"Trying to get between you and Mike. Hes known all along that you were going to join the party at some point so hes been trying to see an opportunity to break you two up. I gather he finally seized the chance at the fair."
"I hadnt seen him in the fairgrounds." Valerie said as she picked up her duffle bag. A small amount of mud came out of an opening. "Terrific."
"Are you really leaving?" Cassidy said as Valerie walked to a phone booth.
"I have to, otherwise its gonna be an awful awkward ride home for me and Mike." Valerie said. "Hes right, I didnt listen to him when he said he didnt cheat. Why should he listen to me. Paranoia came around and bit me on the ass." Valerie said. "Hes not going to listen to me."
Cassidy shook her head. "This is wrong."
"What is?" Valerie said grabbing a phone book.
"You giving up like this." Cassidy said. "For the past week and a half before you showed up all we heard was stories about Valerie and her adventures. She wouldnt let anyone walk all over her. She wouldnt take any crud from anybody, but I don't think I'm seeing the same person now. I see someone completely different. I see someone running away when they should be fighting for the man they claim to love." Cassidy said. "Or would you really rather go back with Elijah or some other guy?"
"I would rather have my fingertips fed to wolverines than go back with Elijah." Valerie thought for a minute. "Or maybe his fingertips. Once bitten, twice shy." Valerie finally found the phone number she was looking for. "This is better, Cass."
"Let me speak to him on your behalf." Cassidy said. "Let me try."
"Yeah, you do that." Valerie said dialing a phone number. "Meanwhile I'm going home." She said as she waited for the line to be picked up. "No, not home. I'm going where I feel like I'm actually wanted right now. She turned to the phone and spoek quietly into the reciever.
"Are you sure?" Cassidy asked.
"It'll be better to talk when this has all quieted down." Valerie said out of the side of her mouth. "When we have all cooled down."
"Sometimes its not good to let things cool down." Cassidy replied before turning to leave. She gave Valerie one last look before walking back into the dance hall.
A few minutes later a surprisingly sober Nigel walked off the stage after an encore.
"Thank you me blokes. Not lets get stoked!" He said to his bandmates before wandering off to their own personal goody table.
Mike watched the scene with a resigned look on his face. If he could go the rest of his life without seeing another drunk englishman, hed gladly become a monk. He turned to grab his guitar when he was confronted by Elijah and Cassidy. She had him by the arm.
"Elijah has to say something to you." Cassidy said her left hand holding onto Elijahs right arm. "Right?"
"Right." Elijah said squirming. She had a pretty tight grip on his arm. He winced as she squeezed tighter.
"Something you should know before you go onstage." Cassidy continued.
"And what is that?" Mike said crossing his arms. "It better be good."
"Oh it is." Elijah said. "Ease up there, this is my baccarat playing arm.
Cassidy squeezed his arm. "Liar, you dont even know how to play solitaire."
Elijah looked at Cassidy with a strained look on his face. "There is something you should know."
"So tell me already." Mike said.
Cassidy eased up on her iron clad grip on Elijah as he started to talk.
Mike ran out the dance hall door into the now pouring rain. He looked around for a second, there was no one in the parking lot. He ran his hand over his hair, which was now getting soaked with rainwater. Cassidy stood behind him in the doorway.
"Is she still here?" Cassidy yelled over the sound of the rain pounding on the roof above her head.
"Its too late." Mike looked at Cassidy as he went back inside. "She's gone."
Half a day later
A big yellow taxi dropped off a mud caked woman at the entrance to Mercy General Hospital, the hospital that Andrew and Chris were having the new baby. She hadn't called them for a while so they had no idea how her part of the tour got cut short. She dropped her muddy bag of clothing into a trash bucket, they were beyond saving, and walked into the hospital lobby. She ambled up to the counter and asked where her friends room is.
"She delivered the baby this morning." A nurse told Valerie. She smiled.
"Can I see them?" Valerie asked. "I'm their only family around here." She added.
The nurse considered her for a moment.
"Maybe I oughta call someone." The nurse said moving to the phone.
"Thats ok, I can drip mud and rainwater on this nice lobby floor for a few minutes. I'm sure the janitor won't look at the mess I'm making and go quit or something." Valerie smiled. Why couldnt have she done this with Mike?
The nurse punched a button. "Could you send Andrew Johnson down? He has a visitor." She gave Valerie a once over. "He might want to bring a change of clothing for a female."
A few minutes later Andy met Valerie in the lobby.
"Now this is going to be interesting to hear about." Andrew said with a smile. "I'm a daddy. Again." He said with a big smile.
"Cut that out." Valerie smiled. "She did most of the work."
"I know." He said. "But I can't help it. You can see her in a bit. Shes resting." He looked her over. "A shower would be a good idea."
"It would be." Valerie said.
"You can tell me all about it later." Andy said as they walked along. "They'll let you use the locker room shower." They walked along the hallway to the locker room. They walked into the locker room part. Andy laid an outfit on the bench and left the room. Valerie quicklly stripped and showered.
The shower was good, it was just what she needed after a day or two of traveling in a stuffy bus. She wrapped a towel around herself as she walked into the locker room. She changed into the clothing that Andy had left her. It was a bright yellow daisy maternity dress. Valerie groaned as she saw the large dress on her in the mirror.
"Perfect." She muttered. She adjusted her outfit and walked into the hallway. She roamed until she found Andrew at a snack machine.
"Perfect fit." He smiled.
"Thanks." Valerie said as he handed her a bag of chips. She opened them and dived right in. She was halfway done with the bag before she realized Andy was staring at her.
"What?" Valerie asked.
"Little hungry, are we?" Andy asked. Valerie nodded. "Chris's room is right here. She will see the baby as soon as she wakes up." Andy said as he and Valerie walked into the room. There was Chris lying on the bed, sound asleep. Valerie moved to a seat next to her and sat down.
"Did everything go well?" She asked Andy.
"She was a trooper. She was going to do it natural childbirth like last time but the minute the real pain hit, she started screaming bloody murder. She said if we didnt give her medication, she would pretty much guarentee this is the last child shes giving me." He said with a pinched smile on his face. "After that it was heaven. Shes only been here an hour or so." Andy said sitting next to her. "Why are you here?"
"A big mistake, or misunderstanding." Valerie shook her head. "Too much to go into now." She sighed. "I'm tired." She said her head slumping over to one side. She dozed off quickly. Andy smiled and got a spare blanket out of the closet and wrapped it around her. He touched her cheek before leaving the room. Soon the sound of soft snoring was the only thing that was heard.
She didnt know how long she had slept but she heard the sound of soft cooing waking up her. Valerie sat up and stretched. She closed her eyes as she did so. As she opened them she heard a a familiar voice.
"Its about time you woke up." She heard Chris say. Valerie opened her eyes. Chris was sitting up in her bed. "You almost missed our special guests."
Valerie stood up and looked at Chris. She was something wrapped in a blanket. Upon a closer look she discovered it was the new baby.
"Shes pretty." Valerie said.
"How do you know its a girl?" Chris asked.
"Pink hat." Valerie pointed out the top of the babys head.
"Do you want to hold her?" Chris asked. Valerie started to shake her head. "Come on, you have to. We named her Michelle Valerie Johnson." She smiled. "Shes sort of your namesake."
"Poor kid." Valerie said. After a second or two she took the baby and sat down in her chair. "Of course you realize this means I will start asking to be paid for babysitting nights."
"Of course." Chris said. "By the way, you look very stylin' in that maternity dress."
"Oh shut up." Valerie said looking at the baby. "Hi." She said. The baby giggled and smiled at her. Then she made a small noise. "Your baby just razzed me."
"Oh no she didn't." Chris said. "Its just gas."
"Sure it is." Valerie said as she got to her feet again. "We know the truth, dont we Michelle?" She handed Chris her baby. "You said something about guests. Whos the other one?"
"Not here." Chris said. "But they are waiting down the hall where the snack foods are."
Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Is this who I think it is?"
Chris looked at her. "I think you oughta see for yourself."
Valerie looked at the door. Could it be him? But he was in Pasedena. She moved to the door and walked out it. She walked down the hallway and went to the snack room. Mike was standing by a drink machine.
"Why are you here?" Valerie asked. "How did you know to come here?"
"I figured you wouldnt go home without checking up on these two. Or should I say three or four?" Mike asked.
"Four." Valerie corrected him. "She named her Michelle Valerie."
"Poor kid." Mike cracked.
"I already said that." Valerie said sitting down. "Whats going on?"
"I found out what really happened." Mike said. "You have a real good friend in Cassidy. She forcibly made Elijah confessed to following us to the fair. He waited in the hall of mirrors. If we had not gone there he could have been there to kingdom come."
"But he was."
"I know." Mike. "I'm sorry. I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. I guess we're even on our paranoia there." He said with a sad smile. "I should have listened. By the time I found out the truth you were gone."
"I'm sorry too." Valerie said. "I should have known it was him, Elijah has always kissed like a cold fish."
"Are we okay?" Mike asked. "We finished the tour and on the way back home Riverbend stopped at a bar to celebrate. I think they are still there. The guys are back home."
"And Elijah?" Valerie asked.
"Who knows." Mike said as he sat down with her. "Who cares. The only person I wanted to see was you." He touched her cheek. "We'll be okay. We've been over worse."
"Thats gonna be far behind us now." Valerie said as she hugged Mike. "I can't even remember that other guys name now." She pulled back and looked at Mike. He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Lets go look at that baby."
"Later." Mike said. "I think I need a shower." He said standing up. "Maybe you can show me where that locker room is."
"I can do that." Valerie said. "Should we tell them where we are?"
"Nah." Mike said as Valerie led him off down the hallway. "Let it be a surprise."
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