14. Running Solves Nothing - Part Two - Flashback

*I know I'm finished with this fic but someone asked me to update it on tumblr and I felt bad 'cause this chapter has literally been completed for months and just sat in my drafts lol I don't like this fic but for those who read it I hope it's alright.*

They'd been on the road for a couple of hours now and Nicki was still out for the count. Her head resting lightly on the glass of the window as Drake kept his concentration on the road. He'd never driven to his uncle's before and getting the right roads was proving to be quite difficult. In fact he'd taken a wrong turn three times already and was thankful that Nicki was still sleeping otherwise he'd have her shouting profanities at him in her frustrated and aching pregnant state. Frowning irritably he tried to look at the map on Nicki's knee but it was no use, his only option was to pull over at the next gas station. Making the turn he came to a stop and proceeded to fill up and grab some snacks and a drink before hitting the road again. In the meantime Nicki had awoken to an unpleasant sensation.

"What is that smell?" She wrinkled her brow and looked sleepily at him.

"I can't smell anythin'."

"It smells like burning. It's really strong. You seriously can't smell that?" He shook his head as she continued to looked bothered, until of course she spotted the food. "Hey! When d'you get all this?"

"Made a stop at the gas station while you were sleep. Your twizzlers are in the glove box." Not taking a second to think she reached forward and pulled the bag out happily.

"Thank youuuu."

"You feelin' any better?"

"Mm. Lots." She spoke between stuffing the red coloured candy treats into her mouth. "I think the advil helped."

"Good." Smiling genuinely he pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it before stealing the twizzler from her grasp with his teeth.

"No! That was mine!"

"Not anymore it's not."

"You're such a pig."

"You don't care. You still love me." He couldn't do anything but laugh when she grumpily snatched the bag to herself and stared out of the window whilst she snacked.

"How long 'til we get there?" Her words were slightly warped because of her chewing twizzlers but he still understood.

"A while yet. You should try go back to sleep, time'll pass quicker."

"But I'm not sleepy anymore." She turned to stare at him momentarily, their only source of light now was the headlights of the car and the odd street light they passed. "You look tired."

"I am." Huffing slightly he peered out of the windscreen and shook his head. "I'ont know where the fuck we even are."

"We're lost?"

"Not lost, just a lil' off track."

"Well, can't we pull over for a lil' while? Maybe stop somewhere?" She tried to read the signs too, like it would actually help. "My back's startin' to hurt again. I'ont think I can deal with sleepin' in this Godforsaken car, Aubrey." There was silence for a while.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. I need to check the maps anyway and it's late. I'll pull in to the next motel."

"Oh thank God." She sighed a breath of relief and continued to feed herself as they drove.

He kept to his word and stopped at the next Motel, booking them a room for the night. Of course that didn't go without Nicki starting the dramatics. They'd both showered and were now laying in bed trying to allow sleep to find them.

"Yo, what if somebody breaks into our room?"

"Nobody's gon' break into our room, Nic." He dismissed her instantly. "Besides, even if they did they couldn't do shit whilst I was here." He smirked and pulled her even closer, smiling when he felt her bump press into him.

"If you say so."

"I do. Now, go to sleep."

***

"Take some more advil." He kept looking over at her briefly as they drove. They'd been back on the road again since 8am and it was now nearing 7pm. Understandably Nicki was incredibly fed up and quickly running out of patience.

"I already took some earlier, it ain't doing shit!"

"Look just calm down, okay? I'mma stop in a second and you can get out for a bit. Stretch your legs a little." He rested his hand gently on her knee. Breathing in calmly he tried to stay relaxed but her groaning was making that difficult.

"Please hurry, it's gettin' worse!" Squeezing her eyes shut she let a long shaky breath out followed by a small but pain-filled grunt. "Ugh I think something's happening." She opened her eyes and looked at him fearfully.

"With the baby you mean?"

"Yes with the baby, Aubrey!" She spat angrily before resting her head back and talking breathlessly. "Pull over."

"What? Nicki, I can't just-"

"Pull over!" Her loud yell made him flick the indicator and pull on to the side of the road even though there were absolutely no cars around. They were literally in the middle of nowhere.

"Is the pain just in your back?" He asked as he unbuckled himself and rotated to face her.

"No. It hurts all across here too." She motioned to her lower abdomen weakly. Noticing that her voice had softened he guessed the pain had subsided, he just hoped it didn't happen again. That would only confirm his growing worry that she was in labor.

"You good now?"

"Mmm."

"I'm gonna call my Mom, see what she thinks. Has that only happened once?"

"Yeah, that was the first time." The shake in her voice only worsened as she finished talking. "What if I'm in labor?"

"Listen, I promise you we ain't havin' our baby on the side of the road." Grabbing on to her hands gently he made her look at him. "I'mma call my Mom and hear what she has to say and then we're gonna go straight to my uncle's, 'kay?"

"What if we don't make it? I can't do this by myself!" The panic began to overcome her as he remained holding on to her.

"We will make it but even if we didn't you're not alone. I'm here and I'll be there every step of the way, yeah?" She nodded solemnly before he reached for his phone. There was no cell reception. His frustrated sigh was followed by words. "I'm gonna keep driving, as soon as it happens again I'll pull over." She knew he was freaking out and trying to hide it but even at that moment she could fool herself into believing his calmness. That was all she could do. "You okay for me to keep drivin'?"

"Yeah, please just don't let go of me." He felt her small hand squeeze his.

"I won't, just keep breathin' and stay calm. We'll be there in no time." He wasn't quite sure whether he was trying to fool himself or her but he wanted to believe what he was saying. Keeping her hand enclosed in his he turned the key only to be met with the struggling sound of his engine as it continued to turn over. Once again it had bailed on him when he needed it most. "Fuck!"

"What is it?"

"I need to go look under the hood, you'll be okay for a minute whilst I check it out." Delicately releasing her hand from his grasp he headed out of the car to do what needed to be done. As soon as he lifted the bonnet he was greeted with the smell Nicki had complained of smelling yesterday. He should have listened to her complaint.

The minutes soon turned into hours and he still couldn't get the vehicle going.

"Aubrey."

"Hold on, Nic. I think I figu-"

"Aubrey!" The urgency of her tone made him move swiftly around to her side of the car before pulling her door open.

"Is it happening again?" Bending down to her level he watched her face contort in pain whilst he tried to comfort her.

"It hurts so much! I don't know what to do!" Her cries were literally breaking his heart knowing he could do nothing for her.

"It's okay, I'm right here." Wiping away some of the tears from her face her pulled his phone out at the same time, before smoothing his hand over her leg. His anger began to peak as his mind reeled. They were in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception, it was dark and Nicki was in labor. He wasn't sure how long he'd be able to stay calm for. Hearing her  humming through the pain brought him back to the moment. "I need you to listen really carefully, okay? There was a payphone a bit back down the road, if I run I-"

"You can't leave me, Aubrey! No, no, no!" She shook her head violently. "You're not leavin' me!" Panting heavily through the end of the contraction she looked at him seriously.

"If I go now I can be back before the next one starts. I promise you." He knew the one thing his Mother taught him about ever encountering a laboring woman was to never ever leave her. He was about to break that rule but he truly believed if he ran he could make it back in time after getting help.

"No, I'm not lettin' you leave me. I need you here."

"Nicki, we need to call an ambulance. What happens after you have the baby, right here? We're still gonna be stuck with no reception and no help. I'm not risking that." Raising his voice wasn't exactly going to make her feel any more at ease but he needed for her to listen and it worked.

"You better run faster than Usain fucking Bolt, Aubrey!" Allowing the tears to spill over her lids she felt his lips on her forehead.

"Here, lock the car as soon as I shut the door." Putting the keys into her hand he cupped them softly. "I want you to sing somethin', anything you want and by the time you finished the song I'll be back."

"Okay." She nodded whilst crying, which was ripping him up but he knew they'd need medical help. Especially if something went wrong. Folding his lips he tried to get rid of his thoughts. He had to go now whilst she was still early on with her contractions. It took everything in him to move back and shut the door, his heart was beating like crazy as he waited  to hear the car lock. As soon as the noise registered with his ears he took one last look at her petrified face and started running, praying he could keep up the speed.

Back in the car she was overcome by an uneasy silence, only her rapid breathing was a comfort to her as she carried on humming her song of choice. She never stopped humming the tune, using it as an outlet of pain as well.

"Oh God. Please hurry, Aubrey." Her little melody was short-lived as she called out again, the pain was too much to handle. "Hmmmm, fuck! I can't do this!" Breathing heavily she swiped at the tears staining her face. Beyond terrified about how things were going to pan out she lay her hands lightly on her bump.


Only a minute or so down the road, a sheriff was trundling along in his car, the long day was finally over, or so he thought.

"What in the hell?" He turned the radio down as he mumbled, straining his eyes through the dark windscreen. He slowed down a little as he got closer. It was the interior light of Drake's car. He saw the fogged up windows and shook his head whilst coming to a complete stop. "I will never understand why people feel the need to show their love to one another on the side of the road." Slamming his door shut he hitched his pants up a little, before crossing the desolate road. What he was greeted with was not at all what he was expecting.


***

"Please, excuse me a moment." Sandi smiled politely and pushed her chair out to leave the room. It was Drake calling. "Aubrey? I still can't hear you." She paused, only picking up the crackling sound. "Aubrey?"

"Mom?"

"Oh, I can hear you now." Smiling with relief she continued walking out of the noisy atmosphere, stopping when she reached the bathroom. "Are you there yet?"

"No, we're not there. I need you to tell me what to do." His panting breath didn't help Sandi's nerves one bit.

"Oh my God, what's happened?"

"It's Nicki, I think she's in labor."

"Have you called an ambulance?"

"Yeah, I'm on a payphone in the middle of nowhere. They're on their way but I'ont know how long they'll be."

"How is she now?" She began pacing whilst she listened intently.

"Well, when I left her she-"

"Left her? Where have you left her, Aubrey?"

"She's in the car, I told you I'm on a payphone, Mom! I got no signal, the car won't start and the only option I had was to run God knows how long down the road to this phone!" Finally losing his temper with this whole situation he pounded his fist repeatedly on the metal frame of the booth.

"Calm down. That's the first thing I want you to do." There was silence as he cooled off.

"A'ight, I'm good."

"Okay, so she's having contractions?"

"Yeah I wasn't timing or anythin' I was tryin' fix the damn car, I think she's had two in maybe three or four hours."

"Good, that's good. So when you get back to her just try and keep her calm."

"Until the ambulance arrives."

"Exactly."

"What if the baby gets here before the paramedics?"

"Her body'll know what to do, Aubrey. Just listen to her. If she's says stop touching her, you stop touching her. If she tells you to shut-up then keep your mouth zipped. Don't let her feel like she's not in control, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, I got it." He breathed in and out shakily, Sandi could hear the fear in his voice. He was terrified.

"You'll be fine. Just remember the breathing techniques." She heard him exhaling on the other end of the phone and couldn't help but smile tearfully. "Not you, Aubrey. I meant for Nicki."

"Yeah I know, I just thought they might work for me too."

"Call me as soon as you get to the hospital, tell me which one and we'll meet you there."

"I will."

There was a few moments of silence before they said goodbye and hung up, Drake preparing himself for the sprint back. This would undoubtedly be the fastest he'd ever run.

***

Back at the car, the sheriff had managed to talk Nicki into opening the door. She was in mid- contraction, trying to breathe less erratically.

"It's okay, just breathe." He crouched in the door and watched her recovering breathlessly. "That's it, you alright?"

Shaking her head quickly she didn't hold back the tears. "No, I want Aubrey here. He said he'd be back and he's not."

"Hey, come on now. Don't cry." Rubbing her knee awkwardly he tried to take her mind off of what was happening. "What's your name?"

"Nicki."

"Nicki?" She nodded smally. "Okay Nicki, how old are you?"

"I'm sixteen."

"And Aubrey, where's he at?"

"I don't know, he went to find a payphone." Letting even more tears stream down her face she looked at the sheriff. He was a kind of oldish, white man with short hair.

"He went to call for help?" She nodded. "How long ago was that?"

"Maybe a half hour, forty minutes. I don't know."

"And do you know how long ago labor started?"

She shook her head and whimpered. "I don't know."

"Okay, well I'm not leavin' you but I gotta head back to my car for a quick second. You gonna be okay?"

"Please hurry, I'ont know if I can hold on." She looked down at herself and tried to stay calm. This was really happening.

"I'll be as fast as I can." He rubbed her knee again and got to his feet, quickly moving back over to his car radio to call for help. Unbeknownst to him, Drake was fast approaching on foot as he  finally made it back. His heart racing, partly from the running and partly from seeing her car door open.

"Nicki, what's happening? You're okay, right?" He crouched, breathing heavily.

"What the hell took you so long?!" She sat up, grimacing as another contraction coursed through her.

"I'm sorry, it was further away than I thought." He grabbed her hands immediately. "But I'm here now, everthin's gon' be fine." Smoothing his thumbs over the top of her hands he tried keep her as calm as he could.

...

...

Well, I think it's kinda obvious already lol but I'm not going to be posting on this fic anymore. I just wanna thank those who did read and comment up until now. I really appreciate that :) I'll leave the story up for a while but I'll probably delete it soon.

Thanks again, Carlee x

13. Running Solves Nothing - Part One - Flashback

*Thanks for the previous comments, I hope this is okay for you all. I had actually forgotten about this fic but somebody asked me about it on Tumblr so, here it is! :)*

"Well, where the hell are they?" His eyes were wide and his palms sweaty as he listened intently to her on the phone. The darkness of the street making his car seem even more desolate.

"First of all, stop yellin' and secondly would you calm down?! They went to some dinner meeting or something. They told you about it last week."

"So you're completely home alone?"

"Yes." There was silence after her response. "Drake? What's wrong?"

"Nothin' Nicki, I promise. Just please keep your phone close. I'll be an hour tops, I love you."

"Love you too." She spoke lowly and frowned as she hung up. Why was he acting so over dramatic? It's not as if she hadn't been home alone before. She carried on thinking along those lines as she made her way into the kitchen to get herself a snack. Upon entering the room she frowned seeing Missy sat staring at her. "Whattya want Moo?" Recieving no verbal reply she patted the dog's head and proceeded to microwave herself some bacon.


Over at their new apartment Drake was bent head first into the hood of his car, cursing to no end. It wouldn't start, which was typical of it's nature. Forever failing him when he needed it most. Continuing to fiddle with the various parts under the bonnet he grinned like mad man when he figured out what was wrong.

"Yes! Thank you, Lord!" Quickly slamming the hood down he returned to the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb. His phone had been chiming in the passenger seat the whole time. Thinking it was a message from Nicki he instantly eased up on the speed and slid across his phone screen to unlock it. It was from Deshaun. The sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach only worsened when he opened the attached file to see a picture of Nicki, it had obviously been taken from outside of their lounge room, with today's date and time underneath. He wasted no time in speeding down the road to get back home. All the street lights began to merge into one long illuminate line on either side of his windows as his mind raced almost as fast as his car wheels. He'd really messed things up and now his pregnant girlfriend was facing the brunt of it all. No longer caring to abide the law he reached over and grabbed his phone from the passenger seat, calling Nicki for the fifth time. She wasn't answering her cell or the landline.

"Fuck! Nicki, come on! Pick up!" In a temper filled rage he quickly tossed the piece of technology to his side once he reached her voicemail, again. Pressing his foot down harder on the accelerator he managed to weave through traffic, praying he wouldn't hit a queue. Thankfully the situation played on his part and a mere forty minutes later he was pulling up outside of their house. Not sparing another second he darted inside, yelling and panting like he had just run a marathon.

"Nicki?!" Dashing through the kitchen he reached the lounge room and his heart sank with relief. "Oh thank God!" Regaining his breath he rested against the door frame, breathing heavily.

"The fuck is wrong with you Drake? You scared the shit outta me!" His eyes flicked to where she was sat comfortably on the couch. Her feet tucked neatly under her with Missy curled up on the cushion beside her.

"Are you okay?! Did anythin' happen while I was gone?!" His breathy questions were begininning to make her feel nervous as she knocked the volume down on the TV.

"I'm fine, Aubrey. Why wouldn't I be?" She frowned and quickly made her way over to him. "S'goin' on with you? You're all sweaty." Leading him worriedly over to the couch she made him sit before lowering down next to him. "What's happened?"

"Nothin', I just...I couldn't get hold of you and I..." He trailed off and breathed out shakily. "Why weren't you answerin' my calls?! What if you'd gone into labor or somethin' and I couldn't get through to you?!"

"Stop yelling at me! Somethin' weird happened to the landline and my cell died after you called the first time." She sniffled. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise how worried you were gettin'." Smudging the outer corners of her eyes she inhaled, feeling an emotional release threatening to overcome her.

"It's okay." He spoke with a sigh. "I'm sorry, c'mere." He pulled her to him and continued to apologise for freaking her out as she tried to relax in his arms. She couldn't though since his uneasy breathing continued to rattle in his chest beneath her head. "What's wrong with the house phone?" His brow wrinkled with confusion.

"I'm not sure, I wanted to order in but when I picked it up I got no dial tone." The softness of her voice was calming but that didn't stop his mind from reeling with sheer panic. This had to be something to do with Deshaun. No doubt about it.

"Here, use my phone. Order whatever you want." Shifting from underneath her she quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I'mma go see if I can figure out what's up with the phone, I won't be long. Get me whatever you're havin'." Kissing her temple he lay the blanket back over her legs and headed towards the kitchen.

"Won't be long?" She scoffed under her breath. "Now where've I heard that before?" Gently chewing on the corner of her lip she ordered their food and tossed his phone onto the couch pillow beside her once she was done before flicking through the channels and settling on a good movie. Just waiting for him to come back, which honestly didn't take long.

"You ordered?" He pulled his jacket off and set it on the coat stand beore joining her again.

"Yeah, I got us pizza. You got a message whilst you were gone too." She passed him his phone and looked up at him sweetly. "You figure out what was wrong with the phone?"

"Uhm, no." He lied. "I couldn't see shit, it was too dark out. I'll see if my Dad can sort it tomorrow."

"Kay, well I'm gonna go shower before the food gets here. And if it does get here before I'm done, keep your bigass bear paws off of mine." Moving the blanket aside she tugged her shirt back over her bump, since it had ridden up, and headed down to the basement bathroom. He managed to keep his cool until he heard her shut the door before proceeding to open Deshaun's latest message. He already knew the phone line was cut deliberately and the message now visible on his phone screen confirmed that.

"Looks like you got home just in time." His body quivered as he read it aloud. He knew this wasn't a a matter of threats anymore, this wasn't some sort of sick game. Deshaun would do whatever it took to get his money back, no matter who stood in his way.

***

"Who's this s'posed to be?" James almost spit half of his food out of his mouth as he spoke.

"This is Nicki. Drake's girl."

"Word? She looks young." He paused briefly. "And pregnant?"

"Right you are, Jimmy. She's sixteen and eight months pregnant." Deshaun smiled eerily as he continued to ogle the same picture he'd sent Drake.

"How'd you know all this stuff, man? You been stalkin' the girl or somethin'?"

"I've had people watchin' the house, done a lil' snoopin'. Ain't nothin' wrong with that." He stared intently at his friend as he carried on chewing down his burger.

"Whatever, why you showin' me all this anyways?"

"I want you to pay her a lil' visit. I heard Drizzy's got them sorted with a new apartment on the other side of town. I'mma go check it out whilst you do that." He stood up and grabbed himself another drink.

"No, no , no. Hold up a minute." He swallowed the last of his meal and looked to the back of Deshaun's head in bewilderment. "You want me to pay her a visit, and do what exactly?"

"Give her a message, the kind of message that Drake will respond to."

"I ain't goin' in there and harrassin' or hurtin' a young girl. 'Specially not when she's pregnant!" He squinted angrily. "Are you outta your fuckin' mind?! No way, get someone else to do it." Throwing his chair back he went to leave but was stopped by his boss' bottle hitting the wall metres in front of his face, sending glass shards everywhere. He flinched away dramatically. "The fuck, Dee?! You're fuckin' losin' it!"

"You listen to me. When I get back here tonight, I wanna hear what happened when you paid Nicki a visit. Got it?" The throbbing vein in his neck made James swallow fearfully. He knew when Deshaun was in no mood for rebellion and this was one of those moments. He took a while to reply, and when he finally did it was dry and raspy. Giving away his obvious fear and resentment.

"Got it." He made sure to give him a disapproving look before shaking his head and leaving after snatching his coat from the back of his chair.

***

"A road trip? You're kidding right?" Sandi laughed heartily with the misconception that her son was joking.

"I'm not kidding, Mom." He watched her spoon some more porridge into her mouth and her facial expression soon turned serious.

"Aubrey, you cannot just decide to run off on a road trip. What about Nicki?"

"She'd be comin' with me, what's the problem?" He was mentally kicking himself. He knew exactly what the problem was.

"The issue, Aubrey? She could be giving birth at any time now!"

"I know that." He shook his head frustratedly. "I didn't mean like a full on road trip, I was just thinkin' of maybe headin' up to my uncle's for a bit." He stood and carried his plate to the sink as she remained seated.

"Oh my God. That makes it even worse, he lives in the middle of nowhere!" Following him to the sink she dumped her bowl into the soapy water and clocked the time. "We'll talk about this later, I'm already running behind." Shaking her head at her son's bizarre behaviour she left the house swiftly. Drake could do nothing but stand and wonder, how the hell was he going to get himself and Nicki out of town by tomorrow morning? It was a goal which seemed completely unattainable at this moment in time. The night's events had only gotten more worrying. He'd been getting texts from Deshaun like there was no tomorrow and to top it off he knew about their new apartment, there went that plan. It only really hit home how extremely out of hand things were getting when a bunch of random noises startled him from his sleep and out of instinct he flung his arm around only for it to make strong contact with Nicki's chest. Although she'd awoken angrily and was in shock for a second or two she kept reassuring him it was an accident but he couldn't deal with how much this situation was messing with his head.

"I checked out the landline." He jumped at the sound of his Father's voice as he entered the kitchen and moved over to the sink to wash his hands.

"Yeah? You sorted it?" His nerves were getting the better of him and it was blatantly obvious.

"That line was cut Drake. But you already know that, don't you?" He took a seat once he'd dried his big and calloused hands. "Wanna tell me what's goin' on?"

The saliva in his mouth instantly dried. His secret was about to be spilled, but perhaps it was being uttered to someone who could help? He didn't hold back in telling his Father everything, each detail of his situation and what he was planning to do.

Not too far away, a nervous looking James was once again sat before Deshaun, being interrogated about his non-existent visit with Nicki. He had attempted to get into the house but his conscience was too argumentative, ultimately making him walk away.

"I'm positive. Nicki definitely got the message." He was lying through his teeth but Deshaun was hearing what he wanted and he believed it too, which was an added bonus.

"Good." He let out an accomplished laugh. "So they gonna be headin' over to their new place tonight?"

"That's what she said, I'ont see why she would lie."

"I been waitin' too long to get what's mine. You did good." He slapped him hard on the shoulder and went through to his kitchen, giving James the chance to reply to Drake. After almost complying with Deshaun's orders last night he felt the need to offer Drake a helping hand. Inside information which could possibly spare them harm.

***

"I'ont know what to pack? Where are we even going?" She huffed and plopped herself on the edge of the bed. "This is stupid, Drake."

"Just pack your essentials Y'know? Like, underwear and stuff. We won't be gone that long."

"Oh? You want me to pack baby clothes too, I mean I could give birth on the way there or somethin'. How did you even get your Mom to agree to this?"

"Please don't act up, Nicki. Not now." He resumed folding and placing his clothes into the duffle bag, switching between packing her stuff and his stuff since she was complaining of an aching back. He knew what she was up to though, anything to get out of packing.

"I just don't understand why we can't wait 'til after the baby's born to go on this trip. What's the rush?" She placed her hands delicately on her bump and caressed it lovingly. "I mean, your uncle ain't goin' nowhere fast is he?"

"You don't know that for sure though, he could have a heart attack or somethin' and the last time I woulda seen him was when I was fifteen." He folded his lips and widened his eyes whilst nodding. He knew she was rolling her eyes, which made him laugh. Slowing down gradually until he came to a stop he moved over to her and held both her hands with his. "Everythin' will be fine. I swear, in fact I don't swear. I promise, on my life."

"Don't say shit like that!" She hit his arm feebly, causing him to laugh again.

"But really though, what's the worst that could happen whilst I'm with you?"

"Nothing." The corners of her glossed lips turned up into a smile as she leaned forwards and kissed him. "I trust you."

"You do? So what's with all the second guessing and the questioning?" He shook their still connected hands and crouched down to look her in the eye making her smile before sighing.

"I don't know, Drake." She began. "It's prolly just this Godforsaken back ache along with everything else. I'll try and be less moody, promise." Sealing her promise with a kiss he stood up and released her from his grip.

"I'mma pack the Advil now before I forget." He disappeared into the bathroom as she scooted back to lay on the bed with the two duffle bags. "You taken any yet?" She could hear him rummaging around in the cabinet as he shouted out to her.

"No, could you bring me some?"

"Take some before we leave, that way you might sleep in the car." He was talking and reading when he re-entered the room. "Can you even take this when you're pregnant?"

"Mmm."

"Nic?" Stealing a glance at her he dropped his hand to his side. "Nicki, don't lay down. You'll be asleep within seconds. Come on." Sliding the Advil into his pocket he reached for her hand, pulling at it gently but she didn't move from her position on her side.

"My back's really hurting." Not opening her eyes when she murmured he began to worry a little.

"Where at?"

"Right here." She lazily manoeuvred her hand to her lower back and rested her fingertips on the hem of her shirt, lifting it slightly.

"Is it just aching, babe?" He sat down beside her and encouraged her to move on to her other side whilst he continued to gently massage her back with one hand and pack with the other.

Mm."



It didn't take long for her to doze off and in the end he wasn't mad, as long as she wasn't awake and in pain he didn't mind. He surprised himself a little at how fast he'd managed to pack their belongings. Carefully setting them by the front door he turned around to come face to face with his Mother. She looked beyond angry.

"So you're all set to go then?"

"Yeah, I'm just gonna shower and then we'll head off." He rubbed his hands together anxiously.

"Honestly Aubrey? I have no idea how your Father talked me into letting you go on this ridiculous trip, but if you're not back by Monday.." She let her sentence fizzle out as she shook her head. "Let's just say, you better be back by Monday."

"We'll be back in Monday, no later."

"And you've got-"

"Yes, we've both got your number in case anythin' happens to Nic." He smiled at her overprotective ways. "We'll be fine, and we'll see you in a couple days."

"Mmkay, be safe and call me as soon as you get there." She hugged him tightly before he pulled away and shot his Father a grateful glance. He owed him, big time. They were saying their goodbyes early since his parents were going out for yet another dinner meal. "Where's Nicki?"

"She's still snoozin', I'll tell her you both say bye." He walked them to the door and waved them off before heading downstairs to shower, his heart warming as he lay eyes on a still sleeping Nicki. He just hoped everything worked out okay. The help he was getting from James was immense. Thanks to him, Deshaun thought they were staying in the apartment and would therefore stay away from his parents house, by which time James will have told him that they've gone on vacation. His uncle was loaning him the money and in his mind, owing a relative was a lot less risky than being in debt to Deshaun.

...

*Hope this was alright, I've reeeeaaaally lost touch with this fic so I apologise if it dragged on :( Thanku to all the people who left comments on the last chapter :)*

12. Losing Control - Flashback

*Hope this is okay for everyone thanku for the comments on the last chapter! ^_^*

Drake remained still in the seat of his car. He was parked up outside his parents house, running through all the various stories he could use to conceal his lie. He hated this. Lying to her, it didn't feel right. Sighing out loud he ran his hand over his face and groaned before making his way inside. The TV was still playing with Nicki asleep on the couch and SB was nowhere to be seen. Quietly turning the dvd off he sat the remote down and covered her with a blanket. By the time he stood up again Safaree was entering the room with a drink.

"Hey, I ain't even hear you back."

"Uh, yeah I figured she'd be sleepin'." There was an awkward silence as the two of them tried to think of something to say. "So, everythin' go okay with you both?"

"Yeah, we all good." He grabbed his keys and folded his lips. "You and her need to talk though."

"Who? Me and Nic?"

"Dude, she cried for most the time you was gone." SB could feel his temper rising but remembering Nicki's wishes for them to get along he managed to stop himself. "Look, just talk to her is all I'm sayin'. I'll see myself out." He nodded goodbye and left Drake with his thoughts. Honestly he felt like he was losing his grip on everything. Trying to support himself and Nicki as well as dealing with all the secrets was losing him and in turn he felt he was losing Nicki in the process. He needed to fix this, before it was too late. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't wash Deshaun's words about Nicki from his mind. It wasn't just his safety that was jeopardised now, it was Nicki's and their unborn baby girl's.

"Drake? When'd you get home?" She sat up and stretched as he moved over to her.

"Not too long ago, you okay?" Kissing her forehead he took a seat next to her, resting his hand on the blanket over her bump.

"Mm, just tired I guess."

"SB said you was upset, s'goin' on with you?" The question threw her off a little as he moved the hair away from her face.

"That boy never knows when to keep his mouth shut." She shook her head before continuing. "I don't know Aubrey, I just feel like...like you're not really here anymore. I mean, you are here obviously but not present. Y'know what I'm sayin'?"

"Actually I do. That's how I feel." He looked down too, holding her hand in his.

"Why? What's goin' on in here?" She pointed to his head and squeezed his hand tightly. "Talk to me."

"How'd you manage to throw this 'round on me?" He smiled a little before turning serious again. "But really though, I don't know. I just wanna get everythin' together and move away from this place."

"You-" She stopped suddenly and placed her palm on the side of her bump.

"What's wrong?" The speed in which he sat forward made her laugh.

"Nothin's wrong, she's just kicking." Pulling her shirt up she exposed her bump properly and smiled down at herself. "Wow, she's never been like this before! Look." He let his eyes wander to the small lump as it slowly disappeared only to become visible again when she kicked once more.

"That is so weird, she can hear us right?"

"I'm pretty sure she can. Talk to her Aubrey." Allowing her eyes to follow him he knelt down in front of her and lay his hands on either side of her abdomen. He began talking to their baby, seeing her kick as he spoke. After around ten minutes or so he looked up to see what Nicki was thinking but she was fast asleep. He made sure to carry her cautiously down to his room before placing her in their bed, at that moment as he stared down at her he really understood what was important in his life and he wasn't about to lose it because of some stupid mistake he made.

***

Touching up her makeup one last time Nicki scraped her hair up into a bun before putting her coat on. She'd been avoiding Drake all afternoon because he was having one of his days. She shook her head thinking about it. Surely with her being the pregnant one she was supposed to be the parter to be exerting more mood swings but it seemed as though Drake had taken on that role. Her anger only peaked when she reached the kitchen and found him sat at the table.

"Where you goin'?"

"Out."

'"Out where, Nicki?"

"Just out." She was angrily rummaging through her purse, trying to find some gum as she spoke.

"It's almost ten, I'ont think you should be goin' out alone."

"Oh my God. I've been locked up in this house for almost a week, Drake! A week! I need to get out!" She exhaled slowly and collected herself. "I'll call you when I get to SB's, let you know I got there." The volume of her voice was low as she spoke her last sentence. There wasn't much else he could say without pushing her away any further. Obviously he understood where she was coming from and why she was so angry but watching her from the window he couldn't help but start to feel anxious. The past few days he'd been receiving unsetting texts from Deshaun, all of which involved something to do with Nicki. Hence the reason he hadn't been letting her leave the house. Quickly kicking into panic mode he followed out of the house and jogged to catch up with her.

"Nicki? Nicki wait!"

"What?" She turned angrily on the spot.

"Look, I know I've been actin' real difficult lately but please just come back inside? It's gettin' late, you can go see SB tomorrow." He held onto her hand as she stared at him under the streetlight. Honestly she was tired and she didn't really want to be going out so late but she wanted to prove a point. That and she knew she was behaving foolishly to be going out alone at night being eight months pregnant.

"You can't hold me captive Drake!" He tried to interject but she cut him off again. "I know! I know you're just tryin' to look out for me, for us. But I feel like I'm suffocating." She moved closer to him, tightening the grip she had on his hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm just freakin' out I guess."

"You guess? Babe you won't even let me take the trash out!" She smiled with amusement as he blushed. "I'ont even wanna know what you're gonna be like when the baby's born!" She let out a light laugh, which slightly eased the tension as they began walking slowly back to the house. "You're gonna be a super protective Daddy."

"I hadn't even thoughta that." He paused, letting her through the gate first. "What's wrong with bein' protective?"

"Nothin' but what are you gon' be like when she gets a boyfriend or whatever?"

"Oh...She's not allowed a boyfriend."

"Seriously? But what if she had what we have? Would you deny her of havin' that?" Her eyes were full of intrigue as she looked up at him.

"Damn, thas a good question. He'd have to gain my approval and ask permission first."

"You gon' be doin' security checks on every goddamn boy she brings home." She entered the house, letting him close the door behind them. Continuing to talk about the topic at hand they went downstairs, showered and changed before moving back up to the lounge room. Their eyes fixed to the screen as they watched Nicki's favourite movie. He was quite surprised that she'd given in so easily and that's when he realised she obviously had no intention to leave and she knew he would follow her. His smile slowly diminished when he heard the trashcans tumbling in the backyard.

"Babe, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, it was prolly just Missy." He lied, referring to his pitbull in the yard. "I'll go feed her now." Moving out from under her he entered the kitchen and peered out of the window. His vision was hindered by the darkness and the light reflections but not hearing Missy barking he figured it was nothing. Nevertheless he couldn't help but act on edge about weird noises. Shrugging it off he opened the backdoor and grabbed Missy's food bowl and filled it before giving it back to her.

"What was it?" She asked concernedly as she chewed on a strawberry twizzler.

"The dog, she musta knocked the lid off the trash or somethin' I'onno." Sitting back down again, she moved forward to let him back under her.

"You missed my favourite part."

"Oh, damn." He laughed at her unimpressed face but he knew her favourite part would have been some soppy love line. His mind was pulled away from the funny moment as he felt his phone vibrating. Removing it from his pocket he clenched his jaw seeing it was a message from Deshaun asking why he looked so tense tonight. Quickly bringing his head up he looked to the window, it was no use though he wouldn't have been able to see anything.

"What's wrong?" Her worried voice stopped him from looking around frantically as he lay eyes on her concerned face.

"Nothin', it's nothin'."

"You sure? 'Cause you look like you just seen a ghost."

"No I'm fine, really. I'm kyna tired though." He forced a yawn out, making her do the same.

"Me too." She carried on eating her twizzlers and lay her head on his chest before he nudged her slightly.

"C'mon, I'm not lettin' you fall asleep on here again. We're goin' to bed." She sat up and got to her feet steadily, clutching the twizzler bag to herself.

"Fine, but I'm bringin' these with me. The baby wants them."

"No, you want them Onika. Don't be tryin' to blame our baby." Smirking through his words he tapped her ass and kissed her angry face. "Baby I'm kidding, now go to bed. I'll be down in a minute." As soon as she disappeared down the stairs he dropped the pretence that everything was fine. Scrambling to each and every window as he locked and drew the curtains, double checking them all before doing the same to the doors. This shit was getting too real for his liking. Heading downstairs he stripped off and sorted himself for bed before climbing in with her. He wasn't even surprised that she was asleep already and with the twizzler packet still clutched to her chest.

The next morning he'd been doing some serious thinking whilst she was still asleep. He needed for them to be out of the house pretty soon and moving into the apartment seemed like the only choice they had left. Deshaun had no idea about that place, so he knew for a fact it would be safer there. Well, safer from him but not all the other dangers. Letting the idea tick over in his mind he felt a small hand on his shoulder.

"What're you thinkin' about Aubrey? You've been awfully quiet these last few days, is everythin' okay?"

"Yeah Mom, everythin's fine." He paused and looked down as she took a seat opposite him at the table. "Actually, there is somethin' I need to talk to you about."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"Well, it's abou-" He didn't get to finish his sentence before the phone rang on the wall behind them. "It's aight Ma I got it." Jumping up he silenced the phone as he quickly answered. "Hello?"

"Drizzy, just thought I'd let you know that you can't run away from this mess you've got yourself into." The sound of Deshaun's voice made his skin crawl, making sure his Mom had moved over to the sink he spoke again quietly.

"Look, I told you I'm tryin' to get your money. I just need some more time." He snapped through a gritted whisper, keeping his voice low.

"Yeah and I told you I want it now. You don't want me to have to start payin' you and your girl lil' visits do you?" He talked in a chillingly calm and kind tone. "Or I could even drop in and keep Nicki company whilst you're out gettin' my money? It's up to you."

"How the fuck d'you know her name?"

"I thought you of all people would know I got people everywhere. I don't miss a thing, Drizzy. I want my money."

"I'm gettin' it, just make sure you stay the fuck away from her and my family." He wiped at his mouth nervously. "And don't even think about callin' here again." Not giving him chance to respond he slammed the phone down and leant against the wall in state of pure fear. The situation was spiralling well out of his control.

"Aubrey dear? Who was on the phone?"

"Hm? Oh uhm, nobody it was just a wrong number." Fiddling with his keys momentarily he fixed a plan in his mind and moved back into the kitchen. "Look, I gotta head out for a minute. Don't wait up for me and I'll see y'all later." The sudden outburst of words only just registered with Sandi's ears as she heard the front door shut, not able to stop and question him she shook her head and continued to prepare something for Nicki and Dennis to eat when they surfaced from their beds.

***

"Thank you, that was so good." Nicki patted her stomach contently and started washing her plate in the sink. She felt bad that Sandi had cooked her breakfast, lunch and dinner but she made sure to show her appreciation.

"You don't have to thank me Nicki! As long as you're both eating what's good, my mind is at rest." She took a moment to admire her bump before looking back at her face. "Anyway, we're about to head off now but Aubrey shouldn't be too long. I thought he'd be back by now to be honest, are you okay being left alone?"

"Sure, we'll be fine." She answered whilst caressing her bump. "Go, have fun! You been runnin' 'round after us all day, you deserve a break."

"Well, my number is on the fridge so if anything happens just call me and I'll come straight back." She fumbled around with her purse before clipping Dennis on the back of the head as she walked past. "Would you turn that off?! We're going to be late." Nicki couldn't help but laugh as Dennis didn't even flinch before he stood and switched the TV off.

"This how you treat Drake?"

"No sir." She couldn't help but laugh as she spoke.

"Oh be quiet and go get in the car." Dennis did as he was told, leaving Nicki stood in the doorway as Sandi made her way out on to the steps. "You have your midwife's number don't you?"

"Yes, I have your number, I have Aubrey's number and I have my midwife's number." She laughed again. "Now go, you're gonna miss your reservation."

"Okay, okay be safe and don't be eating anything spicy." She called the last part out as she opened the passenger door and hopped in. They reversed out slowly as Nicki watched them disappear. Receiving this sort of maternal attention was really having a positive effect on her, she felt as though her own maternal instincts were being strengthened by Sandi's caring and loving nature. She wanted the best for her baby and she was sure that no matter what happened she would always try and give her the best life they possibly could.

***

"No, I need the keys tonight! Please?" Drake had been arranging to get things sorted for their apartment so that once they'd told his parents they could move in and hopefully escape the watchful eye of Deshaun. He kept panicking about not being home with Nicki but he knew his parents were still there, little did he know they'd gone out for a business dinner with some of Sandi's colleagues and Nicki was home alone.

*Sorry I took forever to post! I was gonna just give up and do it tomorrow but I decided to stick it out lol I hope this was okay for everyone and I apologise for any typos or if it seemed rushed :/ Thanks for reading ^_^ Also if you follow me on @CarleesBlogs could you please leave your @ names so I can note who my Dricki readers are and who my Onikafaree readers are? I keep getting confused with which followers read which fics lol*