Forget About Me, It's What I Deserve

*5 minutes later*

Lexy opened the bunk's curtain, looking for her dad. After 5 other bunks, she'd finally found the right one.

"Jack...er, Dad?" Lexy asked tentatively. She still wasn't sure what to call him.

Jack turned on his side to face Lexy. "Yeah, Lexy?"

"Er...can we talk?" she asked softly.

Jack patted the space in front of him. "Sure, come sit."

As Lexy sat in front of him, Jack propped himself on his elbow and asked, "So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to ask you some questions," Lexy replied innocently.

"Shoot."

"Who's my mom?" Lexy asked, now thinking she sounded childish for asking.

Jack scratched his head. "Er..."

"I can understand if you don't want to tell me...."

Jack blew his hair out of his face. "Better sooner than later."

He sat all the way up and said "Your mom and I were probably the closest friends in high school. It might sound a little cliche, but I fell in love with her. She fell in love with me. We didn't actually hook up until we brought her on our first cross-country tour. We were both drunk and we never regretted it. When we got to Los Angeles, she told me she was pregnant. I was happy, but petrified. It was going to be interesting having a baby on tour."

Jack paused for a moment and Lexy waved him on. "She wanted to get married and fly back home with me. I wanted to stay on tour. We got into a huge fight about this and she still stayed on. She stayed here and called me when you were born. I picked out the Alexys part, she picked the Vivienne. I called her a couple days later, hoping to reconcile and restart the family. Her cousin answered and said she had moved to Canada and put you up for adoption. I visited you when you were younger, but I wanted to visit you when you were older and able to understand everything. That's why I made your mom swear she wouldn't tell you about me."

Lexy was quiet for a moment. That was probably the most serious she had seen him the whole week.

Alex and Zack had been eavesdropping. Rian had been semi-listening in and they all agreed. They had never heard Jack say something so detailed and...well, honest before. Because, come on, it's Jack Barakat. No one had expected this from him.

"Thanks, Jack," Lexy said quietly and left the bunk. Her mom had given her up, not even telling her dad why. Her mom had even left the country, with no explanations.

"One more thing," Lexy asked as she closed the curtain. "What was her name?"

"Jacqui. Short for Jacqueline," Jack said quietly.

Lexy nodded and looked at Alex as she walked back to her bunk. "Do you have my flight confirmation yet?"

Alex nodded solemnly. He was starting to love Lexy as his own daughter. No one wanted her to leave.

But they all wanted her to be happy.