The Pain I've Grown to Know

Brian was lounging on the big leather sofa in the middle of their huge hotel suite, flicking between TV stations. Nothing interesting was on. He flung his head around as he heard the door open. Zack stormed in, grabbing the laptop and letting himself fall unto the other end of the couch. Matt was close by, and stopped in front of Zack, glaring down at him.

"Zack, what is there to think about? I know what I saw: a picture of her and that kid on the wall behind that counter, a bag that looked like hers and then all the portfolios...and the one on the wall was a recent one, judging by the kid. Damn, I can't believe you didn't see the resemblance between the two of you!"

Zack pressed his palms against his ears, it was clear that he didn't want to listen to what Matt had to say. As Matt seized to speak, he let his hands fall, grabbing the laptop that was on the coffee table not far from Brian's feet.
The door opened once more, and Johnny, Jimmy and his now wife Leana entered the suite as well. Leana was glowing, her hands resting on her baby bump. Only 2 more months and she would drown in diapers. They all looked at the scene in front of them: Matt towering over Zack, who tried to ignore him completely as he was hammering on the keys of the laptop, and Brian seemingly oblivious to what was happening himself.

"What's going on guys, I thought you wanted to check out the tattoo parlor."

Zack muttered some curse words, not looking up to Jimmy, who had asked the question. Matt finally moved, going to the fridge behind the bar and grabbing a beer for himself.

"We were. And we'll go back as soon as this cock over there admits to the truth right in front
of his fucking eyes!"

Now, all of them looked even more confused. Matt sat down on a bar stool, letting his legs hang trying to look relaxed, but he wasn't able to hide his frustration.

"If it's true, than that guy lied to us, straight in the face. And he knew we'd be coming back. I just don't think he would have dished out lies like that, he didn't seem stupid. And just because a toddler has green eyes doesn't mean, that I am his father...or that Lea is the mother, just coz there is a picture of someone that looks like her with the kid on her lap! So shut the hell up and stop going on about it!"

The room was so quiet after his rant, that one could have heard a needle drop. Eyes were glued to Zack and Matt, as Zack was still hammering away on the laptop's keys.

"Wow, guys! What the fuck? Lea is here? Zack has a baby boy...this is all a little much to just be brought up and not explained! Matt? Zack?"

Jimmy said as he inched towards the couch, waiting for an explanation from either one of the two. The others still didn't speak, although Brian's mouth opened and closed a few times without actual words being spoken.

"We went to the tattoo parlor, talked to the guy, while this little toddler kept walking around. We assumed it was his kid, but the kid's eyes were a spitting image of Bakers'. And while I was talking to the guy, I saw a picture on the wall that looked like Lea with that kid in her arms, both laughing and they looked so alike. And there was a bag on the ground that looked like hers...you know, that little one with the skulls on it. And all the portfolios they had in that place were pictures that she had taken. It's just too many coincidences at once for my liking...but Zacky won't even listen to me!"

Brian jumped from from the couch, but without even looking up from the computer screen, Zack pulled him back down into his seat. He stared at the screen on top of his knees, before tossing it unto the table, a load guttural roar escaping his throat.

"That woman ripped my heart out, and now, after 2 years, she fucking stabs it again. Fuck!"

He jumped up and stomped onto the terrace and threw the glass door behind him back in the latch. His friends could still hear him cuss and swear as he was lighting a cigarette, pacing up and down the small terrace .

Jimmy sighed, grabbing the laptop off the table and placing it on his thighs, focusing in on the screen.

It was the website of the tattoo parlor, or at least the name on top of the website suggested so. It was the "Members" tab...4 pictures on display, 3 guys and a picture of a woman with a kid in her arms. A little banner like scroll was wrapped around the bottom of the 4th picture, reading Saviour of Sanity. A funny feeling took hold of his stomach as he put on his glasses that had been resting on top of his head. He lifted his knees up towards his torso to get closer to the screen, wanting to read the small printed names under the last picture.

Lea and Zion James Hernandez

He pulled in a sharp breath, placing the laptop back onto the table, before getting up and walking over to his wife.

"Someone make sure that Zack is getting nowhere near that tattoo place in his current state of mind. He'd probably kill someone. I'll be going there and Leana is coming with me. I think I am the only one, apart from Johnny and Leana, that is neutral and can maybe get that owner to open up to me. Matt?"

No one contested his statement that was calmly spoken. No one was used to Jimmy calling the shots around here, but he was right: he was the person that was the less involved emotionally and he would approach this level- headed, unlike Zack, who had finally shut up or lowered the volume of his cursing, or Brian, who had made moves to storm out earlier. Or Matt, who was taking the news of Lea possibly being near so serious, that the knuckles of the hand that were holding the beer had turned white. Leana's face had turned as well. She hadn't known Lea for long but through everything that had happened, or at least the parts that she had been told, she had grown to like her a lot, and was shocked when she had heard that she had left Vegas without telling anyone.
Matt took the mention of his name as the instruction, that he would be in charge to contain Zack, should he plan to leave the hotel.

"We'll be back as soon as I know what I want to know. Or as soon as I am able to find her and...Zacky's son. Zion James Hernandez...how more obvious could it fucking be!"

He took Leana's hand and they started walking towards the door.

"I will not pressure her in coming up here making her to talk to yous all...but I want some explanations, she had a lot of people worry sick about her, still has in fact. And even though she has been treated like shit from a lot of you- count yourself out Christ- Zacky didn't deserve the way she left...and now discovering he has a kid that must be over a year old by now. Laters!"

The two of them left and the other 3 guys scrambled around the laptop, looking at the picture of Lea and her son.