[Dakota and Edmond have now issued a priority list so you know when your fanfiction or book will be updated:3
1.) Mind Games
2.)Moses the Second
3.)Moving
5.)The Reign of the Weird (applies to quotev users)
each chapter takes at least three days to write and up to a week to edit if nothing appears on a to do list or if the author or editor get sick. And if a book or fanfiction is to move up on a priority the author will show the new standing. Dakota and Edmond apologize for the waits.]
"Where are you going, Vanessa?!"
"Everything alright?"
"What's wrong?" I get so many questions flown at me as I run towards the tour bus, I find myself needing to catch my wind when I am half-way to the bus. My body must not be use to exercise, all I did was sit in a classroom or slept. When I felt better I took off running the rest of the way and call for Ash when I am finally in the bus. "Vanessa? Are you okay?!" Ash runs over and holds me up when I almost fall to the floor. No. No, I am not okay. Something's wrong, very, very wrong. I find myself in a fetus position, clutching my stomach as hurt takes over my body. From my back to my toes I feel nothing but sharp pain rack my helpless body. "Help me!" I cry out to Ash and she quickly drags me to the couch in the living area. No one except Renee, Ash, and Gabe are here, fear sank in when I think of Ricky and everyone else who would notice my absence when rehearsal started.
"Vanessa, you need to calm down! Otherwise, you are going to lose this baby!" Throughout the torture, Ash's words hit me and it defiantly does not settle me down. "What did you say?!" I didn't mean to shout, it just happened between the pain and stress. "I'll explain later! Renee! Go get your uncle and his band mates!" Renee, who has been standing there in shock, jumps with a squeak before running out the door. The door being left open I knew someone will hear my screams and be here before Ricky. "Breathe! Just breathe! Vanessa, calm down!" Ash tries to get me to stop shouting all the curses I know as each hit of pain hurts worse then the last.
"What's going on?!"
"She's going to lose it, move!"
"Hold her down, it'll drown if she doesn't stop moving!"
"Vanessa!" A drone of voices suddenly bursts into the bus, out of the blur of tears I see Josh shove Ash out of the way and examine me. "You are not delivering this baby! I wouldn't trust you with my pet rock, you filthy angel! Get your hands off her!" I can't even make the voices out anymore. "Just a bunch of words." I manage to get out, the pain I am feeling must be contractions, but I've never imagined it being this bad. My sister made it sound like a stick of a needle comparing to this.
"You need to at least try and push, it won't make it if you don't try! You are not a quitter, I know you aren't!" Another voice is close to my ear as I feel the warmth of a hand in mine, that's when I realize that I may not know how this happened, but another life is not about to be lost after yesterday. I start pushing, trying to keep myself from stopping to get it over with, and the pain finally releases after a God awful two minutes. A wail erupts from Josh's hands and I open my eyes. A bloody yet beautiful mess is being quickly stimulated by Josh in a towel, it's okay. I breathe a sigh of relief and run my fingers through my hair with my free hand.
I look to my left to see Greg by my side, his hand in my mine. My Dad was there for me, he was there to see the life that was just saved. "Ricky..."
"I'm right here." Ricky pushes his way through the large crowd in the bus and hugs me tightly, he pushes the sweaty strands of hair from my eyes. "You're alright now." He kisses my forehead. "It's a girl! She's got her daddy's eyes and her momma's hair!" Josh chuckles nervously, he is also smiling and panting in relief of the success. "How?..." I look at Ash for answers, it hasn't even been two weeks since Ricky and I...Did Chris know this was going to happen? I wish I was not so tired so I could be angry at Chris. "Vanessa?" I snap out of my thoughts to see Ricky with my child...Our child. "I think you need to hold her more than I do." Ricky gives me a teasing smile, I take the bundle from him and instantly fall in love. Josh was right, she has her Dad's eyes and a headful of my dark black hair.
"She's perfect." I can't help the tears of love that form into my eyes and drop down my cheeks. "I should've told you what happens when you don't have your cravings. When first turned, a female has to not be on any sort of birth control as the same for the male. A baby is very rarely made during a turning, you are just one of the lucky few. The first baby arrives about a week after with no symptoms of a pregnancy until the very day. The last one gets about a month—"
"Wait...the last one?" I have to go through this again?! "Yes, if a pregnancy occurs during a turning there are always two. They usually aren't identical and the first always looks a few more years older, we think it's because when a female turns her body produces more ova. I'm sorry, I should have told you about the possible outcomes when cravings don't arrive in a twenty-four hour period..."
Ash looks so terrible that I can only forgive her, knowing that I'd be more prepared next time. "It's fine, don't beat yourself up over it." Then again, I am also holding my first child in my arms. I smile at her and gently stroke her small nose, she lets out a giggle that makes even Chris 'aw' in affection and drop onto his knees so he can look at her better. "She looks more like her mother, thank God." Ricky smacks Chris's head and forces him out of the way so he can have more room to have his daughter to himself. "I'm guessing you haven't been thinking of baby names." Ricky lifts some of the stressful tension of the little girl nearly not making it and has everyone lightly laughing. "No, but I'm fond of the name JoJo. Since she's not a boy we can't name her after the dumb äss that saved her. So I think JoJo is one of the best names for her."
Josh huffs when he finishes changing his shirt and crosses his arms. "This dumb äss is not deaf."
Both Ricky, Ash, and Chris look very annoyed with naming JoJo after an angel. "I'm not going to say drop it and name her something else, you went through all that shït not me. All got was a good night and a beautiful girl, so it's up to you. If you want to name her after Josh, do it." I didn't know if it is the respect or sincereness that is talking, but I think it's the sincereness. I allow Ricky to choose her middle name, getting a 'Man, that's hard, let me think about it.'
"If you are planning to breast feed I'd go ahead and do it quickly, if not then I'm sure Jessica can flick some silly spell." Ash cuts into the moment, I go to stand up to excuse myself to the bunks with JoJo but Ash makes me sit down. "Oh, no! You need to lay down! Everyone, get out! Go! Yes, even you, Dad and Grandpa." Ash pushes Ricky and Greg when they try to protest to stay, leaving her and I the only ones in the bus again. "That's not really why I made them leave..." Ash says when I have a blanket over JoJo and I feel fatigue start to sweep over me. "Oh?"
"You know the law...The angels will be here after Josh makes contact..." That's when it hits me. Ricky is now a father, and the law... "No! They can't hurt him! You can say something, can't you!"
The joyous moment is now dropped and replaced with nothing but sadness and fear. "Hush, I don't know...It's a law. Ricky is going to be executed probably tomorrow morning, but the angels will arrive any minute. It's Josh's job to alert them when stuff like this happens. And, sadly, there is nothing any of us can do unless three things happened: It's a different father, the law is repelled, or the child dies." If I didn't have JoJo in my arms I probably would have burst into tears and huddle my knees to my chest, we only had a short amount of time. I imagine everyone is telling Ricky the same because I hear muffled groans or a sharp bang on the side of the bus, indicating someone was upset by the news.
"Can you go get Ricky?" I ask when JoJo falls asleep, while Ash fetches my boyfriend and her father, I think about all the sleepless nights I'd have to spend alone. How I was going to tell her and her sibling why Daddy wasn't around or how he acted and looked like, tell them how their Dad was someone who deeply cared about those close to him, and how he was a great musician in just a day. Maybe one of them will become a singer like Chris or a guitarist like their Dad, but I'm not going to push them into anything they don't want to do. Ricky enters by himself, a sickening look to his face, he knows.
"You'll get through it." His words are enough to make the dam burst, I break down and hold our daughter close, he settles himself by my side and keeps me to his chest while I cry. "I'm not worth crying over...I told Chris to take good care of you and JoJo and the other baby like a father would—"
"I don't want Chris, I want you!" I sob out, my own cries awaken JoJo and as if she senses the sadness she begins to wail. "Shh, it's going to be okay, baby." Ricky comforts JoJo and I can tell he is trying so hard to not cry, the tough guy of him is showing and he doesn't want to show weakness to his newborn daughter. He picks her up out of my arms and hugs her tightly when I lean up to try and control my tears while silents sobs rack my body. When JoJo looks at her father with tears rolling down her cheeks, he to finally gave in. With the tour bus now filling with nothing but the silent crying of Ricky and I as we try to calm JoJo down.
"I only get to know her for a few minutes..." Ricky mumbles, resting his forehead on her's. I look to my right to see Chris standing in the doorway, and when I see him crying I know this is awful. A man like Chris does not cry at anything except for his own mother. "I don't want to leave you...."
"Please, then don't." I say and wipe my tears away as more people silently enter the tour bus to see if we needed anything. My Dad sits on the other chair, his hands folded as water brims on his eyelids. Soon, men dressed in white clothing with large wings folded to their backs shove everyone aside and begin making their way towards Ricky. Josh's concern says everything, Angels. "No! Please, don't take her father away!" I scream and grab Ricky around the waist when they order Josh to take the baby from him. "You can't do this to her! You can't do this to me!" I scream more and more when they try to pry Ricky away as he struggles to get away. "Get her off of him, Josh!" Josh stands there with JoJo, Ash goes to take JoJo for him but he shrugs her off. "You guys can handle this..." He murmurs and hugs JoJo close to his body before running to the back of the bus.
"Ricky!"
"Vanessa!" We both scream for each other as they drag him off the bus, kicking and screaming. I run for him despite the pain. I want him, I want JoJo to have her Dad, I want to spend the rest of my life with him. "Get your hands off me! You can't take me away from the woman and daughter I love! Let go!" Ricky once more tries to break free only running a few steps before the capture him again, I manage to grab onto his ankle and they have to force me off once again.
"Ricky Olson, you are bound by silver for fathering a child of your race and resisting arrest. Only hell can save you now."
"No! Not him! Stop!" I scream even more when they throw him into the backseat of a black car and shut the door, Ricky beats on the glass with his fists and feet as I press my own hands to it. "Wait!" I turn my head with the angels to see Josh running out to the car.
"It was me! I'm the Dad! JoJo's mine! I made it look like Ricky because I despise him so much and I knew I could set it up to look like she was his! I am so sorry, Ricky!" I watch as Josh gets on his knees when he gets near the car. "Ricky's innocent...It's all me, I cheated on my fiancée after I got Vanessa drunk, it's all me." He repeats with his hands behind his head. "I told you and heaven a lie." My eyes widen at Josh's sudden want for a demon to live, an angel, sacrificing himself for Ricky. The angels look at each other with a very angry look to their faces, Josh is in a lot of trouble. They grab Josh up by his wrists, making him groan in pain and stumble while they apologize to Ricky and I. "Joshua Balz, you are bound by diamond and ruby for adultery, angelic treason, and fathering a child of an Incubas. Only the wings from your back can save you now."
I watch as they throw him roughly into the back seat as they had done to Ricky. I can feel the shock arise behind me of the scene that just played out, when Ricky turns on me swiftly his eyes still red from crying. "He wasn't serious right? JoJo's my daughter." I remember how Josh had already gotten Ryan-Ashley from him and the hurt in his eyes showed he's about to blow up. "Of course he wasn't serious! He...He did that for us..." I see the car go out of distance quickly, I wonder if they will do the same thing they were going to do to Ricky. "An angel taking a demon's punishment." Chris whispers, I know we can't be to loud about it. Only God knows if other angels are nearby listening. "They are going to rip his wings out, they can't kill him. Not till he's back on Earth as a fallen angel anyway." Greg pipes up when he senses my concern, he lifts his shirt from his body and turns around to reveal nasty, jagged scars. Two that ran down from the top of his shoulders to his lower back.
"Hurts and bleeds like a bïtch too." He says and rubs the scars he can reach. "They'll invite you to the ceremony since he made you victims by setting you up." I want to go, I want to be there afterwards to help him through it. He gave up a lot to save Ricky and helped me through the birth of JoJo and saved two lives today. It's the least I can do. "And when will it happen?"
"Probably tomorrow morning, it's just like an execution." I walk into the bus to see where Josh set JoJo, she lays in blankets inside his now blank bunk. I sigh in relief, Josh made it so Ricky can be there for her later in life. I don't have an idea how I am going to repay him, I'm sure, not only is having your wings ripped out is painful but humiliating and stripped of an honor. Chris enters the room and gets down on his knees to stroke JoJo's head.
"I'm going to go, he needs someone there." Chris shakes his head at me and a disappointed frown forms on his lips. "His fiancée will be there because the archangels think he cheated on her, adultery. I know he saved Ricky from getting his throat slit, but he's still an angel and your a demon now. Demons don't care about angels." Chris's words have a icy tint to them when he hisses them at me. "No, but apparently some angels care about demons. I think your also forgetting after what you did to me in that stairwell and Josh intervened that I have many reasons to want to go to that ceremony and be there for him because he's obviously been there for me. A lot more than you."
The tension between us intensifies, and I'm about to hit him where it hurts the most and I think he knows it. "You might act like your a tough guy with no weak spots, but you aren't, nobody is. You hide behind the fact you are something that preys on women's sexual energy to survive and that you think you don't have another purpose but survival and ordering people around." Chris's eyes seem to darken and his fist clench up with his jaw set. "You don't know a thing about me."
"Oh, and you're suppose to know every detail about me? I know enough to see who you really are, Christopher. Don't you dare make yourself the victim, I know that deep down you're scared of dying without anything to your name. That's why you want to be human, you want to make something of yourself in this world. But we all die and I also know that you can be a very caring person if you just set your mind to it...I'm going to see Josh. That's the end of it, it's like saying black people can't be friends with white people if you try to talk me out of it."
Chris flinches at my use of his full name, he turns back to my daughter. "I've never been able to stop your mother from anything." JoJo just simply cracks a cute smile at him and her blue eyes brighten when she tries to wriggle from the blanket that engulfs her. "I need to get clothes for her really soon." I mumble to him, hoping to draw the awkwardness away from us. "Audrey had a baby a few months ago."
"I highly doubt she brought the clothes with her."
"No, but her husband can bring them tonight. The venue is two hours from her from home."
For the first time in a while I seem to getting lucky. "I'll talk to her if you watch JoJo." He nods and I walk outside to see the crowd still standing there and muttering to each other. "We need a keyboard player and quick! Vinny, can you call Darlene to see if she can come out tonight?" I see out of the corner of my eye that Vinny snaps his phone out in front of the manager. I keep my head on the task at hand and walk to bus C where the dressing, sound, and lighting crew stay. When a man named Dallas opens the door after my knock they all appear as if they had no clue what happened. "Oh, hey, V. What can I do for ya?" Dallas messes with his gauged ears as I explain the whole thing so he can get Audrey. "Damn, we were all actually still asleep or lazing around. Are you alright?! Is Josh okay? How about Ric—"
Dallas looks so upset they weren't there to assist, but I am not sure what help they'd be. "We're all fine, Josh is getting his wings torn off in the morning though. But I need Audrey to get clothes for JoJo." Dallas assures me he'll get Audrey as fast as he can and in a few seconds of yelling and rapid explaining she shows up, color drained from her face. "Dallas told me everything, I'll tell Avery to move his äss here. You fed her right? She's healthy?" I reply yes and she calls her husband before turning to me after the call ended. "He'll be here in an hour, he said he can run a few stop signs." She chuckles with me to lighten the mood, she climbs down the stairs and shuts the door. Her hair in a high bun with grey sweatpants and long sleeved shirt. Audrey wants to see JoJo. "Do you want to put, y'know, a bra on so the guys don't stare at your boobs while we are there?" She laughs with a blush. "We are all so use to each other, you have no idea. Why do you think most of us just change in the living area of the bus?"
I guess that's true, and I'm sure after so many tours together you have a second family. Audrey appears to fall in love as she sneaks in between Chris and Ricky. "I want another baby." She coos as she plays with JoJo's nose, JoJo gives a little scrunch of her nose for each reply. "Are you applying?" Chris teases her to have her draw her fist back and smack him in the middle of his chest. "I'm sure you dream of it every night."
"It's not always you...Sometimes its Ash or Vanessa—"
"We don't need to hear about your fantasies and not possible visions." Audrey speaks up when I nearly choke on the apple juice I was drinking. "Josh might not be here so I think I have full authority to drop kick your royal äss to Thailand." Ricky threatens and sits down on the floor after looking at JoJo for perhaps the hundredth time. "She'll probably fall for me anyway." Ashley sighs from his bunk while leaning over the edge on the arch of his back. "That's my hour old daughter, you have her by thirty-two years." I force him back into his bunk with my hand and return to JoJo. "Incubas age faster than humans though!" He taunts from the bunk.
"She's not even touching a boy till she's twenty-five. Don't get your hopes up." Ricky leans his head on my shoulder after his two sentences that brought Ashley's ego down to a solid five. "I know she wasn't planned, but I think I love her more than I can love anyone else." He mutters, looking back at her as she dozes off once more into slumber. "It will be a normal life one day, sweetheart," he whispers silently with a sad smile "one day."
...I am lost without you here, and outside it looks like rain...For the last time I bleed myself dry tonight...
[City Lights by Motionless In White
If I've used this song before it will be replaced after final editing by Edmond:3]