A/N: So the thing about me having the whole fic done before I post anything, is that I have a hard time keeping it to myself lol. Sooo this is has been posted earlier than planned. The update schedule may continue at this pace if I feel like everyone is keeping up okay.

Abby had known something was up with Buck from the minute he came home. He was trying to act normal, but he seemed nervous. She hadn't mentioned it though, figuring he would tell her when he was ready. He seemed really preoccupied all throughout dinner but frankly, that had suited her just fine. Her mind was elsewhere as well, so she was actually relieved that he wasn't focused on her. In truth, it hadn't been much of a date. Just the typical 'how was your day' type small talk, and a lot of companionable silence. Now they were driving home, and the silence was starting to get to her. Her thoughts were racing, bouncing back and forth between worrying about what was bothering him and worrying about what she had to tell him. Someone had better say something soon, or she was going to crack.

She reached that point a few minutes after they walked through the front door. She desperately wanted to get the weight off her shoulders, but she knew he wasn't in the right frame of mind right now. Her secret would have to wait.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Buck looked up, surprised. "What?"

"You were really quiet at dinner, I know something's bothering you."

He sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. It's just kind of… hard to talk about."

"You know you can tell me anything."

"I know… it's just… okay. This is going to sound a little crazy, because it is. So, when I was leaving work, this girl came up to me, said she knew me through one of my roommates and that we hooked up once at a party at my place, which I don't remember. And she's holding this baby, and…" his voice trailed off.

Abby's heart sank. Anyone could see where this story was going, and it was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. The timing couldn't possibly be any worse.

"She says it's mine."

She knew it was coming, but it was still hard to swallow. For the second time today, she was fighting back tears and trying to stay calm.

"Is she sure?" she asked quietly.

"I asked, and she said yes."

A tense quiet descended on the room. She honestly didn't know what to say. What exactly was an appropriate response to that? After a few minutes, she looked up to see Buck watching her anxiously.

And so, she said the only thing she could think of: "wow."

"Yeah. I mean, I don't know what do. She said it was up to me and gave me her number. It's like, on the one hand, I don't want to leave my kid without a father, but on the other hand, I really don't even know this girl and I don't know if I'm ready to be a father."

Cue the next thing she absolutely hadn't wanted to hear tonight. Her news was officially off the table until further notice; the last thing he needed right now was another surprise child.

"What do you think I should do?"

She thought for a minute. "Well… I would probably sit down with her and try to get a bit more information before I made a decision. First, how old is the baby? Does that match up with when you were together? Second, if the dates do seem plausible, I would ask for a paternity test: you can never be too careful. Tell her it's nothing personal, you just want confirmation. I would want to know why she didn't me sooner. You should probably also ask what kind of custody arrangement she would be open to if you did want to be involved. Find out those kinds of things, and then once you have all the pieces, you can make an informed decision."

He smiled at her. "You always know exactly what to say."

Or NOT say, she thought wryly.

"Would you… want to come with me?"

"Honestly, I don't think I should. Not because I don't want to, but because I think she would probably feel more comfortable discussing it without me there."

"You're right. If this is something I want to do though, are you okay with that?"

"Of course, I'll support you no matter what you decide."

As gutted as she felt about the whole thing, saying no wasn't an option in her mind. She could never do that to him. But that didn't mean she wasn't scared to death about what he would choose to do. As she saw it, it was kind of a no-win situation for her: either he says he doesn't want to be a parent yet and she still has to tell him that she's pregnant, or he says he does, which is great, but now there's an attractive, younger woman in the picture who also has his child. And though she knew it might very well be unjustified, she felt threatened by that possibility. What if, when he got to know this girl more, he developed feelings for her? Or what if he decided he wanted more kids? She probably couldn't give him that, but this other girl could.

She was startled out of her thoughts when he put an arm around her and pulled her close, kissing her temple. "I love you so much. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I love you too."

He sighed heavily, "guess I should call Brittany before it gets too late."

Brittany. "Good idea. I'm really tired, I'm going to go get changed."

"Pick out a movie after?"

"Sure. Any preference?"

"Nope! Surprise me."

HA, if only he knew.