He casually walked up to the front door, his hands in his pockets. He knew this wasn't going to be easy but what was now a days? Not much. His life had always been a complicated one and he never complained but as with most things, life had a way of turning out for the worst. He dreaded coming here but deep down he knew he was doing the right thing. Not only would it benefit his own dealings in the situation but he secretly hoped it would benefit hers as well. He took a deep breath and then knocked on the front door. He had expected her to answer but was surprised to see that it was him instead.

"Underwood," said Mr. Juergens. "What do you want?"

Ricky looked around before looking at George Juergens.

"Well," said George, waiting impatiently.

"I was wondering if Amy was home. I was hoping I could talk to her."

"If she wanted to talk to you I'm sure she would have called."

"Well she hasn't. I've tried calling her but she hasn't returned any of my calls."

"Then that should tell you something."

"Mr. Juergens, I know you hate me and I –," said Ricky

"No," George interrupted him, "I don't hate you Ricky: I despise you."

"Do you despise your daughter too because I'm not the only one who is guilty here?"

"You are on thin ice with me all ready, kid do you want it to break?"

Ricky deeply wanted to hit Mr. Juergens but he held back. If he got in a fight with Amy's dad it would defeat his purpose for coming in the first place and so he took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"No sir," Ricky replied, "I just really need to talk to Amy and I promise the sooner I talk to her the sooner I'll get out of here."

George looked at Ricky in disgust. "Come in," he said to him, "I'll check upstairs."

As George went up to check on Amy, Ricky took the opportunity to look around the house. He saw pictures of Amy and her family hanging on the walls. There were a few of Amy when she was a little younger and one of Amy holding baby Ashley with her mother's help. Ricky couldn't help but smile.

It was then that Amy came down stairs with Ben right beside her.

Just great, Ricky thought to himself.

"What are you doing here, Ricky?" Amy asked.

Ricky glanced around a bit before focusing on Amy, "I was hoping we could talk."

"Haven't we talked enough?" she replied.

"Maybe but I wouldn't have come if this wasn't important."

Ben suddenly got curious, "You're not backing out are you? I thought you wanted to be involved?"

Ricky looked at him, "No, I'm not backing out," he said in the cold tone he used with people.

"Then what do you want to talk about?" Ben asked.

"Do you mind, this has nothing to do with you," and then Ricky looked at Amy, "Amy, please."

Amy looked at Ricky and then at Ben and back to Ricky again. She could see in his eyes that he was not leaving until he told her what he had to say. She then turned back to Ben.

"It's okay Ben. I'll see you on Monday at school okay."

"Wait, not tomorrow? We always spend Sundays together."

"I don't think we'll get in trouble for missing one Sunday."

Ben shrugged, "You're probably right. You sure you don't want me to stay? I could stay if you wanted."

Amy smiled thankful for the thought, "I think I'll be okay besides if anything happens my dad is around."

Ricky gulped but no one noticed.

"Okay," Ben said giving in. "I love you," he said with a smile.

"Me too," was all Amy replied much to Ricky's surprise. He was so certain that Amy would have said the sentiment back.

When Ben left, Amy got down to business.

"So what are you doing here," she again asked as she moved to a seat in the living room.

Ricky was unsure on what to say. He had been thinking about this moment since Thursday but now everything seemed to have gone blank in his mind so instead he simply followed Amy and took a seat on the same chair that he sat in when he had first come over to her house.

"So I guess you heard hu," Ricky began. "About me being crazy?"

"Is that why you weren't at school on Friday?"

Ricky just nodded. "I don't know how you do it, Amy, I really don't."

"Well I didn't have much choice. I couldn't go to my grandmothers; slut school was out of the option so I had to go back."

"Still though, I think now I really know how hard it's been for you. I could deal with being the guy that got you pregnant but now that people think I'm crazy I don't know I feel like I'm losing it."

Amy took a deep breath, "You're not crazy, Ricky. So what if you have someone to talk to at least you're getting help right, doesn't that count for something?"

"I guess." Ricky took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts, "I want to tell you why I've been going to therapy."

"Ricky, you don't have to."

"I know but that's the reason why I came. After everything that I've put you through, you deserve some kind of honesty. When I said I wanted to be involved with you and the baby I meant it and I want you to know why."

"Okay," Amy said flatly.

"When I tell you this, I'll understand if you don't want me around. I'm used to people turning me away because of it but I really do want to be involved so I don't make the same mistakes."

Amy nodded sympathetically, "I know," was all she said in a near whisper.

It was then that Ricky picked up on her cues. She knew, Ricky thought. Damn it she all ready knew.

Ricky's voice rose up a notch, "Who told you?"

"Told me what?"

"You know what, Amy! What, is that the rumor going around school now? That I was- that I was-" He couldn't even bring himself to say it.

"No," Amy told him trying to get him to calm down, "it's not going around school."

"Then who was it?" Ricky asked knowing it was a stupid question because he knew who it had been. Ricky looked down at the floor, "Lauren," was all he said. Ricky had remembered the night he had with Lauren. They talked and somehow, for some stupid reason, it had been Lauren to find out that he had been sexually abused. And only later had it become known that Lauren's dad has been his shrink for all these years.

"Yeah," was all Amy said.

Ricky nodded, "Figures. You're friends can't keep their mouths shut ever."

"I know that."

"Then why do you still hang out with them?"

"Because they're my friends and no matter how much they mess up they know I'll always forgive them. No one is perfect, Ricky, its okay to mess up every now and then. The important thing is that you look past it and try to make things better."

Ricky couldn't help but smile at Amy, "Since when did you get so wise?"

Amy shrugged, "Since I got pregnant."

Ricky simply nodded his head. "So have you decided what you're going to do?"

"Do?"

"Yeah, are you going to give the baby up for adoption or are you gonna keep it? I was thinking that maybe if you did give it up then we could do like one of those open adoptions."

"We?"

"Well I am the father and I meant what I said, I want to be involved. And if you do put the baby up for adoption I just want to make sure no one messes with my kid. I don't want him or her to turn out the way I did."

Amy was suddenly at a loss of words. This evening had not been what she had expected. She expected Ricky to be closed off as usual and expected him to let her get angry with him and then have him leave but none of that was happening. Ricky was bearing himself out to her so much that he even told Amy, while not in those full words; that he was ashamed of whom he was and he didn't want the baby to turn out the same way.

Amy took a deep breath. She knew she would regret this but she had no choice as much as she didn't like it, Ricky was the baby's father and he was going to be involved somehow. There was just no getting rid of him as much as she wanted to pull away. She wanted him to forget that it ever happened and she wanted him to just not care about her or the baby but he did care and that only made things harder on her. Amy looked at Ricky.

"I have a doctor's appointment at twelve on Monday. Can you make it?"

"Sure, I've kind of always hated history anyway."

"Okay," Amy replied. "Meet me at the front parking lot at 11:30."

"I will, I promise. Thanks, Amy."

"You're welcome."

Amy then walked Ricky to the door and before he left he said, "I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah," was all Amy said to him before he left her house.

After Amy closed the door, she took a deep breath and hoped she was doing the right thing. There was a part of her that felt oddly guilty about it especially considering that she never once let Ben go with her to a doctor's appointment and now she had just invited the one person she wanted nothing to do with.