Disclaimer: I only own Grace and Ann.

Headcanon: Coach started the journey to sobriety the minute he found out Ann was pregnant.

This chapter's been in my head for a while and I was finally able to get it out. Enjoy!

"I'm pregnant."

"Is it mine?" Bobby felt the words spill from his mouth before he could stop them. He quickly apologized. "I'm sorry. I mean, you leave sometimes and I don't know what you do when you're gone."

Ann scoffed and got out of bed. "I didn't cheat on you. I'm not like that. Besides, we've had a lot of sex, Bobby. A lot."

"I know. Trust me, I know."

"I've been home all month and you're the only one I've fucked. We didn't use protection that day I came home, you know. You remember, when I—"

"Oh yeah," said Bobby. "I remember." He hadn't used a condom that night because it'd been the heat of the moment. She was glad to be back, he was happy to see her. It just...happened.

"See. I'm pregnant and it's yours."

"But I thought you were on the pill."

Ann shrugged, "I missed a couple of weeks. I didn't think anything of it. I thought those things were supposed to stay in your system for a while."

"No, not really." Bobby rubbed his forehead. "Ann, you're pregnant?"

"Yes."

Bobby grew quiet. He was 28, an alcoholic, and a lacrosse coach. Now he would have to add father to that list. "We're going to have a baby?"

"Not if you don't want to."

"No! I mean, I don't want you to do that." He ruffled his hair. He was scared of the decision he was about to make, but he knew what he had to do. "It's about time I take responsibility for my actions. Why not start now?"

"So you want us to keep it?"

"Yes, if you want to."

"I do."

"Then we're having a baby?"

"We're having a baby." Bobby grabbed his glass of scotch and tossed it back. He looked down at the empty bottom, "I have to get sober."

"Yeah, you do." Ann crawled back into bed and kissed him.

He eagerly kissed her back. His hand ran up her thigh and he hooked it around his hip. Ann moaned as he pressed her back against the mattress. It was this kind of behavior that got them into this situation.

"I love you, Ann." Bobby breathed. He meant it, too. He was happy with Ann. She was funny, beautiful, and the sex they had was phenomenal. The idea of them having a child together made him feel even happier. "I want to make an honest woman out of you. So...do you want to get married? I mean, will you marry me?"

"Yes!"

Bobby shook his head. He wished he could push the memory from his mind forever. He stared at the handwritten letter and signed divorce papers on the kitchen counter.

I didn't want to be tied down anyway. Family life and taking care of the baby is a lot for me right now. So you wanted a divorce, cupcake? You got it! I don't know if I'll be back to this town. Tell the baby I'm sorry. - Ann

"'The baby'?" Bobby rolled his eyes. "Dammit Ann, she has a name!"

That was one thing that irritated him the most about Ann. She always called Grace "the baby" or sometimes "it". For a while, after Grace was born, he chalked Ann's behavior up to postpartum depression. But soon it became clear that Ann just wasn't ready for a child and never had been. Even while she was pregnant, there were times when Ann complained that she couldn't party or disappear off to a random city or state like she did before. After Grace was born, Ann would jet off like she did before she was pregnant, and often forgot Grace even existed. It took him a long time to realize that it was in Ann's nature to run from responsibility.

A drop of liquid fell onto the ink and for a moment Bobby thought the ceiling was leaking. When he felt a tickle on his cheek, he wiped his eyes furiously. He wasn't going to cry over Ann. What good would that do? It certainly wouldn't make her a better mother to Grace. Bobby looked over the letter again and noticed a line at the bottom.

P.S. I took my half.

He glanced at the living room. Some of the furniture was missing. Bobby ran through the house and noticed that chairs, couches, tables, and kitchenware that were once there were gone. She left the really heavy stuff and some random items like their bed and dresser and the TV. His chest tightened. Bobby ran to Grace's nursery and found everything untouched. The same went for Grace's bathroom. His shoulders dropped.

"Shit."

"Bobby," Natalie Martin began, "I just want to say this, and I know you'll disagree, but my mom always told me to say how I feel because holding it in makes things worse. So here goes."

"What's it about?"

"Ann."

Bobby nodded, "I figured. You don't like her, do you?"

"I don't." Natalie folded her arms. "I'm glad that you two are having a baby, but I don't have a good feeling about Ann. I never have."

"Natalie, really?"

"Yes. Have you ever heard that story about the frog and the scorpion?"

"Yeah, the scorpion stings the frog in the end and screws them both."

"Exactly. Ann's the scorpion, Bobby. She's going to sting you one day and screw you over because it's in her nature. It won't be deadly, but she'll make life harder for you and your baby. I just...I feel it. She's always leaving all the time, that's not good for a family. I don't know..."

"You don't think I should have married her, do you?"

"No. Honestly, I don't." Natalie frowned. "I know we've both moved on, but I still care about what happens to you, Bobby. I don't want to see you and your daughter get hurt because of her. As your sponsor, I don't want something she does to cause you to relapse one day."

"Natalie, I'll be okay. My daughter will be fine. I appreciate your concern though."

He should have listened to Natalie that day in the teacher's lounge. The scorpion left him screwed. No, the scorpion had stung him repeatedly for thirteen months and now he was really screwed.

He stumbled into Grace's nursery and plopped down in the glider. Grace. His sweet baby girl. He picked up her stuffed penguin. Grace was the best thing that ever happened to him. He wondered how something so beautiful could come from a relationship that went so wrong. Now it was just him and Grace. Bobby and Grace against the world. It had always been like that, but he was too stupid in love to realize it. It wasn't fair to Grace. It just wasn't fair. She would be without a solid mother. Bobby's eyes teared up again and this time he let himself cry. He had to cry now. He couldn't keep holding it in.

"Dammit Ann."

He wanted a drink. Not a whole pint, but just a shot or two to take the edge off. Maybe a rum and coke, or some whiskey. He couldn't though. He had managed to stay sober for 22 months and there was no way he was going to ruin it. He got sober for Grace, she didn't deserve to have an alcoholic father. He wasn't going to do that to her then and he wasn't going to take ten steps back by breaking his sobriety now. The ringing of his cell phone caused him to jump. His mother's number flashed across the screen.

Bobby cleared his throat and answered with a quiet, "Hello."

"Bobby, honey, I wanted to know if you've made it home yet and if you want me to give Grace a bath before I put her down to bed."

"Yeah, ma, I'm home." He ran his hand through his hair. "You don't have to give her a bath. I can do it when I pick her up tomorrow."

"Oh honey, what's wrong? You have that voice, like you don't want to tell me something."

"Ma."

"Out with it, Robert."

Bobby sighed, "Ma, Ann signed the papers."

"Good! I worried that one day she might leave you two with nothing."

"Well...this time she did."

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