It's just two years after the second season finale. Ashley is a sophomore and Amy a junior. Both girls are living with their mother and her husband, while their father lives right next door with his wife, and her senior daughter, Adrienne.

When Ashley's boyfriend, Thomas, is killed in a car accident, Ashley is thrown into a world of grief. But when she learns she's pregnant with his baby, she knows she has a choice. She can give the baby up for adoption, and lose the one thing that will link her to Thomas, or she can keep the baby and keep on living for the last thing she has of him. Either path will change her life forever.

Chapter One

"Ashley! Are you done yet?" my sister, Amy, shouted through the closed bathroom door. "If you make me late, Ashley, I swear-"

I opened the door. "There. Now you can get ready for your boy-toy," I said sarcastically, heading to the kitchen. I could feel my sister's glare the whole way.

"Ashley, there you are!" my mother said as I entered. She was sitting at the table, one hand on her swollen stomach. "Hank went to work, and he left me here. "

I moved over to the fridge. "What do you need?" I asked, opening the door.

"At the moment? I need a hospital."

I stared at her. "What? You're not…. Not now?"

She nodded, and then groaned from pain. Oh shit. "Amy!" I shouted, slamming the fridge shut. "Come quick!"

My name is Ashley Jeurgens. The name may sound familiar if you go to Grant High School. My sister, Amy, is a junior there. She's the mother of the star drum player's son, John. Ricky Underwood is who I'm talking about. Sound familiar too? It would.

My parents are divorced. I currently live with my mother, Anne, and her husband, Hank. Hank is a teacher at the school I go to, Grant High. He teaches the choir.

My father, George, lives right next door, with his wife, Annalisa, and her daughter, Adrienne. Adrienne is a senior at Grant, and she also happens to be in love with my sister's baby's father. Yep, things get confusing.

Well, at the moment, my mother was pregnant with twins. Heavily pregnant. And now she was in labor, which was just perfect. Just perfect because I was the only one that could drive. Other than Hank, of course, but I didn't think we could wait for him.

"What now, Ashley?" Amy demanded, coming into the kitchen. I was standing by our mother now, trying to help her up. I reached in my pocket, and tossed Amy the keys.

"Get the car started, and call Hank. Tell him to meet us at the hospital whenever he can. Call Ricky, too, and tell him to meet you here to pick up his son. "

"What? Why are we going to the hospital?"

"Amy, please just do as I say. I'll try to get mom to the car. "

"Why-oh…" I hate to admit it, but my sister sometimes just doesn't use her brain. After she realized what was going on, things went quickly. After Hank and Ricky were called, Amy helped me get our mother in the car.

"Amy, I'm going to go ahead and take her to the hospital. You get dad, and tell him to meet us there."

"Why does dad need to meet us there?" Amy asked.

"Well, he doesn't, but you'll need someone to take you to the hospital after Ricky comes and gets his son."

"Oh. Alright, see you there."

I managed to get my mom to the hospital, and into a room. After she was all settled, I left the room to call Thomas, my boyfriend.

"Ash, where are you? We need to finish our project today," he said as a greeting.

"Hi to you too, love. I'm at the hospital. My mom's having the twins today, so I won't be at school. Can you tell Mrs. Morris that?"

"Yeah, sure. Will you be okay there? Want me to join you later?"

I smiled inwardly. "Yes, I would love that. I don't know how long it will be until the twins are born, though. "

"Alright. I'd say I'd come now, but if I skip one more day, I'll get landed in I.S.S. See you later."

I hung up, happy. That didn't last, however, when I went back into my mom's room. She was on the bed, tears streaming down her face.

I went over to her side. "Where's Hank?" She managed to gasp.

"He should be here soon," I told her quietly.

The next few hours passed. I sat by my mother's side, as she got through each contraction. I almost couldn't stand watching this, but I had to. I was the only one there.

Finally, Hank came in. He apologized for taking so long, and I was sent out to get my mom water. On the way back to her room, Thomas snuck up behind me.

"Hey Ashley, how's your mom?" he asked, making me jump.

"Thomas, you do that again, I'll strangle you!"

"Oh, sorry. But how is she?"

I sighed. "In pain. I hate seeing her like this. "

"Think of it this way, Ashley. At the end of all this, there will be two new lives in this world. Each new life that comes in this world can make a huge difference in the future, whether it's a good or bad difference. But you Jeurgens women-your mother included, because she was once a Jeurgens-you will never bring a bad thing into this world, because you're all good."

"Thomas, I'm surprised at you. You've never said anything like that before, to anyone…"

He shrugged. "Do you have to go back in there?" He asked.

I sighed and nodded. "I have to take her this water. Then maybe I'll be free. "

"Well, when you are, I want to show you something," He said, a grin on his face.

"Fine. I'll meet you downstairs in the lobby when I'm done. "

I took the water to my mom, and learned that the twins were on their way. The nurse sent me out.

An hour later, Hank came in the waiting room, holding a blue bundle.

"This is your brother, Ashley," he said, coming towards me.

"And the other baby?" I whispered.

"It's a girl. She's with your mother at the moment."

"What are their names?"

"Richard and Carolina Marillier. "

I smiled, taking my brother from my step father. "He's so cute…"

"Come on up to see your mother and sister. Then you'll be free to leave."

After I saw my mother and made sure she was okay, I went downstairs.

"Thomas, I can head out now," I told him.

"Good. You'll love this."