A/N

HI GUYS!

Ok, so this chapter is more of a "lets catch up with Cece and Schmidt" chapter. Nick is only in the beginning, but it's one of my favorites so I hope you enjoy it!

Also: shout out to barbramana1, rose coloured glasses, jenna and End80 for always leaving sweet comments. I really appreciate them! 3

Please review! :)

Chapter 13:

A few months past. Summer had turned to autumn, the leaves had changed and now there was a distinct nip in the air. Nick had been sleeping, finally. After admitting their love for one another, Nick had told Jess everything; the fire, rescuing Kaylee, the dreams. It took a weight off his shoulders. A weight that he didn't even know he was carrying. It allowed him to relax. Telling Jess about his problems, his frustrations and his fears had been just what he had needed. She didn't judge, she didn't pry, she just sat there and held him, letting him pour out everything.

It was early October, Jess had started school five weeks pryer, getting and setting up her classroom. She was excited to finally be back to teaching children again. It was her passion, what she was born to do. Nick had helped her pick out posters and supplies for her room and they had set it up one lazy Thursday afternoon. Somehow in the midst of hanging up posters, and putting crayons and pens away in the supply cabinet, they had gotten into a paint war. Blue streaks ran up and down Jess's arms, Nick had orange paint splattered throughout his hair. The had been laughing and giggling like children, stopping only when Jess's boss had come in to see what the ruckus was.

Nick was working at another of Mick's bars. He was placed on night shifts, working from 7pm to 3:30 am. The staff was friendly, and welcomed him with open arms. It wasn't the same kind of bar that Nick was used to though. This one was fancier. Nick was required to wear a dressy button down and tie every night, much to Jess's delight. She loved coming into the bar, grabbing Nick by the tie and pulling him across the counter for a kiss. In fact, any night that Jess's didn't have anything to do for the school, she would come into the bar. And that's exactly what she would do immediately upon entering. Nick would protest and complain and swat at her for doing it, but they both knew he loved it.

It was a Saturday morning, Nick and Jess were cuddled up in Jess's bed still sleeping, Jess curled into Nick's arms, her head tucked under his chin. A light drizzle was falling outside and it was chilly in the loft, the heater having broken the week before. Nick had attempted to fix it, but had given up after beating the device with a wrench several times. Jess shifted in he sleep, snuggling deeper into Nick's chest for warmth as his arms tightened around her. She sighed.

And then the door banged open, smacking against the wall. "Jess! Thank God!" Cece screeched into the room, stopping when she saw the chaos she had created. The sound of the door slamming had caused Nick to shift and pull back from Jess, who at the same time jumped and smacked the top of her head into his nose.

"Ow ow ow! Damn it!" Nick sat up in bed holding his nose which was starting to turn an ugly purple color. He winced in pain as his hands clutched his bruised and battered nose.

"Oh my god, Nick! Are you ok?" Jess sat up next to him and attempted to pry his hands away from his face. She rounded on Cece. "Jesus, Cece, don't you knock?!" she shouted, but stopped short at the panicked look on Cece's face. "Cece… what is it?'

Cece looked momentarily stunned. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "I really need to talk to you." She whispered, worrying her lip.

Jess nodded. "Ok. Give me a few minutes, I'll meet you in the living room."

"Actually, can we uh…. go out. I need to talk to you in private…" Her eyes shifted to Nick then back to Jess. She shuffled on her feet.

Jess blinked several times. "Umm.. ok sure. I need to change..."

Cece rapidly nodded and exited the room. Jess turned back to Nick who was still clutching his nose.

"Let me see." she said gently, cupping Nick's hands in her tiny ones, and moving them away from his face. She put them down in his lap and brought her hands back up to Nick's nose prodding it gently causing Nick to wince. "It's just bruised, not broken, thank God." She said, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on it's tip.

Nick grimaced. "Not broken. Well, that's something I guess." He motioned his head towards the door. "What the hell was all that about?"

Jess furrowed her brow and shook her head, "I'm not sure, but I have to go."

Nick frowned, turtle face in place. "But, it's Saturday… I thought we had plans." He whined.

"I know, but…."

"Jess, come on! It's the first day we've both had free in a month…" He trailed his hand down her arm. "I had plans for you and that lingerie that you bought…." Nick waggled his eyebrows at her, causing Jess to giggle. She maneuvered into Nick's lap, resting her arms on his shoulders, her knees planted on either side of his thighs.

"I'll make it up to you." She leaned down and kissed him firmly. "I promise."

"I'm holding you to that, Day." He grabbed her hips and squashed her to him, kissing her until she was breathless.

"Cece, what are we doing here?" Jess asked as Cece parked her expensive car in front of CVS. She put the parking break on and flipped the engine off.

"I…." Cece started, taking a deep breath. "I… uh…."

"Cece, you're scaring me. What's going on?" Jess turned toward her best friend, a her face pinched in concern. Cece was nervous, twisting her hands in her lap and avoiding direct eye contact with Jess. Cece was NEVER nervous and, frankly, it was freaking Jess out.

Cece let out a gust of air, finally looking Jess directly in the eyes. "IthinkImightbepregnant." It was said so fast that Jess wasn't sure she heard her right.

"What?" she asked.

"I think I might be pregnant." Cece said it slower gasping on the last word. She pressed her lips firmly together, her eyes wide and staring at Jess, a dazed look on her face.

"Oh my god, are you sure?" Jess said, reaching out and grabbing her best friends hand. This wasn't Cece's first pregnancy scare so Jess needed all the information she could get.

Cece shook her head, "I don't know but…" She gulped again, "My boobs are sore, I threw up this morning not to mention I'm late…"

Jess nodded, "Ok… ok. Lets umm…"

"Jess, I need to take a pregnancy test and… I couldn't do it alone. I can't tell Schmidt. Not until I know for sure, after the way he acted last time…" Cece took a deep breath. "I needed my best friend."

Jess nodded, "Of course Cece, lets head inside and… well, see what happens."

The two exited the car and Jess immediately linked her arms with Cece's for support. They walked through the pharmacy, Jess snagging a basket on the way. The pair walked towards the feminine care aisle. Each step felt heavy to Cece. She felt like she could hyperventilate and any moment. Jess tightened her grip on Cee's arm sensing her tension.

The stopped in front of the pregnancy tests and Cece froze, eyes wide. "Jesus, how many are there?" The stood in front of the display dumbfounded. Their were at least 40 different kinds staring back at them. Names like EPT, Clearblue, and First Response. screamed back at them. It was daunting.

"Wow, um…" Jess shook her head, blowing her hair out of her eyes. "Maybe uh… we should get a couple. Just to, you know, make sure?" Jess looked over at Cece who nodded.

"Yeah."

Jess grabbed a pink box and placed it in the basket while Cece grabbed a blue one. Once the basket was full, they made their way up to the register, stopping only twice. Once for ice cream, the other for candy. Cece paid and they made their way back to the car. Cece threw the bag into the backseat, and flipped on the engine, making her way toward her apartment.

"How many minutes has it been?" Cece asked, sitting on her couch. Her feet were curled underneath her, glass of water in hand. She had just taken the first test and it was staring at the both of them from its perch on the coffee table. Jess looked at the timer on her phone.

"Two minutes." Jess placed her hand on Cece's knee. "You doing ok?" She asked.

Cece bit her lip. "I honestly don't know what I'm feeling. I'm in shock, definitely. And... it's not that I don't want children, because I do. Hell, that's why I almost went through with the whole wedding fiasco. But, if I'm pregnant, this is not how I thought it would go."

Jess nodded. "Yeah. I get it."

Cece looked at Jess quizzically, "How do you get it? You've never had to take one before…. have you?"

Jess took a deep breath. "Once, three years ago."

Cece gaped at her best friend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Jess grimaced. "Because I was stupid. Spencer was being an ass, and I just… panicked." Jess shrugged. "So I took the test, it came back negative and then a week later I caught Spencer cheating and it never crossed my mind again. After that I was focused on moving and starting over so…"

Cece gave Jess a tight lipped smile. "You shouldn't have had to go through that alone. You could've called me."

"I know." Jess said. "I just wasn't thinking clearly and I freaked out. Almost crashed my car into the drug store racing to get there. But that's all in the past." Jess's phone beeped indicating it was time to look. "You ready?" She asked Cece whose eyes were fixed on the pregnancy test sitting on the coffee table. She gave a tiny nod and reached for it but quickly snatched her hand back.

"I can't…" She looked at Jess. "Jess I can't… can you just…" She indicated towards the test.

Jess nodded and reached out, picking the plastic test. Two pink lines stared back at her. Positive. She looked at Cece. "It's positive."

Cece bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. Jess reached out and pulled her best friend into a hug. "Hey, hey I'm here. Lets… lets take another one. Maybe it's a false positive. Come on. " Jess pulled back and grabbed her shoulders, gently easing her up of the couch and giving her a gentle shove towards the bathroom where the other pregnancy tests awaited her arrival.

4 tests later, there was no doubt in either girl's mind.

Cece was pregnant.