Once Again

Cameron sighed as she watched Raven sleep. Jimmy had been gone a couple of hours, and Raven had passed out a few minutes after he left.

She knew Jimmy wouldn’t break his promise to their daughter. It was more than obvious to anyone that he loved her more than life itself now. He would do everything in his power to make Raven happy. Cameron had to admit though, he was dead on about working at the diner not being enough for the two of them.

Between babysitting costs, bills, rent , and groceries, there wasn’t anything extra left to save. Cameron was slaving away to give her daughter the best life Raven could possibly have, but it didn’t seem to be good enough.

Cameron has to admit it, for Raven’s well being, having Jimmy in his daughter’s life would be the best for Raven. Cameron couldn’t care less about herself. As long as Raven was happy, Cameron would be happy as well.

A knock at the door brought her from her thoughts. She watched as the door opened and Jimmy peeked his head through, smiling at her before walking the rest of the way in.

“She’s out,” Cameron told him. “She fell asleep a few minutes after you left.”

“Oh, so this can wait then,” He said as an elderly couple walked into the room. Cameron recognized them right away. It was hard not to when Jimmy looked just like the older man. His parents, Barbra and Joseph, looked toward the bed, a sparkle in both their eyes.

“Cameron, you remember my parents right?” Jimmy said suddenly.

“Of course,” Cameron smiled, standing up to greet them.

“How have you been baby girl?” Joe asked her, wrapping her in a tight hug.

“Hanging in there,” Cameron replied, looking toward Raven as she stirred. “I should wake her up anyway. She needs to eat something.” Cameron sighed.

“Here,” Jimmy said, walking up to the bed. He ran his thumb over Raven’s forehead, slowly coaxing her awake. Raven smiled when she saw him, and sat up, wrapping her arms around his head instantly.

“Hey BeeBee,” Jimmy said. “I have a couple of people I want you to meet,” he told her. Raven looked up, and Barbra’s heart jumped when she realized just how much the little girl looked like her son. There was no denying she was Jimmy’s daughter. Barbra looked up at Joe, who had the same look she had on her face.

“Barbra and Joe Sullivan, this is Raven Sullivan. Raven, this is Barbra and Joe, my parents. That makes them your grandparents.”

“Really?” Raven asked, looking up at the two. Joe wrapped his arms around his wife’s shoulders. “I have a Gramma and Grampa?”

“Yes you do,” Cameron smiled at her excitement.

“You also have two aunts,” Jimmy told her. “Their names are Kelly and Katie.”

“Aren’t big guys from bus my uncles?” Raven asked. Jimmy chuckled as he looked up at Cameron.

“Your call,” he stated. “I don’t care either way.” Cameron rolled her eyes and shrugged.

“Yes, they are,” she answered her daughter.

“I got a big family now!” Raven cheered.

“We all love you, so very much,” Jimmy said to her.

“You did come back!” Raven shouted suddenly.

“I told you I would didn’t I?” Jimmy replied, mocking hurt. “You didn’t believe me, I’m hurt now. I think I’m gonna go cry.”

“Daddy no cry,” Raven said, her voice going sad. Jimmy watched her from behind his hands before he lunged forward suddenly, causing Raven to shriek and fall against the pillows in a fit of giggles. He didn’t let on the feelings that coursed through him after Raven called him “Daddy.” He was still trying to get used to the title himself.

“He just found out this morning?” Barbra asked Cameron as she watched her son with the child. “It doesn’t seem like it at all.”

“I know, he’s a natural with her.” Cameron smiled, seeing how happy Raven looked at him.

“I have to ask you though,” Joe said, suddenly, turning around to her. “Why did it take so long for him to know?”

“I-” Cameron sighed and looked toward the ground. “I didn’t know if he really was her father or not until I gave birth. By then, it was too late. I tried getting a hold of him, but I couldn’t.”

“You actually cheated while you were with him didn’t you?” Barbra asked.

“Mom,” Jimmy said, hearing everything they were saying.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Cameron, you don’t have to worry about answering them.” Jimmy cut her off, looking toward his parents. “I told you two what happened.”

“You just said that you two broke up over a misunderstanding, you never said what exactly happened. I want to know why she felt you weren’t the father of her child.”

“This is not the time, nor the place to discuss this Dad,” Jimmy snapped.

“Why, to spare the whore her feelings?” Joe muttered, but Jimmy heard him. He grabbed his father’s arm and forced him out of the room. His mother and Cameron followed right after.

“I’m not trying to protect Cameron.” Jimmy snapped. “I’m trying to protect that little girl in there. She doesn’t need to fucking know the truth.”

“What? That her mother is a whore who broke her father’s heart?”

“She didn’t cheat on me Dad.” Jimmy replied, trying to calm himself down.

“Then what happened? Obviously something did if she didn’t know if you were the father or not.”

“That’s up to her to tell you,” Jimmy said. “Just, don’t drill her like that, especially not in front of Raven. I don’t want anything to be said that’ll make her think negatively.” Jimmy turned on his heels and walked back into the room.

“You want to know what happened? I was raped a week before Jimmy and I broke up. He believed I cheated, until the bastard bragged about it not too long after I left. I didn’t tell Jimmy I was pregnant because I didn’t want to get his hopes up, only for them to be crushed if things didn’t go the way we wanted them to.”

“I just wanted to know Cameron. He was crushed when you left, and I didn’t know what to do to help him.”

“I understand, but please believe me when I say I never intended on hurting Jimmy.”

“We know,” Barbra smiled at the younger woman. Cameron returned the smile as the door opened again.

“Everything okay out here?” Jimmy asked.

“Fine,” Joe smiled toward his son.

“Are you guys ready to go? Matt called while I was in there and I kinda have an emergency to deal with.”

“Let’s go so you can take care of your business.” his mother said. “Tell Raven we’ll be back soon.”

“Okay,” Cameron said. As she and Jimmy watched his parents walk down the hallway, Cameron couldn’t help but wonder what was going on. She knew he was trying to cancel the rest of the tour, but she felt his record label was fighting them against it.

“I better get going,” Jimmy said. “I already told Raven I’ll be back as soon as it’s over and that’s it. After I take care of this, I’m coming back, and not leaving her side until I absolutely have to.”

“What’s going on?” Cameron asked.

“Some fucking heads are going to be rolling that’s what’s going on,” he muttered in reply. He hesitated, then leaned forward and kissed Cameron on the cheek. He gave her a little wink and walked down the hallway.



Matt’s head snapped up as he heard the conference room door slam open.

“This had better be important,” Jimmy grumbled as he took the seat next to him.

“Oh, you’re gonna love it!” Brian spoke up, walking into the room more calmly then Jimmy had.

“What’s going on?” Jimmy asked, looking up at the other man. Before Brian could reply, Johnny and Zack walked into the room, followed by Larry Jacobson, their manager.

“What’s going on?” Jimmy repeated himself. It seemed everyone knew what was going on but him.

“We’re trying to get the label to drop the rest of the tour. I was told what’s going on with you Jim, so I’m trying to get the label to take that into consideration.”

“But?” Jimmy sighed, knowing that wasn’t everything.

“Right now they’re not budging. They excused the meet and greet and tonight’s show, but they’re expecting you all to be in Seattle in two days.”

“They can be there, I’m not. I have too much shit going on right here to just up and leave.” Jimmy said.

“We’re not leaving you Jimmy.” Johnny said. “We said we’re going to stay, so we’re staying.”

“You guys might not have a choice but to go. I have no choice but to stay here.”

“James Sullivan, you’ve been a brother to all of us for years.” Brian sighed. “As far as I see it, Raven is our niece. We’re not leaving her, nor you. There was a time we considered Cameron a sister as well. Hell, I still do in a sense. We’re staying and that’s final.”

“Even if it means losing the label.” Matt finished with a tone that said arguing was pointless. The conference room door opened again and Craig Aaronson, their representative within the label walked in.

“The managers are giving me hell over this,” He groaned, sitting next to Larry on the other side of the table. “Jimmy, you’re sure this kid is yours?”

“Without a doubt,” Jimmy answered him. Craig nodded, knowing that if Jimmy believed it, then it had to be true. The guy was rarely wrong about anything.

“I’m doing what I can, even trying to get the to just postpone some shows until things get settled here. What exactly is going on?”

Jimmy sighed and told Craig and Larry about his past with Cameron. How they were friends, but went to being more. He told them of the argument that led to Cameron leaving, then the bus breaking down only to wind up being in front of her family farm. He told them of Cameron calling, hysterical because Raven wouldn’t wake up.

“What exactly is wrong with her?” Craig asked, pulling a piece of paper and pen toward him.

“I haven’t been able to look into it on my own, but it’s apparently this rare blood cancer or some shit like that.” Jimmy said. “Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia I think is what they’re calling it.”

“And you and your ex are trying something that’s been experimented with?” Larry asked, his eye brow raising.

“It’s been tested for years, and the tests have a good success rate.”

“How long do you think you need for it to go through?” Craig asked, looking up at the drummer.

“Right now, I have no idea. But I know that if one thing is successful, the transplant can’t happen for nine months.”

“So, how about I propose this to the execs?” Craig said, sitting up straighter. “You’re all off the tour for however long Jimmy needs right now. Then, when the nine month waiting period begins, you go on tour for, say, eight months, and you come home in time for your daughter’s transplant.”

“I can’t be gone eight months,” Jimmy sighed, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Do you two even realize what Cameron and I are trying to do?” When the two men across from him shook their heads, showing they didn’t, Jimmy chuckled humorlessly. “If all goes well, the donor for Raven’s transplant could be her little brother or sister.”

“Wait, so you two are trying to have a baby, in order to save your daughter’s life?” Larry asked.

“We just went to a clinic this morning. Cameron’s shooting hormones into herself to speed herself up. The doctors and nurses will do everything, and while the fetus develops a little, they’re going to keep track to make sure this one has no chance of getting this fucking thing.”

“So, if you begin touring at the beginning of the pregnancy, should it happen, then if you’re on tour for eight months, you’ll be back in time for the birth and the transplant.”

“You guys don’t get it do you?” Jimmy asked suddenly. “This fucking tour is all you care about. I can’t be away for eight fucking months. This is my daughter. She’s already fucking pushing the time her doctor gave her. If she can stay strong enough to make it until the transplant, then it’ll be a fucking miracle. Not to mention that I never knew Cameron was pregnant with Raven, meaning I missed the entire fucking pregnancy. I don’t want to do that willingly.”

“We do understand that Jimmy, but it’s your job.” Larry sighed. Jimmy stared at the table for a long moment. Nobody said a word, not even Johnny who would end up shouting something to try to lighten the mood.

“Fine,” Jimmy said, looking up finally. He stood up, which shocked everyone, and looked straight at Larry. “Sorry guys, but start looking for a new drummer. I’m out, I’m done. It was fun while it lasted, but right now, my family is my number one priority.”