Belle couldn't form words. Her joy was so overwhelming that she couldn't form the one word she desperately wanted to say. All she was able to do was smile. A smile that reached clear across her face. "Belle? Does that smile mean yes?" She kissed him hard on the lips, refusing to let go. They melted into each other. It was the text book definition of a perfect moment. Nothing could stop their happiness, nothing could tear them apart. He slipped the ring onto her finger and she held it up for inspection. It was perfect. He was perfect. They were perfect.

Belle had hoped to be married before the baby came, but that would prove to be difficult. Her belly was rapidly expanding, which would make it nearly impossible to find a dress. There was also the problem of her father. Despite everything he had done and tried to do, she still wanted him there at her wedding. Anthony had told her how he had went to ask his permission, and how he never got an answer. She knew that this was his problem. That the huge riff in their relationship was entirely his fault. Belle hoped that when the baby was born he would at least take in interest in his grandchild.

Anthony had insisted on keeping the sex of the baby a secret. Belle felt the same, she wanted to be surprised. They had cleared out one of the guest bedrooms to make a new nursery and were in the process of buying furniture.

"I don't understand why you wouldn't keep Ben's old things. I mean didn't you ever think that you might want to have another child." Belle asked him while they drove to the store. Anthony reached over and grabbed her hand.

"It was never a matter of wanting another child. I just never thought I would find someone that I'd want to have a baby with. Then I found you." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. Ben giggled in the back seat amused by the toy he had brought along with him. "And I had Ben, I never thought I'd find someone that loved him as I did." Belle smiled lovingly at him, happy that she ended up being that person.

At the store, Belle insisted on getting at least one of everything. Before she knew it her cart was full and Anthony had to go in search of another. Her and Ben were browsing through the toys. Ben was insisting on picking out a stuffed animal for his new baby sister, because he was completely convinced that it was a girl. He was looking at a plush pink elephant when she heard someone call out her name. She looked up and glanced around and her eyes landed on her old friend Ruby. Ruby was one of the last people she wanted to talk to. She had told her that she was crazy when she first started dating Anthony, she didn't want to hear her thoughts now that she was engaged and pregnant. So she turned back around and put Ben back in the shopping cart with the elephant, which he was very excited about. "Mama like?" Belle ruffled his hair and kissed his nose.

"Mama loves it." She began pushing the cart through the aisle when Ruby's hand caught her arm. Belle sighed and reluctantly turned to face her.

"Belle, I haven't seen you in almost a year. Where have you been?" Ruby was awful at hiding the fact that her eyes were locked in on her stomach.

"I've been around. I still work at the childhood center." Belle faked a smile, as did Ruby, as least she wasn't the only one who felt awkward. Ruby babbled for a bit about what she'd been up to. Belle tried her best to listen but found her mind wandering.

"Belle? Belle are you in there?" Ruby waved a hand in front of her face and Belle woke up from her little daydream. "So are you still with... you know?" Ruby felt very uncomfortable. The truth was she was always happy for Belle. She had always hated Gavin and Anthony always seemed to make her happy. But when she mentioned that he had a kid, Ruby got a little overprotective. She just didn't want Belle to get hurt.

"Yes. Did you not see the child sitting in the cart?" She replied a little too harshly. Ruby flinched, and her shoulders sagged.

"Look, Belle, I'm sorry. I was just worried about you. I tried calling you." Ruby was trying to make amends, Belle realized. While Ruby had hurt her, she wanted to forgive Ruby more than anything. Even though she loved Anthony and knew she could talk to him about anything and Nancy was always there for her, and she had Ben of course, but she needed a friend. A friend that wasn't a part of her family. "I just didn't want you to get hurt again. And when you said that he had a kid, I just assumed that he was using you. You were my best friend Belle, I just wanted to protect you."

Belle smiled at her. "I have missed talking to you." Ruby's face lit up. "You were my best friend too you know." Ruby couldn't help herself. She flung her arms around Belle and pulled her into a fierce hug. They laughed and pulled apart. Ben grabbed at Belle's shirt, trying to get her attention. "Oh how rude of me. Ruby this is my son Ben. He is a little shy." Ruby smiled at the boy and he immediately hid himself in Belle's shirt. "Told you." She picked Ben up and placed him on her hip, his face was buried in her neck. "Ben can you say hello to my friend Ruby?" Ben lifted his hand to look at his mama, then turned to Ruby and gave her a little wave.

"Hey there. How old are you?" Ruby asked gently.

Ben turned his head to look at her and Belle gave him an encouraging smile. "I tree year old."

Ruby gasped playfully, "Wow you are practically a grown up." Ben giggled and hid his face back in Belle's hair.

Anthony came up behind Belle adding to the conversation. "Yes, soon he'll be bringing home girls and refusing to talk to us in public because we embarrass him and he won't find the need to hide in his mother's hair when he meets people." Belle gasped and smacked his chest.

"Don't say that!" As much as she wanted to be offended, she couldn't stop herself from laughing. She then turned to Ruby and smiled, "Ruby this is Anthony, you two never did actually meet. Anthony this is Ruby." They shook hands and exchanged greetings. Belle put Ben back on the ground to look at more stuffed animals, when Anthony caught a glimpse of the pink elephant in the cart. He picked it up and inspected it.

"Who is this for? Surely Ben didn't pick this out for himself?" Belle smacked him again and took the toy from him.

"No, Ben picked that out for his "little sister" why he's so convinced it's a girl I'll never know." Ruby watched the way Anthony slid his arm around Belle's waist protectively. She assumed that Belle had told him about their fight. She watched him whisper in her hair, and how Belle laughed at whatever joke he made. She had to admit that she was a little jealous. Belle really found the one and she was starting a family with him, well technically she already started the family.

Belle had invited Ruby over for dinner that night so they could talk more. Anthony loved how happy she was. He was still wary though, her friends have hurt her before. She lost them because of him. He wouldn't let that happen this time. Ruby was either going to stick around or... he didn't know what he would do. All he knew was that he couldn't let his Belle go through anymore heartache.

Ben was trying to help Belle in the kitchen while Anthony set the table. Ben was playing with a carrot while Belle was chopping the rest of them. The food was all prepared and just as she was about to move everything on the table there was a knock at the door. Belle went to answer it, letting Ruby in and leading her to the kitchen. "This house is beautiful." Belle smiled.

"Remind me to give you a tour later. There's even a library." Ruby laughed.

"Now I know why you fell in love with him." They both laughed, Belle's love of books was no secret.

Dinner was pleasant. Conversation was kept light. Ben stole away most of the attention with his sheer cuteness. When Anthony brought Ben upstairs to get him ready for bed, Belle and Ruby sat on the couch getting reacquainted. "You're really happy aren't you?" Ruby grabbed Belle's hand and squeezed it.

Belle was smiling like an idiot. "I am. I never thought I would be this happy." Ruby smiled at her friend.

"I can't tell you sorry enough for what happened between us." Ruby sighed, "We lost so much time. Remember how we used to stay up all night gossiping and..."

Belle cut her off giggling like a school girl, "No, no we are not going there! He is right upstairs."

Ruby ignored her pleas, "Oh come on. Are you worried he's listening? Because the only thing you'd have to worry about then is if you had something bad to say, which I'm guessing you don't because of how badly you're blushing." Ruby gave her a playful nudge. "At least tell me how often."

Belle's face had to have been at least five different shades of red. "Ruby!" she scolded. But Ruby wasn't letting this go. Belle turned towards the stairs to see if she could hear anything, the coast was clear. "Alright fine," she spoke in a whisper. "We have a very healthy sexual relationship." Ruby nudged her again giving her a look that said 'you've got to be kidding me' and Belle sighed in defeat. "Okay fine! We have... sex almost every night are you happy?" Ruby squealed as Belle hit her with a pillow.

"And umm, how is he? I mean obviously he isn't that inadequate due to your present state" Belle hit her with the pillow again, "but how is he?" Ruby was leaning in excited to hear more.

"You know I liked this game better when I was just the listener. If you absolutely must know... Anthony is... he's like a God." Ruby let out an excited laugh and pressed for details. "He always makes sure that I... you know, before he even thinks about his own needs. He is an extraordinary kisser and he seems to know my body better than I do most of the time. And I know you're going to ask so do you remember when you went out with that guy Danny?" Ruby nodded, liking where this was going. "Well he's a good two inches bigger than Danny." Ruby couldn't help but let out a little scream.

"Jesus Belle, no wonder you're pregnant. He's huge!" Belle threw her hand over Ruby's mouth.

"Will you shut it? He's right upstairs." Belle was laughing despite herself.

"I am very happy for you Belle." Ruby's voice was nothing but sincere.

When Anthony came back downstairs to inform Belle that Ben refused to sleep without her reading him a story, Belle shot Ruby a warning look and headed upstairs to take care of her little man.

"So," Anthony shifted from side to side clearly uncomfortable, "How long have you known Belle?"

"I've known her most of my life actually, we met in second grade." Anthony nodded. "I'm happy she found you. You're the kind of guy she's always wanted."

"Well I suppose you would know." Ruby nodded and smiled besides the fact that the joke was awful. Anthony knew what he wanted to say but he didn't want it to come out to threatening. So he tried to keep his voice soft, "I don't want her to get hurt again."

Ruby looked down at her hands. "I don't want to hurt her again. It was never my intention, I was just being overprotective. I should've given you a chance and I'm sorry I didn't."

"Well, I'm glad." Anthony felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. "And I'm glad she'll have another woman to really talk to besides my mother, and her boss who she doesn't particularly get on with. She needs a friend and I'm glad it's you."

Ruby smiled, "She really picked a winner didn't she?"

Anthony chuckled, "I hope so."

When Belle came back down, Ruby made her excuses to leave, gave Belle a wink that she knew Anthony would catch and drove off. They closed the door, and made their way to the living room to watch a little television before bed. Anthony had his arm around her and she had her head resting on his shoulder. He was the one to break their comfortable silence. "So I'm really like a God?" Belle's head jerked up and she immediately started blushing. "Well my love, why don't we see just how godly I can be?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively and she pulled him in for a passionate kiss.