A week later, the two families are in New York for the convention. Sloan and Grayson volunteered to watch Tom and JJ while the others get everything ready for karaoke and the concert that night. Sloan had JJ laying on the couch cushions, her shirt pulled up slightly, and would lean down to blow on her stomach, making the baby shriek in laughter. She looks away when she hears a thud, immediately followed by Tom crying, only for JJ to roll off the couch and onto the floor, making her cry as well.
"Oh God!" Sloan exclaims, picking her sister up at the same time that Grayson picks his nephew up. She holds JJ to her and presses a kiss to her head. "You're okay, Jaybird. It's okay." She cooes, trying to get the baby to calm down.
"What the hell did you two do?" Sloan and Grayson both whip around, the actress smiling slightly when she sees Sebastian and Anthony in the doorway.
"What are you two doing here?" She asks.
"Apparently rescuing children." Anthony says, walking forward and taking JJ from Sloan. "What did you do to these kids?"
"Nothing. Tom ran into the corner of the table." Grayson says, passing the toddler to Sloan as he reaches for her.
"JJ rolled off the couch. I think it scared her more than anything." Sloan says before looking down at Tom as he rests his head on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Bubba?" He nods, wiping at his tears, and Sloan kisses the top of his head before looking at the clock. "It's time for their naps anyway so that could be why they're so upset, too."
Tom was easy to get to sleep. Sloan just held him in her lap and rocked from side to side and he was out in minutes. JJ, on the other hand, wouldn't go to sleep for anything. Sebastian was the one to finally get her to sleep before he laid her next to Tom on the couch.
"So what are y'all doing here?" Sloan repeats, looking at the actors sitting across from her and Grayson.
"This is your first convention since you've been back." Sebastian shrugs. "We wanted to be here for moral support." Sloan gives them a grateful smile.
"Thanks, guys."
Hours later, Sloan is putting in her ear-ins as she follows Grayson down the hallway and to the stage. She turns at the last second and looks up at her father with one question burning in her eyes. Do you really think I can do this? Jensen gives her a smile and nods, placing his hands on either side of her face so he knows he has her full attention.
"You can do this, half-pint. You can do anything." He tells her.
"You think so?" Jensen gives her another smile and a firm nod.
"I know so." Sloan smiles and nods once. Jensen plants a kiss to her forehead just as Rob and Rich finish introducing the teens and the screams of the crowd reaches their ears. Sloan looks back at Jensen over her shoulder as she comes to a stop at the edge of the stage, throwing him one last smile, a new determination in her eyes, before she walks confidently onto the stage with a big smile.
"How y'all doin' tonight?" She yells into her mic, getting a bunch of screams from the audience. Sloan smiles and looks around the room as she places her mic in its stand. "Damn, it's good to be back." Her smile widens as the screams intensify. "Alright, so this first song was one that I started a while back and never had the time or the right words to finish it. It was inspired by something that a great friend said to me during one of the most difficult and dark times of my life."
Hey homecoming queen
Why do you lie
When somebody's mean?
Where do you hide?
Do people assume
You're always alright?
Been so good at smiling
Most of your life
Look damn good in the dress
Zipping up the mess
Dancin' with your best foot forward
Does it get hard
To have to play the part?
Nobody's feelin' sorry for ya
But what if I told you the world wouldn't end
If you started showin' what's under your skin
What if you let 'em all in on the lie?
Even the homecoming queen cries
Hey homecoming queen
How's things at home?
Still walking on eggshells
When that curtain's closed
Did your daddy teach you
How to act tough?
Or more like your mama?
Sweep it under the rug
Look damn good in the dress
Zipping up the mess
Dancin' with your best foot forward
Did you want the crown
Or does it weigh you down
Nobody's feelin' sorry for ya
What if I told you the world wouldn't in
If you started showin' what's under your skin
What if you let 'em all in on the lie?
Even the homecoming queen cries
Yeah, what if I told you the sky wouldn't fall?
If you lost your composure, said to hell with it all
Not everything pretty sparkles and shines
And even the homecoming queen cries
Oh yeah
Even the homecoming queen cries
Hey homecoming queen
Why do you lie?
When somebody's mean
Where do you hide?
The room is filled with cheers and applause as the last notes of the song fade and Sloan smiles widely. She looks to the back of the room and shoots Jared a wink and a smile, getting one in return.
When Sloan walks into the lounge after the concert, she's immediately engulfed in a hug from Danneel, followed quickly by Jensen. She looks up at them with a smile, slightly breathless from all the moving around she did during the concert.
"So? What'd you think?" She asks.
"Best one yet." Jensen tells her, making her smile widen. "I'm so proud of you, Sloan."
"Couldn't've done it without you." She tells him. Jensen shakes his head and Sloan looks at him seriously. "I mean it, Dad. I couldn't have done any of this without you. If I never had you, I don't think I would've been able to survive everything that's happened." Jensen gives Sloan a small smile and kisses her forehead before letting her move towards the fridge to get a water bottle.
The next morning, Sloan wakes up at 2:30 from yet another nightmare. She sighs as she falls back against her pillows before rolling out of the bed and moving to the bathroom. She quickly showers and brushes through her hair before grabbing the outfit she had put out the night before. She steps into the black romper and short cowboy boots before working the black ring Grayson had bought her onto her finger. She shrugs into her red leather jacket and sips the ruby necklace Grayson gave her into her pocket before walking out of her room, a tired and grumpy Bandit following her.
Sloan walks into the empty green room and walks to the small kitchen, planning on starting a pot of coffee. She sighs when she sees that there are no coffee grounds, pulling out her phone and sending a text to Sebastian, knowing he won't see it until he wakes up. She moves about the room, straightening up random things and doing everything she can to keep her mind busy as Bandit sleeps peacefully in front of the couch. It's not long before Sloan runs out of things to do, leaving her to plop down on the couch with a sigh.
When Grayson enters two hours later, he's surprised to see Sloan already in the room, sitting on the couch and staring off into space. His brow furrows slightly as he walks forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. Sloan jumps and whirls around, relaxing when she finds her boyfriend behind her, offering him a small smile. Grayson leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead.
"You okay?" He asks, sitting next to her. Sloan nods and leans into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "What are you doing up already? I usually have to wake you up five minutes before rehearsal."
"I woke up a few minutes before my alarm went off." She lies. "There was no reason to go back asleep so I just came down here." Grayson nods after a moment, not sure if he really believes her or not. Sloan's phone buzzes and she glances down at it before standing.
"Where're you going?" Grayson asks.
"Sebastian and Mackie just pulled in." She tells him. "I'm gonna open the door for 'em."
"What are they doing here at five in the morning?" Sloan shrugs as she walks down the hallway and to the door.
"Because they're both a pain in my ass and want to get a head-start on annoying me as much as they can." Grayson laughs slightly as Sloan pushes the door open.
"Get in losers. It's freezing out here." She says, getting simultaneous eye rolls from the two.
"Here you little brat." Sebastian says, holding a cup of coffee out to her. Sloan smiles and takes a long sip of the drink, ignoring the way it burns her mouth.
"You're officially my favorite person in the world." She tells him as they follow Grayson and Anthony back to the green room. Sebastian grabs Sloan's arm and waits until the two are out of earshot before he looks down at her.
"Why did I get a text from you at three AM asking me to bring you coffee?" He asks.
"Because we were out of coffee here." She tells him.
"That's not what I meant and you know it." Sloan sighs and looks away from him. "How much sleep did you get?"
"Enough." She says, getting a "big brother" look from the older actor. Sloan rolls her eyes, clenching and unclenching her jaw in annoyance. "Hour and a half. Maybe." Sebastian sighs and shakes his head.
"This isn't healthy, Sloan. You need to talk to someone about this." Sloan shakes her head and rips her arm from his grip.
"Yeah? And who would possibly understand what I'm going through? Huh?" She questions. "Do you know of anyone that was tortured and raped by their biological father? Because, unless you do, there is no one I can talk to about the nightmares I have. Or the days where all I can do is lay in my bed because I'm trapped in my own mind and can't trust anyone." Sloan clenches her jaw again and looks at the ground, kicking herself for getting emotional.
"I have nightmares, too." Sebastian tells her after a moment of silence. Sloan looks up at him with a raised brow.
"About what?" She asks quietly.
"That night. The night you were taken." He admits. "I still see Grayson laying on the floor covered in blood. I've seen all the different ways that night could've gone. Sometimes Grayson's already dead by the time I get to him, others both of you are dead. Every time, I wake up feeling guilty."
"Why?"
"If I had woken up a few minutes earlier, I would've seen the text as soon as Grayson sent it. If I had stayed up just an hour later, I would've heard the fight." He shakes his head slightly and looks down for a moment. "If I had just done one thing differently, none of this would have happened to you." Sloan stares at him in stunned silence for a moment before shaking her head.
"You have nothing to feel guilty for, Bash." She tells him. "Grayson's alive, he's fine. I'm... getting there. If you hadn't've woken up when you did, he'd be dead. You saved his life, and I will never be able to repay you for that." Sebastian offers her a small smile. "You know, I never thought about how finding Grayson like that would have effected you. I didn't know you had nightmares about any of it. I guess I should've taken a second to think about how you felt about that night. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm a grown up. Besides, you need to focus on yourself." He assures her. "Now, why don't we go to the green room before they send a search party." Sloan nods with a slight smile and the two walk to the green room, finding Grayson and Anthony wrestling on the floor. Sloan stops and raises a brow at them, staring at them for a moment before deciding she doesn't want to know and shaking her head.
"Gray, we gotta go practice." She says, kicking at his shin.
"In a minute." He grunts. "About to win."
"'About to win' my ass!" Anthony grunts. Sloan rolls her eyes and does the only thing she can think of that could get them to stop.
She sits on them.
"Why?" Grayson asks, looking up at Sloan, who shrugs.
"I win." She says simply.
"You're crushing my ribs." Anthony complains. Sloan rolls her eyes again and stands, pulling Grayson up with her.
"We need to go practice." Sloan tells Grayson.
That night, Sloan's getting ready to go out for dinner. She stands in front of the large, floor-length mirror and sighs when she notices that it's time for her to have a couple conversations she never wanted to have. She pulls out her phone and types out a text to Grayson before sitting on her bed.
Come to my room ASAP. We need to talk.
Minutes later, Sloan hears the door to the hotel room close and Grayson calls out her name before he bursts through the door to the bedroom. She can see him relax when his eyes land on her and he sees that she's physically okay. But when he sees the paleness of her skin and the slight shake of her hands, his worry increases.
"What's wrong?" He asks.
"Come sit down." She says, patting the spot in front of her. Grayson slowly walks to the bed and sits down, facing her. "I need to tell you something."
"Baby, whatever it is, just tell me. We can handle it." He says, taking her hands in his. "Just tell me."
"I'm pregnant." She says, watching as he pales and his eyes widen.
"What?" The word is barely audible and Sloan can feel her anxiety starting to rise, causing Bandit to lift his head from the floor.
"I'm pregnant." She repeats, although she knows he wasn't really asking her to repeat herself. She reaches behind her and grabs the ultrasound picture, showing it to him.
"How long have you known?" He asks.
"I found a few tests in mom's bathroom about a month after..." She trails off. "I took one when I started getting sick and it came back positive. That ultrasound was just a couple weeks ago. So that means I'm fourteen weeks along."
"Why didn't you tell me? Who else knows?"
"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to force you into a position where you had to choose if you wanted to stay with me and help me raise another man's baby or if you wanted to leave. And no one else knows yet." She says. "I didn't tell anyone because in my mind if I didn't tell anyone, it didn't mean it was actually happening. I thought that if I told anyone, it would make it real. And I didn't want it to be real. I just wanted it to be a really bad dream."
"And what do you want now?" Sloan thinks of the best way to word her thoughts before speaking.
"I don't know." She admits. "I know that I never wanted to have a child this young or have one this way. But I also know that I already love this baby. No matter what circumstances lead to the creation of this baby, it's still my child and I'll love it as much as I would if it was our baby. I'm terrified, sure, and I have no idea how to be a mother, but I also can't wait to meet this perfect little life that I created."
"Did you really think I would just walk away?" Grayson questions after a moment of silence. "After everything we've been through, did you honestly think I would just turn my back on you and the baby and leave? Sloan, I love you. I know this isn't the most ideal situation and if I could change it I would but I can't. I would be honored to help you raise this baby. That is, if you'll let me." Sloan nods, wiping away a stray tear as it falls down her face.
"Are you sure? I wouldn't hold it against you if you don't want to." She says. "I understand. This isn't your baby. You have no obligation to raise it like it's yours."
"Would you stop saying that?" He asks. "This baby may not be mine biologically but it is mine. The baby needs a father, it needs someone to help raise it and love it as much as you do. And you need someone to be there for you and support you in this. I want to be there every step of the way. I promise I will love this baby as much as I would if it was my blood." Sloan smiles and places her hand on his cheek, admiring him for a moment before she places her lips to his.
"I love you." She whispers.
"I love you more."
After dinner, Sloan sits Jensen down and has a similar conversation with him. She told him about the baby and why she kept it hidden for so long. And she told him about how Grayson promised to help raise the baby. He was angry at first. Not at her but at the fact that a monster he thought was out of his life years ago came back just to hurt his daughter more than anyone ever had before and take advantage of her and get her pregnant. He promised to help in anyway that he can and made sure she knew that he loved her and would do whatever he can to support her.
Sloan walks out of the bathroom late that night after changing into a tank top and a pair of leggings. She returns to her seat on the couch next to Grayson and rests her head on his shoulder. He plants a kiss to the top of her head before resting his head against hers.
"We need to get to sleep." He says after a few minutes. "It's getting late and we need to be up early to practice." Sloan nods and stands up, Grayson doing the same. He rests his hands on her hips, feeling her small bump that was now visible due to the tank top she was wearing. "I love you."
"I love you." Sloan says, smiling as Grayson plants a kiss to her forehead before he kneels in front of her and places a light kiss to her belly.
"I love you." He whispers to the baby, making Sloan's smile widen as he stands back up.
"I have a new song I want to go over this morning. Maybe add it to the set if it's decent?" Sloan tells Grayson at breakfast the next morning. He nods and she hands him the pages of sheet music that she had made a few months ago.
"Good morning, Vietnam!" Sloan yells into her mic later that morning, getting cheers in response. She laughs and looks over at Grayson. "Alright, lets get your blood pumpin'." The two got through the set, playing mostly upbeat songs and the occasional slower song.
"Alright, we've reached our last song of the morning." Grayson announces after two hours. "But don't worry, we'll be back tonight for karaoke."
"This last song is one that I started working on a couple months ago. I haven't played it for anyone yet so go easy on me if it's not the best." She says with a slight chuckle. "Now there's just a little bit of adjusting we have to do up here so bear with us." Grayson moves to stand behind the keyboard and Sloan looks back to him, nodding before taking a deep breath. Sebastian recognizes the notes as the song that Sloan was playing on the piano at his mother's house.
You're broken down and tired
Of living life on a merry-go-round
And you can't find the fighter
But I see it in you, so we gonna walk it out
And move mountains
We gonna walk it out
And move mountains
And I'll rise up
I'll rise like the day
I'll rise up
I'll rise unafraid
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
And I'll rise up
High like the waves
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I'll rise up
And I'd do it a thousand times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
When the silence isn't quiet
And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe
And I know you feel like dying
But I promise we'll take the world to its feet
And move mountains
Bring it to its feet
Move mountains
And I'll rise up
I'll rise like the day
I'll rise up
I'll rise unafraid
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
All we need
All we need is hope
And for that we have each other
And for that we have each other
And we will rise
We will rise
We'll rise
Oh, whoa
We'll rise
I'll rise up
Rise like the day
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I will rise
A thousand times again
And we'll rise up
Rise like the waves
We'll rise up
In spite of the ache
We'll rise up
And we do it a thousand times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
There's silence for a moment before there's a deafening roar of applause. Sloan searches the crowd until her eyes land on her father's, smiling as he smiles back at her, a single tear making its way down his face.
"Thank you all very much." Sloan says as she and Grayson hand their mics over to Rob and Rich before they walk off the stage.