Author: Liz
E-mail: [email protected]
Rating: PG-13
Category: J/H
Summary: Jake is raped one night and later finds out she is pregnant. But is the baby Hamilton�s child�or the person who raped her?
_________________________________
Scout sat by the road just staring straight ahead. He had been sitting like this for 2 hours, with 5 vehicles having stopped with the driver�s asking if he needed a ride home. Home. Right now he felt that his home wasn�t safe. He had gone through the woods with Will two times. Once on their first day of Summer Session when they got pranked by seniors and dragged to the middle of town in their underwear�and when they got lost and ended up a few miles out of Carson. Jake had laughed at them when they came back and pronounced the way her new pathway to get out if she needed.
That pathway was now her nightmare.
Scout had just been working when he glanced across the street at Will and Bella talking. Hamilton soon joined but no Jake. She couldn�t go outside anymore, she was ashamed of what people would think. Scout felt like this was tearing his insides apart. He had been the one to make the order�he had asked Will to get the delivery�he had allowed Will to let Jake get the delivery. It dawned on him.
It was his fault. Now Scout wanted out of New Rawley�so he wouldn�t bring more shame to his friends.
As he was about to get up and walk, he heard a car pull up and stop. He turned without looking up and saw a blue jeep. Then he looked at the driver expecting to see Bella but�
�Scout!� Jake got out of the jeep and ran over to him as he sat down. She put a hand on her stomach and sat next to him. �Where were you? Bella is worried sick while Will and Hamilton are looking for you everywhere. I had to finally take Bella�s jeep and look for you. Where are you going?� She looked down in horror at his suitcase and backpack. Scout took note of this.
�I have to leave, Jake.�
�Why?� she was confused�and even more when she noticed she was at the spot where the guy had started following her.
�It�s my fault.�
�What is?� Jake had an idea but she didn�t want to approach it.
�That you got raped.� He whispered so softly Jake had to strain to hear.
�No, it�s not. It�s nobody�s fault.�
�Yes, it is. I made that order for more hamburger meat. I asked Will to get the delivery for me and I let him ask you to get it! It�s all my fault, Jake! I should have gotten off my butt, gotten into my car and get it.�
Jake just sat there silently. �Scout David Calhoun.� He winced. He hated it when she used his whole name. �It. Was. Not. Your. Fault. It never was and never will be. I have no idea what brought this on but whatever it was needs to stop. No one knew this would happen to me. When he was hurting me, I thought �Why me?� And I also cried out for you, Will and Hamilton. I also wanted Bella but I needed to keep that in because I didn�t want her in danger. I never thought it was your fault even if I needed to get home. I wanted you guys so badly but at the same time, I was scared.�
Scout looked at her as she stood up. �Why do you and Will blame yourselves?�
Scout looked away from her. Jake looked about the scenery and squinted her eyes up as a hawk circled the sky.
�I guess we wanted to protect you.�
�You guys can�t protect me from these things.�
Scout looked up at her. �We�re bonding.�
Jake turned her head sideways and looked at him, a small smile forming. �You know�if you leave, it�ll be like losing my brother.�
Her brother. That�s how she thought of him. That made him think more.
�Really?�
Jake nodded. �Ever since you found out I was a girl.�
Scout blushed and Jake laughed. �Now are we going home or do I have to explain to Bella why I haven�t found you?�
Scout squinted up at her, the sunlight behind her making her look like an angel.
�Got enough room?�
Jake smiled. �Plenty.�
Scout stood up and hugged her. He got his things and got into the car. Jake started it and turned the car around to drive home.
________________________
Hamilton looked down the road and smiled. �She�s back.�
�Is he with her?� Bella jumped over to his side.
�Yes!� Will smiled and they all waited impatiently for Jake to park the car. As soon as she did, Bella ran over and hugged Scout.
�You ever do that to me again and you are toast! Come on.� She took him inside while Will grabbed his bags. Jake got out and Hamilton wrapped his arm around her.
�Come on, beautiful.� They went inside after their friends.
�It was never your fault, Scout.� Bella was saying to him.
�Jake told me.� He looked up at her. Jake nodded.
�It�s not your fault either, Will.� Jake told him.
�I wish I knew for sure.�
�Look�� Jake stood in the middle of the room. �It is NO ONE�S fault! If it was�I don�t see how that�s possible. I love you all�these past few months have been so good and easy because of you guys. I don�t think I could have survived without you. Bella�you�re my best friend. You have been there for me since I came here. Scout�man Scout�you may have trouble expressing what you think�but, you�re my friend, I can talk to you, including all of you, about anything. Will�you never did anything. You just asked me if I could get one thing for you�and I was stupid enough to go as a girl and not on my bike. I could have been safe on MY bike. Hamilton�� she walked over to him and placed her hands on his cheeks. �You have been amazing these past 4 months. When I thought I wasn�t going to make it�you made it better. You saved me. I love you.� She kissed him and then looked back at them.
Two Months Later
Jake pulled open the door of Friendly�s and walked in. She went up to the counter and ordered a burger, fries and a chocolate milk shake. She sat down and put a hand on her stomach. She turned her head and noticed a familiar girl sipping her shake and just twirling it around with her forefinger and thumb. She bit her lip and sighed.
The girl looked up at her and smiled. �Hi.�
�Hello.� Jake looked down and up. �Um�I�m Jak�Jacqueline.�
�Sarita. It�s nice to meet you, Jacqueline.�
�You too.� Jake noticed she seemed quiet.
Sarita looked up at her and her face twisted in concentration.
�You�re�you�re that girl�from�from��
�The interrogation room.� Jake finished.
Sarita nodded. �Yeah.�
Jake bit her lip. �I�m sorry it had to happen�to both of us.�
�It�s okay. Maybe I deserved it.� She took a fry and ate it.
�No one deserves any of this. What does your family say?�
Sarita scoffed. �My family? After this happened, they turned me away. My friends�God, I trusted them. I trusted them with my life. They just�turned away.� She looked at Jake. Jake looked at her and bit her lip. She glanced across the street at Bella working and Scout hanging out with her. Jake turned back to her. �After it happened, I found out I was pregnant. He�s my baby�s father.�
Jake sighed. �I�m so sorry.�
Sarita shrugged. �Yeah, so am I.� Sarita looked at her closely and saw that Jake was pregnant also. �The baby�you�re baby?�
Jake placed a gentle hand on her tummy. �No�no she belongs to my boyfriend. We�our first time was two days before it happened and uh�� she shrugged.
�A girl.� She smiled. Then she looked over at Jake�s food. �You going to eat all that hamburger?�
Jake laughed. �You can have half.� Jake cut it and handed it to her.
�Thanks.� She ate it.
�Sarita?�
She looked at Jake and Jake sighed.
�How do you go on living everyday?�
Sarita took a sip of her drink and shrugged. �Day to day.�
�Where are you staying?�
�With a police officer. A female police officer. She took me in.�
�That�s good.�
Sarita nodded. She glanced at her watch. �I better go. Listen Jake um�it was nice meeting you. Look, I really need a friend and I��
�Here�s my number. Call me if you need anything.� She wrote Hamilton�s number down on a napkin. �I stay with my boyfriend. Just ask for Jake or Jacqueline.�
�Okay. Thanks.�
Sarita walked away and Jake watched her. As Sarita opened the door, Will and Sean walked by. Will held the door for her.
Sarita turned to him and smiled. �Thanks.�
�You�re welcome.�
She walked away and Sean and Will walked in. Will walked over, hugged Jake from behind and kissed her cheek. Sean rubbed her shoulders and he sat down at a booth. Will got behind the counter to start working.
Jake smiled at them. She pursed her lips and looked outside as Hamilton walked pass Sarita as she went to her car. He glanced at her and then went inside.
�Hey baby girls.� He kissed Jake on the lips and her stomach.
�Hey.�
�You okay?�
Jake looked at him. �Hmm? Yeah, I just�� Jake looked over at Sean. He looked at her, waved and went back to playing with a string on his shirt. She looked over at Will working. She looked out the window as Bella sprayed Scout with a hose and Scout went to chase after her. She looked back at Hamilton. The light of her life. �I�m okay.�
Hamilton looked at her skeptically. �You�re sure?�
She laughed. �I�m sure Hamilton.� She stood up, hugged and kissed him and held onto him tightly. Hamilton held her back.