Not Insane

Jayden wandered around backstage while the band was performing. It was her first time actually being on tour with them, and she was still curious to see how things worked. She was walking around, slightly paranoid that there would be obsessive fans trying to get backstage. Stories were told about how fans had snuck backstage and even into their dressing room. Fans were the least of their worries though, she thought. Jayden also remembered hearing the story about one of the Berry twins catching someone who hated the band trying to cut the brake line on the bus. Everybody wandering the backstage area had venue passes on, so she didn't have any worries until she saw someone staring out a window, not moving a muscle. It was a girl, who had long hair similar to her own.

“Excuse me?” Jayden tapped on the shoulder of the person. “Hello?” The person turned around, staring blankly. She gasped slightly, looking at the person like she was looking into a mirror. “Umm, do you work here?”

“No.” The reply came in a voice that also sounded like her own.

“Do you have a backstage pass?”

“Nope.”

“May I ask what you're doing back here then?”

“I'm here to warn you.”

“To warn me?”

“Yes. To warn all of you.”

Jayden's stomach flipped. “Warn us of what?” She asked as she thought about bringing the girl to a security person.

“Of twelve twenty-eight.”

“W-what about it?” Jayden asked shakily.

A loud crash had woken the couple up. “What the fuck was that?” Brian asked, turning on the bedside lamp. He turned to his fiance who was sitting bolt upright, staring straight ahead into space. “Jade? Baby?” She didn't answer. “Baby? I'm gonna go figure out what that noise was.” He stepped out of bed and walked out of the room. He figured the noise had scared her, but didn't expect to come back to the room and see she hadn't moved at all. “Jade?” He called, waving his hand in front of her face. “Earth to Jayden,” he said louder as he sat in front of her. “Sweetie, snap out of it!” He shook her gently.

She blinked as she came back to reality. “What?”

“Baby, did the noise wake you?”

She nodded. “What was it?”

“Pinkly was in the den and knocked over the controllers for our Rock Band setup. Are you okay?”

“I had the weirdest dream. I was at one of your shows on tour with you, and I saw this person backstage. It was like looking into a mirror, and she said she was there to warn us. December twenty-eighth, I guess. That was the last I remembered.”

Brian had noticed she was shaking as he embraced her. “It was just a dream, that's all. Nothing is going to happen.”

“It felt so real though.”

“It's okay, sweetheart.” He looked over her shoulder at the clock. “Let's go back to bed, it's three-thirty.”

Brian reached over to turn the light off before laying back down with Jayden. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and held her close to reassure her that everything was going to be fine.

Jayden had woken in the morning to an empty space next to her, along with the smell of breakfast food filling up the room. With a smile she sat up and stretched before getting out of bed and going into the bathroom to do her morning routine. The dream still had her shaken, but she was trying to reassure herself that it was just a dream, nothing more. She also tried to reassure herself that what she had eaten last night so soon before bed had also caused her to have the dream. Not even caring that she was still dressed in underwear and had pulled on the button down shirt that Brian was wearing the day before, she headed downstairs. At the landing, she'd heard voices from the kitchen, recognizing her fiance's, and then her brother's. She smiled as she headed to greet them, but stopped when she heard her name. Brian was telling her twin about the dream she'd had. From the entrance to the kitchen, she made eye contact with Brian, motioning for him to stay quiet as she snuck up behind her brother who was still rambling about what could've caused his sister to have the weird dream.

She was about to jump on his back to surprise him, but was surprised in turn as Jimmy turned while saying 'boo' and grabbing her in a bear hug, causing her to shriek. “This is how we do? Just because you're at home, you can walk around half naked?” he asked with a laugh.

“Of course.” She smirked at her twin. “It's just you two anyways, and it's not like you and I haven't seen each other naked before. We are twins, and we did grow up together.”

“Very true. So how are you sis?”

“I'm good. Where's Lea?”

“She went grocery shopping, but she'll be by soon.”

“Awesome.” Jayden squirmed out of Jimmy's embrace to greet Brian. “Morning, babe.”

After flipping a last pancake over, Brian reached to give her a hug. “Morning, sweetheart. Feeling better this morning?” He asked before kissing the side of her head.

“I guess. Still a bit freaked out about the dream, but hey, it was just a dream.”

“Indeed it was.”

Jayden joined her brother back at the breakfast bar. “So, Jimmy, did you plan the little celebration get together that's supposed to go down tomorrow?”

“Not yet. I'll make calls tonight.”

“You better. Even though I can't surprise everyone with it thanks to Brian, I'd still like to celebrate.” She laughed.

“Hey-” Brian whined, but was cut off by Jimmy.

“I take full blame for it actually. It was my spasm of excitement that told everyone,” Jimmy said, watching his best friend flash an 'I told you so' look.

Jayden laughed at the two friends. “Alright, alright. So my brother was the one that ruined my shining moment to tell everyone that I finally got engaged to the love of my life. Okay, roger that.”

Jimmy pretended to look like he was hurt. “Aww, Jay-Jay. I'm sorry.”

She giggled at her twin once again before disappearing upstairs to get dressed before eating breakfast. After eating, Jayden did the dishes while the two men went outside to smoke and hang out. She watched them through the window, smiling the whole time because she was too happy to have them back from tour. The ring on her finger still shocked her every time she saw it, but also served as a reminder of why she was happier than she usually was. She couldn't wait to take Brian's name and spend the rest of her life with him. She couldn't wait to have his children, and grow old with him by her side the whole way.

After she was finished with the dishes, she was about to go outside when the doorbell rang. Jayden squealed when she opened the door and saw her future sister-in-law standing there. The two girls shared a hug before Leana spoke up. “Let me see it!” She grabbed for Jayden's hand to see the ring. “Aww, it's finally real! Jay, I'm so happy for you!” she said excitedly, flashing the child-like smile she always produced in times like these.

“Thanks, Lea. God, I still can't believe it happened. Come on, they're out back.”

The two girls joined their significant others outside and listened to tour stories for hours on end. When it was realized that it was almost late afternoon, Jimmy and Leana left so they could plan the group get together for the celebration. Brian and Jayden just spent the rest of the evening being in each others' company. It was how it always went after a tour. Her boss would give her some time off, and she wouldn't leave Brian's side. She sat there with him on the couch, watching TV, but wanting to already start planning the wedding. The happiness of the engagement had gotten her too excited and it was all she was thinking about, but kept reminding herself that they had the rest of their lives to plan a wedding, and that there was no real hurry.

Jimmy had informed them that he was unable to get in touch with everybody to have the celebratory get together, but said that they'd definitely have one in the coming week or so. It was another thing that Jayden was in no hurry to do. Everybody already knew, and everybody had called to congratulate the both of them. For what felt like the millionth time, Jayden looked down at the glittering ring on her finger, smiling.

“Still in shock?” Brian asked next to her.

She jumped slightly before looking at her soon to be husband. “Just a little,” she said with a grin.

Brian smiled and pulled her body closer to his before they continued to watch the movie that was playing. The reality of the situation was that Jayden knew she'd be even more upset when Brian left on their next tour so soon after having just gotten engaged, but the one plus side was that it was their last tour for a while before they went into writing mode for their next album. She'd already decided that the wedding would be during that time before they released a new album and started a whole new touring cycle. The same would apply for her brother and Leana as well. It was just easier to do since they were guaranteed to be home, or at least in the studio which wasn't far.

After the movie ended, Jayden ran her fingers through her hair before saying she was going to shower and lay in bed. Brian stayed in the living room, getting caught up in the next movie that was showing on the screen. Jayden took a quick shower, then turned it into a bubble bath, soaking in the hot soapy water for almost thirty minutes. Before she fell asleep in the tub, she got out, wrapped a towel around her body and went into the bedroom. After getting into something to sleep in, she climbed into bed and was soon asleep.

Jayden was confused as to why everybody around her was upset recently. Nobody was saying anything to her or telling her what was wrong. A very distraught looking Brian had quietly asked her to take a ride with him, but wouldn't say what was wrong.

“Brian?” she asked in a shaky voice as he pulled into the gates of the Good Shepherd Cemetery. “Why are we here?”

Brian didn't speak until he stopped off next to a curb. “We're here to visit somebody important to us.” His voice was broken, sounding like he hadn't spoken a single word in a week.

Jayden followed her fiance just a few feet until he stopped. He stood there staring at the stone that was in the ground, not saying a word. Her eyes soon drifted down, reading over the words on the stone. Beloved son, brother, best friend. James Owen Sullivan...