So Kiss Me Goodbye

Chicago was behind us.

O'Hare was behind us.

Hell, the clouds were behind us.

All that was familiar to me was replaced by bright lights; brighter than Chicago.

"Welcome to Vegas Lilly, you're home for the next two days."

I didn't acknowledge Travis's welcome; my nose was pressed much too close to the window to do much of anything except feel like a tourist in the big city.

A week had passed since I agreed to come to Las Vegas.

In that time I had managed to fall asleep without thoughts of Will keeping me up for hours.

I forced myself to ignore anything The Academy Is related at the office.

In place of that I had read the pregnancy books cover to cover (I could quote them now, much to Shelby's delight).

If I thought I was prepared before, I was scared shitless now, knowing what was going on inside me.

Regardless, Travie still enjoyed calling me mommy.

"I hope you enjoyed your nap on the plane because once we get to the suite, according to Pete, napping isn't allowed. He has a thing against party poopers."

I nodded in understanding. "Knowing Pete that makes a lot of sense."

Travis laughed deeply as I snuggled against the seats.

"Well if that's how Pete's gonna be I'm going to try to sleep some more."

Without waiting for an answer I settled back and quickly fell asleep.

~x~

"If you drop her, I'll kill you."

"If I drop her, she'll kill me." A familiar voice shot back.

There was a sigh. "Peter just had to be the media whore with an inferiority complex."

"Hey! You're just jealous you can't carry her." He replied.

"I'm not afraid to admit I have no upper body strength and I don't even know her." An unfamiliar voice quipped. "I hope she knows all these guys care about her enough to be paranoid about Peter dropping her."

My sleep fog was clearing enough for the conversation to make some sense as the sensation of movement rippled through me.

"Well we all love her in our own way, but she's special." Travis explained.

A voice nearby I had figured out was Gabe decided to add. "And not in the special ed way."

"I was gonna say that!" Pete whined.

While they passed the time with idle conversation between Travis, Pete, recently Gabe, and a randomly familiar chick, I was set down on something soft.

"Should we wake her up?" Gabe asked.

There was a pause as Travis replied. "Depends on how much-"

He was cut off by Pete's excited exclamation. "Wake up Lilly! Wake up!"

Without opening my eyes or moving, I replied quite lightly. "I am awake."

"For how long?" Pete demanded (a bit more than necessary).

I shrugged. "Long enough to say I would've brought many teenies to hysterics if you had dropped me."

With my eyes open I saw Pete back away slowly.

Still taking full advantage of my sight, I enjoyed seeing Pete and Gabe again for the first time in a month as well as just seeing Travis.

The girl standing awkwardly behind them was a different story though.

"Hello strange person I don't know staring at me." I said bluntly.

She looked at me oddly so Travis decided to add some comforting words.

"It's the hormones."

I rolled my eyes and settled back onto the couch, still waiting for my introduction.

"Oh right, Lilly, this is Vicky T, our keytarist. Ryland and Nate went shoe shopping and drove off without her so she's hanging with us." Gabe explained, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Sup." I murmured doing the proper head nod.

"Sup." She replied doing the same to acknowledge me.

Pete nodded thoughtfully. "Chicks are so deep."

Vicky T rolled her eyes at him. "Just because were not analyzing our dreams over pudding cups doesn't mean we can't be deep."

His hands quickly handed on his hips as he began shaking his finger at her. "Don't be dissin' my puddin' cups honey."

Vicky T leaned over to me. "Peter thinks he can pull off homosexual Latino after we let him watch Legally Blonde. He can't."

Pete pouted. "Stop calling me Peter, Victoria."

"I do it to annoy you," She shrugged. "And I don't care if you call me Victoria."

Gabe sighed dramatically at their argument.

"Honestly they usually play nicer than this, they're both just a little cranky."

In response they both quipped. "Am not!"

"This is gonna be a long two days huh?" I asked.

Travis decided to reply with a slow, sympathetic nod.