Stuck Together

Missed Moments

Val POV
"No, I swear it's true!"

"Oh god, what is she going to do? Jenna? Pregnant? At 24? You know her family, I mean they're sweet and all but they're traditional, they'll want her to get married... or, you don't think they'll just stop talking to her?"

I froze. This was not what I was expecting when I went over to my brother's house on a Tuesday afternoon. I had needed to pick up a pair of shorts I had left there but the conversation I was hearing through their walls had pushed any other thought from my mind. I knew I was being horrible but I couldn't help but need to learn more. I pressed my ear against their doorframe, I didn't even breathe for fear they'd hear me.

"Oh, Peet, do you... does she... does she know who the father is?" Thank you, Maks for asking the question I was dying to know the answer to. I held bated breath as I listen for Peta's answer.

I could hear the worry in Peta's voice as she spoke, "It's Val" My heart stopped and suddenly immense, numbing panic flooded my body. All I could think was that I have to get out of here, I have to I have to, I have to go somewhere where I can think, where I...

I don't remember how I got home that day only that once I got to my room I never wanted to leave, for crippling fear that somehow something would go wrong. That she wouldn't let me see my child, God knows if I were in her situation I wouldn't. That if somehow I would mess everything up, tat not only would I ruin Jenna's life but also the life of this poor child.

Maks POV
I show up Wednesday morning for pro rehearsal, hand in hand with Peta, my brain swimming. I had decided I would watch for how Val and Jen interacted with one another, see if it had changed because last I noticed the tension between the two of them had to be cut with a knife. They must have been wasted if... I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Jenna was pregnant. She was like my baby sister, I took care of her, watched her back, comforted her when my idiot brother broke her heart. Not to mention it being the aforementioned brother baby. I knew they would always end up together, I mean god, all the pros had a running bet to see how long it would take them to get back to each other. But a baby?

I waited anxiously for Val to arrive, unsure of how I would react around him now that I knew something so important about his life that he didn't. Peta and I agreed that we should let Jenna tell him on her own time but, still... he's my brother and I felt responsible for his wellbeing. I never need have worried for, Val never showed to rehearsal that day. I kept waiting for him to saunter in thirty minutes late, a half-baked excuse on his lips, but he never showed. I began to worry, had he gotten hurt on his way to rehearsal? I called him what felt like dozens of time to no end. Finally, I got so worried that I asked Mandy if I could leave early to check up on him.

By the time I got to his house I was downright terrified of what might be there when I opened the door. It could be as little as Val sleeping in but he also could have hurt himself and if that happened I don't know what I would do.

I walked into Val's apartment and called out his name... no answer, again... no answer. I decided to walk up to his room, maybe it was that he had fallen asleep after all and I would get to yell at him for being late. I wasn't expecting to see my baby brother curled up in a ball staring off into the distance. "Val? Is everything alright?" I asked cautiously, fearing the answer.

He sat up slowly, eyes dull and vacant, "I heard your conversation with Peta last night." he said his voice raspy as if he had been crying recently. I took a deep breath, so he knew, he knew that he was going to be a father.

"Val Hey," I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It's going to be alright, you and Jenna can get through this, you tow are so strong. I would never bet against you." He looked up at me hopefully.

"Do you think Jenna will let me see him or her?" He was scared, scared of missing things with his future kid because of stuff he had done in the past. "I would get why she wouldn't let me see them, I mean I was so terrible to her, I would understand if she kept them from me." He looked so crestfallen like he had already failed this kid that didn't exist yet.

"Hey, look at me, there's a reason we like Jenna. She's smart and a great dancer and sweet and all that yeah, but more than anything else she is a truly kind person, so out of everyone you could've knocked up I think Jenna is the most likely to let you have a relationship with that kid." I said looking into Val's eyes. "Although she might be the one with the least reason to," I added as an afterthought, half joking half seriously. I knew Val was back to normal when he slapped my arm at the, slightly insulting, joke.

His smile soon faded however at the not daunting reality of having to be a parent, "What should I do first? Should I wait for her to come to me? Should I go out and ask her? Should I just assume I'm not a part of this kids life? What if she doesn't want to keep them?" He rattled off, in an increasingly worried tone.

"Ok, Ok, Woah slow down. First off, go talk to her, like 90% of the issues you two had were about communication and I think you might want to fix that before you have to ruin a kids childhood, Okay?" He nodded. "Now I think we need to get back to rehersal before Mandy has our heads" He let out a light chuckle and I pushed him out the door.