Christmas Evening (btw: Kristina is only four months along)

"Hurry up Krissy. I don't want to be late this time. Your mother's already questioning my punctuality"

"It was your fault we were late last time." Krissy said standing in front of the mirror putting on the amethyst drop earrings and necklace Ethan had given her for Christmas that morning. She wore an empire waited black dress that stopped at the knee and disguised her baby bump.

"It was Tracy's fault, no mine." He corrected as he fastened the clasp of her necklace.

"How do I look?"

"Gorgeous." He said looking at her reflection in the mirror. Turning she draped her arms around his neck and they met half way for a kiss.

"Okay enough of that." Ethan said.

"Really!?" Krissy exclaimed. Ethan kissed her again before removing her arms.

"We really need to leave now."

"Fine let me go to the bathroom first, and will you grab the presents out from the hall closet"

--

Maxie and Lucky arrived at Mac's at the same time as Ethan and Kristina.

"Hey Krissy, You should check out Crimson's April issue it was our first maternity issue."

Krissy nodded, "I should have that issue at home somewhere."

"Lucky" Ethan said tersely.

"Ethan"

"Oh stop it you two" Maxie said watching the brothers posture.

As Maxie searched her oversized handbag for house keys, she said to Krissy, "Also since we could very well be sisters at some point we should all go shopping"

"I'd love to" Kristina said figuring all meant her, Molly, Sam, and maybe Robin.

Maxie let them all into the house, Ethan was quiet. Kristina wondered if there was something going on with him

"You okay?"

"Yes, I've been to more family dinners in the past couple of months I keep thinking one of them might very well be my last meal."

"Oh shut up. This is Mac not my dad. I'm sure everything's going to go great." Krissy said with a smile.

--

--

Dinner with the Scorpios did go pretty good but the Spencers were still tense. After dinner, Kristina and Ethan headed home.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Lucky?"

"Nothing he's still upset with me for being born."

"Seriously Ethan"

"I don't know. Every since he found out about the Nicolas and Elizabeth affair he's been distant. I figure that having been close to Nicolas and having him betray him with his two-time-ex wife and then fiancée must have struck a chord. He doesn't trust me. And when I didn't immediately prosecute Liz like everyone else he was upset, more with himself than with me. Anyway I guess he's over Liz now; he and Maxie seem happy."

"They did. What's the deal with those two?" Kristina asked, hoping that Ethan knew how those two hooked up.

"Supposedly he nearly ran the blonde off the road, they renewed their friendship. I heard that when he was addicted to pain killers, she was his supplier." Ethan said relaying the information that Luke and Lulu told him.

"I remember that. During his first marriage to Elizabeth, he even cheated on Liz and had an affair with Maxie." Kristina was young at the time but people still spoke about some gossip, and Maxie Jones was an infamous headline, everyone knew her life's story.

"The affair started over grief and pain, the way I hear is that Maxie supplied my brother with pills in exchange for sex."

"So what does this have to do with their 'renewed friendship'?" Kristina asked using air quotes.

"Lucky was in a bad place, Maxie was trying to get back into Spinelli's good graces after cheating on him with Franco. Maxie helped Lucky, when Spinelli started making it clear that things between them were over and Lucky discovered Liz was pregnant with his bother's baby. They found each other again. From what Luke and Lulu said, they're actually in love. Maxie and Lucky get the boys every other weekend; they seem to be making their relationship work against the odds."

"I hope we can make this work between us."

"Well, love, there is nothing standing in our way."

--

--

Sonny was coming back from a visit with Jason and figured now as good a time as any to stop by and give Kristina her Christmas present. Four knocks on the door, then he waited and checked his watch. Maybe he should have called first.

"Just a minute"

Ethan answered the door shirtless and his long hair unbound.

"Sonny? What brings you by?" He pasted a smile on his face and stepped back with a smile on his face.

The mob boss was not amused or in anyway happy. He knew that his little girl was having a baby; he knew what activities needed to take place for her to get in the family way. After finding out she was staying in his building, he'd checked and Ethan Lovett wasn't on the lease. He took that to mean Ethan and Kristina were not living together. His eighteen year old barely legal daughter was living with a man. Sonny's mind knew that it was more than a little late to be worrying about Ethan violating his daughter but that was all he could think of when the grinning idiot answers the door in nothing but sweat pants.

"Is um... Is Kristina here?"

"She's in the shower." Ethan said closing the door "But she should be out in a minute."

"I just wanted to stop by and give her, her Christmas presents." He said indicating the bag in his hand.

"I was making coffee you want a cup. It's decaf" Ethan said with a frown,

"No thanks." Sonny scratched his brow and mentally counted down. "You um… You're staying here."

"Well… I …"

"Dad. What are you doing here?" Kristina asked where a robe and towel drying her hair.

"Just stopped by to give you your presents."

"Have a seat I'm going to get dressed." Kristina went back to her bedroom and closed the door. Part of her was screaming to just send her father on his way but she couldn't do it. She wanted her father in her life, and now was as good a time as any to start rebuilding their relationship.

Kristina found Ethan standing at the counter sipping his coffee, and her father on the couch looking normal. He didn't seem over bearing or arrogant. He looked nervous and unsure of himself.

"Hey dad, how was your Christmas?"

"It was good. I had dinner with Olivia and Dominic."

"Oh, where were Michael and Morgan?"

"Lady Jane's in town, so they spent the holiday at Carly's."

"Oh I'm sorry we would have stopped by."

"It's fine. How was your holiday?"

"We went to Mac's with mom and Molly"

"As long as you had a good Christmas."

"We did. Wait right there, I have to go get your presents."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

Kristina went to the closet and grabbed the boxes belonging to her father.

"Open this one first she said giving him the larger box." Kristina looked back at Ethan who'd just put his mg in the sink. He gestured that he was going back to their bedroom and she nodded.

Sonny took his time opening the gift from his daughter. Removing the paper and lifting the lid the first thing he saw was a NY Yankee's baseball cap"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome Morgan is talking about you, him, Michael, and Dominic catching a game."

Sonny pulled out the matching mug, jersey, and tie.

"I know I went over board but I can't remember you ever actually wearing a baseball cap, maybe the tie will come in handy."

"Here open your gifts."

"But you didn't open the other one"

"I will after you've opened your gifts."

Kristina ripped through paper and found a silver bound scrap book for the baby, jewelry box, and a Yankees jersey.

"Dad thanks"

"I figured you could join us and take in a game."

"I'd love to." She hugged her dad then went back to opening her jewelry box.

Looking at the diamond tennis bracelet she smile and her eyes watered "It's beautiful, will you help me put it on." After Sonny assisted her, she pushed his other gift into his hands.

Sonny opened the box just as a fully dressed Ethan re-entered the room. Picking up the picture frame, "Is this my gr… grandchild?" Sonny asked stumbling over the word. It was still hard to believe, his baby girl was having a baby.

"Yes, Dr. Lee said that everything was going well with me and the baby, I wanted you, mom, and Grandpa Mike to have a copy."

"Thanks for letting me be apart your life."

"I may not like what you do but I want you in my life. I want my child to know you. And I don't want family moments to be strained; children pick up on that sort of thing."

Sonny hugged his daughter and agreed to try.

--

--

December 28, 2010

Krissy was spending the day with Molly, which meant that Ethan was at work. After rearranging the stock room and placing orders with their distributors, Ethan made his was to the bar.

"Ethan"

"Hey Sonny, Luke's not in at the moment."

"I'm not here to see Luke. I wanted to talk to you about this Kristina situation"

"What about her?"

"She's my daughter" Ethan nodded "My only daughter and I've tried but I'm not sure if I can just stay out of it."

"I'm confused." Was there something going on with Kristina that he didn't know about? Ethan wondered.

"I don't approve of the two of you hooking up or what ever you call it these days. I let things slide because she's having your kid and I want her to be happy."

"Did something happen?"

"No, no, nothing like that. You're not married, and your living together isn't something I can overlook."

"I completely understand sir. But you're a father. Pregnancies aren't always smooth, after reading all those books we figured that it'd be best if I moved in, at least until the baby's born." It wasn't exactly a lie he really was worried about the pregnancy but he was more worried about Kiefer. Kristina didn't need another run in with that jerk and she didn't want to tell her father so this was their only option.

"I thought Dr. Lee said Kristina and the baby were both healthy."

"She did but maybe we're just being paranoid but all the literature mentions possible complications and she's not use to living alone. I moved in to protect her and my child." It was the first time he'd said it out loud. His child.

"I can understand wanting to protect your family, it's the living and sleeping together that gets me. Why not just …"

"Dad!! What Ethan and I do is our business."

"Kristina, we were just discussing…"

"Our sex life is our business."

"I don't need to hear this. I was just… I just want what's best for you. If Ethan's worried about your safety I can have some guards posted at your door."

"Safety? What did Ethan tell you?" Kristina asked fearing the worst.

"I just told your dad that I wanted to be there if you were to fall or cramps or whatever else happens to pregnant women."

"Oh, dad, just calm down my current state advertises my lack of innocence, but Ethan wants to be here for my baby and me. He is exercising his rights as a father to be involved the baby's life. You can't take that away. We need him."

"I know," Sonny's phone rang and after a short reply to the person on the other end, he drew his attention back to Ethan and Kristina. "There's something I have to take care of I'll see you later."

Kristina hugged her father, "Dad, I want this to work with us but you have to get use to the fact that Ethan is apart of my life, and if you want to be in my life you have to accept his place there."

"I know."

After Sonny left Ethan jumped right in, "That was our chance, Sonny would've put guards on you and I wouldn't have to worry that Kiefer is going to come back and do something we'll both regret."

"I know but I don't want my dad to drive you away." Kristina hadn't thought as much on the guards and protection, as she had on her father controlling her life. Sonny and Ethan had been getting along really well, now he finds out their living together before marriage, and want to break them up. She was and adult with her own place and she was the one who decided who or wouldn't live with her.

"I wouldn't be going anywhere, we'll still be together."

"With you living at the Quartermaine's"

With a sigh Ethan said, "What bring you by?"

"I missed you." Truthfully Molly ditched her for Markus Zusak's The Book Thief.

"You were supposed to stay with Molly, or anybody else."

"Well I'm with you now."

"You're right. I'm just about done here you can wait in the office." Ethan loved that Kristina wanted to spend time with him and he'd even gotten use to staying at her place, but he wasn't sure that she was taken Kiefer's threat as seriously as she should. Ethan wanted do everything in his power to protect her, he'd even admit to falling in love with her, but he wasn't ready to marry her. Ethan figured that was what Sonny was getting at; Sonny didn't want his daughter shacking up with some bloke he barely knew, even if there was a baby on the way.

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