My Fair Lady

The Christmas holidays came quickly. Jakob didn't really notice how quickly time was flying by because he finally had Chloe back by his side. They would go out with Frankito and Lauren like they did when they were in high school and crash in Frankito's guest house when it got too late. They went parking at the bay and remembered small inside jokes between them for old times sake.

The day of Christmas was a blur of family. As it was Sterling's first Christmas, everybody went all out with gifts and pictures to make it special. Chloe was with her family the first part of the morning and came to Jakob's for dinner.

"Oh my God, this smells divine," Chloe said as she carried a steaming bowl into the dining room that was set up elegantly for the dinner. "I'm starving."

"Well you can eat all you want, you're too skinny any ways." Billie Joe responded as he followed her with a basket of rolls. "We've missed you Chloe." He hugged her with one arm and pecked the top of her head.

"I've miss you guys too. I never realized how much I depended on you guys and everybody else for everything until I went to New York. I was so scared and I felt so small when I first got there. Come to think of it, I still feel like that." Chloe giggled and fixed a crooked fork by a place setting.

Billie Joe escorted her back into the kitchen. "How's everything going out there?"

"It's going good. I love Broadway. I've always wanted to do it ever since I was a little girl." Chloe picked an eyelash out of her eye. "I just wish I wasn't 3,000 miles away, especially now."

"We've missed you too," Billie Joe confided as Adrienne called for everyone to take a seat in the dining room. "And we're glad you're here."

The meal was pleasant and enjoyable for Chloe and the Armstrongs. The meal was delicious and the company wonderful. Once the plates were cleaned and put in the dishwasher and the family lazily made their way into the kitchen to play cards did Jakob's phone ring, much to his disgruntlement.

"Yeah," He answered without any enthusiasm as he knew who it was before he picked up the phone. Joey was next to him shuffling cards and Chloe was getting a drink with Adrienne in the kitchen.

"Jakob, we need to talk," Lindsey said on the other line.

"Uh, I don't think we do. I think everything was well said when I was in New York and you hung up on me." Jakob shook his head when Chloe silently motioned and asked if he wanted a drink.

"I'm outside in my car and I have something important to tell you and it will be better if you hear it from me than from everybody else. Jakob, please." Lindsey was practically begging Jakob to come outside.

"All right, fine. But I'll only stay for a second. I'm with my girlfriend and family right now." Jakob excused himself and quickly stepped outside, even though he was barefoot, and got inside Lindsey's car. "What?"

"I'm pregnant."

Jakob had barely shut the car door when she said it and without speaking or changing his expression, he got back out and walked right back into the house.

"Okay Jakob, we've been waiting on your slow ass. What's wrong?" Billie Joe looked up from his cards to find his youngest standing before them pale and doe eyed.

Jakob opened his mouth and closed it again like a fish out of water without sound ever coming out.

"Jakob, baby." Chloe got up and crossed over to him, putting her hand on his arm as he looked at her with a strange expression and shook his head.

"I. . . I. . ."

"Jakob, why did you leave?" Lindsey came running into the room. "Oh, hey." She greeted the congregation dully.

"What's going on?" Adrienne asked noticing Jakob's quickened breath.

Lindsey gave Adrienne a mocking grin. "I just told Jakob the news."

"What news?" Chloe stepped in between Jakob and Lindsey.

Lindsey laid eyes on Chloe for the first time. "You must be the precious ex-girlfriend everyone is so in love with." Lindsey scoffed as Sterling shrieked from her chair, wanting attention. "Yeah," She cooed at the baby. "You must have figured out what was going on."

"What do you want?"

Lindsey turned her attention back to Chloe by Chloe's question. "My baby's father to come to his senses, that's what."

There was a stunned silence in the room.

"I beg your pardon?" Adrienne stood up and crossed her arms.

"I'm pregnant with Jakob's baby," Lindsey said. "And my dad's real old fashioned and would want me to marry the father."

"Well that's not happening," Billie Joe snapped as he stood up with the rest. "And we're not believing any of this until we have a paternity test done. End of story."

Lindsey shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll call you later Jakob." With that, she was gone.

Jakob looked at Chloe with a fearful expression and opened his mouth again to talk, but once again, the words would not come out.

"It's okay." Chloe kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly. "It's okay."

"How can you say it's okay? It's not okay," Jakob croaked out, his eyes still wide.

Chloe pulled his hand. "Come on. Let's go for a walk. Come on." She pulled harder until Jakob fell in step behind her, gripping her hand.

"How can you say it's okay?" Jakob asked again when they were walking alone on the sidewalk.

Chloe shrugged. "If it is yours, there's nothing we can do to change it so we may as well accept it and look on the bright side."

"Bright side?" Jakob repeated dully as he kicked a pebble. "I don't see a bright side to being attached to Lindsey for the rest of my life. I want to have a family with you in a couple of years when we're ready, after we've finished school and won Tonys and stuff."

"Jakob," Chloe stopped and turned to face him. "There's something else you need to know."

"What?"

"I can't have kids."

Jakob was dumbfounded. A dog barked somewhere down the street but his concentration was on Chloe, not on the dog or anything else. "What?"

Chloe looked down. "I was born a premie and some of my organs weren't quite developed and my reproductive unit wasn't ever fully developed. It is believed that I can't have kids and if I did, it would be a one in a billion chance. Plus, right now I couldn't carry a baby even if I were all there because I've lost too much weight doing the show. So, maybe. . . I don't know. . .we can accept this as a chance to have a piece of inevitable future."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jakob asked her as they began to walk again.

"It never came up. Are you mad?"

"No," Jakob shook his head. "And I guess you're right." He kissed the top of her head. "Oh, I mean to give this to you back in May before. . . . anyways, here." He held between his fingers the small ring he had planned to give Chloe after prom. "It's my promise that I'll always be there for you and I will never hurt you again. . . and that I will never let anyone else hurt you for that matter."

"I love you." Chloe stood up on her tip toes to kiss him.

"I love you too."