Radiant Eclipse

It had been four months, since the girls had released their major label debut, and one since Corinne's pregnancy had been made public knowledge. But due to the revelation, there were more restrictions on them than ever before. They were absolutely not allowed to go anywhere without a handler provided by the label, and they could forget about sneaking away to party all night. And while they understood the need to be more careful, not being able to ever be alone or do whatever they want when they want, was starting to wear on the girls.

It was especially wearing thin on Ash, who was creeping around the pharmacy section of Wal-Mart; trying to escape her and Jess' handler.

"Why are we still staring at the same energy bars?"

Jess whispered, as she pretended to examined a parcel of Luna bars.

"I need to grab a test from the next aisle, but I don't want someone to see."

"But that's the family planning … ARE YOU?!"

"I don't know. I might be … that's why I need the test. Can you distract him long enough, so I can grab a few and pay for them?"

Jess smiled triumphantly at her, then ran up to their handler, sobbing about how she thought she lost a bracelet that Zacky had given her for Valentine's Day. Once they left to start the faux lost bracelet hunt, Ash hurried into the next aisle, grabbed three tests, and paid at the pharmacy register. Just as she managed to stuff them into her purse, and zip it shut, Jess and their handler returned.

"The bracelet was in her purse. Are you girls done yet, we need to get back soon. The label will …"

As soon as the label was mentioned, the girls tuned him out, and finished the rest of their shopping. Once they paid, and grabbed snacks from the McDonald's inside the store, they got back into the SUV and headed back towards the venue. They were in Camden, New Jersey for the start of the 2011 Uproar Festival. As soon as the SUV parked beside their tour bus, Ash and Jess rushed into the bus, and straight to the tiny washroom.

"Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to leave?"

Jess asked, when she saw the ghost pale look on Ash's face.

"No. Stay. I can't do this alone."

Once Ash was finished peeing on all of the sticks, she stuck them back in the boxes, and hid them in her bunk. The girls went out to the front lounge to wait for the required amount of time to pass, before they could check the test results. As they immersed themselves in an episode of Spongebob Squarepants, Anne, Corinne and Mateja climbed back onto the bus; the latter two talking about having just met Sevendust and Three Days Grace.

"He asked about you, wondered where you were."

Anne whispered to Ash, who immediately forgot about the tests stewing in her bunk.

"Who asked about Ash?"

Mateja asked, a bottle of water halfway to her mouth. Ash chewed her lip, and looked nervously at Anne, before she faced her bandmates.

"Brad Walst and I share quite a bit of history."

"What kind of history?"

"The kind that Johnny should know about, but doesn't. The kind that once had me thinking Brad and I would be married with kids by now."

Before the girls could question Ash any further, Larry clambered onto the bus, followed by some label reps. After spending the early part of the day avoiding the main stage area, Ash stood with the rest of the band, as they waited to take their place on the smaller stage.

"Have you seen him at all?"

Anne whispered. She shook her head no in response, then turned to Jess who quietly asked if she had remembered to check the tests. Again, Ash shook her head no, then slipped her in-ears in, as Dan told them it was almost time. Their walk on music started, and the girls quickly got into the pre-set huddle, then took to the stage.

It didn't take long for Ash to notice that Brad and his Three Days Grace bandmate, Neil Sanderson, were watching the girls from the sidestage, opposite where she was. Wishing to avoid a confrontation, and to avoid Johnny finding out anything before she could tell him, Ash bolted from the stage as soon as the girls finished their set. She was nowhere to be found as the mainstage area was opened, and the bigger bands played.

"Where's your other half?"

Neil asked Anne, as he stood beside Anne and Corinne, while Three Days Grace waited to take the stage.

"No clue. I haven't seen her since we got offstage."

Just as Three Days Grace took to the stage, the guys in Avenged came to stand with their women, and watched a few songs before they went to get ready for their set. The opening strains of "Beast And The Harlot" echoed throughout the grounds, Ash sat in her bunk, hands shaking as she triple checked that each test said positive. If the label was unhappy about Corinne's pregnancy, they were going to be furious about hers. Cleaning herself up, and getting rid of the evidence, Ash climbed into bed and passed out not long after.

The next two weeks passed, and Ash successfully managed to avoid running into Brad, and kept her pregnancy concealed from everyone. She was currently sitting on the dock overlooking the marina outside the Molson Amphitheatre, when the very face she was trying to avoid sat down beside her.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

"What do you want Bradley?"

"What? No hello? We haven't seen each other in how many years?"

"Yeah, because you told me it wasn't fair for me to be sitting at home, while you're traipsing around the globe. But now you're all of a sudden married with kids."

Brad hung his head, as he tried to move closer to her.

"Can't we get past that?"

"Maybe. But not right now; I'd rather be left alone."

He sighed, and leaned over to kiss her forehead, before he got up and walked away. Not long after, Ash was joined by another familiar, but more welcome, face.

"Hey babe."

Ash smiled, as she puckered up so Johnny could plant a quick one on her lips.

"What was that just now?"

"With Brad? Nothing. We met back in the day, haven't seen each other in awhile, was just saying hey and whatnot."

"You could've just did that at one of the afterparties .."

Johnny trailed off, when he saw the distant look on Ash's face.

"Are you okay?"

Ash took a deep breath, before she linked her fingers with his, and decided to bite the bullet.

"I'm pregnant."

"What? Seriously?"

Johnny dropped her hand, then stood up, Ash following, soon after."

"Yeah. Seriously."

"Why do you seem unhappy?"

"You know how the label reacted to Corinne's news …"

"Don't you worry about the label right now, we'll take care of them when the time comes to it, okay? I love you."

"Love you too."

The couple stood there, the world outside not existing to them, before Johnny was called away for an interview. As soon as he was out of sight, Ash started to hate herself for not telling him the other tidbit of information, that she had been hiding from him and everyone else. The last little while, she had been feeling her voice and throat starting to act up again. She had done everything she could think of to remedy the situation, but it didn't seem to be getting any better.

Later that evening, the girls prepared to take to the mainstage, where they were upgraded to when Seether pulled out due to illness.

"If you think we haven't noticed that you're having problems, you're wrong. We need to talk after the set."

Larry and a label rep, whispered in Ash's ear, before she put in her monitor. Looking around, all available stage exits were surrounded by the label, and Ash knew she wouldn't have a choice but to face the proverbial music. They dragged her back to the dressing room as soon as their set was over, and spent the next half an hour reading her the riot act. And it ended with them telling her, that she was going back to California to see a new specialist. They gave her some time to pack her things, before they ushered her into a waiting van.

"So … what's going to happen now?"

Corinne asked, as Larry shut the door to the van and got in the front.

"Johnny, Brad Walst, and Max from ETF are going to fill in for Ash for the rest of the tour. Ash will see some new specialist in LA, as soon as they get there."

Dan filled them in, as the van pulled away.

"Will she need surgery?"

"Won't know until she gets there."

Once the van pulled out of view, everyone filed back inside, to pack up and head to the next city.