible."

"Sure," he smiled and pulled her back to him again, his hands meeting hers against her stomach.

The mood grew serious suddenly and Brittany knew he was turning something over in his mind. She looked up at him and pulled one of her hands free, lifting it to touch his face gently.

"What is it, baby?"

Freddy looked down at her and took a deep breath. "Will you please go with me on this road trip that's coming up? It'll be my first time in the bullpen and I'm nervous. I mean, this is hard enough as it is... let alone having to go back to an empty hotel room after the games. I understand if you don't want-"

"Freddy," Brittany cut him off and placed her thumb against his lips. "Of course I'll go with you. I'll always be there for you... always. I know this is really hard for you, baby... you'll get through this, I know you will... and you'll bounce back, I promise. And I'm here... always."

Nick/Sarah

Nick ran his fingers through Sarah's hair as they lay on the couch that night, every light in the house turned off. They'd left the mall earlier than they normally would have because Sarah suddenly had a terrible head ache. After sitting around for the remainder of the evening in the dark, Nick had told Sarah that he'd once heard that there's a chemical that's released through orgasms that makes head aches go away and that's why the "I have a head ache" excuse was so ridiculous. Sarah had, of course, laughed and asked him where the hell he'd heard that.

"I can't remember," Nick had said. "Discovery channel, probably."

"Right."

Later, he'd remembered AJ had told him... but Nick had kept that bit of information from Sarah. If she knew AJ had been the one to tell him, there was no way she'd ever believe it. Nick wasn't so sure he believed it, himself. It sounded like something AJ would use just to get girls in bed.

"You know what, Sarah?" Nick sighed as they continued to lie there in the darkened room. He began to rub her temples with the tips of his fingers, hoping to ease her discomfort as much as possible.

"What, Nick?" Sarah murmured, fighting sleep. His fingers were magic.

"I think you should just quit school, altogether... I'll quit Backstreet... and we can run off and go live in some foreign country."

Sarah lifted her head from his shoulder and glared at him. She had a head ache. Did they have to have a fantasy talk right then? "You've officially lost it, Nick."

Nick sighed, "Yeah... probably. Oh well. What's a boy to do?"

"A Backstreet Boy?" Sarah giggled, not really understanding why she thought her lame joke was so funny. She was suffering from a migraine... craziness came with the territory.

"You're a dork."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"I love you?"

"Try again."

"I love your body?"

"Again," she murmured, realizing if all she had to continue to say was "again" she could easily fall asleep and keep talking.

"I think you're d*mn sexy?"

"Again."

Nick smiled as he realized she was dozing off. "I want to marry you someday?"

There was silence and for a second Nick thought maybe she had actually fallen asleep, but then he felt her eyelashes moving against his bare chest. He held his breath, hoping she wasn't mad at him and hoping even more that he hadn't scared her. That's all he needed to do: scare her away when he'd just gotten her back. Finally Sarah lifted her head from his chest, her heart pounding wildly against her chest. Had he just said he wanted to marry her someday?

"What?"

Nick smiled and moved the hair from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear. "I know you heard me... and I meant it."

"You... You want to marry me someday? Marry me?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno," Sarah mumbled and sat up fully, moving to tuck her legs underneath her. Her head ache was gone. Crazy. "By the way, I love you, I love your body, and I think you're d*mn sexy, too."

"And?" Nick's eyebrows rose, urging her with his hands to continue.

"And," Sarah bit her lip and looked right at him, "I want to marry you someday, too."

Nick grinned, yelping in surprise when she crawled onto his lap and placed her mouth over his. He sighed as he felt her fingernails against his head as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"You wanna try out AJ's head ache cure?"

"AJ's??" Sarah pulled away and looked at him skeptically. "I thought you said it was the Discovery Channel."

"Whoops?"

Sarah laughed and kissed him again, before getting off of his lap and running up the stairs, thinking he'd follow. "Nicky?" she called down the staircase when she didn't hear him behind her. She couldn't see a thing, the house was pitch-black, and there was absolutely no noise coming from the living room. Her heart began to beat faster as he didn't answer. "Nick!"

"Shhh," Nick whispered, popping up right in front of her face, his eyes shining with mischief.

Sarah screamed and jumped so high she almost fell down the staircase. She clutched her hand over her heart, her other hand holding onto Nick's chest to balance herself, as Nick began to laugh hysterically.

"That wasn't funny, you prick!" she shouted, smacking him over and over again.

"Yeah, it was," Nick laughed harder. "You should have seen your face."

"You could have killed me! I could have had a heart attack! Or fallen down the stairs and broken my ankle... worse yet, cracked my head open!"

"Sarah." Nick sighed, chuckling quietly and placing his hands on each side of her face. "You're fine... And I'm sorry."

"You better be," Sarah pouted, sticking her lower lip out as far as she could. She gasped as Nick bent over and captured her lip between his teeth, turning her pout into a deep and sensual kiss. "Woah," she breathed as they pulled apart. "Okay, I forgive you."

"Thought so."

"Can we go upstairs now?"

Nick laughed and grabbed her hand, leading her up the staircase to their room.