This is Not E! News @tobybergen - Tumblr Blog

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ericatravers

Yeah? You want to be my groupie?

tobybergen

Absofuckinglutely. I'll head your fanclub and make tshirts and everything.

ericatravers

Work went well today, I didn’t even get sick…until after the broadcast.

tobybergen

Rock star status.

baileyethan

Not all of us have a beautiful girlfriend waiting for us at home, okay?

tobybergen

Maybe if you weren't such a dou--

I don't know what to tell you, man.

baileyethan

We should talk about how attractive all the ladies, here at ACN, are.

Damn.

tobybergen

What is wrong with you?

jonathanbyers-deactivated201801

fyzacharylevi

ericatravers

Surprises All Around

ericatravers

Erica bit her lip and offered a small smile to Rifka and Abraham but it dissipated quickly as Toby spoke and walked towards the front door. She cleared her throat and looked at his parents apologetically, “I’ll be right back,” she said softly before she took a few hurried steps to follow after him.

"Toby, wait," she said softly, catching up with him as he was pulling on his coat and hat. She reached for his scarf and, without meeting his gaze put it around him carefully and dropped her voice so only he could hear, "I’m really sorry," she said sincerely. "I didn’t mean to…" she broke off and lifted her brows before she finally looked up at him, she tugged gently on the ends of his scarf and nodded, resolutely, "What I mean to say is, I do love you and I’ll be better."

tobybergen

Toby scuffed his feet and threw on his boots. He slid arms into a coat, checking pockets for a wallet, keys; though he really was planning on wandering around aimlessly. He just needed a minute. Just one minute to breathe. Take in everything that happened and accept that it had, in fact, happened. That he couldn't change it. That this was his life now, dealing with parents that knew he'd gotten a woman pregnant without them meeting her first, without marrying her--and oh god, being the ass he was after they'd slept together....he shuddered under his layers and stopped as Erica spoke, looking up from his snow stained shoes when she was at his side. Cheek tugged into a slight smile and he moved to kiss her forehead, inhaling what had weeks before become his favorite scent. "Will you just keep an eye on them for me? I'll be back in minute."

#THIS IS THE WORST THING IVE EVER WRITTEN #b

How Ya Feelin' Tom?

His family was in town and to say that Toby needed out of the house was a massive understatement. He suddenly felt like the little sixteen year old boy that was desperate to impress them but at the same time also find who he was on his own. It was an impossible place to be and Toby hadn't felt this uncomfortable in years. He'd found multiple excuses to leave the house, where before he'd have happily spent as much time with them as possible, telling old stories and laughing about things that no one else found funny. He hated the place they found themselves in now.

When Erica had been in the hospital, she'd found time to split between Eddie and Tom's rooms. When they'd gotten the call that Tom had woken it was like watching a huge weight off her shoulders.

Toby figured a proper introduction was due between the two, and honestly, just wanted to make sure he was really okay for himself. So food in hand--though halfway on his way there Toby realized Tom may not have been able to eat anything yet...he didn't really know how it all worked--Toby hailed a cab and headed over.

He smiled at the nurses that greeted him and he walked over with a cautious pace to the hospital room, sitting himself in the chair but too afraid to say anything.

ericatravers

Surprises All Around

ericatravers

Erica listened to Abraham’s polite response but wouldn’t meet Rifka’s gaze. Instead she glanced over at Toby who hadn’t said a word yet. Her mind raced and she tried to back track how this had all spiraled out of control so quickly. ”No, it’s…it’s fine. I do understand,” she said, her voice laced with defeat.

She sat back down on the couch and buried her face in her hands. She felt as though she were intruding on a personal moment of a family that she wasn’t quite a part of, that within thirty minutes she’d somehow also made numerous mistakes with. What sort of mistakes would she make with her own family? Breathing seemed a bit hard all of a sudden.

tobybergen

"Oh, cookie." His mothers expression softened as Erica hid herself from them behind her hands. She walked to where Erica sat, still not able to look at Toby, and sat next to her, a hand on Erica's back. "Don't be upset. We're just...we're still..." Rifka smiled up at Abraham, who was now standing, mouth in a tight line and hand on his head, on Erica's side. "You're carrying our grandchild." She widened her smile and waved Abraham over to take his hand. "That makes you family--and I just can't stand seeing someone upset."

"She really can't." Abraham nodded.

Toby felt useless, standing there, though he'd manage to turn when his parents moved. Each word they said causing an intense pain, guilt. He should have called them more. Kept them in the loop. His job. Her. Why didn't he tell them these things? What was wrong with him? He'd been so close to his parents. Had this move really changed him that much.

"I'll uh...be right back...I think we're low on milk." He finally muttered and went in search of his hat.

ericatravers

Surprises All Around

ericatravers

Erica bit her lip and was about to say something else to Toby when a lot of things she didn’t quite understand started happening. Toby started to stand and then his mother was standing there with her prenatal vitamins and she suddenly wished that she were back in the closet. She bit her lip and covered her face with her hands for a moment, taking a deep breath.

No, this was certainly not the first impression she wanted to make on his parents. She tried to take a deep breath, but instead she just felt sick to her stomach. It wasn’t like her morning sickness, she just felt a great deal of mortification and wished, more than anything, that she could just bury her head in the sand.

But she knew she couldn’t do that. Standing up, she stood next to Toby and looked his mother in the eye, despite her urge to hide behind him. “Yes. We’re pregnant,” she confirmed, her voice low but strong. “And, while I realize this isn’t the most ideal situation, and that it’s most likely not what you would have wanted for your son - I want you to know that I’ve never loved anyone more than I love Toby except maybe the baby - so I think that means we’re going to be okay.” She bit her lip, feeling her cheeks grow warm. In less than fifteen minutes she’d been barely dressed in front of his parents and then it had been revealed that she was the harlot that got pregnant within the short time he’d been in New York.

tobybergen

He could see the horror on her face and feel his fathers eyes boring into his back; he wanted to say something, anything, but the shock was too much and he couldn't move. Toby could hardly breathe. He wanted to disappear.

This is a bad dream. This is all just a bad dream. You're going to wake up in bed and go get your parents from the airport. You'll text Erica. She'll open the door clothed and hide all signs of pregnancy.

His mother and father were muttering something under their breaths and it wasn't until Erica spoke up that Toby realized that he was, in fact, not dreaming. This was real. His parents knew that he'd gotten a woman pregnant, hid it from them, and now she was telling them how much she loved their son. This was the day he died. A gunman wouldn't be the death of them, his parents would be.

"Toby...Toby..." It wasn't that they were mad or disappointed, upset more than anything else. This was their son. They'd had such high hopes for him. A baby, with a woman he hardly knew, that they'd hardly met, this would complicate things. All his dreams. Everything he'd ever wanted. A baby changed everything. To be a good parent you had to give up everything. Was Toby ready to do that? Was this Erica ready to give up her pretty little figure and and her nice hair to care for a child?

"I'm sure everything you're saying is true." Abraham spoke while Rifka hid her face in the palm of her hand, "And you seem like a lovely girl, but you have to understand. We only just heard about you. Just met you..."

"Abraham, stop." Rifka warned and shook her head, smiling at the woman who had stood up to them and looking down at the vitamins, she started to say something but found she didn't have the words; couldn't even fathom looking at her son right now.

ericatravers

Surprises All Around

ericatravers

Erica felt herself relax slightly at her words and nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “That sounds perfect,” she agreed, running her fingers through her hair out of anxious habit and joining Toby’s mother to walk back downstairs. Swallowing thickly, she pushed down her embarrassment as they walked into the living room and cleared her throat. She approached both men and looked at Toby’s father. “I’m sorry about that, and I’m hoping we can start over. I’m Erica,” she greeted him with a smile before turning her attention to Toby.

She looked at her boyfriend apologetically and slipped onto the couch next to him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered softly. “I did miss you this afternoon though,” she knew it was a little silly, since she’d seen him earlier that day at the office when she’d popped in for a visit, but it was true just the same. She leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and met his gaze.

tobybergen

Toby smiled as he saw them both appear, in one piece, and let out a sigh of relief, winking to his father as he made himself comfortable in the nook of the couch. "Don't worry about it, cookie." His father threw a smile in her direction as Erica sat herself down next to Toby and Rifka ventured off into the kitchen alone, "I'm Abraham. That's Rifka, it's a pleasure to finally meet you young lady." Rifka bustled through the cabinets, figuring the little meet and greet they had upstairs was enough introduction. Toby gave Erica a light nudge at her apology and allowed a small smile but found himself too afraid to reply or speak around his parents in case he were to let something accidentally split. They'd had enough awkward moments for the day, he'd leave the talking for tomorrow.

Toby rubbed a comforting hand on Erica's knee, wanting desperately to ask how she was feeling, apologize for not texting when they'd arrived, but a hand and small contact was the most he could handle and he hoped she understood that.

"Feh!" Toby furrowed a brow and perked attention to his mother in the kitchen.

"Ri?" His father leaned forward in his seat.

"Oy vey iz mir..." With her continuous words Toby and his father found themselves simultaneously rising from their seats.

"Mom? What's wrong."

"Dumkopf, you got her pregnant?" She walked out with a pill of prenatal vitamins in hand and Toby was honestly surprised he didn't pass out right then and there.

ericatravers

Surprises All Around

ericatravers

Erica heard the tapping on the closet door and then the woman’s voice and she quickly scrambled to find a pair of jeans, tugging them on under Toby’s shirt before taking a deep breath and opening the door. She couldn’t bring herself to meet the other woman’s gaze and so instead she looked down at her feet and, before she could stop herself, she was babbling.

"I - I just want you to know that I don’t normally…I didn’t know that you were coming." She knew Toby wouldn’t have purposefully blindsided her with this, but the majority of the day before, she’d been feeling sick and spent most of the time they were together trying to rest and make the nausea subside. "Not that that’s an excuse for what…I mean…I -" she broke off and covered her face with her hands and tried to take a deep breath.

"If I’d known you were coming, I would have obviously cleaned, and made dinner - and worn an appropriate amount of clothes." She finally looked up and met her eyes, "I’m very sorry for all of this. That wasn’t the first impression I wanted to make on my boyfriend’s parents."

tobybergen

Rifka grinned with an eyebrow raised and gave a wave of the hand at Erica's words, taking notice of one specific word. She'd called Toby her boyfriend. Rifka had met a couple of Toby's girls before but she couldn't imagine any of them introducing themselves as a girlfriend. They were actresses, or waitresses, or students or huge fans of her sons work--and Rifka didn't approve of any of them, no matter how much they dressed up or cleaned or cooked. "Don't sweat it, bubele. You're a mentsh." She smiled and finally allowed herself to look at the thrown on outfit the blonde had put together, hoping to gain eye contact, but she wasn't quite ready to push. Toby? She'd push Toby, but she pushed Toby out for fourteen long hours and let him ruin her yayas when breastfeeding. She'd push him right off a cliff if need-be, but she'd only just met Erica and she didn't want to make the girl more uncomfortable then she already was. "How bout you and I go whip something up in the kitchen for our boys and I can start telling you all the embarrassing stories about Toby from when he was a little shlemiel?"

ericatravers

Surprises All Around

ericatravers

Erica heard the key turning in the lock and ran her fingers through her hair, tousling it slightly. She walked towards the foyer, barefoot and in nothing but his shirt that fell on her mid-thigh as the door slowly pushed open. “I’m so glad you’re home, I missed y—” she stopped in her tracks as she immediately noticed that Toby wasn’t alone.

Her eyes went wide as she realized that they weren’t alone and she considered what she was - or wasn’t - wearing. As if that weren’t enough, as the cold air from the open door filtered inside and hit her bare skin, she couldn’t ignore the obvious resemblance between the older couple standing in the entry and her boyfriend.

His parents.

She was standing in front of his parents for the first time, and it was quite evident to everyone in the room what her plans for the evening had most likely been. She wanted the earth to swallow her up. This wasn’t how she’d pictured meeting his parents - in her head, their home would have been spotless, she would have prepared a nice dinner - she would have been wearing more clothes.

Her face grew hot from embarrassment and after a second - that felt like an eternity, she met Toby’s eyes and then looked down. “I’m sorry, I…excuse me,” she said quickly and before another word could be spoken, she was on her way upstairs to their bedroom.

She wandered into the walk-in closet, with every intention of finding something to wear, but as mortification settled in, she shut the door of the closet behind her and wondered briefly if she just hid in there for the rest of the night if it would miraculously fix everything.

Having never had a good relationship with her own parents, Erica had been hoping secretly over the past few weeks that maybe Toby’s parents would like her and now…she glanced down at herself and winced - she could only imagine what they thought of her.

tobybergen

He could feel his parents, mouths agape at his side, embarrassment, as Erica walked before them. Toby scrunched his face to keep from doing a cliched face palm and ran through yesterdays events where he could have sworn he told her that his parents were coming...he had told her, hadn't he? "Erica..." He started as his parents looked down and away, shutting the door behind them because it busied them from looking at her and Toby wished he'd called or at least sent a text saying 'we're here'. Stupid. He was stupid and as he settled the luggage in their foyer he helped them with their coats.

"She's lovely." His father let out a hearty laugh and brushed hair back with his fingers, slipping shoes off and walking through the entrance way to the room adorned with candles. "Fire hazard." Toby groaned and quickly moved to blow them out and clean up the present mess around them.

"I'm going to go," He pointed upstairs, "make sure she's okay. Make yourselves comfortable."

"No, sugar, I'll do it. You," She flicked a hand in his fathers direction, "bond or whatever it is men do when they're alone."

"Mom, I really think it's best if I--"

"Nonsense, Toby." The woman didn't even know where she was going but Toby wasn't about to stand there and argue. So he plopped down in the couch and his mother climbed the stairs with her eye out for the master bedroom and arms stretched out as fingers traced against the walls she passed.

"Erica?" Rifka walked in what she assumed was the master bedroom and gave a light tap at the closet door. "Sweetheart, are you in there?"

ericatravers

Surprises All Around

Erica was doing her best to keep herself busy. In the morning, she wakes up with Toby and talks to him while he gets ready for work, occasionally stealing a few extra kisses and accidentally making him run late. After getting dressed herself (sometimes awkwardly with her shoulder wound - though easier in the recent days since her stitches had been taken out and she’d been able to ditch her sling), she would go to the hospital to visit Tom and Eddie and check in on Lauren and Hadley - part of her felt guilty for not being there more, another part selfishly was grateful she was no longer stuck in the hospital.

At around eleven a.m., she would mosey into the ACN office and sit in on the round-up meetings for Hollywood Wrap-Up. Her temporary replacement, Taryn, was an old co-worker from her days as a correspondent in Los Angeles and to say Erica disliked the woman was putting it mildly, so she would stay quiet and observe, waiting to give her own notes to Toby after the meeting in his office, where she would sit for lunch and inevitably steal another kiss that would make him a few seconds late for another meeting.

The majority of her afternoon was spent studying and taking classes, in secret, still determined to convert before Peanut was born, before she would return to Park Slope and make dinner - or do her best despite the fact that she was still somewhat handicapped by her injury. It resulted in slightly burnt dinners, but Toby ate most of them politely and gracefully ordered take-out when it was not salvageable and promised to believe her when she said she was actually a very good cook. Occasionally, her schedule was interrupted by bouts of intense morning sickness that resulted in her feeling mildly miserable for a few hours.

But tonight was slightly different, tonight, when Toby came home, she had slightly different plans for her boyfriend. She lit a few candles in the living room, slipped into one of his shirts, and had bought a bottle of sparkling cider. Once everything was perfect, all that was left to do was wait.

tobybergen

"How can you live here? It's freezing."

"Tobias, honestly, that jacket looks like the same one you had seven years ago from..."

"It is the same jacket, mom."

"Are they not paying you enough? You can't buy yourself a new jacket?"

"They pay me just fine, dad."

"I don't understand why we had to come here. You and your little girl friend couldn't have come back home?"

"I wanted you to see the house." Toby beamed, "It's not completely ready and all...but it's a house and it's perfect." Erica was what made it perfect.

"What was her name again? Erin?"

"Erica, Abraham, the tiny blonde thing from that show he works for."

"Right. Right."

There was a long pause where all Toby could here was the ruffling of a paper bag in his mothers hands and the mumbling of the cab driver into the headset around his ear. He didn't remember his parents being so...stereotypical.

"What happened to Ana?" Toby winced.

With a nudge, he watched his mother nudge against his fathers arm, "The little mashugana stepped out with his boss." She held out a hand as if to say 'if the little slut was here now I'd back hand her' and his dad nodded. "On our boy? How could she, look at that face. How do you not love this face." With that he slapped him against the cheeks and Toby sunk lower into his seat.

Why did I miss these people again?

The familiar street greeted his view and he happily threw two twenties in the cab drivers direction, shooing his parents out of the car and moving to get their (many) suitcases from the trunk. He struggled up the few brownstone steps and sighed, taking out his key and fiddling with the lock while his parents murmured something or other about what a nice place it was--with a hand on his sons shoulder Abraham looked fondly from his wife to the man Toby had become and with that Toby eased in to the presence of his family, feeling so comfortable that it took him a while to notice that something was different when they stepped into the home but by the time Toby could put two and two together it was a little too late.