Her drive from her suburban home in Hawthorne Hills to where Diana worked may have only been a little under ten miles, but mornings on I-5 leading into downtown were always a disaster and what should have been a fifteen-minute commute took her over forty-five. With David Bowie turned up on her stereo, she raised her favorite stainless-steel coffee mug to her lips but hesitated.

Oh, stop. One cup of coffee wouldn't hurt anything, she told herself, then rolled her eyes and took a drink.

Glancing down at her phone while taking the off-ramp into downtown Seattle, she was relieved to see she would just make it before her appointment at ten. Depending on how things went, she might even make it to class. Even though her teacher's assistant, Jackson, had been more than willing to cover her lecture for her. In fact, his words were, take all the time you need and don't worry if you don't make it. She trusted her TA could give her students the information they needed and go over her notes with them, but at the same time, she worried that the attention spans of some wouldn't exactly be high if she wasn't there to make sure they were paying attention.

She tapped her thumb to the tempo on the steering wheel while coming to a stop for the red light. Up ahead, she caught sight of the bay and let out a soft sigh.

The light turned green, and she turned right off of Marion Street and into the parking garage across the street from Seattle OB/GYN while trying hard not to think about how close she was to his pub and how it would only take a few minutes to drive the handful of blocks that separated them and wondering if he'd be there.

Abby let out a soft groan. Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? She knew why she couldn't exactly now, but in the weeks that had passed since they were together, this wasn't the first time she ideally pondered what he was doing or if he was still left thinking about that night and what happened between them.

The truth was she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. Not just their night together, but also their friendship throughout the years. He and Jake had always been close, but she and Marcus had their own sort of relationship as she wasn't his biggest fan when they first met. He'd somehow discovered how much he liked how getting under her skin. Loved to give her never-ending amounts of hell about her profession, her taste in music, and movies, and much to his delight, she gave it right back. But the more time passed and as she got to know him more, Abby discovered he had a softer side to him. Perhaps he just needed some time after his divorce, but there was a sweetness to Marcus Kane underneath his hardened shell.

With that being said, behind those warm brown eyes and charming smile to this day he could still be an infuriating jackass.

In the time it took her to send Diana a text telling her that she was there and walk from the parking garage into the building, was enough time to have her friend there waiting for her.

Abby met her eyes from where the blonde doctor stood behind the counter. Her arms were crossed, her eyes giving her the look that made Abby feel like she had been caught by her mother walking the walk of shame. Shaking her head, Diana moved out of sight and met her at the door where the nurses led patients to the back.

"Come on," Diana said with a sigh while giving her a once over. "Let's go see if you really do have something to worry about."

Ten vials of blood, one urine test, and a tedious questionnaire later (the father's information filled out to the best of her knowledge which wasn't much at all) and Abby was lying on her back looking up at a picture of ten sleeping babies all wrapped in different colored blankets.

"Do you want to tell me what the hell you were thinking?" came Diana's voice from between her legs. Her brow furrowed. Were they really going to have this conversation while her best friend was examining her cervix? "I mean, the man's a dish, but he always struck me as the more responsible type." Diana raised her head and smirked. "Or were you both too drunk to care?"

Abby groaned and covered her face with her hand. Oh, how she wished she could blame it on alcohol, but sadly, neither one of them had a drop. She'd gone to see him that night because Clarke was away with her friends on a weekend trip before graduation to Vancouver. Her daughter wasn't going to go at first, but when Raven had told Abby about the plans they had to see a concert, she insisted she would be fine at home by herself. And so, hesitantly, Clarke had agreed.

But the quiet of her home that night suddenly became too much. Jake's absence too loud. The decision was made before she could think too much about it. She put on a pair of jeans and pulled on one of the last of Jake's old tee shirts she had left. Grabbing her keys, she drove in the direction of downtown because other than Clarke, the only other person closest to Jake she had left was Marcus.

"That's kind of the thing," Abby began, "I was trying not to think. Not really."

Diana let out a soft scoff. "Clearly. Jesus, the man lives over a bar, you'd think he could have gone downstairs and put a quarter in one of those damn condom machines." She stood and removed her gloves while raising a perfectly waxed eyebrow at her. "I know he has them in there."

A pang of something foreign and rather unpleasant settled in her middle. It wasn't a jealous feeling exactly, but it wasn't something that was making her feel very comfortable with where this conversation was headed. "Do I even want to know how you know this?"

"Get that look out of your eyes, it was not from anything with Marcus Kane of all people." Diana rolled her eyes at her and Abby felt heat rush to her cheeks, partly in shame but mostly because she had been so easy to read. She reached over and pulled the sheet down and the gown Abby wore up to expose her still flat abdomen and began to feel around. "No, one of his cooks… hmm, what was his name? Morgan, maybe? Monroe? Murphy?" She shrugged. "It was a while ago now I can't remember."

When Diana finished, she placed her hands down on the table and gave her a soft smile. She didn't need to say anything. Though the blood tests weren't back yet, the look in Diana's eyes told Abby all she needed to know.

Tears filled her eyes then, and she covered her face with her hands. "How could this happen?"

"Well, when a man and a woman are attracted to one another…"

A half chuckle, half sob left her. She was trying to make her laugh and it worked. "You know what I mean." She dropped her hands back down and, exam over, pushed herself up into a sitting position. "I didn't think about using anything because Jake and I never did. We thought if it was meant to happen it would, and then things got busy with work and with Clarke; we were content. I thought it was nature's way of saying Clarke would be it."

Diana turned and grabbed what looked like a due-date chart from the counter. "Do you remember what day it was when you both…"

Abby swallowed. "The twenty-fifth of May."

Diana looked up. "Oh."

Two more tears slid down her cheeks but she didn't bother wiping them away. "Horrible isn't it. Getting knocked up by my dead husband's best friend on the anniversary of his death. Widow of the year."

Her friend turned away again, only this time when she faced Abby she had a handful of tissues in her hand. "Don't do that to yourself. Jake was a great guy. You and I both know he wouldn't have wanted you to be alone and unhappy. He probably would have even preferred it be with Marcus."

Abby let out a breathy laugh and took the Kleenex gratefully. "Only because he would have thought it'd be hilarious if I lived above a bar."

There was a knock on the door then, and a nurse stepped in and handed a paper to Diana. Once the door was closed behind the nurse, and after Diana's eyes scanned the page she handed it over for her to look at.

"Abby, all your tests came back like I knew they would. Completely normal." Her friend's voice had softened, and Abby took a deep breath before letting her own eyes fall on the page.

Blood type: AB, Blood Count: Normal, the usual STDs… All negative (And thank God. She would have killed him.), Hepatitis: Negative, hCG and PAPP-P (proteins in the blood that assess Down Syndrome): Normal, and last but not least, the only glowing positive right next to Pregnant.

"Now it's a little too early for some of the other tests," Diana went on, "but if you still have any fears, we can think about them in a couple weeks. Unless you want to wait and talk about them with Marcus because of the risks involved."

"I don't…" she paused. Her chest suddenly feeling tight with an emotion she couldn't or didn't want to name. "I haven't thought about that."

"Are you going to tell him?"

She looked up, surprised her friend would ask her such a thing. "Of course, I am. Just as soon as I know everything's all right."

Diana gave her a look. The one she imagined she gave Clarke all those times when she was a child and Abby had to exercise extreme patience. "Abby, you and I both know you may be higher risk, but there's no reason to believe anything will go wrong or is wrong. You're eight weeks, if you want we can do a quick ultrasound and take a peek… or would you rather wait for that too?"

Would she rather wait for Marcus is what she meant but didn't say… again. Abby was sensing a bit of judgment on her friend's part.

"No, let's do it. Even if everything looks good on paper, I'd feel better if I could see for myself."

Diana nodded and sat down in the chair next to the small machine. "Well then lay back and get cozy again, Momma. Let's take a look at the thing Marcus put in you."

The thing? Her eyes narrowed. "Lovely."

Abby laid back against the table once again. Looking up back at the babies above her. Her eyes shifted back and forth between each one. Her eyes drawn to each different color blanket, wondering if she'd have another girl or if this time she'd be surprised with a boy. Her eyes slipped closed and she mentally scolded herself for letting herself go there so soon.

It was a relief when Diana's voice pulled her away from any further daydreaming. "You know, maybe this was supposed to be."

She let out a soft snort of a laugh. "Really, Diana?"

"I don't know," the blonde began, "You have years of unprotected sex with Jake, and it never happens… but then one night with Marcus at the age when you're down to a five percent chance of conceiving naturally and… tada!" She grinned, looking proud of herself. "Seems like the universe is telling you something."

Abby adjusted her head on the bed so she could see Diana beside her properly. "Have you been seeing that astrologer again?"

Her friend's lips pulled up into a smirk. "He's a cosmobiologist."

Her brow furrowed. "And what the hell is that exactly?"

Diana chuckled. "I have no idea. All I know is he gives me multiple orgasms and doesn't mind I go home directly after." With a wink, she motioned with a tilt of her head towards the screen. "There you have it, and with a mighty strong little heartbeat, I must say. A hundred and sixty-five beats per minute." Just as she turned her head, a sound Abby hadn't heard in a long, long time filled the room. "So far everything looks like a normal, healthy pregnancy."

She raised a trembling hand and covered her mouth, had to blink and blink some more to keep the tears filling her eyes from clouding her vision.

When she first found out that she was pregnant with Clarke she remembered being so happy and seeing her only heightened that joy. But with his baby, shock and fear were the only emotions she seemed to have but now it wasn't just some test result, it was real.

She was pregnant.

Great, now she was crying for a whole new reason.

Diana gave her a minute to take it all in while she measured and took notes. After everything was done, and Abby had dressed, her friend tore a piece of paper from a notepad and held it out to her. "I want you to go fill this prescription and go home and rest."

She took the slip of paper and smiled down at the prescription for prenatal pills. But before she could leave there was something in her friends gaze, like she was waiting for Abby to come to a decision. "You think I should I tell him before."

"I think the sooner, the better because I know you and I know keeping it from him will start to nag at that soft heart of yours." Diana's lips pulled up into a sideways smirk, the way they always did when she teased her. "But that, my dear, is up to you."

With a reluctant smile, she thanked her friend once again. And after making a lunch date with her for the following day and another appointment in four weeks, she took her time walking slowly back out to her car. It wasn't too late, she could go by the college and check in with Jackson if she really wanted to, but she had a lot to think about. And a day at home alone to do just that sounded better than worrying about a class that had been just fine without her for a day.

Wednesday evening Marcus stood in the kitchen of his four-bedroom apartment that resided above his pub. A cup of coffee in one hand, he held the latest inventory count with the other while frowning at the numbers. Either his bartenders were getting heavy on the pour, or they were missing a few bottles. No doubt the latter and he suspected Wick and Miller to be the main culprits. They thought strong drinks made them more tips. Well, strong drinks were going to make them first in line at the unemployment office if they didn't get it under control and soon.

He heard a growl across the counter and lifted his eyes from the paper to his business partner. She was shaking her head, looking over the same reports as he, only for their second location in Oregon that she took responsibility for, muttering to herself.

Once a month they met either here or in Portland to go over profits, staff and tentative plans for the year. That included Saint Patrick's Day. Even though his pubs were Scottish Pubs, and the only day closely resembling the Irish holiday was St. Andrews Day, America went bonkers for it, so they participated. Then the next biggest thing was the Highland Games where they send a food truck and set up a beer garden during the three-day festival. And that was coming up in a few short weeks. Just enough time to get settled from the fuss with World Cup to dive back in again. At least the games were only a weeks headaches.

He was about to ask Indra about her thoughts on who she wanted to send this year when his stepson, Bellamy, walked into the kitchen. The young man took an apple from the bowl of fruit on the counter beside him, then walking over to the kitchen island, reached out and mussed up his sister's hair who happened to be in a rather eventful group chat.

Annoyed, Octavia looked up and narrowed her eyes, swatting his hand away. "The hell, Bell? Stop being an ass."

Bellamy smirked. "Dad, Octavia is swearing."

Marcus watched Octavia roll her eyes and ignore him. Having her brother staying with them for the summer after his first year of college apparently meant slipping back into their childhood antics. "And?" he asked, the boy, "I'd leave her alone."

"This is crap. You never let me swear." Bellamy took a seat on a barstool beside his sister and bit into his apple.

"Your words were a lot more colorful, and she doesn't use them in every other sentence," he pointed out.

"She just did."

"And you deserved it."

"I see how it is. Let the princess do what she wants."

"Children, please," Indra growled. With her phone held to her ear, she sent an intimidating glare in Bellamy's direction then rose to her feet.

Marcus raised a brow as she walked out of the room and into the living room, but it did little to hide her conversation from them. Her voice rose with each biting word that had even his teenage daughter looking up from her phone and craning her neck to see what was going on.

No one spoke until she returned and when she did it was Bellamy and his usual sarcastic cheer who asked, "What's wrong, Indra? Problems in the city of roses?"

The look she gave his stepson could only be described as withering. "You have no idea." With a softer gaze, she turned to Marcus and told him, "I'm going to have to catch up next time. I need to get back home. Apparently, my child thinks she can go and drop out of college."

Oh, well fuck. Marcus didn't need to know how she felt about that, it was clear in her tone. He wasn't sure what to say to that, besides a watered-down version of his first reaction. "Yikes."

"Yikes is right," she said while she gathered her own reports and close her laptop. "Her father also doesn't seem to give a damn. If they know what's good for them, they will use the next three hours it'll take me to drive home and hide somewhere I can't find them."

Marcus lifted his mug in the air. "Godspeed."

That gained a small smile from his friend, and she wished them all a good day before leaving.

Once the door was shut behind her, Octavia muttered, "She's so scary sometimes."

Marcus frowned at his daughter. Indra could be a bit abrasive, but he didn't know about scary.

"You know she's the reason Portland has more turnover than you, right?" Bellamy told him like this wasn't news.

"How do you know about our turnover?"

"You forget I worked there last summer?" He shrugged. Took another bite of his apple. "Staff talks. Word gets around."

Marcus frowned into his cup, but any questions he may have had about the rumor mill were gone when his phone chimed with a soft ding from somewhere in the living room.

Setting down his coffee, he made his way over to the coffee table where he placed it earlier that morning. He expected a text from Roan on the updated count downstairs, maybe a message from his mom now that Octavia had taught her how to text, but when he looked down and saw it was neither of them but from her warmth flooded through his chest, lifting his mood and spirit that'd been dampened considerably these last several weeks.

Are you free tomorrow afternoon to talk?

To talk… that sounded almost ominous. Be that as it may, he replied to her quickly, Of course. Anytime you'd like. The word desperate tumbled through his mind, but he dismissed it as quickly as it came, thankful that she was even reaching out to him.

That had to be a good sign?

He only had to wait a few seconds and then three little dots appeared as she typed back.

I get out of class at one. I'll stop by around one-thirty?

There would be a game on, and the place would be packed with it also being the end of lunch but he didn't care. He'd make it work.

Sounds good. Park in the back, I'll have a spot saved for you.

All right. See you then.

He stared down at her last message wondering if he should say more. But what would he say? He supposed he could ask how she was, how her classes were going, if she spent most of her day thinking about him like he thought about her. He might want to keep that last one to himself unless he wished her to know he was a pinning fool.

Years of knowing her, being indifferent to her, befriending her, and now having these new feelings for her had given him a lot to consider. Mostly his friendship with Jake and what he might have said about what was happening between him and Abby. Those reactions ranged from knocking Marcus on his arse, to questioning his motives, to being happy someone he knew and trusted was taking care of her

Or, at least, wanted to take care of her.

Just then Octavia came into the room pulling him from his thoughts. "Dad, can I go downstairs and have the guys make me something to eat?"

He looked back at her. "Sure, in fact, let's all go." Eyes back on his phone he typed a quick, Can't wait before he could over think it, and stuffing his phone in his back pocket, turned and added, "I have a few things to get done before the tomorrow anyway."

Bellamy joined them and smiled. "I could eat."

Octavia rolled her eyes. "You could always eat."

With a heavy sigh, Marcus ushered them both to head downstairs. Grabbing his keys by on the entryway table, he locked the door behind them thinking how interesting this summer was going to be now that Bellamy was staying with them.