the prodigal's son.

He went inside and saw Otto sitting on the sofa, eating a tub of Ben & Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie.

Her eyes didn't leave the screen.

"So, prodigal's son has graced me with his presence." She said her voice laced with sarcasm.

"I'm so sorry, I can ex--"

"You stink, go take a shower." She said, her eyes still trained on the screen that was playing Harry Potter.

JJ nodded, even if she wasn't shouting she was being extremely passive aggressive which was almost worse. He really had a valid explanation but Otto didn't seem in the mood for valid explanations.

He scrubbed all the muck off himself, the water falling from his body a gross brown colour. His cuts stung, none of them were bad, just surface level but they still hurt.

JJ got out of the shower and got dressed, walking out if the room they shared with his clothes he put the in the washing basket.

It was getting full, and he really needed to get in Otto's good graces so he decided to do it.

The washing machine at both the Chateau and his house had about three buttons, this had about three thousand. Above the washing machine were bottles of things. He didn't really want to spend the small amount of money on fabric softener and detergent so he didn't really know how they worked.

While he was in the shower he put his phone on charge, going back into the room he pulled it off and googled how to use the washing machine.

Eventually he figured it out, he even got it right.

With his tail between his legs he walked back into the living room, finally Otto looked at him.

"You going to explain yourself or what?" She said before shovelling a spoonful of icecream in her face.

Slightly relieved she wanted an explanation so soon he sat down on the other side of the sofa and explained.

Her face didn't once move, she was back to neutral. But once he finished she nodded, pursing her lips into a thin line.

"That is a pretty got explanation."

"Jesus, I thought you were going to go back to hating me."

"I have gone back to hating you, just because you've got a good explanation doesn't mean I don't hate you."

She watched JJ's face fall and she realised she hadn't really used any obvious sarcasm as she was pretending to be neutral.

"Joke! That was a joke. It was sarcasm."

"That is so not funny, I was about to cry."

"I wasn't really mad, it was nice to have few days to myself." Lie. That was a lie, she hated being alone again, it was far too quiet.

No to mention she couldn't fall asleep quickly.

"Should I go then?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, seeing how far he could push it.

"Do what you want, J."

"Okay Tillie, I'll see you later." He got up and headed toward the door, he grabbed the handle and began to push it down.

"Stop. Fine. Imissedyou." If was barely audible, but JJ knew what she said.

He turned on his heels, "Missed me?"

"Don't get cocky or I really won't miss you."

He raised his hands and walked over to the sofa, this time not sitting on the other side but right next to her.

"Please tell me you didn't break the washing machine, I will shovel one of your eyes out with a spoon."

"Nah. I googled it, if it was going to explode it would have by now."

"You know what, they doesn't really fill me with hope."

"Figured if you cook, I can clean."

"That sounds very fair. I like that deal. You can't take it back through, you are stuck with it for life."

"Suddenly I'm feeling like the deal is not fair and I have made a mistake."

"You have. But we all make mistakes."

"Even you?"

"I am currently pregnant at seventeen, your your baby."

"You wound me."

"So you're saying this was the plan all along?"

"Okay, when you put it like that."

"Yeah. Good job, buddy." Otto patted him on the leg condescendingly.

That day they enjoyed each other's company, they didn't really talk, the TV was on and Otto was far too engrossed in Grey's Anatomy reruns to have an intellectual conversation.

When she began to cook JJ sat at the counter, "When did you learn how to cook?" He asked.

"I'm actually not a good cook, you're just a really bad one. I say that without judgement considering I don't think you ever had access to the ability to cook, or someone to learn from."

"That is a very valid point, can you teach me how to cook?"

"What happened to the deal?"

"I say this without judgement, you're not going to be up and cooking in a little while."

"That is a very valid point. I'll give you the basics. The first point is, whatever the circumstances, do not put water on an oil fire. That will be a fucking disaster and will either kill us or severely maim us."

"Duly noted."

"Also, there's a rule that you're meant to have like five different vegetables every day but I really cannot be bothered to do that, so I just aim for three and hope for the best."

She continued on, she decided to cook fajitas as it was very hard to screw up.

The only way he went wrong distracting Otto and making her almost cut her finger off.

But that was easily (for the most part) fixable with a plaster, then another plaster because it bled through the first one.

It took twice as long as normal but JJ did all the work and it tasted good.

"Congratulations, you can now cook a meal that doesn't involve paying someone else to make it or microwaves. You should be proud of yourself." She wasn't actually being sarcastic, he'd done well.

Over the next few days they just hung out with eachofher, they'd get texts from the group telling them there was no updates and the smugglers/kidnappers/probable murderers.

She taught him a few more meals, ones for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

He picked it all up fast, he was actually eventually going to be a decent cook.

Although Otto refused to change the deal, she really had the long end of the stick. Even if she sat down most of the time because her back kept hurting, but when it seemed to get better and she got up to help it'd hurt again.

The day after JJ had returned from his little expedition Otto had another appointment, they hadn't gone over to the Chateau for over a week so they decided to head over after the appointment.

They, as usual, ignored the glares and talked about more things that happened during the gold hunt.

She was pretty annoyed she wasn't there, but then again she wouldn't have been involved anyway considering she didn't even know the group.

Her name was called and she began walking over to the room, her back hurting.

Then she pissed herself.

Except what she and JJ thought was piss was in fact not piss.

The doctor they had since the first doctor turned out to be a raging bitch reached a hand out. "Let's get you to the hospital."

Someone came with a wheel chair and Otto figured out she probably was meant to sit in it.

Otto was in shock, she thought the pain that came and went in her back was because she had a baby essentially ducktapped to her front. Now she realised it probably wasn't that, especially as it kept continuing to get worse and worse over the day and that morning. And the fact they were getting worse quite quickly.

She was in denial about it, just like she was in denial about being pregnant in the first place. And just like she didn't tell JJ she was pregnant for a long time, she had neglected to tell him her back felt like it was breaking like Bella's in Twilight.

They wheeled her off, JJ was meant to follow.

Meant being the important word. But he didn't.

He couldn't get his feet to move, and when the did move he walked down the corridor they took Otto to and stood against the wall.

He couldn't do this. He didn't want to do this. He couldn't be a parent. He had no fucking clue how to be a parent, he was bound to fuck it up and screw the babies life up.

Otto deserved so much better than him. She deserved someone smart, and someone who wasn't a complete fuck up, that missed school and spent a majority of his life perpetually high. She deserved someone with a good upbringing, and who could be a real, proper parent.

He needed to leave. He couldn't go back to the flat, have Laura see him and ask questions as to why he was grabbing all his stuff. He needed to go back to the Chateau, he had left some things he didn't need but considering he was desperate he'd take anything. He just needed to collect enough stuff to last him a few days. His eighteen birthday was a few weeks away, he could find a job, he was really good at that. But he needed to go somewhere no one could track him down, so he couldn't stay in North Carolina. Maybe he could move to the East Coast? But staying in the United States was a bad idea, but for then it would do, he'd save up some money and move somewhere further. Canada? That might’ve be too close, as was Mexico. He only knew English so that ruled out a few countries, England was pretty far away. So was Australia. They'd be a pretty safe bet, England was a little a depressing and wasn't known for its beaches. Australia, however was renowned for its beaches and good weather. He could live in Australia. Move to a place no one really lived, ca--

Then he was snapped out of his dazed escape plan, a nurse shook his shoulder.

"Are you the father?" She asked, it took his brain a second to think. This was his last chance to leave.

He couldn't leave. He promised her he wouldn't leave. He promised her that he'd try his best.

His brain could think about how to speak so he just nodded, the nurse walked him through the halls and then left his at a door.

After taking a deep breath he pushed it open, he looked at Otto.

Not surprisingly she looked like she was in a lot of pain, she was sitting on the side of the bed, facing toward the door. She didn't look up at the sound of the door.

Otto thought he left. Afted the first few minutes she thought he got lost, the place was a bit of a maze so it was understandable. Then after ten minutes she thought he got really, really lost.

He was in his daze for half an hour.

And by that time she was convinced he left, she wasn't mad, she was in far too much pain to be mad. Although she was crying, it was a mix of pain, being scared and sadness.

He walked over to her and pushed a few hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail back, "I'm sorry, I'm here now." He wasn't really sure what to say to even slightly make the fact he took half an hour to get to her better.

When she heard his voice she looked up at him, tears clouding her vision.

She moved her hands and wrapped them around his waist, as she did that a nurse slide a chair behind him so he could sit down and they'd be at eye level.

After a few seconds of her seemingly fine her hands squeezing his shirt, he couldn't see it because her head was buried in his shoulder but her eyes squeezed shut.

He assumed it was pain all the time. He probably should've googled it.

He always assumed wrong.

One of the doctors that came in an hour later said it was too late for an epidural. JJ had absolutely no clue what it was, he only knew that Otto had mentioned she wanted one. She was very clear that she wanted one.

JJ may have snapped, just a little, he also may have yelled at the doctor to give it to her. They also might have threatend to call security and throw him out. Otto didn't seem to notice the chaos that was happening around her, she was busy crying.

She had begun to hold his hand a little while ago, he had assumed she'd squeeze the shit out of it.

But she didn't, she just held it. Like she needed to know he was still there.

Every second felt like a month and every hour felt like a year.

Otto was in agony. She was pretty sure she was dying. Being in this much pain is not compatible with survival.

It was all so quick, it went from pain she could handle, to her water breaking, to pain she really couldn't handle.

Contrary to his assumptions Otto did hear the yelling, and the threat of security. She'd find it cute if she didn't feel like she was dying.

JJ's heart broke when she asked him to make it stop.

Then she began to push, she went from crying to absolute silence. She wanted the baby out as fast as possible, and it didn't take long.

There was a scream.

And then a baby was put on Otto's chest.

Neither of the new parents moved, they just stared at the baby like it was an alien creature invaiding Earth. Then Otto began to cry, again. She was so terrified she wouldn't love the baby, but when she saw it those fears went away.

She didn't let go of JJ's hand but she used the other one to touch the baby.

It was a boy.

JJ was in complete shock, his eyes switched between the baby and Otto. Making sure both of them were okay.

When the took the baby away to check it Otto looked at him, "You okay?" She asked him with a smile. He kissed her hand, "I'm just in shock. Are you okay?" He reversed the question. "I'm never having another baby. That fucking sucked." He smiled at her, "Okay."

After they deemed the baby healthy they moved toward JJ and tried handing him the baby, he let go of Otto's hand to take it but then he stopped. He had no clue how to hold a baby. He had never held a baby. He hadn't really ever been around a baby.

"I don't know how to hold a baby." He mumbled, the nurse, who looked a little worried she was handing a baby over to two teenagers, one of which didn't know how to hold a baby.

She explained and finally handed the baby over, when he had the baby boy in his hands he looked up at the nurse with concern. "Am I doing it right? I don't feel like this is right."

Otto smirked as the nurse told him it was fine.

When he walked over to the chair next to Otto he looked down at the baby almost suspiciously.

It was warm, weirdly warm. It squirmed and made weird noises. But after a while of staring at the baby he realised he'd move mountains for it. Just like Otto he was worried he wouldn't love the baby, but they were both wrong.

So very wrong.

After holding the baby for a while he handed it back to Otto, she had stopped crying and was grinning. Over the next few hours they didn't pay attention to anything but the baby and each other. It was like nothing else mattered.

Suddenly she smirked at JJ, "I was right, it's a boy, you owe me a tenner."

"I would give you a tenner if I had a tenner to my name."

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