Layne's heart wouldn't stop racing. He couldn't sit still. He kept getting up from the couch in the living room to walk over to the window and see if anyone was out on their driveway.

Briana couldn't help but to be amused. She'd be more worried if it wasn't for the fact that she was pregnant. During her first trimester, she was an anxious mess. But now that it's almost over? She seemed to have no worry in the world. Her logic was, if she can handle having a baby and raising a kid, she can do ANYTHING.

Because that's the scariest job there is.

"Where the hell is he?!" Layne shrieked. He bolted back up from the couch to stare out the window.

A laugh escaped his pregnant girlfriend. "You know what you remind me of?" She choked back another laugh when he just turned to shoot her a look of annoyance. "You remind me of one of those jack russell terriers. You know, those little dogs? They always jump around like that."

Layne furrowed his brow, further annoyed. "My DAD is about to show up, Bre."

"Okay? So?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Stay calm. He's probably five zillion times more freaked out than you are right now."

An anxious sigh hissed out from him. He kept those blue eyes glaring out of the window. "We haven't seen each other since 2001... The last time we saw each other, it wasn't too good... A huge argument went down..." he licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with intensity. "About fucking dope..."

"Okay. Well, it's 2004 now. You're older, he's older—"

"He's still getting fucking high," Layne interrupted her in a deep, angry growl.

"He's NOT here for a hook up, Layne," she reminded him. She tilted her head at him, eyeing him as his face seemed to smooth over after her comment. "He's here because he wants to see his son and his girlfriend. And be there to meet his granddaughter."

Layne's mouth opened to try to form words. But before he could even let out a peep, knocking commenced loudly on their front door. Layne's eyes grew to the size of saucers. He turned to the door, but he couldn't seem to get himself to move. He was frozen in place.

Briana couldn't stop herself from laughing at his ridiculousness. She slowly got herself up from the couch and waddled to the door. When she slid the door open, her heart dropped.

Layne really was the spitting image of his father. They looked almost exactly alike, aside from the fact that his father had aged 20+ years older than him.  They had the same nose, the same eyes, the same tall build...

She immediately leaned in and hugged the man.

"Oh my god, you are so GORGEOUS!" Phil exclaimed once he pulled away from her. His eyes slid down to her belly, them growing big. "And you're about to POP, holy COW!"

Briana laughed as she rested a hand against her stomach. "It's nice to finally meet you, Phil..."

He smirked. He had the exact same sloppy grin that Layne did. It was almost uncanny.

Briana slid the door wide open and gestured her arms inside. "Well, come on in!" She boomed. She couldn't hide her grin of amusement when she realized Layne had vanished from the living room. "We have some coffee in the kitchen. Would you like a cup?"

Phil nodded his head. "Yeah, I'd like that!"

He sat down once Briana finally handed him the mug of coffee. It was awkward for only a little while, when Layne decided to finally slide back into the living room from the spare bedroom. His eyes were watery when they rested on his father.

Phil immediately jumped up from the couch and pulled Layne into a tight hug. "Oh my god, Layne," he squeaked out. He pulled back, analyzing how much his son had changed. "You look so GOOD. So healthy..."

Layne forced a nervous laugh. "Thanks, dad..."

It was quiet again for a while. Layne took a seat next to Briana on the couch opposite to Phil's. He couldn't get himself to look at his dad in the eyes. He didn't want to know if he was jonzing or sick. He just didn't want to see it. He knew he'd be able to if he caught that self hatred glimmering from them.

Phil exhaled a shaky breath. He knew he couldn't just pretend like nothing had happened between the two of them.  He could tell his son was nervous and hesitant.  He had to open up for once...

The older man fell back in the couch and rubbed his temples. "Layne..." he sounded out. He didn't even dare to look over at his son. "Layne...I'm sorry..."

The vocalist tilted his head in confusion. He didn't know what his father was referring to. "What for...?"

"For..." he sighed again. He made himself peer back at Layne. And due to it, Layne had to really look at him. Phil really did have that look of self hatred plastered all over him. It made Layne want to curl up and cry from the guilt of seeing it all. "I'm sorry for fucking everything..."

Layne and Briana said nothing. They kept their attention solely on him.

Those big, blue eyes of his began to tear up.  You could tell the older man was guilt-ridden.  Maybe even more so than his own son...  "I'm sorry about Demri."  He seemed to flinch when he saw Layne's face twist uncomfortably.  "I know you probably don't even want to hear her name, but I'm sorry...  I'm sorry for the dope.  For teaching you how to do it.  It was disgusting that I did that.  It doesn't even matter if I was sick from addiction or not.  Nothing excuses what I did..."  He bit his lip, having to keep his eyes focused on his hands.  He couldn't look his son in the face.  He was ashamed of himself.  "I should've been there for you.  I should've helped you stay OFF the shit, instead of enabling you...and using you..."

Layne's eyes widened in shock.  He didn't even know what to say.  He clenched Briana's hand, trying his best not to cry.  The tears began to fall, anyways.  He just couldn't believe that his father was actually being honest for once.

Maybe he really is working on making a change...

"I feel so guilty for the way I left you last time," Phil admitted.  Tears started to roll down his cheek when he glanced up to see that Layne was crying.  "You were so sick...  you looked so bad...  you were so skinny, you just...you were so bad..." His voice was weak.  He was having a hard time expressing himself due to the fact that he was now sobbing.  "I just can't believe I did that to my own fucking son..." he whimpered out.  His head fell into his hands, his thin body shaking.  "I feel so much guilt.  It's why I continued to get high.  I kept using my own SON as an excuse to fucking do dope.  It's...I'm so..."  He shook his head when he looked back up at Layne.  "I'm so disgusting..."

Phil broke down bawling.  His weak body curled in on itself, just shaking, trembling from the overwhelming emotions that flowed out of him.  He only took enough H so he wouldn't be sick...  he wasn't used to feeling this much emotion.  He had kept it repressed for years, but now that he finally was with his son again, it just exploded out of him.

He glanced back up to see that Layne was seated right next to him on the couch.  His strong arms were wrapped tight around him.  He was crying right along with him.

"You look fucking amazing, Layne," Phil went on.  His eyes met his again.  "I don't think I've ever seen you look this good before.  You really look like you've finally recovered from this crap...  it's inspiring..."

Layne smiled softly as he rubbed his father's back.  "Maybe seeing me and our baby will motivate you, huh?"  He smiled wider when he watched his dad nod his head.  He couldn't help but to speak his mind when his father calmed down a little.  "I was honestly expecting you to show up nodding like crazy.  I was worried that I would have to get you to leave."

Phil leaned back in the couch and sighed.  "I wouldn't do that, son."  He eyed Briana, forcing a weak smile at her.  "Not around your beautiful woman...  not around your child..."  He reached up and wiped the wetness from his face with the sleeve of his sweater.  "God, I'm so happy for you.  You're going to be an amazing father..."

Layne shot him a look of doubt.  "I hope so..."

He couldn't help but to worry that he was going to end up like Phil.  Because, in the back of his mind, he knew the need to use was always going to be there.  He knew there was always a chance that he could end up relapsing all over again.

And that terrified him...

Still, they moved on from apologizing.  Layne got him to try to play super Mario brothers with him.  It was hysterical because his father was so bad—it was like the minute Layne handed him the controller, he died.

Briana just laughed and watched in awe.  She was shocked that they seemed to have bonded so well, despite their past.

Apart of her wished she could do the same with her own father...