The Party Scene Has Got the Best of Me

ALEX'S POV

I opened my eyes and immediately closed them. Fuck. What did I drink last night? I groaned and rolled over. Then I tried opening my eyes again, and found myself facing a wall covered in All Time Low...huh? Did I go to a fans house or something? Shit! Did I have sex with like a 15 year old or something? Oh god no, please! I checked and saw I was still fully clothed. Okay, good. Then I saw a baby book on a side table and with a sigh of relief, realised I was just in Erin's room.

As I thought that, she came in the room, fresh out of a shower with a robe tied around her, carrying a tray of pancakes, cookies and juice and coffee. And aspirin. Thank the lord for aspirin. I sat up as she smiled at me, sitting next to me on the bed. "Hey sleepyhead, how are you feeling?"

"Like death," I grumbled, digging into my pancakes. "How much did I drink?"

Erin laughed. "I lost count after a while. But I think it was those shots that did it."

Yeah...that didn't surprise me. I kept on eating until something in my brain clicked. "Hey, shouldn't I be doing this for you? The pregnant woman? Where's your breakfast?"

"I'm having the juice and I was hoping to get some action with those pancakes and cookies too, if you'd care to share?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry," I said with my mouth full. I didn't care. I was hungry and hungover. I needed this.

She just shook her head smiling and dug in a little. I watched as she ate, she really was beautiful, her wavy brown hair bounced about her shoulders and those green eyes sparkles in the sun. I couldn't help but notice how the short robe rested at the very top of her thigh while she sat. Yeah, I was turned on. So sue me. I'm a guy, and I've never said my thoughts about her were entirely pure. We made polite conversation, but we were pretty comfortable just eating in silence.

After we had finished, she started buzzing around her room, looking for clothes. After changing in the bathroom, she emerged wearing a striped white and black tshirt and what I presumed to be maternity skinny jeans...which totally doesn't make sense but if you saw them you'd know what I was talking about. Erin looked at me. "Why aren't you up and ready? We gotta go."

I was confused. "Go where?"

She chuckled softly and said "I knew you wouldn't remember. It's the ultrasound, remember? You wouldn't let me go alone while you were on tour, and when we finally got all my health and visa sorted and everything, we booked the appointment for today. But it's fine, if you still don't feel good enough I can go alone."

Oh shit! Now I remembered! How the hell did I forget that? "No! You're not going on your own! How long do we have?"

"About half an hour. I figured we'd walk, it'd kinda be nice rather than being stuck in a car again. I need to exercise these legs."

I nodded and told her to give me a little while to get ready, I showered, changed and straightened my hair in record time, and walked to the clinic with Erin, holding hands the whole time.

Turned out when we got there, the doctor was completely ready for us. "Hey guys, come on in. I presume you're the father?" he asked, directed at me.

"Yep, that's me."

"Right, let me just take a look then." He got all the goo stuff on Erin and used that little ultrasound thing. Can you tell I didn't really pay attention to the baby books?

As soon as I heard the little heartbeat, my head shot up and I smiled, and caught Erin smiling too.

"Well everything looks good, no complications. I understand you had a little issue a while before?" We both nodded. "Right, well in that case you still need to be a little more careful than other women in your condition. Looking after your health is the only way we can ensure the baby's health."

"HAH! Told you I was right!" I said, enjoying he fact that she couldn't argue with me now a doctor said the same. Erin rolled her eyes.

"Theres a fine line between being careful and being treated like I'm gonna drop down dead any second." I poked my tongue out at her.

The doctor quietly laughed at us, and asked us if we wanted to know the sex. I said yes, Erin said no. I looked at her with raised eyebrows. "I like surprises," she shrugged.

"Well, the mothers word is final," the doctor said, smiling to himself. Clearly enjoying my being overruled.

"Women," I muttered. The doctor printed off some pictures for us and that was it. I had to say, I was relieved to know that the baby was safe and healthy. It was what I needed to hear. I'd been so scared.

"So are you going to take a picture on your next tour with you?" Erin asked as we walked home.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Did she need to ask? Like really? Seriously?

Erin shrugged. "I don't know, I just thought it would be weird if you took a girl back and she found an ultrasound."

I stopped walking. "Erin, I'm not gonna bring back any girls. I don't want any other girls, I want-"

And then some guy bumped into us, knocking Erin who would have fallen over of I hadn't have caught her in time.

ERIN'S POV

"Erin, I'm not gonna bring back any girls, I don't want any other girls, I want-"

But before Alex cold finish saying whatever it was he was going to say, I felt a shove at my side and I was falling. Luckily Alex was fast and strong enough to catch me before I fell onto the concrete and hurt myself.

Alex looked panicked. "Erin, are you okay?" he asked urgently, hands flying everywhere, trying to figure out if I was hurt.

"I'm fine, don't worry," I said, then a stormy look fell across Alex's face.

"What an ass!!! HEY! YOU! Come back here! You don't just knock over a fucking pregnant woman you fucking asshole!!!" Alex started shouting at the guy who was walking off.

The guy just turned around and shrugged, then carried on walking. And I froze. Alex just got angrier. "ASSHOLE! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!!! GET THE HELL BACK HERE YOU JERK!"

"Alex, please," I said softly, tugging on his arm a little. He immediately wrapped his arms around me.

"God, what sort of person does that!" he said as his arms went round me tighter.

"Just leave it Alex..." Alex pulled back a little and looked at me.

"Are you sure you're okay?" concern filled Alex's eyes as he pulled back. "You seem pretty shaken up."

"Can we just get back home please? I need to go home." Alex nodded, and walked with his arm around me as I leaned into his side. I didn't care if we weren't in a relationship. Right now he was here for me and that was what I needed after I just saw what I had seen.

ALEX'S POV

We got back, and settled on the couch. I got my guitar out, seen as Erin seemed pretty stressed. I knew my voice soothed her, the amount of times I hear her playing our music when her hormones set her off. Plus she's said it once in her sleep, when I found it hard to sleep I had sat in her room to watch her. Yeah it seemed creepy but when I was talking to myself she just randomly said my voice soothed her, I was quiet after that in case I'd woken her up, but it didn't seem like she knew I was in her room the previous night when she had woken up. She probably figured it was just a dream.

After a while she just straight out asked for me to put my guitar down and cuddle her. She must be pretty shaken up because she never asks me to cuddle her...we just sort of...do.

"So are you gonna tell me what's up or do I have to tickle it out of you?" I asked quietly, whispering into her hair as I stroked it. She nodded.

"That a yes to tellIlIng me?" I asked again. I felt another nod. "Go right ahead then." I didn't wanna force it out of her...but I did want to know. So I could look after her better.

"That guy...who knocked me...he was my ex. We were together for two years, and I loved him, I really did. But..." she trailed off, and I didn't know if I wanted to know what was coming next. But I sat there patiently, holding her until she was ready to speak. "It turned out he was getting angry at me because I wouldn't have sex with him. Then I found out he was cheating, but I wasn't mad because he'd already hurt me so much by getting angry that I wouldn't give home something which I believed should be shared between people who intend on marrying each other. Of course, that soon went out the window, didn't it mr Gaskarth? It just shook me up seeing him, I mean if it was him...why would he even be here? We broke up three years ago, so he can't be here for me...no, it can't have been him. I'm just being stupid," Erin concluded, looking even more distressed than when we started this conversation. I didn't want to upset her but I had to know.

"Do you still love him?" Erin's green eyes went as wide as saucers.

"Of course not! How could I ever love someone who didn't respect me enough to wait? I mean, looking back on it now, I'm closer to you than I ever was to him in the years we were together, and we're only best friends for crying out loud!"

I liked knowing that, hearing that I am closer to her than a serious boyfriend she loved. Apart from the best friends bit added on the end... "Good," I replied. "Then if it is him, you hav snogging to worry about. I'm gonna look after you Erin. I promised you before, I'm ginna take care of you."

Erin smiled up at me and kissed me on the cheek as she hugged my torso tightly. "Thank you Alex, for everything."

"What do you mean?"

"For even before I met you, being there for me with your music, saving my life every time I heard your songs. For not abandoning me that first day. For the fucking awesome shows, for taking me on your with you, for letting me live with you, for promising to be here for me and the baby, for being my best friend even though I haven't really known you that long, for promising to look after me right now, for helping me escape that dreary life, and for just being you and caring," she finished, hugging me tighter. "Thank you so much. I really do love you."

That was the first time she had said that...my heart skipped a beat even though I knew she only meant it as friends. "I love you too."

Erin lookedup at me then. "Can we have a DVD night again today? I feel lazy and tired and all cried out." Her eyes really did look sore, I hadn't even realised she'd cried that much.

"Sure," I answered. And we had a good night in. We slept on the couches again. This really was becoming a habit.

Over the next six weeks, we had a good time. We went to the beach on a day trip, we met with the guys and their girlfriends and helped plan Rian and Cassadee's wedding, and had another ultrasound. Erin kept thinking she saw her mom or her ex around Baltimore, and I kept reassuring her. But honestly? I was scared to leave her for our next tour. I didn't know what would happen. It was only a mini tour around a few states, so it was only like two weeks, but still. When I aired my worried to her, she told me she would be fine and not to worry, but she scratched her elbow when she said it, so I knew she was lying.

But I had to go. On the day we left, I could barely hold back the tears. I never wanted to leave her, but our hug had to end.

"Alex, go. You're already late. It's only two weeks, we'll be alright," Erin said, stroking her bulging stomach.

I crouched so my face was level with her considerable bump. I stretched my hand against it and leant in. "Goodbye baby, daddy's gonna miss you," and when I said that, I felt a small kicking under my hand. I looked up in surprise at Erin, who was equally as shocked.

"I guess I'm not the only one who will miss you then, eh?" she tried to joke, but she couldn't hide the years from me.

I pulled her into another hug. "I love you, call me anytime, I don't care when. I'll even answer the phone on stage. If there's anything wrong or it you just want me to sing you to sleep, I will. Just one phone call okay? I love you."

"Okay, got it, interrupt your concerts to ask where you moved the Cheerios to this time." I laughed and kissed her forehead. Erin looked up at me. "I love you too Alex. See you when you get back."

"Yeah, see you in two weeks." one final hug and I started to get on the bus.

"Alex!" I heard Erin yell, and saw that she was holding up an ultrasound photo. I laughed with her, we knew there was something I would forget. I always do. She smile at me one final time and then we were on the road. I wish we'd never had to do that damn tour. Maybe then I would have been able to keep my promise to Erin to look after her and the baby.