I Gave It All

Claudia's POV~~

I woke up to yelling from outside. I cautiously stood up and walked to the door. I slowly opened it, revealing Jake and Austin. How did Austin get here? I stepped outside and closed the door behind me, then I cleared my throat. Jake looked at me, as did Austin.

"Claudia..." Austin whispered. I ignored him and turned my attention to Jake.

"How did he get here?" I asked.

"I followed you.." Austin said.

"Why?"

"Because... I don't know. I just had to see you." He said. I just stared at him, expressionless.

"I had to say sorry. I truly am. It's just-"

"You cheated on me, and now you're here to say SORRY!?" I fumed. "I'm 'sorry'... that's not how it fucking works, Austin!" He sighed and rubbed his face.

"Where's your cousin?" Austin asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I want to see him."

"He's probably at his house, with Ashley... unless they're out doing something." I said.

"He's not with you..? Wait..." Austin said as realization crossed his features.

"You two live together... alone?"

"Yeah..." Jake said as he walked over to me. His arm went around my waist and he kissed my cheek. Austin's eyes widened and he turned around and stormed down the stairs. I turned to Jake and gently pressed my lips to his.

"Dinner?" Jake asked.

"It's that late?" I asked.

"Yep. You slept all day."

"Well, dinner it is then."

We both walked inside and Jake set on cooking me dinner. I sat on the counter and watched him as he moved about the kitchen, grabbing pots and a pan. I watched him as he cut up the veggies and seasoned the meat. Once he was done seasoning the meat, he set it on a broiler pan and put it in the already pre-heated oven. He put the broccoli and cauliflower in a pan filled with water, and he set it on the stove, turning it on. He then started on making cheese sauce for the broccoli and cauliflower.

"Holy shit Jake." I said. He grinned at me and placed a kiss on my lips. He stood in front of me, between my legs. I put my arms around his neck and he put his hands on my hips.

"I love you, Claudia."

"I love you too Jake." I said with a smile. He gave me a soft, yet passionate kiss before turning around and checking the meat.

"What kind of meat is that?" I asked.

"Pork chops.." Jake said.

"Oh."

"They're nearly done." He said. He set some silverware on the table, then grabbed two plates out of the cupboard next to me.

"I could've done that, you know." I said.

"But, you didn't."

"You didn't ask." I said with a smile. The timer went, and Jake pulled the pork chops out of the oven, then he drained the vegetables before serving us. I got off of the counter and took the plate he offered me. I kissed him and sat down at the table. Jake sat across from me and started eating. I did as well, and boy...can Jake cook.

"Baby.. this is amazing." I said. He smiled at me.

"Glad you like it." He said.

After dinner, I cleaned everything up, then sat next to Jake on the couch. My phone started ringing, and I picked it up, looking at the caller ID. It was from an unknown number. I hesitated before answering.

"Hello?"

"Hi. May I speak to Miss Alderman, please?" A female voice asked.

"Speaking." I said.

"Great! I'm calling from the Sacramento County Prison. I called to let you know that your father requested to talk to you on the phone. Would you like to talk to him?" She asked. Why would my dad want to talk to me?

"Sure..." I said slowly.

"Alright. He'll be with you in just a moment."

"Thank you." I said. After a minute, I heard a faint 'here Jim' before I was speaking to my dad.

"Claudia.." He breathed.

"Dad?" I asked.

"I'm so fucking sorry, hun. I shouldn't have ever kidnapped you. I... I hate it here, dear." He said.

"What makes you think I would believe you?" I asked quietly. Jake had his ear pressed against my head so he could listen.

"I'm terribly sorry for all those years!! You're my daughter! Your mother... She hit you, right?"

"Yes." I whispered.

"And did I?"

"No."

"I didn't want to kidnap you. Your mother... She forced me." He said. I could hear the hurt in his voice, and I could tell he was crying.

"When I had you handcuffed... I never touched you the whole time you were there."

"What about those other girls?" I asked as a tear escaped and slid down my cheek.

"She made me get them.. because she couldn't carry them. I swear, Claudia... on my life that I never wanted to do any of that. Your mother did things to those girls.. not me." He whispered the last part, then broke down.

"I want to see my daughter!" He almost yelled while I was silent. I let out a sob

"H-how much is the bail?" I asked. I turned to look at Jake. He was looking at me like I had three noses.

"Don't believe him!" Jake said.

"Who was that?" My dad asked.

"It was no one. About the bail.... how much?" I asked.

"$20,000." My eyes widened.

"O-okay.. I'll see what i can do.. just hold tight, okay? I- I love you, dad." I said.

"Thank you, darling.. I love you too." He said with a sniffle. I pulled the phone away from my ear and I hung up. I blinked a few times before turning to Jake.

"How much was it?" Jake asked.

"$20,000..." I said.

"We can't afford that!" Jake said as he stood up. I remained seated.

"Baby, there's nothing wrong with trying!" I said.

"How are we going to get the money for that!?" Jake defended.

"I-I could get a job, and you and the guys could put some money forward! It's not that bad!" I said as I used my hands while looking at the candle on the table. My eyes shot up at Jake who had his hands on his head. My eyes started watering as I knew Jake was going to say no. I let the tears fall as Jake looked at me. His expression softened and he sat back down, taking my hand in his. He placed the other one on my shoulder blade and made me look at him. He wiped my cheeks and kissed my forehead before speaking.

"Baby, I love you... and I hate seeing you cry... it's just... that's a lot of money." He said.

"I know, Jake... and I know that he took you too.. it's just that he sounded so genuine. I had no choice but to believe him." I said with a sniffle. Jake sighed.

"I can see that you love your dad... you always have... so yeah. I'll call the guys up.. and I'll tell them everything and get them to agree. Sound good?" He asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah.. it does. Thank you Jakey." I said. He rubbed my back and planted a soft kiss on my lips.

"I love you, Jake." I said. He smiled, then his face turned serious.

"I have... just one question." He said.

"Shoot." I said as I took a drink from my unfinished wine from dinner. Jake knelt in front of me and took both of my hands in his.

"Claudia... I love you, and... I never want to leave you again. You're my world, and I couldn't imagine what it would be like without you here, in this room, with me." He said.

"Jake.." I whispered.

"I love you, Claudia... Will you marry me?" Jake asked. My eyes widened and I set my wine down before I dropped it as Jake pulled out a ring, opening the black velvet box. The ring was absolutely beautiful. I just sat there with my mouth slightly open as more tears fell.

"Claudia? Say something, baby. Please.." Jake said. I closed my mouth and opened it again before hugging Jake tightly.

"Of course I'll marry you!" I said through my tears. Jake squeezed me and then released me and put the ring on my finger. He stood pulled me up with him, kissing me passionately. I let out a sob and Jake hugged me tightly. He rubbed my back and he swayed us back and forth as I cried tears of happiness.

"I love you Jake. So much." I said.

"I love you too, Claudia." He said. I put one hand on the back of his head and I pulled away and looked at him. He wiped my tears away and i pulled him in for another kiss. Jake sat me down while he went into our bedroom. He came out with his phone in hand.

"Who are you calling?" I asked as I wiped away the rest of my tears.

"The guys. We have to tell them." He said.

"I think it would be better if they found out on their own." I said. Jake smiled.

"Of course... but I still have to tell them about your dad." He said.

"Okay." I said. I picked up the other engagement ring that was still in the box and I tried to give it to Jake. He only stuck his hand out, so I put it on for him. I kissed his cheek just as he started talking.

About twenty to thirty minutes later, Jake finished talking to all the guys.

"So?" I asked.

"They'll do it! Sammi even said she'd pitch in a little." Jake said. I smiled and gave Jake another hug.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I know." He whispered back. We pulled apart.

"I'll start looking for a job first thing tomorrow. I promise." I said. I kissed Jake and I headed to bed, not realizing just how tired I was until I layed down. Today was perfect.

Next Day~~

I woke up in Jake's tight embrace. I smiled, remembering last night's events. I looked at my left hand and admired the ring for a minute before noticing that Jake was awake and aware of what I was doing.

"Like it?" He asked. I jumped at hearing his voice, then I looked at him and smiled.

"I love it. It's beautiful."

"Just like you." He said. He smiled and kissed me before standing and leaving the room. I stood up as well and quickly made the bed before making my way into our connected bathroom we had. This apartment was not small. I didn't have a towel, however, so I left the bathroom and searched for one. I gave up and found Jake in the kitchen.

"Where are the towels at?" I asked.

"In the hall closet. It's the door at the very end of the hall." He said.

"Thanks baby." I said.

"No problem." I headed down the hall and to the closet. I opened it and grabbed one of the four black towels he had. There were pink and blue ones as well, but the black one was the first one I saw. I closed the door and walked back into our room, then into the bathroom. There was no door that I could close,, but I didn't care. I got undressed and turned the shower on, then I waited for it to heat up. Once it was hot, I got in.

After my long shower, I got dressed in a black tank top and a green flannel shirt with black skinny jeans and vans. I quickly brushed my hair and applied some eyeliner and some mascara, just something simple. I also brushed my teeth and walked out to the kitchen, noticing a note on the oven door. I walked over to it and peeled the note off, reading it.

Claudia,
I went to the studio with the guys. Be back later! I love you.
-Jake

I smiled and threw the note away, then I decided on finding a job. I grabbed Jake's laptop off the coffee table and I sat down at the dinner table. I turned the laptop on and got a glass of water while I waited for it to start up. I sat down and opened up Google chrome and thus spending the next three hours looking for a job and failing.

Jake walked through the door with a smile on his face.

"Hey..." I said as I turned around.

"Hi." He said. He planted a kiss on my lips and sat down across from me.

"Were you looking for a job all day?" He asked with a slight frown.

"Yeah... but I couldn't find anything." I said.

"No need for that." Jake said as a smile made its way back onto his face.

"How so?" I asked as I closed the lid on the computer. Jake reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wad of cash.

"Jake! How much is that!?" I asked with wide eyes.

"$20k. Everybody pitched in this morning, even Jon. I did as well. We're all here for you, babe. So we can go get your dad out of prison." Jake said. I let out a happy sigh, and a smile spread on my face. I reached over the table and gave him a hug.

"Can we go today?"

"We can go whenever you want."

"Can... can we also tell him we're engaged?" I asked.


"Definitely. He deserves to know. He's your father." Jake said. I smiled and stood up. Jake did the same and I grabbed my bag. Jake handed me the money, and I put it in a safe place, just in case something happened. We turned everything off and Jake grabbed his car keys, which also had the key to our apartment. We exited and walked hand in hand to his landlord's office. We both walked inside and Mr. Neuro was sitting at his desk, typing away on his computer.

"Uh... Dave.." Jake said.

"Yeah, Jake?"

"We're leaving for Sacramento..."

"Why?"

"We're bailing her dad out of prison." Jake said.

"Alright. Be back as soon as possible."

"We will. Goodbye."

"Bye."

We both left and walked out to the car. Jake handed me the keys and I got in the driver's seat. I started the car while Jake buckled his seatbelt. I did mine up as well and I pulled out of the complex.

About four hours later, we arrived at the Sacramento prison. I was a little nervous... because I haven't seen my dad in a long time. I was just hoping I wouldn't see my mom. Jake rubbed my shoulder, then grabbed my hand.

"It'll be okay. I'll be right there next to you." He said.

"Thanks baby." I said. Jake smiled and we got out of the car. We walked hand in hand, and I kept messing with my bag. We walked inside and we were greeted by a man in uniform.

"May I help you?" He asked.

"Uh, yes please. I'm here to bail my dad out of prison." I said.

"Ahh. I see. Follow me please."

We did as told and we followed him to an abandoned desk. He sat down behind it and picked up a pen.

"Alright. What's your name, dear." He said. Jake gave my hand a little squeeze.

"My name is Claudia Alderman." I said.

"And you're father's name?"

"Jimmy Alderman." I said. He looked through his computer files for a minute.

"Ah yes. That would be a $20,000 bail. Are you sure you want to do it? He's been filed for kidnap... and it's pretty expensive. No one has that much money these days." He said.

"I'm sure.. I've actually got the money with me right now, so." I said. He nodded and grabbed a receipt. I got the money out of my bag and I handed it to him. It didn't take very long for him to count it out.

"Perfect." He said as he filled out the receipt. He ripped it out of his book and handed it to me, which I then handed out to Jake. He put it in his wallet and a female police officer came up to us after getting called.

"You're here for a bail? Right this way." She said. Jake and I followed in silence.

"What was his name?" She asked.

"Jimmy Alderman." I said.

"Oh. Right here." She said. She opened a door and walked in, then came out with my dad. She took his handcuffs off and I released Jake's hand. I hugged him tightly as a few tears made their way down my face.

"I missed you." He whispered in my ear.

"I missed you also, dad." I said as I pulled away.

"You guys are free to go." The officer said.

"Thank you." My dad said. She just nodded and the three of us walked outside. I grabbed Jake's hand again on the way there.

"Dad... I have something to tell you." I said, "we both do."

"What's that?" He asked.

"We're engaged." Jake said, "and I know it's a little late for this, but I'm asking for your approval. May I marry your daughter?" He asked.

"Of... of course you can... when did you ask her?"

"Last night." I said. My dad looked at me and smiled, then he hugged me real tight.

"Just take care of her for me... alright?"

"Absolutely." Jake said with a smile. I kissed his cheek and all three of us got in the car. I got in the passenger seat and my dad got in the back behind Jake. He started the car and I grabbed his hand.

"Your house.. right dad?" I asked.

"Yeah... your ring is beautiful... by the way. Smart choice, Jacob." My dad said. I blushed a little.

"Thanks." Jake said.

About twenty minutes later, we arrived at my childhood home, the place I always dreaded going back to.

"Will I see you guys at Thanksgiving or Christmas?" My dad asked before he got out of the car.

"Yes... but you'll have to host those events." I said.

"I can do that. Is there a reason you can't?" He asked.

"We live in an apartment. There's not enough room for eight people." I said.

"Eight?"

"Yeah. Andy, Jinxx, CC, Ashley, Jake, me, you, and Jinxx's wife Sammi." I said.

"Oh. Alright. Well, I should let you guys go. You probably have things to do. I love you both. See you later." He said.

"I love you too, dad." I said.

"I love you too." Jake said to my dad. They shook hands and I blew my dad a kiss. He waved as we pulled away, making the four hours back to our apartment

Notes