Never Leave My Side (A Teen Pregnancy story)

Flashback - Part 2

I nodded again, following them to the door, one hand on my back to support it and the other resting on the side of the door. "Okay. Be safe. Alright?" With as much crap as they had put me through, I still loved them. How could I not? We were all still a family, and, considering all of the bullshit we were put through, we needed all of the love we could get. I watched them leave, waving goodbye and then shutting the door behind them.

I turned back to Jason and buried my face in his chest. "What if he's not okay? What if he –" I cut myself off. The thought was unbearable.

"Shh, now. Gabry, you're brother is strong. He'll make it." Jason assured me.

I nodded, wrapping my arms around his torso. "Don't you ever join the military, Storm." I said. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you." I added, in a whisper.

Sure, I couldn't really stop him, or anyone from joining, but if it was my choice, I'd keep him home. Of course, if he did join, I would fully support him. I wasn't so sure he could enlist anyway, considering the severity of his injury.

Jason chuckled a bit. "Don't worry, Gabe. I don't think my leg would allow me to anyway." He said, offering a soft smile. "I'm a bit handicapped for that job." He rubbed my back gently, before pulling away from me. "Let's go sit down for a bit, and get you off of your feet, hm?"

"Alright." I agreed, letting him lead me into the living room.

We sat there for a few hours, mindlessly flipping through the channels, waiting for a call from my parents. They said they'd call as soon as they landed, and then once Darry had been brought to the hospital. The first wouldn't be for a few hours still, and who knew when the latter would happen? So we just sat there, pretending to be watching the TV, but not paying attention. Small conversations on the side, but nothing enough to get my mind off of my brother.

My hands were on my stomach, feeling the twins kick and Jason's hands were overlapping mine as he sat next to me. My head rested on Jason's chest, and I desperately tried not to think of Darry and how bad off he was, but the silence between us, that was meant to comfort me was only making it worse.

"Jason?" I asked, leaning back from him to check that he hadn't fallen asleep. I shifted so that my feet were up on the couch and my head in his lap.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Sweetheart? That's new... I like it.

Smiling at the name he'd chosen to call me, I continued. "Have you thought of any names yet?" I bit my lip, waiting to see his reaction.

A grin broke out on his face when I asked, as he gently pulled my lip out from in between my teeth. We hadn't talked about names for the twins at all. I'm sure he'd come up with a few, just like I had, but we'd never mentioned it to each other before. Even when we were discussing our views on the genders of the babies.

"Actually... I have. Just with names that have passed through my mind." He finally answered. "I don't know – "

"Well, let's hear them, then!" I interrupted, grinning up at him.

Jason bent forward and kissed my nose before sitting back up and thinking. "If we have boys, I was thinking Lucas Reeve and Anikoni Skye." He looked down at me, nervously.

I knitted my eyebrows together. "Wait. Anikoni?"

He nodded. "It's Hawaiian for Anthony. It was my grandfather's name. We don't have to use it though. I just thought –"

I brought my fingers up to his lips, interrupting him again. "Sh. I like it... although, I did not know that you were Hawaiian." I added, poking him in the chest.