A/N: So I think this is a bit choppy, and I kind of rushed through this first chapter. But there are a lot more to come. I already had the chapter finished, but then I went back and added in the beginning (It's not really part of the story exactly because it goes along with what happened on the show already, except I changed it some.) And this is a Ricky/Adrian fanfic so Ramy shippers won't wanna read.

August

"You aren't going to talk to Ricky, are you?"

Adrian moved the phone to her other ear and held it between her shoulder as she chopped the vegetables. "Why would you think that?"

"Ricky told me that your dad asked him to."

"I'll talk to Ricky if he wants to talk to me. Why do you care?"

"Because that's my baby. Yours and mine." He paused. "And I don't care."

Adrian hung up. She knew Ben cared, because later that night Ricky came over and left when Ben called. "I kissed him. And he kissed me. And you know what, we felt nothing."

He didn't seem to believe her when she told him Ricky was at a place where he could be friends with a woman. And when he said, "I like you a lot, Adrian," before they hung up Adrian said she liked him a lot too - but she didn't know what that meant yet.

She touched her stomach and sighed, speaking out loud to herself. "Sorry, but I might still love Ricky."

Three weeks later Adrian opened the fridge for the fifth time that night, finally forcing herself to take out the small carton of strawberries that Ben had bought her earlier. As she shut the fridge, she heard two knocks on the front door and knew that was him now. He had called fifteen minutes ago and said he was coming over, sounding eager about something.

She went to get the door and saw him holding a small book in his skinny white hands. "Hi, Ben. What is—"

"I see you're eating healthy," he commented quickly, walking past her inside without an invitation. Adrian rolled her eyes and shut the door. Ben appeared apprehensive, he was still going through shock about the baby, but Adrian knew he was trying; he was trying more than ever.

"What is that?" she asked, referring to the book.

He held it up. "Oh, this is just a book...of baby names. I thought maybe we could look at it together. I know you aren't for sure yet on what we're going to do, but I just thought that we could—"

She sighed, aggravated yet content and flattered by his thoughtfulness. He could get on her last nerves, but at the same time she liked being around him. "Thanks, Ben. You're right, I don't know yet, but let's go look at it."

They both plopped down on her living room couch and Ben opened the book and flipped through the pages.

"Hm, I guess I'll start with girl names."

"Sweet."

Ben grinned, and Adrian gave him a small smirk. It was their new word, like an inside joke, between them after Ben had replied 'sweet' when Adrian said she was going to have the baby. They were surprisingly close these days, closer than usual. They would sometimes call each other at night and they would stay on the phone even if neither of them were saying anything.

"Emily?"

"No."

"Madison?"

She snorted at the idea of her baby being named after Amy's 'best friend.' "No."

"Zoe?"

Silence.

Ben looked up from behind the page to see Adrian giving him the death stare. He quickly said, "Okay, not that," and cleared his throat before flipping a few pages back.

"Abigail?"

She sighed. This was going to be a long day. "No."

"Amber?"

"No."

"Addison?"

She said no, but something about that name seemed to fit.

They went through at least thirty more names, but she was getting tired and they decided to swear off baby names for the night. Adrian now lay on the couch, her legs draped across the couch taking up two-thirds, and Ben sat at the end. He didn't mind. He looked over at her and spoke gently. "Adrian, you know two weeks ago when we talked about you and Ricky?"

She opened her eyes. "Yeah." She was tired and could have just fallen asleep if Ben hadn't spoke. She found out five weeks ago that she was pregnant, and these five weeks had been the longest five weeks of her life.

"Well, there's a reason why I was getting all possessive and jealous. I know you cared about Ricky, and I know Ricky cared about you. But I'm going to have a baby. And it's taken me a while to...let that sink in."

"It's okay," she assured him. "What-what's the reason?"

He sighed and leaned his head against the back of the couch. His head was pounding and his back hurt from tossing and turning all night. He barely got any sleep in weeks. "Well, the truth is that I'm afraid if you and Ricky get together again that-that he'll get attached to the baby. And the baby might...like him better than me."

"Ben, that couldn't happen." She promised. "This is your baby. I don't think Ricky and I are ever going to be together again. But no matter what, this is always your baby, and you're the father."

He nodded. "I know that. I guess I was scared because that's what happened with Amy."

She smiled, "That wasn't your baby."

He was relieved when she said that and he didn't know why. He guessed because for the first time he felt like something could be his and he wasn't going to lose it. Correction: two things could be his. He would be a great dad and a good friend to Adrian. If that was all he could do, he was going to do it right.

"You miss him, don't you?"

She wanted to say that of course she did. He didn't miss her, though, and missing him would only hurt her more. She sat up and she and Ben both faced each other. She opened her mouth to say no, but from the way she looked in his eyes and the way he was looking back she wanted to tell him the truth, everything. "Do you even have to ask?"