Jess
Jess was bored, so she thought she'd go on a drem trip. Concentrating, she brought in the orbs if her family.
"Well, " she said to herself, "I haven't been in Zac's dreams n a while, and I could seriously use a good laugh about now." Humminh Zac's dream note, she called his orb to her. She glanced inside, and was surprised that the dream seemed kind of hazy and confused. Zac's dreams were usually either erotic, or really silly.
Stepping inside, she looked around. Zac was dreaming of a hospital, and at first Jess assumed it was because Taylor was in the hospital. Taking a closer look, she realized that Zac was standing in the maternity ward. He was staring through the window at the babies, and suddenly the baby he was watching, suddenly disappeared. Zac looked about franticly, and out of nowhere, Julie ran in and started screaming at him.
"This is all your fault! You great big ass! I hate you! You took my baby away! I never should have went out with you! Why did I ever sleep with you!" Dream-Julie started hitting and kicking Zac, and Zac just laid there.
Watching this became just too painful for Jess to beaer. "All right, one instant thunderstorm coming up!" She pulled in the thunder and the lighteneing, and jolted Zac awake. Leaving the dream plane, she dashed out of her room, and into Zac's, flicking on the light and sitting at the end of his bed.
"All right, Zac. Tell me, what's going on, and don't worry, I may be annoying, but I'm still your sister, and I love you. Just spill."
Zac
Zac's hair was slick with sweat, and for a good minute or so he couldn't even look at his sister.
"I got Julie pregnant," he said softly. "I mean, I knew she was pregnant, but Julie didn't think it was mine when I asked. But she moved next to Isabel Evans, who found out not only that the baby is alien - or half alien anyway - but also has a power called Stealth and... and... and I'm the only alien that Julie's slept with."
Zac rolled back on his bed.
"I spoke to Dad. I told him I'd tell Julie about being an alien. About everything. But... but... but if she can't handle it, a telepath is gonna wipe her memory, and when the baby is born they're going to trick Julie into thinking the baby has died so they can foster the child with an alien family. What kind of a monster am I?"
Jessica
Jess laid her head down on Zac's chest. They used to lie like that when they were kids, back when Zac promised to always protect her. It seemed that now he was the one that needed protecting.
"Zac, everything's going to be okay. I mean it. I know that this all seems crazy scary, but I know you. I know you better than anybody, because I'm your sister and that's my job. Tay & Ike, they love you, but they don't know you. Not the way I do. Whatever happens, you will be strong, and I know that you don't want to hurt anybody. I also know that you think you deserve this, but you don't. Zac, this was an accident, granted, a stupid one, but we'll make it through this, all of us together, like we always have. And if you wind up raising the kid, I'll even change diapers." Jess kissed Zac's cheek.
"I love you, you big dorkhead. Even when you hit on my friends and act like a jerk. 'Cause that's what brother's are for."
Zac
Zac laughed and started playing with her hair.
"Big dorkhead," he repeated. "Well, thanks Jess. I appreciate it."
He paused.
"Me raise the baby?" he considered. "Well... I suppose... I mean... I guess I... If Julie can't and someone else... or even then... Jess?"
Jessica
"Not only can you, but you will. I mean, come on, this kid's destined to be a Hanson. If Julie's family can't handle him, we sure as heck can. Zac, trust me, everything's going to be okay. You're family will always be there for you." Jess giggled.
"I mean, if we haven't given up on you after all the other stupid stuff you've done, why would we over something this small?" SHe teased.
Zac
Zac chuckled.
"Yeah, but Jess," he said. "Do you have any idea what this means? Whether Julie keeps the baby or not, I'm going to be a Dad!"
Jess
Jessie faked a shudder. "Oh dear lord, please save us all. Nah, we'll just make sure that little Zac is absolutely nothing like you." Jess winked. "No, think about it, how cool is this? I'm gonna be an aunt! The scary thing is, however, that Zoe's gonna be an aunt. But no matter, this will be so great. You just gotta see the bright side." Jess grinned, she knew that with all their problems, Zac would always trust he. They may have not been the closest in age, but when they were little, she and Zac speant all their time together. In fact, her earliest memory was when some bully was tasing her, and Zac hit him, and then took her hand, and brought her home, and then held her until she stopped crying.
"hey Zac, do you remember that day, I guess I was about 3 or 4, but there was a bully, and he called me some mean names, and then pushed me? Do you remember that?"
Zac
"You remember that?" Zac asked, surprised. "That's only a vague recollection on my behalf."
He put his arm around her as he sat up on the bed.
"Hey, Jess? Thanks. It really means a lot to me to know that you care. I just hope that things with Julie are gonna work out. Izzy felt it neccesary to e-mail with a list of things that Julie has either complain about or Isabel knows that's been happening that Julie hasn't been talking about. I had no idea her parents were like that. They always seemed like nice people."
Zac sighed.
"One thing's for sure, I'm going to have to end things with Caitlin, Laura and Hannah. Probably safer for me that way. Hannah's brother can't stand the sight of me and I'm sure he's out to beat me up on any premise he can find."
Jess
"Zac, even if making you an honest boyfriend is the only thing that comes out of this, it's still a blessing. I always knew you'd get over it eventually. Besides, you deserve a real relationship; One that's about love and respect, not just sex. Don't you get that?"
Zac
Zac shook his head.
"Naw, I don't deserve anything of the kind, Jess. I'm a jerk - a dorkhead - and I know it. This may be the only kid I'll ever be lucky enough to have."
Jess
"Zac, your cheating is the only bad thing about you, don't you see that? And that's only because you have some notion that you don't deserve to be happy. You do. We all do, even though it's unbelievably hard, and I often doubt that I'll ever be. Zac, somebody in our family deserves to have things work out well for them, is there any good reason it shouldn't be you?"
Zac
"I'm sorry, you're wrong," Zac replied. "My life is screwed up and over, and no decent woman in her right mind would want anything to do with me. It just how it is."
Jessica
"Rachel would. If you were truly done with cheating, and you made an effort to treat her right, she'd really like a relationship with you. But she's been hurt too much, she fought a war, which would be hard for anybody, but for a teenaged girl? SHe needs somebody like you. Like you are with me, not like you are with all your girlfriends. Zac, remember, I know you better than anybody, and I think you can be a great guy, a great boyfriend, and a great father. And someday, a great husband. I have faith in you Zac." She paused. "Do you remember -- obviously I don't, I only know the story mom always tells, but do you remember when I was born? Mom always said that Tay & Ike doted on me, but when she put me in your arms, you held on tight. What was it you said, in that 3-year-old's voice?"
Zac
" 'Why couldn't you be a boy?' " Zac suggested. " 'Look! New toy!'? I don't remember... how about... 'This is my baby sister, not yours'? Until the band started Ike and Tay kinda didn't include me in stuff, so I was really glad when you were born because it meant I would have someone to hang around. I wanted you all to myself"
He paused, a grin on his face.
"I did want you to be a boy. I thought a boy would be heaps more fun than a girl."
Then he gave Jess a long look.
"But what makes you think I'm even interested in Rach like that?" he asked. "I mean, yeah, she's fun to hang around and stuff, but date her? I don't know about that. And anyway, I'd rather get things sorted with Julie before I start thinking about other women."
Jess
"I know you're not ready for a relationship, Tigger, but I just want you to know that someday, you will have a normal loving relationship. Trust me, I know these things, okay?" Jess said, using the nicknames they hadn't used in years. When they were little, Zac had been "Tigger," and Jess had been "Roo," and now Jess felt herself calling him Tigger without even realizing it.
"Anyways, Bubba, you need sleep, and I will take it upon mysekf to make sure you get a good nights sleep." She cuddled with her big brother, just feeling good that he was there. "Now go to sleep!"
Zac
"Aww, thanks," Zac laughed. "Talk to you in the morning then. Don't hurt yourself going up those two flights of stairs."
Jess
"Dude, I'm sleeping right here, silly. Too comfy." Just go to bed, I promise you won't have any bad dreams with me here." Jess waited at the foot of Zac's bed until he fell asleep, and the crawled up to his top bunk, and called his dream orb to her. Looking inside, he made sure everything was all daffodils and kittenfish. When that was done, she alowed herself to fall asleep, surrounded by the boiuncing, dancing globes of light.