THE MUSIC NEVER
ENDS
©Mirandagk@aol.com
CHAPTER 25
JC was fast asleep with his head resting on his folded arms. He had been down in his studio all night writing. There was a low melodic beat playing through a set of headphones that were lying next to the baby monitor near his head. A small line of saliva slowly trickled down the side of his lip as he snored.
"Hello?" Rachel answered JC's cell phone that had been ringing to the beat of "take me out to the ballgame" for almost a half hour. She had tried to ignore it, but after the tenth call, she'd had enough.
"Is JC there?"
Rachel squinted over at the clock and noticed it was almost 5am. "Who is this?"
"It's Hallie. I need to speak to him right away." Rachel turned over in bed to nudge her fiance, but there was only an empty space. It had been like that for awhile. She sat up in bed and looked towards the bathroom to see where he was, but it was pitch black.
"Rachel? Hello? Can you put him on the phone please?"
"I don't think he is here." She spoke groggily.
Hallie automatically assumed she was lying. "Where would he be without his cell phone then, Rachel?"
"I don't know. Gimme a minute to find out!" she snapped back before swiftly hanging up.
Rachel walked down the hallway towards Nikki's room and found the baby sound asleep in his crib, but JC was nowhere in sight. She pulled the blanket up to cover the baby and was startled by the phone ringing once more. She tried to cover it up, so as not to disturb her toddler. She walked out into the hall and closed the door before answering the phone. "Didn't I say to gimme a minute? What the fuck is so important that you need to call here at 5am, Hallie? Did Laura break a nail?"
Just as Hallie was about to curse her out, Rachel started again, "Look, he's not here. But I'll make sure to let him know that you called."
"Yeah, just like you let him know Laura had called."
"Look-"
Rachel immediately jumped when she felt a hand touch hers. JC snatched his phone from her hand, "Hello?"
He looked over at his stunned fiance and he continued to speak to Hallie. The only light was that of the moon gleaming in through the windows of the hallway. Rachel could hardly make out his face to see if he was glaring at her, but she could feel he was. "Seriously? I'm on my way." JC hung up and jogged down the hall towards their bedroom. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and threw them on before grabbing his wallet and rushing towards the front door.
"Where are you going?"
"Laura's in labor. I gotta go."
Rachel just stood there and watched him frantically dial a number in his phone. After his call ended, he ran out the front door, never looking back to say goodbye to his fiance. Rachel stood in the middle of the hallway with tears flooding her eyes. Just as she was about to fall to the floor and let her tears flow, JC rushed back in the door. She looked to him anxiously only to find he had left his keys. "I'll call you later." he yelled.
She stood on the walkway and waved, "I love you."
JC just muttered "yeah, me too." before hopping in his car and speeding off down the street.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'm trying to get a flight out now, Laura."
"It's okay, Hallie. You don't have to go through all that. I'll be fine."
"I don't want you to be alone during this, girl."
"My mom should be here in a few hours or so. They say I have a long way to go before I'm fully dilated."
"Well I still want to be there. I called JC and he is on his way."
"Oh...Okay."
"When I called to get his number, Justin told me something about a private jet that they use, so he might be there before your mother."
A contraction started to kick in. "I need to hang up, Hal. I'm in too much pain to be holding up a conversation with you buddy. I'll see you when you get here. Love ya." Laura handed the nurse the phone as she gripped the railing of the bed and winced in pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wow. 8 1/2 centimeters. You're making good progress. How's that epidural treating you?"
"God, it's awesome." Laura breathed deeply as she smiled at the nurse. She sucked on a crushed piece of ice and wiped away a few beads of sweat that running down her face.
KNOCK KNOCK
The door opened slightly and Laura turned her head to see who it was. JC stood there nervously looking inside the room.
"You can come in, JC."
"I wasn't sure I was in the right place. It's like night and day. I walk in here and it's like a plush hotel room in here." he laughed nervously.
Laura smiled and introduced him to the nurse. "Nice to meet you, Betty."
"Are you going to be with her during the delivery, daddy?"
"Ummm...Only if she wants me to."
"It's up to you, JC. Do you want to-"
He didn't even let her finish. "Yes."
"Well that's settled." Laura smiled towards nurse Betty.
JC found a seat in a rocking chair that was near her bed. Laura was busy changing channels on the tv to notice him staring at her. "Oh look, Friends. You still like this show, right?"
She looked to him for a response and found his eyes centered on her face. Self consciously, she pushed her damp hair out of her face. "What?"
"You're so beautiful."
"I look like shit, but thanks. Just don't let your wife hear you say that."
"She's not my wife."
"It's just a technicality at this point." Laura turned her attention back towards the tv. JC just sat quietly and watched the show with her as they waited together, for their child to enter the world.
CHAPTER 26
"She's gorgeous, Ma." JC grinned from ear to ear as he spoke to his mother on the phone.
He held the baby girl in his arms, touching the side of her small cheek with the tip of his finger. "She's got Laura's hair and nose. Her lips are perfect. And her eyes...We don't really know yet, but the nurse thinks they are going to be blue like mine."
He gently rocked the baby the in his arms. "Well they said not to check and that all ten fingers and ten toes were there, but I had to see for myself...Yeah, they're all there." he laughed as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Lacey Karen Chasez...Yeah I know. Everything I'd wanted. Laura was amazing...Yeah my hand is still recovering. It's going to take at least a week to regain my blood supply." he chuckled.
He and his mother talked for another 5 minutes before he reluctantly hung up. He walked around the room with the baby in his arms. She was born 5 pounds, 6 ounces and was so tiny that JC was almost afraid to hold her at first. But he was now having a hard time letting her go. He sang softly to the newborn as she slept and looked over at Laura, who was sleeping after her long and arduous labor.
"There are a few nurses in the hall that say you do that professionally." Betty commented as she crept into the room to take Laura's vitals.
"Yeah." he smiled. Nurse Betty gently took the baby from him and placed her back in the bassinette. She explained that she needed to take her down the hall for a few tests and she would bring her back shortly. JC walked out behind them to grab himself a cup of coffee. He bumped into the Laura's mother as she coming in. They briefly hugged and JC explained everything to her and told her to wait there for them to bring back her granddaughter. When he returned Mrs. Charles was by her daughters side, rocking her grandbaby back to sleep.
"She was a champ." he whispered.
Mrs. Charles smiled. "Well she would be. She's my daughter." JC was pleased to see how things between Laura and her mother had completely changed. He didn't know why and was curious to find out.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"When we first met, you hardly hugged your daughter. And now it seems like you are a completely different person. Don't get me wrong, I love this side of you, but I've been wondering...Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Well, just like yourself, Joshua, someone pulled the wool over my eyes. It took me a very long time to figure out what was really going on. I also felt I needed someone to blame for every single thing that happened to me and she was an easy target. Now all I can do is hope that the time I am spending now will somehow make up for the time that I stupidly lost."
JC asked her what she meant about him also being fooled by someone. She desperately wanted to tell him, but knew he needed to find out on his own. But by then, it probably would be too late. Just as she was about to speak, Laura spoke her mother's name. Mrs. Charles got up and kissed her daughter's forehead, leaving JC once again without any answers.
The decision was to stay with Laura until she was safely out of the hospital and home settled in with their daughter. He'd been gone an entire week and the anxiety within Rachel was building by the hour. When he returned home, he talked about Lacey for days on end and had millions of pictures of her sprawled all around the house. Rachel even had to admit to herself that the tiny baby was adorable. But the constant deluge of calls to Laura was making her feel uneasy. Especially late at night, when JC would leave the room to talk to her on his cell phone. She didn't like it at all, and this was yet another topic of argument between them.
JC was fed up. He couldn't stand the constant bickering and wondered out loud if this was going to be the norm after they got married. It led to an eight hour discussion of their future and eventually a reconciliation. Day by day, things seemed to be getting back on track between the couple. They were doing last minute planning for the wedding and searching through a million brochures to figure out the perfect spot to spend their honeymoon together.
"How are my grandchildren?" Karen asked as she and her son took their ritual Sunday walk in the park.
"Their good. Lacey is lifting her head up now. Laura says it may take 6 months or more to find out her true eye color. But right now, they are bluish. I'm not worried. As long as she is healthy. Nikki is talking and walking more. Rachel and I may take him to Disney World for his birthday. He's obsessed with Goofy right now."
Karen smiled and listened to her son continue to tell her stories of his two children. "When am I going to be able to see her? She's almost two months old now."
I had planned to go up there next week, but work has me stuck here. Laura promised to bring her here though. She's starting to get like me and guys now." he laughed. "She went and chartered a private jet for her and baby. Something about too many people."
"Well if I had the money, I would too. You don't know what kind of germs people are carrying these days."
JC was usually distant from the conversation; Always staring off into space or zoning out on the conversation. She could sense that there was something bothering him. It was as though he were waiting for her to ask him what was wrong, because the moment she did, he broke down. With his head on his moms shoulder he looked up at the trees and said, "I feel like such a jerk."
"Why?"
"When I went to the hospital to see my baby, everything felt right. I was complete. I am totally connected to my baby girl. But ever since Rachel has told me Nikki is my son, something's been a little off. I haven't been able to connect with him, the way I have with Lacey. And I feel like shit, cause that's my son. But something doesn't feel right in my heart. I didn't notice the difference until after she was born. It just doesn't feel the same."
"I don't know what to tell you sweetie. It could possibly be because you weren't physically there when Nikky was born, so that feeling of excitement and joy is lost to you with him. And that isn't your fault."
"No, I don't think it's that, mom."
"Then what?"
"I don't know. I just don't the feel the same."
"That might change as the two of you start to bond more. You've been away from each other during the most important year of his life. It's hard to make up for lost time."
JC explained the same thing to Justin later on that same week. "Well, JC, all I can tell you is that if you feel something isn't right, then you should go with that gut instinct and figure out why."
"What the hell do you mean? I know he's my son. I got the papers to prove it."
As of that day, Justin didn't have any proof to the contrary. "I just mean that you need to look within yourself for the answer to that question, JC. It could just be that instead of living the life you've always dreamed of, you are living the life you feel you have to."
"Yeah, bro. I appreciate this thing you call a pep talk, but it's not helping me with my problem. Don't you have date with Cassandra you need to be getting ready for?"
Justin looked down at his watch. "Oh shit, you're right! I'll talk to you about this later." He grabbed his phone off the top of the piano and headed out the door, before popping his head back into the living room, "Yo JC, I'll help you figure that out soon, Bud."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hallie stood in the kitchen by the stove boiling some water. She didn't hear a thing when she was suddenly lifted off the ground and spun around by someone who was howling. She looked down and recognized Justin's watch and sprung free from his grasp. "What the fuck, Justin! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"I think I got it!" he exclaimed kissing her hard on the cheek.
"Well how many dates did it take?"
"Two, but I think I have hit the jackpot now, baby."
"What are you two yelling about in here?" Laura asked as she walked into the kitchen holding the baby close to her shoulder. Hallie nudged him with her elbow and knew they would need to do something to avert the topic.
"Ohhhh. Gimme my neice." Making a goofy face, Justin took the baby in his arms and walked into the other room talking to her. "...Yes, cause you daddy, as great as he may be, is kinda...well...stupid at times, Lacey."
"Justin." Laura scolded.
"What? She doesn't know what I'm sayin'."
"But I do. Now stop!" She threw a towel at him and handed Hallie two bottles to place in the water.
The next day, Laura decided to take the baby out to the studio with Justin to see JC. He wasn't expecting them until Friday, but they had gotten a earlier flight in on Wedsnesday.
"Oh my God, look at the baby!" Tom yelled out from his chair before getting up to greet Laura and the newborn. "No you don't have the baby in a matching Juicy Cotour outfit! I didn't know they made them this small!"
"Hallie had one of her friends hook us up."
"Hey, Tommy." she leaned up and gave him a hug.
JC walked out of the bathroom and was pleasantly surprised to see the two of them standing there. "Isn't she a little princess, Tom."
"Yes, she is. I'm upset about this outfit. Is Juicy written on the butt like yours is?"
Laura smirked as she moved the blanket away and showed him. The baby even had on a pair of matching white Nike's with the logo in light pink to match the outfits. "Ha Ha. That's so cute! I see you got your figure back rather quickly."
"Oh please, my fat ass was in the gym day and night trying to work all that off."
"You look incredible." Tom commented as he twirled her around to see the rest of her. JC was thinking the same thing as his eyes ran up and down the length of her body. Laura handed him the baby and found a seat on a nearby stool. JC gave the tiny baby a million light kisses on the cheek, "Muah, muah, muah...Daddy missed you so much. Come on, let's go show you off to everyone else."
Laura was too busy catching up with Tom and a few other producers to notice JC slip out of the room and down the hall passed Hallie and Justin who were busy talking. "Was that ugly uncle Justin and mean Aunty Hallie with the loud mouths?"
As he was making his rounds in the gloating department, JC bumped into Jerry, who was in a neighboring room working with a new group. He noticed the baby right away and congratulated JC. But being the businessman he was, he decided to take care of a little business while he had him there. JC followed Jerry to his car to discuss a production deal that he'd gotten wind of a few days prior. While the two men were talking, Laura made her way outside to find out where the heck he had run off to with their daughter. She said a quick hello to Jerry before taking the baby inside for her scheduled feeding. As she was walking away she heard little Nikki yell, "Da da! Da da!" and watched Rachel and Nikki walking up from the parking lot.
Almost simultaneously Jerry and JC turned around. Nikki rushed over to the them and grabbed a hold of the tall man's leg and put his arms out to be picked up. Laura looked on in embarrassment for JC as he stood there and watched his son clinging to Jerry for dear life.
CHAPTER 27
Everyone was stunned to silence. Justin had walked outside to find Laura just as Nikki had called out to Jerry as 'Da da'. Rachel had even stopped midway up the parking lot holding a bag of Wendy's in her hand that she was bringing JC for lunch. She could see Laura through the corner of her eye. It felt like her eyes were searing right through Rachel's entire being.
Jerry's first reaction was to scoop the child up in his arms and hug him with all his might. Shaking his head he lightly pushed the little boy towards JC, "Take him...Take him."
Laura walked over and grabbed Lacey from JC's arms so he could get Nikki. "Just take him...Please!" Jerry stood off to the side and watched them.
JC tried to get a firm hold on Nikolas, but he was pushing against JC's chest to break free to get to Jerry. Jerry couldn't watch anymore. He rushed past Justin back into the building wiping tears from his eyes.
Nikolas began to move his body around violently in hopes of gaining back his freedom. When that too failed he began to cry. Seeing there was nothing she could do, Laura took Lacey and left JC and his fiance alone in the parking lot with their son. Justin opened the door for her and then went in the opposite direction down the hall after Jerry. He found him in one of the back office.
"You alright, man?"
"Yeah. I'm cool." Jerry wiped his eyes once more and took a deep breath.
"Must be hard."
"It is. But I'll get through it okay. I just hope Nikolas will."
"He must be really confused. Not knowing who he should call daddy and have that be the truth." Justin commented finding a seat behind the desk.
"With time he'll know."
"Your friend said the same thing."
Jerry got off the desk and turned around to look at Justin, "What friend?"
Justin whipped out a business card and handed it to Jerry. "Thomas Whitfield. Private Investigator."
Jerry looked down at the card and wondered how Justin found out about Mr. Whitfield. Justin got up from the chair and made his way around the desk, pacing the room like Matlock in a courtroom, "Yeah. I caught him following me home the other night."
"He wasn't suppose to be following you. He was suppose to be following-"
"Cassandra?" Justin whipped his head around to see the reaction in Jerry's face.
Jerry looked down trying to think of a story to feed him, but Justin knew how he operated. It was too late. "Look, Jer, you don't have bullshit me. If you have this guy following her for what I think, then I need to know everything you know...Before it's too late."
"What do you know?" Jerry questioned.
"What do you know?"
"I asked you first..."
"I believe that a certain 'friend' of ours and Rachel has been playing God in the lab with test results...Not just once either...I think Rachel is trying to pass off Nikky as JC's kid when he might be someone else's flesh and blood."
"Yeah, well, she's done a hell of a job covering her tracks, cause we can't get shit on her. And I have no rights to Nikky anymore so I can't request another paternity test, nor do I have proof to dispute the results JC has."
"What can we do to change that?"
"JC has to make that move. And that's like begging your ex-girlfriend to put on some underwear...It'll never happen."
Justin couldn’t help but laugh. "Can't hurt unless we try, Jerry."
"Yeah, but what if we are wrong? I don't want to put Nikolas through anymore of this, Justin. I just can't." Jerry crossed his arms and thought about that beautiful little boy he had to push away just moments ago. "It was the hardest thing he ever had to do."
Justin thought back on his childhood and how he slightly resented his father for not being there for him when he was younger. "And if we're right? You'd want him to go through the rest of his life without knowing you? Especially if you are his true father?"
"I love him more than life itself and rather than see him being flung from family to family, I am just going to have to walk away knowing that JC will love him just as much as I do."
He was beginning to take what Jerry was saying personally. All these things he had heard his father say to him just years ago when they started their relationship anew. "Well I can't do that Jerry. And if you really loved that kid, you wouldn't be able to either. You'd fight to the death to be with him. You'd fight till you couldn't fight anymore...Just for him." Justin stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him, leaving Jerry alone to think long and hard about what he had said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JC returned back into the studio...Alone. Rachel had decided to take the baby with her to a friends house while she read over a script. He looked around to ask Justin if he could hitch a ride home but learned from Laura that Justin had left early with Hallie. He claimed a migraine was keeping him from concentrating and that they would start up again fresh the next morning. The only person left was Laura. She had her rental car and agreed to drop him off. This also gave him a chance to spend a little more time with his daughter. He called his mom from the car on his way home. Mrs. Chasez jumped at the opportunity to see her newborn grandchild and rushed over to the house to greet them once they arrived back at JC's.
"Oh my God! She looks just like you did when you were born!" Karen said smiling at JC.
"Are you trying to say I looked like I girl?" he joked. "I think she looks more like Laura, Ma."
The three of them sat around and talked as she doted over the baby. With every blink it was like a new experience for Karen. She was reluctant to leave when 6 o'clock rolled around, but she had been there three hours and the baby was fast asleep. JC was lying the baby down on his bed while Laura walked Karen out to her car. She kissed Laura on the cheek, "I feel honored that you thought of me enough to give the baby my name."
"Well I had told you a long time ago that you were like a mother to me. That's never changed. No matter how you may feel about me now." Laura was still hurting over her broken relationship with JC's mother.
"Laura. I-"
"It's ok, Mrs. Chasez. I understand." Laura kissed her ex mother-in-law and made sure she got out okay before starting back towards the house until she heard a faint moan coming from over by the fence. She followed the sound and found Buddy sticking his head out from underneath the gate.
"Buddy? What the heck are you doing down there baby? You stuck?" Laura went to rescue the dog. His mane had gotten caught between parts of the gate.
"JC!" Laura called out to him. He met her in the foyer. The dog was feverishly clawing his way up her body to lick her face. "Buddy was caught in the gate. Why is he so dirty?"
"He's outside most of the day. He doesn't really like Rachel, so instead of having to deal with him when she is home alone, she let's him out back to terrorize the place." JC started to go through the mail as Laura chased after the dog into the living room. She sat on the floor and wrestled with him briefly. JC sat back and watched the two of them together.
Buddy was excited to have her back in the house. He kept sniffing and licking her, as if to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "He sleeps under Nikki's crib. And every time Rachel walks in the room, he's got this low protective growl that he does to piss her off. It's too funny."
Laura laughed and praised the dog. JC leaned forward with elbows resting on his knees and said, "He seems to have missed you a lot though."
Laura fell back as Buddy jumped onto her chest, "God I know. I missed him too. Didn't I, baby! You've gotten to be such a big boy, while I was away, huh?" she ruffled up his hair and scratched the back of his ear lovingly.
JC starred at her and accidentally blurted out, "He's not the only one that misses you, Laura."
Laura was taken aback by his frankness. He too was caught off guard. He'd meant to keep that bit of information to himself, but now that it was out there, he decided to go with it and see where it led.
"JC, please." Laura looked down at the dog, cradling his little face in her hands and pushing back his enormous amount of hair.
"Please what?"
"Please don't start. I can't take all these compliments that you are throwing my way." Laura crawled over to other side of the couch and started to clean up. She couldn't sit still and talk to JC. She had to keep busy or she would likely let something happen.
"A friend can't tell you that he misses you?"
"No." Laura let her hand fall and slap against the side of her thigh in frustration. "Because I tend to want to twist it around to suite my needs and my heart can't take it.
"And what is it you need, Laura?"
"You already know what I need. And I'm not going to stand here and tell you, just so that you feel satisfied in hearing it come from my lips." Laura grabbed her shoes and sat on the couch to put them on.
"What if it's something that could be."
"It can never be, JC...Not anymore." She looked up at him from tying her laces. "Don't you understand that?"
"What if I'm saying that I miss you more than just a friend. Do you understand that?"
They were just inches away from each other on the couch, but it felt like thousands of miles to Laura. She slapped her knees as she stood up ad grabbed the baby's diaper bag. "Then I would tell you to save that for your fiance when she comes home to you. You can't keep doing this." Tears were beginning to fill her eyes. "You've made up your mind. Now you have to live with your decision, Josh. This back and forth bullshit is ridiculous. And I am sure as hell not going to be the other woman."
"I don't want you to do be." JC went to grab her hand but Laura moved back away from him. "Well, I am sure as hell not going to be second choice...Especially to Rachel. A year down the road you may realize that she might not be the person you thought she was. Something may happen that will change your relationship forever. It may even cause you two to separate forever. But I am not going to be there waiting on you with open arms when and if that day finally comes."
"And what if I am feeling that way right now? It's not too late...Is it?"
Laura walked over and grabbed the baby's burping blanket that was resting on his shoulder. She smoothed out his collar. "This is just pre-wedding jitters talking. You'll feel very differently soon."
JC took her chin in his hand and lifted her face towards his, "And if I don't."
Laura smiled at him as tears rolled down her cheek. She cradled his face in her hands, just as she did Buddy's moments earlier. Looking deep into his solemn, crystal blue eyes she said, "I know you love me. And I'm more than positive you know that I would die for you, but as I stand here in front of you, looking around this house and at how everything in here and-" She paused bringing her hands down in between their chests and clasping them together, trying to choke back the emotional that was screaming to get out. She took one hand and balled it up near her own chest and placed her free hand flat upon his chest, "...And in here have changed. I feel it's too late for us. Because you may love me." She began to sob lowly, "But you didn't love me enough." she took his hand and brought it to her chest, placing it over her heart. "And that's why this is so empty right now. Because you're no longer there...It may not ever be as complete as it once was, and I'll have to live with that."
They both were surprised by the sound of keys in the front door. Laura sniffled and wiped away her tears. She moved away from JC and looked around to make sure she had gathered up everything. Rachel entered the house and Nikki ran over to Laura holding out his arms for her to hold him. JC picked him up and Laura let him hold onto her finger as she said hello. The baby leaned towards her face and let his mouth fall onto her cheek in his own attempt to kiss her.
"Just wait until you really learn how to give kisses, Nik Nik. You'll have the girls all over you, baby." Laura gave him a quick kiss on his chubby little cheek before walking back into the bedroom and grabbed the baby.
Rachel didn't know what to make of it all. Laura looked as though she'd been crying and JC seemed to be stunned about something. She decided to try and be the understanding fiance today and just give JC his moment of privacy with his daughter. She grabbed up Nikolas and took him into the kitchen to feed him his supper.
JC walked Laura to the car and kissed his daughter goodnight as he buckled in her car seat.
JC walked over to the passenger side of the car where Laura was standing. With one hand in his back pocket and the other hand going through his hair he took a deep breath and asked, "Can we please talk about this more tomorrow?"
"No. The whole 'Let's be friends' thing isn't going to work. For her sake, I know we can still be friendly towards one another without actually being friends. I've moved on, JC. You should too." she gently patted him on the chest before getting into the car.
"You've moved on? With who? Your ex, Rick?" he spat back
Laura never responded and JC didn't understand why. But as she was pulling out of the driveway things seemed to become more evident with each passing second. Right up until that very moment, he hadn't noticed the diamond encrusted ring that was planted solidly around her ring finger. The realization hit him like a freight train.