Author's Note: I like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing the sequel to Open Your Heart. It is greatly appreciated.

I want to address the issue of my using Aiden as a donor for Spencer and Ashley. I used Aiden because he is Ashley's BFF. Unlike how Aiden's character is usually portrayed in other stories (interfering, bad, evil, gay and a nuisance) I made him strictly Ashley's best friend and confidant. He is not in this story nor was he in the other story as a threat or interference to Ashley and Spencer's relationship. If you recall Aiden saved Ashley's life several times in the other story so to me he was the logical choice as a donor and I mean DONOR ONLY. He is who they know and trust.

Sorry for the long note, but I felt I had to express my reason as to why I used Aiden. Aiden is strictly a good guy in this story. He was also a little nice for a while on SON if anyone remembers. Thanks and I hope you all will continue to read my story.

Chapter 2

You're Pregnant

Five weeks after the doctor's visit…

It was a Sunday afternoon and the family had gathered at Arthur and Paula's home for Sunday dinner. A rare occurrence for the Carlin family since Paula and Arthur's catering business was keeping them very busy.

"So how happen you guys were not busy catering some affair today," Ashley asked Arthur while watching him search for the case that had his special utensils for turkey frying. "You're sure you don't need help searching for your utensil case?"

"I'm good Ashley, I know exactly where it is. I just have to get to it. Anyway, Paula and I decided we're not going to cater on Sundays anymore. We were working seven days a week, so we decided to give ourselves one day to rest which happens to be Sunday. This gives us a chance to go to church in the morning and be with our family in the afternoon. And besides we missed our Sunday get together with the kids. Aha! Found it."

///

"Where's Clay and Glen mom?" Spencer asked standing in the kitchen watching her mother prepare dinner.

"They'll be here in a little while Spencer, why?"

"Oh nothing, I just had something to announce and I wanted everyone here."

"What is it? You're okay aren't you?" Paula asked worried.

"I'm fine mom. Do you need me to help you with anything in here?"

"No go keep Ashley company and ask your father to please go outside and see about that bird he's frying."

"Oh we're having fried turkey today."

"Yes and it'll be edible as long as he doesn't overcook it again."

"Ew! The last one was too dry," Spencer said scrunching up her face.

"Dry, you mean burnt don't you Spencer?" Paula laughed.

///

During dinner everyone was sitting at the table enjoying their meal. "So Clay where did you say Chelsea was?" Ashley asked.

"She had to go to the art gallery. They're delivering a statue for a customer to pickup on Monday."

"They're delivering on a Sunday Clay," Arthur asked.

"Yeah, the delivery company promised to deliver the crate on Saturday but they got busy and couldn't so they said they would deliver it on Sunday at no shipping cost to her because it was their mistake."

"Yeah but to go in on a Sunday and wait for a delivery, that sucks," Glen said.

"Well she promised the customer the statue on Monday. He's picking it up first thing tomorrow morning and she didn't want to go back on her promise. But she's on her way now. I talked to her ten minutes ago."

"So Glen how's that teaching job at the school going for you so far?" Arthur asked.

"Great, I love teaching sports education. Those kids are so enthused and ready to learn. When we get on the basketball court I can't keep their excitement down. Did I tell you principal Mann wants me to be their head coach when the basketball season starts up?"

"Wow! Congratulations Glen," everyone said.

"Rita, how has my brother been treating you," Spencer said.

Smiling and looking at Glen, "he's been great. I have no complaints Spencer."

"Yeah, maybe we might make that walk down the aisle in the near future," Glen confessed, looking at his girlfriend.

"Oh do you two have something to tell us," Paula asked.

"No mom, not yet anyway."

Ding, dong.

"I'll get it, it's probably Chelsea," Clay said.

Chelsea walked into the dining room and took her seat next to Clay. "Good evening everyone. I'm sorry I'm late."

"That's okay Chelsea, Clay told us what you had to do," Paula said.

"And how is everyone this evening?" Chelsea asked.

"Everyone's good Chels," they all said.

"Great did I miss anything?" she asked. Everyone shook their heads negatively.

"Come on I so did miss the big news," she said eyeing Spencer and Ashley. They looked at each other, "no, what big news?"

"The news about the baby you're having, okay so tell me when is the baby due?" Chelsea said looking at Spencer. Everyone dropped their utensils, leaving their mouths gaped in the process.

"What!?" Everyone gasped.

"Um… Chelsea," Ashley and Spencer stuttered.

"Spencer you're pregnant?" Paula asked shocked.

"Umm… well… yes we were going to tell everyone after dinner."

"Oh I am so sorry, you mean no one knew?"

"No Chelsea how did you know?" Ashley asked.

"I see it in Spencer's eyes. My grandmother could always tell when my mom was pregnant. It's in the eyes and you have a certain glow, you look pregnant Spencer."

Spencer looked at Ashley, "do you want to do the honors."

"No Spencer by all means, you go ahead."

"Chicken," she mumbled. "Well everyone I am pregnant, just a couple of weeks."

"What's a couple of weeks Spencer," Paula said.

"Umm… five," Spencer mumbled.

"What was that, I didn't quite hear you?"

"Five weeks mom."

"Oh my God! You're five weeks pregnant and you're just now telling us?"

"Ashley and I wanted to make sure." Arthur got up and walked over to Spencer and Ashley.

"Congratulations both of you," then he hugged them.

"Thanks dad." Then everyone else got up to hug and congratulate them. After dinner, Spencer and Ashley with the rest of the family sat around talking, mainly about Spencer's pregnancy.

"Spencer are you healthy enough to carry this pregnancy?" Paula asked.

"Mom! Yes of course I am."

"Don't get me wrong Spencer it's just your body has been through so much trauma."

"Dr. Harris said I would be okay to carry full-term. God what is it with everyone and me carrying this child?"

"Spencer calm down," Ashley said.

"Ashley why didn't you get pregnant first or just adopt," Paula asked.

"Spencer wanted to be the one to deliver our first born and I agreed and we wanted our first child to be our biological child and Spencer said she wanted to go through the experience of child birth."

"Aren't your schedules a little too busy to be having children now," Paula continued to ask questions while the rest of the family listened.

"Yes but Spencer can control her schedule better than I can. I'll be with her for every prenatal visit and I'm going to take a leave from the hospital for the last month of Spencer's pregnancy."

"Who's the donor?" Glen asked.

"Aiden," Spencer replied. "He's been Ashley's best friend since high school and he was there for us when we were having that trouble with Carmen and Alexandra. Not mention how hard he worked to get me walking again and he knows how much Ashley wants to have kids. We thought he would be the best candidate and with Kyla already pregnant, our child and their child will be playmates."

"Okay, okay stop the selling… geez," Glen said. "Sorry I asked."

"Well that's good, at least you know Aiden. You know what kind of person he is, what kind of education he's had, but how does he feel…"

"Right mom," Spencer said quickly interrupting her mother.

"Spencer I'm happy for you as long as it's safe for you to carry the child to term," Clay said.

"Okay so back to my question you so rudely interrupted Spencer. What did Aiden say when he found out you were the one that was going to be pregnant?" Paula asked undeterred by Spencer's attempt to end the questioning.

"Paula enough with the questions," Arthur suggested.

"No I want to know what he thought."

Ashley cleared her throat, "Aiden is fine with it now."

"Now, he wasn't before?"

"Well no not really, he had a lot of questions like you Paula but Dr. Harris told him everything would be fine. Spencer is in the high risk clinic for pregnant women so he's content with that."

"High risk, is this pregnancy a risk for you Spencer?" Arthur asked concerned.

"No she's there because Aiden wanted her watched closer than the normal monitoring, more visits to the clinic, more routine tests, that's all."

"Oh, okay," Arthur replied.

"Look I know you're all concerned with Spencer's health and if I thought she was in any danger with this pregnancy we would not be doing this. Spencer is my life and I could not live with myself if anything happened to her," Ashley said irritation in her voice.

"We're sorry Ashley, we didn't mean anything. We know you love and care about Spencer. We just wanted to make sure she was safe carrying this child for nine months," Arthur said.

"Well I never doubted anything, I'm happy for you and Ashley. I know Ashley will take very good care you. She promised me she would in Aruba," Glen said.

"Thanks Glen and I will keep that promise until the day I die."

Three months later…

"Ash you look beat is everything okay?" Aiden asked.

"Well I don't get much sleep nowadays."

"Why is that?" Aiden asked.

"Spencer is only three months pregnant and she's already having these crazy cravings in the middle of the night. She'll get up and fix whatever she's craving but I get up to keep her company or I'll go out to a twenty-four hour Wal-mart or a Seven-Eleven to get what she wants. And she stays horny," Ashley whispered. "She wants to have sex every night and not some wam bam thank you ma'am sex. We're going at it for at least a couple of hours, not that I mind but I need some sleep when I have to get up at five in the morning. And when I get home, I can't get through the door fast enough without her ripping my clothes off." Aiden laughs.

"It's not funny Aiden, then the hospital calls in the middle of the night with some emergency that turns out not to be an emergency by the time I get there. I get back home and I can't get back to sleep because Spencer is awake and ready to jump my bones. I'm telling you this place has become my sanctuary sort of, although the heavy workload I have here at the hospital doesn't help either. Don't get me wrong, making love to Spencer is the most wonderful thing in the world to me and I'm glad she's pregnant but her cravings at all times of the night and sexual appetite are driving me crazy and making me exhausted."

"Ashley maybe you…" beep, beep, beep. They both look at their pagers and Ashley groaned, "it's me Aiden. Spencer is paging me. Hey! How's Kyla's pregnancy coming along?"

"We are the opposite of what you're going through. The only craving Kyla has is for salsa and tortilla chips and as far as sex is concerned… what is that?" Ashley laughed.

"Aw! Poor fella, I wish I could give Kyla some of Spencer's hormonal changes. Well I have to go and call Spencer and find out why she's paging me."

///

Ring, ring… "Hello," Spencer answered excitedly.

"Hey Spence it's me, what's wrong?" Ashley asked noticing the excitement in her wife's voice.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice sweetie. I miss you."

Ashley took a breath, relieved it wasn't anything serious… "and."

"Ashley I hate it that you know me so well."

Laughing, "what can I bring you home tonight babe?"

"I'm craving something Greek tonight and sweet potato ice cream."

"Ugh…" Ashley said under her breath. "Okay I'll stop by that Greek restaurant we went to a couple of times and the store on my way home. Anything else babe?"

"Well… pretzels and a jar of sour pickles."

"Spence you know that's too much sodium. No!"

"Ashley pleeeassseee."

"No! It's not healthy. I'm already bringing you Greek food."

"And the ice cream, don't forget the sweet potato ice cream," Spencer said gleefully.

"Ugh… yeah right." Beep, beep, beep. "Okay I have to go babe the hospital's paging me."

"Okay I'll see you when you get home. I love you Ash."

"I love you too Spence with all my heart," Ashley said smiling.