Chapter Twenty-One
"A little boy." Greenlee repeated with tears in her eyes before looking at Leo, who was obviously stunned. "Leo! We're going to have a little you."
"A little boy." Leo said happily, looking back at Greenlee. He hadn't told his wife, but he had secretly been hoping for a little boy rather than a little girl. After all, even though raising a child was still a mystery to him, he did know what little boys were like because he had been one himself at one time.
"Congratulations." Joe said, getting their attention as he headed for the door again. "Well, we're all done here, so I'll let you two go share the happy news with your families."
"Thank you, Dr. Martin." Greenlee replied as the white-haired man walked out the door. As it closed behind him, she hopped off of the exam table and sat down on Leo's lap. "We're going to have a little boy!"
"I know." an enthusiastic Leo smiled, kissing Greenlee's temple.
"You do know that this means you're going to have to share me with another man, right?" Greenlee teased, wrapping her arms around his neck. Reaching up, she planted a kiss on her husband's cheek before smiling at him. "Think you can handle it?"
"Oh," Leo grinned back, resting his hands on her elbows. "I think that I'll be able to manage." He kissed her temple again. "What do you say we get out of here and go celebrate, huh?"
"Sounds like a plan." Greenlee nodded.
"I can't believe you wanted to stop here first." Leo groaned as the elevator door opened to the offices of Fusion Cosmetics where Greenlee was a co-founder. Stepping out into the lobby area, du Pres remained where he stood, crossing his arms across his chest. A smile crossed Greenlee's face as she realized that her husband very much resembled a toddler throwing a temper tantrum.
"It's only for a few minutes." Greenlee promised, heading into the office. "I just need to...Oh my God."
"What?" a curious Leo asked, following her into the office. He didn't need her to explain though as he soon also caught sight of Ryan making out with Kendall Hart in the middle of the main office. "Whoa!"
"Huh?" Ryan and Kendall both said, breaking apart from each other. Both the brown-haired man and the curly-haired woman immediately got guilty looks on their faces upon seeing Leo and Greenlee watching them.
"Don't you two know how to knock?" Kendall snapped, narrowing her eyes at Greenlee, her main rival.
"Last time I checked," Greenlee replied in an equally unpleasant tone. "I still worked here, Kendall!"
"Play nice." Ryan warned, getting the sense that a catfight could break out at any moment. With a smile, he turned back to Leo. "Hey man!"
"Hey." Leo greeted, exchanging high fives with him. "Sorry for leaving you alone at the bar last night, man."
"No problem." Ryan reassured as his grin widened. "So, what did the doctor say? Is the baby doing all right?"
"Yeah, the baby's doing just fine." Leo nodded, leaning up against a nearby desk. "It's a little boy."
"A boy?" Ryan repeated before giving Leo another high-five. "Awesome!"
"Thank God." Kendall breathed a sigh of relief.
"What was that?" Greenlee snapped, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing." Kendall replied with a fake smile. "I'm just so glad that we've apparently avoided the second coming of Greenlee for the time being."
"You..." Greenlee started, taking a few steps towards Kendall.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Leo interrupted, putting restraining hands on his wife's shoulders. However, the brown-haired woman still tried to charge towards her rival. "Greenlee! Come on! You're supposed to be avoiding stress, remember?"
"How am I supposed to avoid stress with her around?" Greenlee growled, motioning towards Kendall. She glanced up at her husband pleadingly. "Throw her off of the roof for me?"
"Oh, that's nice." Kendall snapped, "Encourage your husband to commit murder!"
"You would know about husbands and murder, wouldn't you?" Greenlee replied, still trying to break away from Leo. "Mrs. Michael Cambias!"
"You little..." it was Kendall's turn to growl and head for Greenlee.
"Kendall!" Ryan scolded, grabbing the brown, curly-haired woman before she could reach the other. Like Greenlee though, she desperately tried to break away from the man restraining her. "Come on!"
"Let me go, Ryan!" Kendall begged, "Please? I promise that I won't hit her anywhere that will hurt the baby!"
"You take one step near me or my child, and I swear to God that I will..." Greenlee growled, freeing an arm and trying to swipe at Hart.
"You won't do anything." Leo interrupted before exchanging sympathetic glances with Ryan. "What are we going to do with these two?"
"I don't know." Ryan shook his head before addressing the two women. "What are you two going to do when Leo and I aren't around to separate you?"
"Never going to happen." Greenlee replied, looking between Ryan and Leo. "Leo knows that he's not allowed to leave me alone ever again."
"Trust me," Leo added, looking at Ryan. "She'd hunt me down and kill me in the afterlife if I did."
"Well, I guess that you just prove that men marry someone like their mother, Leo." Kendall remarked confidently. "Greenlee's just about as sane as Vanessa was."
"Don't you EVER compare me to that witch!" an enraged Greenlee shouted, trying harder than ever to break free from Leo's grip.
"That was uncalled for, Kendall." Leo agreed, managing to hold on.
"Yeah, it was." Ryan nodded before looking down at Kendall. "Apologize."
"To her?" a stunned Kendall asked, motioning to Greenlee. "No way!"
"I'd only tell her where to stick it." Greenlee replied, calming down slightly. Her brown eyes traveled upwards and met those of her husband. "Can we just get out of here?"
"Fine with me." Leo smiled, letting her go. "I didn't want to be here in the first place."
"I should really learn to trust your intuition." Greenlee replied, walking away to collect her things.
"I'm going to so glad when she goes on maternity leave." Kendall remarked as Ryan also let her go. Like Greenlee had before her, she also walked away to her desk, leaving the two men alone.
"Man." Leo chuckled, shaking his head.
"Screw what Greenlee said," Ryan laughed in agreement. "The both of us are probably going to die first because of the stress those two bring."
"Just wait until she gets pregnant." Leo grinned, nodding his head at Kendall. "Hormones are an entirely new type of hell, my friend. It doesn't take much for Greens to start bawling anymore and I always have no idea what she wants."
"Damn." Ryan sympathized, shaking his head. "Remind me never to get a girl pregnant." He smiled and offered his hand for du Pres to shake. "Congrats on the baby though, buddy."
"Thanks, man." Leo replied, taking Lavery's hand and pulling him into a hug.
"What's this?" David's voice suddenly said, causing Leo and Ryan to break their embrace. The older man walked into the office with his arms open questioningly. "You tell Lavery the good news before me? Some brother you are, Leo!"
"Greens wanted to stop here first." Leo shrugged before hugging his brother. "You know that you were first on my list, right?"
"Right." David smiled, hugging Leo back. "Lavery."
"Hayward." Ryan nodded in recognition.
"David!" Greenlee squealed in delight, running over and hugging her brother-in-law the minute Leo let him go. "It's so good to see you!"
"Always good to see you too." David replied, hugging the petite woman back. "So, do I have a little niece or nephew in that stomach of yours?"
"Well," Greenlee giggled as the pair broke their hug. However, she grabbed David's arms and put his hands on her stomach. "Uncle David, say hello Benjamin Montgomery du Pres."
"You named him after Trey?" a surprised Kendall commented before David could get words out. Her mouth hanging open, Hart walked back over to the group.
"I hope that that's all right." Leo said, looking at her. Kendall had been Trey's half-sibling on his father's side, and Leo had promised his younger brother he'd look after her for him.
"It's more than all right." a tearful Kendall replied, hugging Leo. "He would have been so happy to have a little nephew to spoil." She hugged Greenlee, who was taken aback momentarily. "However, if your little boy is anything like his Uncle Trey, he's definitely going to be a little troublemaker."
"I don't see how he could be in this family and not be." David chuckled, hugging Leo tightly.
"Yeah." Leo laughed in agreement before smiling at Greenlee. "Hey! I guess this means we can decorate the nursery now. We'll have to let your Mom know the good news."
"What?" a stunned David exclaimed, looking at the happy couple.
"What do you mean what?" Leo wondered.
"You're actually going to let Mary Smythe decorate a room in your house?" an equally shocked Kendall answered for David.
"No way is my nephew going to grow up in a room decorated by someone like Mary Smythe!" David added, shaking his head.
"David," a worried Leo asked, seeing Greenlee about to open her mouth. Memories of the fight the couple had had a few months prior about Greenlee's mother decorating the nursery flashed into his head. "Kendall, can I have a word with you two?" They followed him over to a spot a few feet away from Greenlee and Ryan, who had engaged in conversation themselves. "Cool it with the Mary objections!"
"Why?" Kendall said, looking at him as if he were crazy. "Leo, that woman has absolutely no taste whatsoever."
"Kendall's right." David nodded, "Besides when did you become a member of the Mary Smythe fan club?"
"I'm not," Leo reassured, "And you can chuck me into Oak Haven if I ever become one." He sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "It's just that Greenlee and I got into an argument over this awhile back and she flew off into a hormone-induced fit."
"And you don't want to suffer another one of those if you don't have to." David sympathized with a smile.
"Exactly." Leo replied with a single nod.
"Jack!" Greenlee greeted cheerfully as the elevator door opened. To their surprise, Mr. and Mrs. du Pres found Greenlee's blond-haired, tall father standing outside the door to their penthouse apartment, apparently having just knocked on it.
"I was wondering if you two had made it home yet." Jack grinned, turning around and kissing Greenlee on the cheek as she ran up to him. "Hi sweetheart. Leo."
"Jackson." Leo nodded in greeting.
"So," Jack wondered, looking between his daughter and his son-in-law as they all wandered into the apartment. "What did Joe have to say about the baby?"
"It's doing fine." Greenlee reported, smiling widely. "Both me and Ben are doing just fine."
"Ben?" a stunned Jack repeated as he and Greenlee sat down on the couch. "So that means..."
"Congratulations, Grandpa." Greenlee beamed, hugging her father. "You're going to have a grandson."
While he was silently watching Greenlee and Jack have their moment, Leo felt his cell-phone vibrate in his pocket and headed into the next room.
"Dad." he smiled, seeing the number on the Caller ID before putting the phone to his ear. "Bonjour, mon pere!"
"Someone sounds like he's in a good mood." Guy chuckled, "After last night, I..."
"Dad," Leo interrupted, shaking his head. "I'd rather not think about last night if it's all the same to you." He paused for a moment and sighed. "I'm sorry for worrying you like that. It was stupid to even think for a moment about going after those guys, especially with the baby now on the way."
"Well, we all mess up occasionally, Leo." Guy replied, leaning back in his chair. "And I'd have to be dead not to worry about you, my boy." The white-haired man decided to switch to a happier topic; the real reason he had called. "So?"
"So?" Leo teased, shrugging his shoulders.
"Don't make me cross the Atlantic just to hit you." Guy replied firmly.
"All right, all right." Leo laughed, leaning up against a nearby wall. He wished that he could see the look on his father's face. "Well, according to the doctors, it's a little boy."
"Benjamin." an overjoyed Guy said, "Congratulations, my boy. That is wonderful news."
"Yeah." Leo nodded, running his fingers through his hair. "It just makes all of this seems all the more real. He's not an it anymore; he's Ben."
"And it's a little overwhelming, right?" a sympathetic Guy assumed.
"Yeah." Leo laughed nervously, "I'm still not sure that I'm ready."
"Take it from someone who has been in your shoes, Leo," Guy confidently reassured, "You are ready. You are going to be the best father that little boy could ask for."
"You think so, huh?" a still unsure Leo replied.
"I know so." Guy nodded.
"Sounds like Leo's talking to his father." Greenlee informed, walking back into the main room from the hallway. The mother-to-be had gone to check on her husband after he had left her and her father alone.
"How's he doing with all of this?" Jack asked as Greenlee sat back down next to him.
"I don't know." an honest Greenlee shook her head, "Some days, he's perfectly fine, and other days, he's a nervous wreck. He's so worried that, because he never had a father growing up, he's going to screw up and wreck Benjamin's life."
"New parent jitters." Jack nodded knowingly.
"Yeah, I feel the same way." Greenlee admitted, looking at the table in front of them.
"Well," Jack said, putting his arm around his daughter. "If you're looking to me to say that they'll go away, I can't do that. My own personal experience tells me that you'll have them well into Benjamin's adulthood." He rubbed her back. "You're always afraid that there's the one thing you didn't do that will come back to bite you."
"Great." a sarcastic Leo commented, entering from the hallway. "Means I'll probably go gray long before my time."
"Well," Jack teased, "I don't know about that. If you keep cutting your hair like that, you might not have any hair to go gray."
"Hey!" a defensive Leo said, running his finger through his faux hawk. He narrowed his eyes at Greenlee, who was giggling. "And you're just going to let him insult me like that?"
"You're a big boy." Greenlee replied through her laughter, "I'm sure you can handle yourself." As her chuckling slowly disappeared, she turned once more towards Jack. "You know Bianca left her jacket here yesterday. Do you think you could..."
"I'll run it over." Leo volunteered, picking the coat up off of the couch. "I need to tell her and Maggie the good news anyway." He kissed the top of Greenlee's head as he headed out the door. "Love you."
"Love you too." Greenlee smiled.
Whistling a happy tune to himself, Leo paused momentarily before reaching the door to Bianca's apartment. He blew out the last note of the song before sniffing the air. A strange odor had caught his attention.
"Weird." he said to himself, trying to figure out what it was. Finally dismissing it as someone's bad cooking, du Pres shrugged his shoulders and knocked on the door to Bianca's apartment.
"Hey!" a cheery Bianca greeted as she opened the door.
"You forgot your coat yesterday." Leo replied, handing it over to her.
"Oh, thank you." an appreciative Bianca said, taking it before sniffing the air herself. "Do you smell that? I swear that there's a weird smell out here."
"Gee, thanks, Binks." a sarcastic Kendall greeted from behind Leo.
"I didn't mean you." Bianca reassured with a laugh.
"Whatever." Kendall replied, smiling at her sister before frowning. "It does smell a bit weird out here though."
"Yeah, like rotten eggs." Leo nodded before a thought struck him. His brown eyes went wide as he realized a possible source. "Uh oh!"
"You think it could be..." Kendall started to say before being drowned out by an explosion.
The last thing Leo could remember before a warm darkness claimed him was grabbing tightly onto Bianca and placing himself in between her and the blast.
To be continued...