Love Menagerie: Chapter 29:

Who Would You Love?

Nick/Sarah

Sarah looked around the room, desperate in her search of her favorite nightgown. She was packing for Seattle and would be leaving the next morning, staying until the baby was born and Brittany felt settled. She was worried about leaving immediately after the birth. What if Brittany discovered Freddy's feelings, or lack thereof, and wasn't emotionally capable of taking care of her child?

Nick would be flying over a week later and staying until the baby's birth, unless Brittany delivered far behind schedule. She was due in two weeks and everybody was more than a little anxious and very nervous … especially Brittany, who kept insisting that if anything went wrong, she'd absolutely die. And Sarah knew how true that was. If she found out about Freddy's lack of romantic feelings for her, she would die. But Brittany, contrary to what Sarah believed, did know and had held things together quite nicely, knowing she had to get through this for the sake of her child.

They'd moved the wedding back a few weeks, not wanting it to interfere with the birth. They'd planned on having the wedding two days before the baby's due date but as the time grew closer, Freddy and Brittany had realized how unreasonable that would be. There was no telling when Brittany would really go into labor … and two days was far too risky. Plus, it was a little difficult to pull together a wedding in a month. So, instead, they would be getting married in a week by the Justice of the Peace, Sarah and Nick as their witnesses, and the wedding would be rescheduled once they were settled comfortably with their baby.

“Nick, have you seen my blue nightgown?” Sarah called over the staircase, hoping Nick would hear her from his spot in front of her television. She didn't have the time and energy to go down the stairs to ask him. The past week had been completely stressful and very tiring. It was hard keeping an enormous secret from a friend.

Nick sighed and muted the television. He stood from the couch and made his way to the bottom of the staircase to find Sarah standing at the top in boxers and a tight tank-top. “I think I saw it in the laundry room last night.” She mumbled incoherently and he tried to keep himself from laughing. She was so preoccupied lately, she'd barely stopped moving for more than ten minutes at a time. She hardly even slept at night. "Do you want me to grab it for you, baby?"

"Yeah," Sarah smiled, touched by his willingness to help her. She knew she'd been anything but easy to live around as of late. It amazed her how easily her boyfriend could still make her smile. "Thanks, baby," she said as he met her at the top of the staircase and slid her lacy nightgown into her hands. It was her favorite, and Nick had to admit, it was his favorite, too.

He caught her off guard when he grabbed her and pulled her into her bedroom. Come tomorrow, he wouldn't see her for seven days. He needed to get as much of her as he could while she was there.

Freddy/Brittany/Sarah

Brittany danced around the living room, singing along to the sad love songs playing throughout the house and attacking the furniture with a rag and cleaner. She was so excited; Freddy had just left to pick up Sarah from the airport. She couldn't wait until her friend was there again.

The last two weeks had been from hell, plain and simple. Knowing Freddy didn't love her and trying to keep her knowledge a secret was incredibly difficult. She was going through all of the emotions that any person would and yet, she couldn't express them. She was hurt, depressed, angry, bitter … and she couldn't tell him, she couldn't act on her feelings. No matter how livid, how hurt, she was she didn't want to lose him … she was in love with him and even if he never again felt the same, she always would.

Brittany smiled as she heard the garage door open and close a moment later. She walked into the kitchen and got out three glasses from the cabinet, quickly filling them with lemonade. She'd never been as excited to see someone as she was when Sarah finally came through the door and grinned at her.

"Hey, mama." Sarah opened her arms and the two giggled unceasingly as they hugged. "Miss me?"

"Of course!" Brittany sighed and stood back to look at her friend. It hadn't been very long since they'd last seen each other, but it had been long enough. She'd needed a friend over the past couple of weeks and she finally had one. "Come on, let's go get you situated in the guest room." She didn't cast so much as a glance in Freddy's direction, as he stood in the kitchen, staring out the window while the two young women left the room. It was just too painful.

Sarah smiled as she looked out over Freddy's expansive backyard. His house really was impressive, but she was used to impressive. She'd been around Brittany and Derek for the better half of her life … and now Nick. Nothing impressed her anymore, nothing surprised her … just how fickle life, and love, could be. She'd been admittedly scared when she'd learned that Freddy didn't love Brittany, but she knew now that she and Nick would be fine. They could make it work. She'd found a man who was willing to try.

And what saddened her the most, now, was that when she looked at Freddy, when she talked with Freddy, she saw a lack of patience, a lack of will to try. It bothered her because she wasn't completely convinced that Freddy wasn't in love with Brittany. She saw a man who'd hit a rough spot in his life, a rough spot in his relationship with his girlfriend, and didn't have the energy to work through it.

"Sarah? Dinner's ready."

Sarah turned and saw Freddy standing in the doorway. Nothing he did looked lively anymore. The way he walked, the way he talked, the way he smiled, even the way he stood, for Heaven's sake, looked as though he would die at any moment. It was a relief it wasn't baseball season … Sarah was one hundred percent sure that if Freddy were to take the mound, he'd fall over pitching. He looked beat.

"Fred, before we go down there … " She stopped him as he turned to leave her bedroom. He turned inquiring eyes to her and broke her heart. "You wanna talk? You look pretty worn down."

Freddy laughed softly and shook his head. There was nothing to talk about and he said as much to her as she watched him and he was comforted by the concern he saw in her. They made their way quietly down the stairs then, both afraid that if they said anything, they'd start crying. He, so emotionally disintegrated and she, so helpless.

Sarah wanted to tell him that she didn't believe him … that she knew he still loved Brittany … that she could still see something pass between the two when they looked at each other. But she said nothing as the three sat down for dinner together.

Nick

"You're hopeless."

"Yeah, dawg, you're completely whipped."

"Look at you, sitting there, missing your girl. If you're gonna be such a downer, why don't you just fly to Seattle tonight?"

"Shut up, guys." Nick rolled his eyes at his band. They could be incredibly annoying to someone who wanted to wallow in his own self-pity. "It's not that easy. I have to be here with you losers. If we're gonna get this CD out there anytime soon, I have to actually do some work. Now or Never's not gonna tide the fans over forever."

"Yeah, you have been kind of a slacker." Alicia smiled and he knew she was only joking.

Jason sat up in his chair and threw a popcorn kernel, hitting Nick in the forehead. "Seriously, Nick, why don't you just marry the girl?"

Nick looked surprised at the suggestion. Truthfully, he hadn't given it much thought. He and Sarah had been through their share of trials and tribulations … he'd just thought they needed a breather for a while, a chance to just be together and see what was to come of it all. But as he thought of it, now, it almost seemed to make sense. But, no.

"No, our friends are getting married in a couple of weeks … we wouldn't want them to think we're stealing their light by suddenly getting engaged or hitched."

Alicia's eyebrows rose. "Which friends?" This was the first she'd heard of any weddings coming up.

"Freddy Garcia and Brittany Jeter."

"Oh." Andy laughed. "Aren't they the ones who are having a baby? And Freddy admitted to you that he isn't in love with her?"

Nick looked away, biting his bottom lip and was furious when Jason snickered from his seat at the drums, "Sounds like you wouldn't have to go too far to upstage that. Nice excuses, Nick."

Gosh, they were annoying.

Nick let himself into his house a couple of hours later. He checked his machine and smiled when Sarah's voice finally came through the speaker. She'd just called to say that she'd arrived safely in Seattle, that she loved him … and to call her if he didn't get home in the middle of the night.

He walked slowly up the stairs and changed quickly before grabbing the phone by his bed and dialing what was now a familiar number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Britt. Sarah there?"

"Yeah, just a minute."

Nick smiled as Sarah came to the phone, sounding elated and happy to hear from him. "How're things going over there?" he asked as he settled into bed, kicking his shoes off.

"Pretty good. I dunno, it's weird."

"Yeah? They act funny around each other, or what?"

"Yeah, kind of," Sarah sighed, walking out onto the back patio so that Brittany wouldn't hear her. "It's like . . . he acts like he did around her before they ever slept together. Like the protective older brother."

"That must be awkward for you."

"Yeah, quite."

"Speaking of older brothers . . . is Derek gonna be there for the baby's birth?"

"Yeah. Brittany really lucked out, having her baby due during the off-season." It was silent for a few moments and Sarah grew worried. "Are you okay, Nick?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

"You space off there for a second?" she laughed.

"Yeah, something like that."

"What's going on?"

Nick rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling. He hated just talking on the phone with her. He wanted her there with him. And he couldn't get Jason's words of marriage out of his head. "Nothing . . . was just thinking."

"Exactly why I'm worried."

"Ha-ha."

Sarah laughed, wishing he were there with her. "Seriously, baby, what's happening in that head of yours? What are you thinking about?"

"I was with the band tonight," Nick sighed. "We were recording and I guess I kept getting a little sidetracked."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Sarah smiled. Gosh, she loved him. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah, well, they were getting on my case for it. And Jason said I should just marry you."

She sat stunned for a few minutes and her silence frightened him. Should he have not told her? Well, hey, she'd asked.

"Sar?"

"And what did you say?"

"I told him we don't want to upstage Freddy and Britt."

"Good boy." Sarah was relieved. At least he hadn't told them that the idea was appalling to him. "So what's the problem?"

"I don't know."

"You don't?"

Nick sighed. "I just can't stop thinking about it. I dunno, maybe I'm just lonely."

Sarah smirked. "Is it that strange to think about it? You have to be lonely to do so? We've already said we'll get married one day. You scared of commitment, Nicky?" she giggled.

"No," he smiled, loving the sound of her laugh. "Lord, I miss you."

"I miss you, too, baby."