IN PATRICKS MIND* (He's just found the leaflets)

Why does she have these? She's not pregnant she can't be, she would have told me. Wouldn't she. She would never cheat on me she would not dare.

'Max?' Patrick called right before placing the leaflets that he had found back into her bag.

'Yes' Maxine responded.

'I' just going to see Mark. Will you be okay here on your own for a bit?'

'Yeah, of course. Shall I make us something to eat?'

'Yeah, or maybe we can order in?'

'Yeah, okay. Chinese or Indian?'

'Indian. I'll see you later'

Before Patrick could hear Maxine's reply he was already through the door. Maybe I'm reading too much into this. Maybe I'm just paranoid about the man she slept with. No, of course I'm right Maxine is pregnant and she is planning on having a termination and she isn't even going to tell me. Hopefully Mark will be able to help make sense of this situation.

'Mark, are you in here?' Patrick shouted.

'Yep come in, I'm just changing'

'Thank you, do you have time for a chat?' Patrick enquired.

'Yeah, sure, what's wrong?'

'It's Maxine I think she's pregnant.

The look on Dodger's face turned to complete shock. 'Are you sure?' Dodger asked trying not to act suspicious.

'Yeah, I'm sure I found leaflets in her bag that are for an abortion clinic. I know that I'm not the dad but she should still tell me.'

Dodger had completely blanked out the last few things that his dad was saying. He was still reeling that Maxine was pregnant and by the way that Patrick was reacting it was clearly not his. So the man who Maxine slept with must be the father and that man was Dodger.

'I'm sure she will tell you when she is ready'. This was the only reply Dodger could come up with after all he was now solely focussed on finding Maxine and asking her why she didn't tell him that she was carrying his child.

'Your right, well I'm going to go for a walk before I go back to the flat I think I need to think about this some more'

'Okay, ill pop round later to see how you are' Dodger replied as Patrick left the boat.

As soon as Patrick left the boat Dodger ran straight for his phone and text Maxine to meet him folly in ten minutes then he dashed to get changed and hoped that Maxine would meet him there.

10 minutes later.

Dodger and Maxine arrived at the folly within seconds of each other.

'What is all this about?' Maxine asked Dodger with a tone of annoyance in her voice.

'What's this about?' Dodger replied repeating Maxine's words. 'How about you tell me when you were planning on telling me you're pregnant?'

'What, how did you find out?'

'Dad, told me and before you say I have no right to know. I do okay. That baby is just as much a part of as it is you, I have rights'

'No Dodger, you do not have rights it is my body and I will do what I like. If you must know I went to the clinic toady and I was going to have an abortion. But I couldn't go through with it, okay.'

'Well what are you going to do?'

'I don't know, all I know is I can't get rid of our baby'

'Be with me'

'Excuse me'

'Me and you we can bring the baby up as a family'

'Have you gone mad? I'm with your dad'

'Max please don't take away my baby. I need this. I need something. I need you and our little one'

'Dodger, I can't just leave your dad. I love him.'

Dodger stepped closer to Maxine so close that they could feel each other's breath on their necks. 'You love him so much that you would sleep with me not even a week after you split up with him?'

Both of them felt a burning passion inside them and before they knew it they were engaging in a passionate embrace.

'I have to go' Maxine said breathlessly.

'Stay'

'I have to go tell Patrick the truth'

'Does this mean you want to be with me?'

'It means that I want to do what's right for everyone, and yes I do want to be with you, but Patrick deserves to know the truth'

Maxine left the folly whilst Dodger stood there smiling to himself. He finally had something fight for and more importantly he had someone who wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her.

As Maxine arrived back at the flat she called for Patrick with no response. A few minutes later Patrick walked through the door and called to Maxine asking what she wanted from the Indian and saying that he has invited Sienna over and is going to ask Mark as well.

'Okay' Maxine responded hesitantly.

After Patrick had ordered the take away he rang Mark to ask him over. Within 10 minutes both sienna and Dodger had arrived at the flat and both of them along with Patrick and Maxine were having a drink. All except Maxine who was drinking water as she had told everyone that she was on medication. But she knew that both of the men present knew the real reason as to why but she could not let on just yet she had to wait she could not embarrass Patrick in front of his daughter.

Dodger took Maxine to a corner and asked her 'does he know yet?'

'I didn't get a chance to tell him he came in and told me that he had already asked sienna to come over so I just went along with it'

'Okay we'll tell him together tomorrow okay'

'Yeah, okay'

Then the doorbell rang. And everyone sat down and ate the take-away, making small chat as they ate.

'I'd like to make a toast' says Patrick.

As Patrick stood up he began to make a speech. 'I'd like to say congratulations to both Maxine and Dodger on the news that they are expecting a child together'

The room fell silent with both Maxine and Dodger looking at the ground. Whilst Sienna asks 'is this some kind of sick joke?'

'No darling it is not you see I went for a walk earlier and I overheard both Maxine and Mark discussing their child in the folly and I believe that Maxine is planning on leaving me. So before I can be humiliated I think it seems fair that I ask you nicely to pack you things and to get the hell out of my flat'

'Of course' was all Maxine could muster in a weak response.

Maxine rose and went into the bedroom and packed up her things, whilst Dodger was still frozen from shock. Sienna however was extremely angry shouting at Dodger for what he had done.

Maxine entered the room and Dodger rose to his feet.

'if you were not pregnant right now I would not be responsible for my actions you have hurt my dad beyond words can explain, but I can assure you if you do the same to Mark I will ruin your life'

'That's enough Sienna' Dodger responded as he took Maxine by the hand and led her from the flat and into the street and their new lives.

I'm not sure if I should continue with this story, let me know below.

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