Part 306
Nick was pacing by the bus when Julie pulled into the rest stop, and her car had barely pulled to a stop when he was pulling open Becca's door and helping her out. Her arms went around his neck and she buried her face in his chest. She was home and she never wanted to leave again.
Nick held her tightly. His nose was in her hair inhaling her scent and his arms were just grateful to be able to touch her once more. "I missed you," he whispered.
"I missed you too, Nick." Becca pulled away to look into his eyes, but she only got the tiniest glimpse before he kissed her. They both had a week's worth saved up and it seemed they were determined to make up for lost time, right there in the parking lot.
Julie, Sarah and Howie watched with amusement, but all knew how desperately both had missed the other.
Howie was the one to break them up. "Hey you two, you can continue this on the bus. If we don't get moving soon we'll miss the interview and Kevin will be having kittens."
Nick grinned at Becca and shrugged. "Let him, I got you back now and that's all I care about."
"The trunk is full, I don't know where it's all going to go." Becca frowned at Nick.
"Not a problem, we have it all under control, Bec. C'mon, Billy, gimme a hand."
Sarah, Becca and Julie were left alone, standing awkwardly in the sun.
"Hey Bec, you look great!" Sarah said enthusiastically reaching to hug her friend.
"I thought you'd already be at the venue," Becca said, sidestepping the embrace to take Garrett from Julie.
Sarah shot a confused look at Howie and turned back to Becca. "No, we promised to get Nick back to you safely and here we are."
"I'm sorry I bothered you," Becca said tersely.
"It was no bother, Bec, it's just been a really crazy week. You have no idea. Are you all right?" Sarah was truly puzzled by her friend's behavior.
Becca managed a weak smile. "Sorry, I guess I'm just tired. I'm not adjusting to all this 24/7, baby care stuff yet. Where's Jesse?"
Howie laughed. "Helping Billy and Nick load your stuff onto the bus. She's so excited to be helping, she's been talking about baby G.T. all week."
"G.T., huh? We'll see about that one," Becca laughed. She had already basically given up; she knew Nick would call him that no matter what she said. He'd always called Aaron 'A.C.' so their son was destined to be another in an apparently long line of 'initialed' Carters.
The ice was broken for the time being, but unfortunately it wouldn’t last.
The drive from Detroit to Chicago was supposed to take five and a half hours. All things being equal, that would have been just fine. Unfortunately, things weren't equal and life wasn't always fair. Take a head count. Aside from the driver, Billy and Raoul, there was: A tired couple, pregnant with twins; their five-year-old daughter; a newly reunited couple; and their week-old infant son, who was not at all enthusiastic about riding for yet ANOTHER five hours in a vehicle. A noisy, one at that.
Sarah was still trying to understand Becca's strange mood, but Jesse had managed to break the ice just by being a curious five year old. She hovered over Becca and Garret, watching every move either one of them made until finally Howie pulled her aside and distracted her with a game.
It almost worked.
"Aunt Becca?"
"Yes Jesse?"
"When you were changing G.T., what was that thing under his diaper?"
Nick spewed his coke all over the table as Sarah tried to keep a straight face. Howie turned bright red and all three waited to see how Becca would handle THIS one.
Becca sat up a little straighter and shifted Garrett to her other arm. "Well, Jesse, you know that boys and girls are different."
"Yes, but-"
"Well, that's what makes them little boys. They have-"
"No!" Jesse sighed and rolled her eyes. "Not THAT. I know what a penis is. I meant that thing on his tummy where his belly button's s'posed to be. It looks all brown and icky."
Becca laughed, which insulted Jesse, who tried to stomp off to the back of the bus. "Wait! Jesse, stop!" Becca was still smiling, but she tried to tone it down as Nick caught Jesse by the arm. "Come here, sweetie. Look …." She unwrapped Garrett's blanket so Jesse could look closely. "When a baby is growing inside its mommy it can't eat like you do. So there is a special kind of tube, almost like a …" She looked at Nick for help.
"A straw?" he shrugged.
"Well, okay, sure," Becca smiled. "Like a straw that helps feed the baby while it's growing. When the baby is born, then it doesn't need it anymore, and the doctor makes a little 'snip' and leaves just a little bit of the cord behind."
"Actually, Jess," Sarah said, "your Uncle Nick got to cut Garrett's cord when he was born."
"Will it go away?" Jesse frowned.
"Sure Jesse, in a few more days, maybe a week. It will just dry up and fall off."
"Eww, gross," she said with disgust, wrinkling her nose. "Mommy, I'm hungry, I want to stop."
Becca shook her head at the child's sudden change of subject. "We just got started, Jess. And you know Uncle Kevin is waiting for us."
"I want to stop," she pouted.
"We can't, Princess," Howie reasoned. "We have to get to Chicago today, and we're trying to get there before rush hour."
"But-" she whined.
"Jesse, go play a game for a while," Howie suggested.
"No!" She actually stomped her foot.
"Jessica Paige!" Sarah said firmly. "Do NOT take that tone with us, and do NOT stomp your foot. Your daddy said no, and that's the end of it."
Jesse's lip began to tremble, but she didn't give up. "I'm tired of buses," she mumbled.
"Jesse," Howie said sternly, "I think you need a time out. Head on back to the back of the bus. Ten minutes, young lady."
Her lower lip trembled more and she sniffled, but she did as she was told.
"D, wasn't that a bit harsh?" Nick asked. "She's only five."
"And old enough to learn respect and manners," Sarah said.
"But she's probably just tired. You guys know how rough it is bein' on the buses for days, imagine how it is for a little kid."
"Nick, " Becca said quietly, "it's only a time out. She'll be fine. Come sit with me, please?"
Something in her tone caught Nick's attention and he went to sit by Becca, his arm around her shoulder holding her close. It felt good, and Becca relaxed and closed her eyes. She drifted in and out of sleep for about a half hour as everyone else sat in their own little world of silence.
She yawned and stretched, and realizing that Garrett was no longer in her arms, sat up in a panic.
"Easy, Bec, I got him," Nick smiled at her, his sleeping bundle of a son propped up on his knees. "You looked like you could use a break for a while."
"I guess so, but I'm not used to not having him and it felt strange."
"Didn't Julie help out?" Sarah asked.
"Sure, she was a big help, but I did most of it myself. I needed to get used to doing it."
"Way to go! I'm impressed! All this from my little sis who never babysat in her life!" Sarah laughed and Becca was just hormonal enough to take it the wrong way.
"I may be inexperienced, but I'm not stupid," she replied.
"Oh come on, I never said you were. It's just that this is a whole new side of you, sis."
"I suppose so…" Garrett began to cry and Nick began to fidget.
"Umm … I think you need to help here, Bec. I'm not equipped for this," he grinned.
"Let me go change him first, I'll be right back." Becca took the baby to the bed in the back and spent some quiet time talking softly to him and trying to regain her composure. She knew she was being overly sensitive, but damn it, everything Sarah said was getting on her nerves. Settling onto the bed, she laid down to nurse him there in the peace and quiet and away from curious, watchful eyes.
After a few minutes, Nick joined her, stretching out beside her and watching, enjoying having his family back together. He restrained himself for a full three minutes before leaning forward and pressing his lips to his wife's. He kissed her slowly and gently, just the way he'd been dreaming about for the past week and he loved the way she sighed against his mouth. Finally he pulled away and lay his head down, closing his eyes for just a few minutes.
Becca smiled at the sleeping duo, father and son, snoring quietly as they slumbered. Carefully she covered them up and tiptoed out to the front of the bus to let them sleep.
Grabbing a bottle of water, she sat at the dining table and watched the scenery whiz by. Judging by the time, they were about halfway to Chicago.
"Hey, where's the other two?" Sarah sat across from her, taking a sip of her coke.
"Sleeping like babies," she answered laughing at her own joke and shaking her head.
"Nick always could crash just about anywhere." Sarah grinned.
Like on a couch with my best friend? Becca thought. "Yep, that's true." Stop it Bec, she chided herself. "So, what have you been doing to keep occupied?" There, that was safer territory.
"Not a lot I guess. I was busy with the shows, you know, dancing…"
"Was that smart? I mean, you were so tired, Sarah, wasn't it dangerous?"
Sarah took a deep breath. Becca didn't know about her visit to the hospital, and she really didn't want to bring it up now. "I was careful, and I needed the distraction Bec."
"I understand, I guess." She didn't really, but it wasn't her place to dispute it. If Howie and the guys had been okay with it, then she guessed she was, too. "And you've been writing, too."
"Oh yeah! Bec, it's so much fun! Now I understand why you did it for all those months, it really helps to pass the time."
"And keeps your mind off things, too, right?" Becca was fishing and was not too proud to admit it.
"Sure it does, you can work out a lot of stuff when you write."
"Tell me about ‘Dark Riders’," she said.
Sarah blanched, but managed to recover quickly. Becca's question seemed innocent enough, and there was no way she could have seen the final chapter yet. She hadn't even shown it to Nick because she wanted to prepare Becca for it first. "I'm not quite sure where that one came from. We were watching an old western one night and the idea just sort of popped into my head."
"But Sarah, Brian is just so …."
"Evil?" Sarah grinned.
"Creepy is more like it," Becca shuddered.
"Howie helped me write it," she said proudly.
"Oh?" Becca asked, raising her eyebrows. The plot thickens.
"What did I help do?" Howie asked as he leaned over Sarah's shoulder.
"Sarah says you helped her write ‘Dark Riders’."
"Oh yeah …" he blushed. "Just a little, I gave her a few ideas."
I'll just bet, Becca thought.
Just then, Nick wandered out, barefoot and half asleep. "What's up?"
"Evidently not you," Becca giggled.
"Where's Garrett?" Sarah asked.
"Still sleeping?" Becca smiled.
"Yeah, snug as a bug," Nick smiled.
"He's in his porta-bed, right?" Howie asked.
"Nah, he's sound asleep on the big bed."
"The BED?" Howie was aghast.
"Yeah, he was asleep, D, no big deal."
"Yes, it is a big deal, Nick. He could roll off."
Nick laughed. "Howie, get a grip, he's only a week and a half old, he's not going anywhere." He reached for a soda, completely unconcerned at the look on Howie's face.
Sarah caught it, but chose to stay out of it. She knew Howie's patience with Nick had ended several days earlier and had no desire to get caught in the crossfire.
"Nick, don't be an ass." Howie glared at Nick, oblivious to Becca's gasp.
"Say what?" Nick answered, setting his soda on the table.
"I said, don't be an ass, Nick. He could fall off. What if we hit a bump? Or a pothole? He's completely vulnerable, Nick. He'd fly right off and hit the floor."
"Howie, that's just crazy. You make it sound like I'd let him get hurt on purpose. That's not even funny."
"Funny? No, it's not, is it?" Howie's eyes were black with suppressed anger. "You seem to be taking a lot of chances with everyone's welfare lately."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Nick said, taking a step closer to Howie.
"Watch your mouth, Nick, there's a child on the bus."
"More than one it seems, I'm looking at the other one right now. So tell me, D, how did I screw up now? What have I done this time to offend your sense of dignity? Something's been up your ass all week."
"Something? More like someone."
"D-" Sarah tried, but Howie waved her off and she backed down.
"Well, bring it on. What have I done now?" Nick stood stiffly, waiting for Howie to pass judgment.
"What have you done? That's rich. How about encouraging my wife to go back onstage when she was hardly forty-eight hours out of the hospital?"
"The WHAT?" Becca asked in surprise. "Nick, you never told me Sarah was-"
"No, of course he didn't," Howie sniped. "One more notch in the list. What else have you kept from her, Nicky?"
"Not a fucking thing, D." Nick blushed, remembering his embarrassed confession to Becca earlier in the week.
"So you told her about nearly breaking Jesse's arm, too?"
"Damnit, D, that was an accident. You know I'd never do anything to Jesse." The hurt in his eyes was clear and he seemed to shrink in size as Howie's words hit home.
"They were playing Twister, and he fell…" Sarah tried to explain.
Becca accepted the answer, but had to know the rest. "Why was Sarah in the hospital, Nick?" Becca laid a hand on his arm only to have him shake it off.
"She's fine, Bec."
"But-"
Howie forged ahead. "Seems he took it upon himself to encourage Sarah to perform again after she collapsed backstage and nearly lost the twins. You recall that part Nick?" Howie was angrier than Becca had ever seen him.
"Nick, how could you-"
"Becca, drop it," Nick warned. "Besides, it wasn't MY idea, it was Sarah's."
"I didn't see you trying to talk her out of it, either." Howie was furious. "You just can't manage to be responsible for anything, can you?"
"So are you really pissed at me or just pissed in general because you can't control your wife?"
"Carter, you're an asshole, and I don't need to 'control' my wife. Is that the way you handle Becca? Laying down the law and being macho?"
"Fuck you, Howie, I don't need this shit."
"No? Well you need to hear it from someone. It's time to grow up, Nick."
"That's bullshit. You know nothing about me or my life."
Howie roared with laughter. "That's rich, Nick. I know you better than your own parents do."
Nick clenched his hands into fists and probably would have taken a swing if Becca hadn't spoken up.
"Nick, come on, let it go," she tried quietly.
"Bec, stay out of this," he warned, brushing her away.
"Nick, come back to the back with me, please?"
"Back off, Becca."
Sarah watched the two of them and began to count down to the forthcoming explosion.
"Nick-"
"I said BACK OFF!" Nick turned on Becca, his hands still fisted and his eyes wild.
"What?" she asked in horror.
"Stay out of this, Becca, I mean it." He turned back to Howie, but Becca was faster.
She pushed him out of the way so that she could stand up, and moved into the aisle of the bus. "This is what I've been looking forward to coming back to?" she asked with a deadly quiet voice. "I will not be spoken to like this, Nickolas Carter. I'm your wife, not a roadie that screwed up your costume change. You're all pathetic and I wish to god I'd never asked any of you for help this last week. I've been counting the fucking hours until I could be with all of you again, and this is what I come back to?" Garrett began to cry and Becca turned to go to her son. "Fix this, all of you. You all disgust me. And Nick? You'd better see if they can score an extra room for tonight. I don't care where you sleep, but it's not going to be with me."
Becca retreated to the back of the bus, where they all heard the distinctive sound of the door being locked.
Nick, Howie and Sarah all looked sheepishly at each other, and before anyone could speak, Jesse wandered in, her headphones dangling around her neck.
"Where were you, baby?" Sarah asked.
"Watching a movie with Uncle Billy," she said, looking toward the front of the bus where Billy and Raoul stood sentinel, disapproving looks on their faces. "They said the noise might wake up baby G.T. so they put these headphones on me."
Howie flushed knowing they'd done it to keep her from hearing the argument. "That was a good idea, Jesse. Go on back and make sure you have all your stuff together. We'll be there soon."
"Okay, Daddy," she said with a smile, skipping back up front.
"We're almost there, boss," Billy said. "Get yourselves ready, too. Eddie will be waiting for you, Becca's mine again." There was no mistaking the threat in his voice as he stared Nick down.
The bus pulled into the back of the hotel, and as usual, there was a small crowd of fans waiting for them. The engines shut down and Becca unlocked the door and came out with Garrett, his diaper bag slung over one shoulder.
"Here, baby, let me take him," Nick offered.
"I have him. You concentrate on getting past the fans. And for the record, I'm walking in with you, but it's for the fans and the cameras. Once we're upstairs we go separate ways."
And indeed they did. Becca did all the right things, waved and posed for a few pictures, even showed off the baby from a distance, but once upstairs the cheerful façade fell away. Brian and AJ were there to greet her, and as they hugged her warmly it was all she could do to keep it together. Pleading exhaustion, she fled to her room with Billy, leaving the others standing in the hall staring after her.
AJ looked at Nick and Howie for an answer.
Howie said nothing, and Nick just shook his head. "I'm fucked. I'm totally fucked." His head down, he wandered away to find Kevin and get ready for the interview.