Second Heartbeat

As he said they would, Zacky and Aubrey left for Vegas early in the morning and married in the afternoon. With the two babies in the house and two more on the way, Aubrey couldn’t help but want one of her own. Zacky had told her previously that they could adopt when they were ready, but to her she was never more ready. So, they agreed to sign up with an adoption agency as soon as they got home.

Jimmy and Tera spent the day in the nursery with Legend. Jimmy wanted to spend every minute with his son before having to go back out on tour. Although, he and Tera were kicking around the idea of them going with him. Tera wasn’t fond of the idea of having the baby grow up on a tour bus.

Johnny spent the day interviewing new possible nannies for Jonnie. She wasn’t really bonding with Harley and to be quite frank, he wasn’t fond of her either. This was just a job to her and Johnny really wanted someone with more motherly instincts.

Matt and Sydney had been locked in an uncomfortable silence in their bedroom. Although they agreed to work things out for the sake of the baby, there was still an underlying conflict between them. Yes, Matt cheated on Sydney, but the girl wasn’t someone any of them would ever see again. When Sydney cheated on Matt it was with his best friend so there would always be a constant reminder living right downstairs. Then there was the fact that Matt and Stormy didn’t like each other. When in truth they were cut from the same cloth and both had the same agenda, they both wanted what was best for Sydney. Both were her family, one by blood and one by marriage and both were hard headed, strong willed and neither ever backed down from a fight. One thing that they both could not deny is that neither liked to admit when they were wrong. This time however, Matt knew he was wrong and although Sydney hasn’t said anything to him about it, he knew that she felt that way too. He took the argument with Stormy a little further than he should have and in the back of his mind he wondered if she would have checked out of the hospital if he hadn’t said the things he said.

Brian watched over Stormy like a hawk all night and the one time that he actually drifted off to sleep he woke up and found her huddled up in a corner of the bedroom shaking uncontrollably. This wasn’t going to be easy, that much he knew, it was just a matter of him being able to live up to the challenge and not letting her down. He was over protective of her to begin with, but now he’d gone in to full-blown bodyguard mode. If anyone came within an inch of her that wasn’t invited to do so, he would pounce. He had made the decision that for her sake, he wasn’t going to let Matt or Sydney anywhere near her for a while. Neither one of them were conducive to her healing process.

Tera was a different story…

--

Brian walked out of the bedroom leaving Stormy alone so he could go answer the door. Tera stood on the other side with Legend in her arms.

“I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but I was hoping you’d let me talk to Stormy.”

He let her into the apartment, but he still had his reservations.

“I don’t know if she is ready for company yet” he said.

“Brian, I know you are worried about her, but I think you need to understand that there are things that girls are only comfortable talking to other girls about. I’m only trying to help”

He nodded “ok, but if she gets upset, I will have to ask you to leave.”

“Fair enough” she nodded and handed him the baby before walking into the bedroom.

Stormy was sitting up trying to finish the breakfast that Brian made for her.

“Hi” Tera said sitting down on the bed.

“hi”

“I’d ask how you are, but I think I already know the answer. Do you want to talk about it?”

Stormy took the tray off her lap and set it down on the table beside the bed.

“I don’t know what to say”

“ok well how do you feel?”

“I feel dirty and no matter how many showers I take I cant seem to feel anything, but dirty. This is the first time Brian has left my side and I know he means well, but I don’t want him to see me this way” she put her hands over her face and cried.

“Hey now, let me tell you about that man out there. From the day you left the hospital, he searched for you day and night; he hardly slept and refused to believe that you just ran away. Don’t push him away when he fought so hard to get you back. He loves you.”

“Really, he looked for me?”

“Of course he did and when he found your cell phone at the end of the pier, he thought you killed yourself. You should have seen how hurt and heartbroken he was. You have to give yourself a little more credit and stop thinking that no one cares about you, because Brian is the living definition of love.”

“but Matt said…”

“Fuck Matt!” Tera said and Stormy put her hand over her mouth and tried not to laugh.

“You just cursed”

“Yes, yes, I did and it felt good to be improper for once” Tera said. “You know, If it were not for Brian, Jimmy and I would be together right now”

“How so?” Stormy asked

Tera recanted the story of how she and Brian were dating when she fell in love with Jimmy unintentionally and how when Brian realized that Jimmy was the one for her, he sacrificed his heart and brought them together.

“Jesus, is there a girl in this house that hasn’t fucked Brian?” Stormy said

“You have to understand love, that what he did before he met you, you can not hold against him. He doesn’t hold your past against you, you owe him that much”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Stormy agreed.

Tera stood. “I should go, Brian is out there with the baby and I should probably give him a break. Call me if you need to. Do yourself a favor and trust him and most of all love him back because the one person in this house who never gave up on you, is Brian”

She nodded noting the wake up call that Tera had just given her and watched her walk out of the room.

“Thank God!” Brian said standing up and handing the baby over to Tera.

“What’s the matter?” she asked with laughter in her voice.

“I think he’s defective”

“What do you mean?” she asked rocking the baby in her arms.

“If I sit down he cries, if I stand up he stops and he stinks!”

Tera couldn’t help but laugh. “You, my dear will make a fine daddy one day. She said and headed up to find her husband.

Brian stood there thinking about what she said about him being a daddy one day. He’d never given any thought to having a family of his own and with everything that was going on, he wondered if that day would ever come.

He snapped out of his thoughts and went back to the bedroom to see Stormy. She was sitting watching television on the bed when he walked over to join her.

“You didn’t finish your breakfast”

“I ate the toast and some of the eggs”

“That’s good enough for me” he smiled. “How do you feel?” he asked

“A little tired and my head hurts a little, but I’m ok”

“Want to come out to the living room and watch T.V. with me?”

“ok” she nodded

He lifted her off the bed and brought her over to the couch in the living room. He set her down and went back to get a blanket After draping the blanket over her legs he sat down on the other end of the couch and picked up the remote for the television. He looked over at her when he saw her move the blanket from her legs and crawl over to his end of the couch. She sat herself on his lap and grabbed a pillow to put behind her head. She then starched out her legs and pulled the covers over them. When she laid back against the pillow she grabbed Brian’s arm and laid it across her stomach.

“It’s better like this,” she said.

“Yeah, it sure is” he smiled.

They stayed like that watching television for a while and after about an hour he looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep. He knew she needed the nap and he didn’t want to disturb her so he left her on his lap while he watched television some more.

Matt and Sydney walked down the stairs to his apartment and knocked on the door.

“Come in” he said softly trying not to wake up Stormy.

When they walked through the door he changed his mind.

“Get out” he said and turned his gaze back to the television.

“I just want to see my sister.” Sydney said.

“She’s sleeping and I really don’t care what you want”

“Brian don’t talk to her like that, we just came to see how Stormy is doing not to argue” Matt said.

Stormy stirred in his lap and turn onto her side so that she was facing Brian.

“Talk to her like what? Like the way you talked to Stormy?”

“That isn’t fair” Sydney said

“Oh of course not, Stormy came here two years ago to warn you about your mother and you attacked her with your fists. Then she nearly takes a bullet for me and still you can’t find it in your heart to treat her like she is part of the family. Then your hubby over here goes and reminds her of her past indiscretions and pretty much tells her that no one gives a fuck about her. Only proving the point when she got sick and neither of you showed up at the hospital. I can’t blame her for checking out; I wouldn’t want to come back here either if I were her. When she disappeared, did either of you help me look for her? You have been spoiled left and right since the day you got her so don’t stand there and tell me what’s fair and what isn’t, this is the one time where you wont get your way, Syd because the only thing I care about is Stormy right now”

“Come on Sydney, this is pointless” Matt grabbed her arm and she stood there for a moment looking at Brian as if she were about to cry. Matt tugged on her arm and she turned and walked out with him.

Brian threw his head back against the couch and let out a sigh, but lifted his head and looked down when Stormy poked his belly.

“Hey!” he said narrowing his eyes

“You love me” she smiled and played with the hem of his shirt.

“Yep” he grinned and tapped her nose.

---

“Am I really spoiled?” Sydney asked Matt who was sitting at the counter in the kitchen.

“Honestly, you have been known to always get your way.” He answered.
“Well it’s your fault!” she said pointing a teasing finger at him.

“What else is new?” he said getting up and walking out of the kitchen.

“Matt wait” she yelled after him and followed him into the living room.

She put her arms around his waist from the back. “I was only joking” she said

“I didn’t fucking mean it! I was angry damn it. I didn’t mean it! I know this is my fault and I wish like hell I could take it back, but I can’t even apologize because Brian wont let me anywhere near her. I didn’t mean for this to happen to her. I swear Sydney.”

“I know, you didn’t “

“I think I need to be alone for a while.” He said and moved her arms from around his waist. She watched him from the window as he got in his car and drove off.

--

It was 1am and Matt hadn’t returned yet and Sydney was starting to worry. Johnny was out on a date so she couldn’t go to him for help. Zacky was in Vegas so he wasn’t available. Jimmy and Tera needed their sleep because of the baby so that left only one person.

She knocked on his door and hoped he would answer and when he did she could see he was in a nasty mood.

“I didn’t know whom else to ask,” she said in tears.

“What?”

“After we left here this afternoon, Matt said he needed some time alone and he hasn’t come home yet. I know you think I am spoiled, but could you please help me this one last time.” She begged.

He huffed and rolled his eyes. He turned back to look at Stormy who was standing in the doorway of the bedroom. “Go” she said.

He turned back to Sydney. “Fine, I’ll go look for him” he said and closed the door in her face. He turned back and walked passed Stormy in to the bedroom to get his shirt and shoes. He stopped in front of her on his way out and kissed her. “I love you” he whispered against her lips.

“love me when you come home” she whispered back

he raised his eyebrow “really?”
“yeah” she smiled.

He kissed her again and walked out the back door to his car. He didn’t have to guess where Matt was; they all knew his favorite spot.

Brian pulled into the parking lot at Harlot’s Strip Club and after parking he went inside and found Matt sitting at a table near the stage drunk as can be sitting with his chin in his hands watching the dancers.

“wow I didn’t know you were here too.” Matt said when he noticed Brian.

“Come on, you’re going home with me” Brian said.

“I’m not going home yet, I haven’t finished my drink!”

Brian huffed and sat down in the chair. “Finish your damn drink then”

Matt called the waitress over and asked her for two more, one for him and one for Brian.

“I said finish the one you have not order two more!” he scolded.

“Sorry Funsucker” Matt made a face at Brian.

“You’re wife is having a nervous breakdown worrying about where you are.”

“My wife will have to get over it, she’s a brat!” he said.

“Yeah well she is pregnant and I’m sure when you wake up in the morning and realize the stress this little excursion of yours put on the babies, you’ll be kissing Sydney’s ass”

“My babies?” he smiled

“Yeah, your babies, now lets go”

“Fine!”

Brian stood, but Matt wasn’t so lucky, he was too drunk to stand on his own and Brian had put his arm around his waist and walked him out to the car.

Brian drove home while Matt practically passed out in the passenger seat. After getting home, Brian helped Matt to his bedroom and when he walked through the door he dropped Matt down on the bed and glared at Sydney before he left and went down to his apartment.

When Brian returned to his apartment he walked into the bedroom and Stormy was sound asleep on his side of the bed. He smiled and sat in his chair to take his shoes off. Everything was going to be fine.