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~8 months later~

"Thanks Jake!" I laughed stepping out of the 7-Eleven, cherry Slurpee in hand. Flicking on my flashlight, I started down the street. I had to stay awake, he would be here any time now. I was back in Anson for my senior year, before we started on Warped Tour this summer. The rest of tour had been tense. Matt had spent more than a few nights aboard the girls bus.

Jade was going to pop any day now so either Jace, me or both of us was at Jade & Anders place ever day and night. Matt had texted me when he landed in Abilene about twenty minutes ago. We`d been together ever since that night, but had yet to go that far again. He was going to stay at Jade & Ander`s during his visit.

I was pulled from my thoughts when a hand covered my mouth and there was a metallic click between my shoulder blades. Soon a hot breath was at my ear.

"Chiquita," the Hispanic accent that was all too common in Anson, chuckled. "Hand over the money and you don`t get hurt" He shoved the barrel
further into my back.

"Roy, you and I both know that, that gun is empty. Also, I don`t have my wallet," I responded. This was just a wannabe gangster from school, or he would be if he hadn`t dropped out last year.

"Guess i`ll just have to beat it out of you than," was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

~

"We should tell her before we tell them," my mom whispered Slowly my eyes fluttered open to see my mom and dad. "Baby?" She saw me.

"Hey mom, what happened?" I whispered, smiling. A small pain filled my chest as I breathed.

She turned to my dad and whispered something about Connor, before sitting down in the chair next to my hospital bed. "Honey," she started, "You were mugged last night, on your was to Jade`s. Angel Baez, from school, found you."

I looked her in the eyes, "That`s not why you`re crying though. What is it?"

"You`re too smart sometimes," she chuckled and wiped her eyes. "You have three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and," she stopped as dad and Connor
entered the room. "Hello, Connor. We have some news for the two of you," she sighed again. "Rue, you were pregnant."

"What?" Connor and I screeched in unison.

"I tested back in the fall though! It was negative. There`s always been protection," I gasped out hurriedly, Connor`s mouth sagging open. "I was only off of the pill on tour and I-" I stopped. "You said I was pregnant. Did it?" I stopped dreading the word.

"No, honey," My dad shook his head. "Although, it was already a small baby, it was a month premature, and after last night, well she`s blind, honey."

"Oh my," I sobbed. "Um, is Matt here? He flew in last night."

"He`s here, why do you ask?" my mom questioned, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Can you get him and Jade? " I slowed my breathing as she nodded and left the room. "Can I see her?" I requested of my dad.

"I`ll go ask, baby," he kissed my forehead and squeezed my hand. He nearly ran out the door, yelling at a nurse along the way.

"Hey Connor," I blinked back tears.

"I love you, Rue," he spurted before clasping his hands over his mouth. "I`m sorry."

"Don`t be," I responded, laughing. "It`s o-"

"No it`s not," he cut me off, shaking his head. "You`re with Matt, y`all have a Daughter now. But the thing is, I never stopped loving you. I never hated you, I couldn`t, I did hate Matt though, because if it wasn`t for him I`d have you back." Connor came and sat on the edge of my bed. And before I knew it, his lips were against mine.

"What the hell?" Jade and Matt screamed walking in. Followed by my rather confused mother.

"I`m sorry Rue,!" Connor gasped, jumping away from the bed. "That was out of line."

"Ya think?" Jade screeched, throwing her hands up. "And you knew Matt was on his way down here!"

"What`s going on here?" my dad asked, entering the room, a pink bundle in his arms.

"I was about to ask the same thing," Mom spoke up, arms crossed.

"Connor and I had a blow up on tour last summer," I stated never taking my eyes off of the pink blanket.
"I`ve been with Matt ever since. Can I hold her?" I held my arms out to my dad.

my dad walked over and handed me the dark haired little girl. Taking her tiny hand, i smiled, "Hey baby," looking up, "Come here Matt." He walked up, more confused than ever. Looking between Connor, Matt and the little girl in my arms, I knew I was right. "She looks like her daddy, she has my eyes though," I noticed looking into her petite grey orbs that seemed to stare into space.

Matt picked up her other hand. He gazed into her eyes, "I should`ve told you it broke. But with the guys all over me I was scared." I nodded and asked my mom if they`d let the four, or five, of us talk. That being said, my parents left saying that they`d be just down the hall.

"Maddy," I stated proudly. Madison Flyzik." The name earned a coo from the little one. I held her out to Matt. "Middle name?"

Smiling, he took her into his arms, chuckling, "Madison Sailor Flyzik. Little Maddy, the trouble you`re going to cause."

Kissing her forehead, he gave her back.

"Matt, um, Maddy`s blind," I choked back tears.

"Um, wow," Matt said as a nurse walked in, clipboard in hand.

"Hi, Ruelle," the nurse smiled. "You`re parents said you were awake. Can I get some info for her birth certificate real quick?"

"Sure," I smile and looked back down at Maddy.

"Great! Do you have a name for her?" I gave her Maddy`s full name and my name and address. Than, "Father`s name?"

"I looked up at the two men in my life, than back at the nurse, "James Matthew Flyzik." He smiled and gave her the rest of his information.

"Thanks, I`ll let you kids talk. By the way, she`s gorgeous," the nurse smiled and left.

"Guys, would y`all let me talk to Rue real quick? just step in the hall for a second?" Jade spoke up again. The boys agreed and left the room. Turning to me, "How`s it feel?"

"What?"

She chuckled, "Being a mom." Jade subconsciously placed a hand to her bulging stomach.

"I don`t really know," I sighed & grinned as Maddy wrapped her hand around my finger. "I havn`t exactly had 9 months to get used to the thought, more like 9 minutes. You probably feel more like a mom than I do right no-" I stopped as Jade leaned over, grimacing. "What`s wrong?"

"I think I`ll know what it feels like pretty soon," she laughed and than winced again.

My eyes widened, "Oh shit!" Pushing the red button, I waited for a nurse to answer.
"Uh, my friend is in her and she`s pregnant. I think she`s going into labor." Not much later, Jade was being rushed our of my room and into the delivery room.

Clambering in, Connor asked, "What happened?" His eyes were just as wide as Matt`s, behind him.

"She went into labor," I laughed half-hearted. "Connor go get Jace and Ander, they`ll want to be there."

"okay," he nodded and shrugged. "I`ll be back."

"Okay," I said as he left down the hall. I waited before turning towards Matt again, "Matty, I-"

I was cut off again, "Never stopped loving him? I know. Me and you, we lost our 'spark'
a while back."

"Yeah," I glanced down and tickled Maddy`s nose. "I mean, with Maddy, we should be getting closer but it seems like the opposite. It`s like we`re being driven apart."

Matt sat on my bed and let Maddy wrap her teeny hand around his finger, "Yeah. You know, even though I havn`t fully processed it all yet, I love her to pieces I want her to know her dad even if she can`t see him."

Matt was so confident about raising our daughter, something I could only dream of being. I wasn`t ready to raise her, but he sounded like he was. Could I do it? Could I let my daughter grow up on the east coast when I`m down south! Would she hate me for it when she grew up? I mean, I could still be a part of her life, I guess.

"Matt, I- I can`t do it, I`m not ready to raise a child," I was crying now. All of the teenage pregnancies I had known personally had ended so badly, I couldn't put something like that on my daughter. Never.

"I could," we looked each other in the eyes. He continued, "I could take her back to Maryland with me and raise her. I could send you pictures. You would still be her mom, and Cloussy can watch
the guys for a few tours. When I`m on tour, she could stay with one of our parents, the Barakat`s, Gaskarth`s, Merrick`s, Dawson`s all of them would watch her for me, for us, once she`s older. What do you think?"

I reached out with my free arm and hugged him, tight, "I`d appreciate it, Matt. I love you both, I`m just not ready."