*thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much.
The Sunday following Thanksgiving Chelsea and Lily headed back to Phoenix while Cody headed off to Connecticut to return to work. It was a very difficult time for Chelsea. She wasn't sure if she was ready to date a wrestler. When he was home everything was great but now he would be gone about 4 days a week sometimes more. She was already missing him as she pulled into her parents' driveway to pick up some clothes to take to Cody's house since she would be staying there while he was away so she could keep an eye on Lily. "Lily, I just want you to know before we go in please don't say anything to my dad about your dad and me. He doesn't know."
"Okay," she said. "I won't say anything."
"Thank-you," said Chelsea before she and Lily got out of the car. They walked up to the front porch and Chelsea opened the front door allowing Lily to walk in before her. She quietly shut the door as no one came to see who it was. "Come on, my room is upstairs," she said leading Lily upstairs to grab some clothes. Lily followed but before they reached the top of the stairs Dave appeared from no where.
"Chelsea," he said from the bottom of the stairs.
"Hi, Dad," she said. "I just came to get some clothes. I'm going to be staying at Cody's while he's away because he asked me to watch Lily."
"That's interesting. Are you his babysitter now?"
"I am just doing him a favor," said Chelsea.
"How was your Thanksgiving?" he asked.
"It was fun. I had a good time."
"I see. When did you get back?" he asked.
"Today," she answered. "How was Thanksgiving here?"
"It was good. WE missed you. You missed your sister. She said she loves you and she'll see you at Christmas. You will be here for Christmas right?"
"As far as I know, Dad," she said.
"Good it was hard enough to give you up for Thanksgiving… it will be even harder to give you up for Christmas. And besides Athena and the kids are coming for Christmas."
"Is her husband?" asked Chelsea.
"No," said Dave. "He is going to visit his family."
"I bet he is," said Chelsea.
"Chels, I know you don't like him but Athena loves him and he's awesome with the kids so if you could at least try to respect him for your sister that would be great."
"He's an asshole, Dad."
"At least we've met the man she loves. We have yet to meet yours or I have yet to meet yours. When is this going to happen, Chels?"
"I don't know soon," she said. "You still owe me the time to talk to you."
"I'm here now. Talk to me now," said Dave.
"I'd rather wait," said Chelsea. "Anything else, Dad?"
"No.. I just wish you would talk to me. I really would like to know who this guy is that has stolen your heart and loves you so much to take you to visit his parents when I haven't even met him. Are you ashamed of me? Or are you scared to introduce him to me?"
Chelsea hated when her dad said things like this. She was never ashamed of her father. She was incredibly proud of who her father was. She carried the last name Batista with pride. She was even planning on hyphenating it when she got married whenever that day would be. She was hoping to one day become Mrs. Chelsea Batista-Rhodes what a great family line their children would come from not that she was thinking about that stuff. The idea just dawned on her from time to time. "Dad, I'm not ashamed of you. I am very proud that you're my father. It's just you don't react well to my love interests. I really like this guy and I don't want you to scare him away."
"Are you going to marry this guy?" asked Dave.
"I hope to," said Chelsea, "but you never know."
"Where is he now and how does he feel about you watching another guy's child?"
"He's working and I don't think he minds," she said. "Anything else?"
"No. I just love you and want what's best for you. Please just let me meet this guy. I won't overreact."
"Okay," said Chelsea, "but it won't be till later in the week."
"Thank-you," said Dave.
"You're welcome. I love you," she said with a smile as she continued up the stairs to her room. Dave watched her and Lily as they walked to her room before he walked away.
Chelsea was in her room grabbing some clothes while Lily walked around looking at things. "Your room is really cool."
"Thanks," said Chelsea as she pulled out some clothes.
"Did you keep a diary when you were a little girl?"
"I did," said Chelsea with a smile. "Do you keep one?"
"Yes," she said as she looked at the pictures in the room. "You are famous?" she asked looking at tabloid covers of Chelsea and other magazines with Chelsea on them.
"My family is pretty famous," said Chelsea. "We used to always be in the tabloids. I'm just glad the paparazzi has finally left us alone."
"So everyone watched your every move?"
"Yes," said Chelsea. "At first it was weird because I was really young but I got used to it as I grew up. I try to stay out of things now that will spark the paparazzi's interest the last thing I want is to end up on the cover of tabloids again."
"But you have so many," she said as she looked at them. "If you hate it why did you keep them?"
"Memories I guess. I'm not sure."
"Are you going to be an actress again?" asked Lily.
"No," said Chelsea. "I'm not. I have no interest in ever acting again. I want to continue to be a dance teacher. It doesn't really please my father as he would rather I be a journalist or an editor or something along those lines."
"I see," she said, "Are you going to marry my dad?"
"I don't know. I hope so one day."
"I need a mama," said Lily.
"You already have one," said Chelsea.
"No, I don't. Not one that loves me anyway," she said sadly.
Chelsea felt bad when she heard Lily say this. "Lily, I'm sure your mama loves you."
"No she doesn't," said Lily. "She never loved me."
"Why do you say that?" asked Chelsea as she looked at her.
"It doesn't matter. It's true. That's what matters," said Lily. "She just always wanted to go out and didn't care about me."
"I see," said Chelsea.
"I want you to be my mama. You're smart, you're pretty and you're nice. Do you love me?"
"Yes, Lily," said Chelsea. "I love you."
"Good. I love you too and my dad REALLY loves you," she said. "I think he is going to marry you."
"You think so?" asked Chelsea with a smile.
"I know so. He has never brought another woman around me and I have never seen him so happy. He is going to marry you one day."
"I hope so," she said with a smile as she put some clothes in her bag but she was still upset over Lily's confession of her mother. She couldn't believe that her mother would allow her to feel that way or that Lily felt that way in general. It really bothered her.
She was packing up the last couple things when her door burst open. "Chelsea," said Ben scaring both Lily and Chelsea.
"Shit, Ben. You scared the shit out of me."
"Sorry," he said. "I need to talk to you."
"All right," she said, "come in."
Ben made his way into the room and saw Lily sitting on Chelsea's bed playing on her cell phone. "Lily, can I talk to my sister alone please?"
"Sure," said Lily as she got off the bed.
"Sicily is down stairs if you want to go play with her."
"All right," said Lily as she got up and headed downstairs to play with Chelsea's little sister Sicily. They were pretty good friends because they went to school together and were in the same class.
Ben shut the door behind Lily and said, "Chelsea, can I trust you?"
"Of course," said Chelsea. "I have secrets from when we were kids of course you can trust me."
"All right," said Ben, "I really need to tell someone because I am scared to death."
"Why are you scared? What did you do, Ben?" asked Chelsea as she sat down on her bed. She could tell by his tone that he was scared and Ben was a boy that didn't get scared very often so she definitely knew something was up.
"I fucked up, Chels," he said. "I fucked up."
"What did you do? You didn't lose your wrestling job did you?"
"No nothing like that," said Ben. "I fucked up with a girl."
"A girl?" asked Chelsea. "I didn't know you were dating anyone."
"I wasn't. I mean I'm not. It was just a one night thing."
"Okay," said Chelsea feeling nervous for her little brother. "What happened, Ben. Did you knock someone up?" Ben looked down at the ground and didn't say anything. "Ben, you did didn't you?" asked Chelsea.
"Yes," he said.
"Benjamin Michael! I am shocked."
"Me too," he said. "Just like I am shocked with you Chelsea Alexandra!"
"Shocked with me? What did I do?"
"Cody Rhodes," he said. "Dating another wrestler. Just can't stay away from them can you?"
"Nope but I love my wrestling man," she said with a smile.
"I know and he loves you too. You should have seen him kick Drew's ass for your honor. Now that was great stuff. He loves you and I approve. I won't tell Dad though."
"Thanks," said Chelsea. "So.. Who did you knock up?"
"Don't get mad. Please don't get mad."
"Who is it?" asked Chelsea.
"Alyssa," he said.
"ALYSSA! As in Mel's and John's daughter, Felix's sister and MY best friend not to mention someone that is like family to us?" asked Chelsea.
"See you're upset and she's not blood related. Our parents are just good friends."
"And her dad is going to kill you. Her brother is going to kill you," said Chelsea. "Why? How?"
"Well, we when we were in Florida a bunch of us went to a party at Felix's house and I ran into Alyssa. We were just talking and we got really drunk. I ended up going back to her apartment and well as you know how a baby is made you know what happened."
"Dad is going to kill you if Uncle John doesn't first," said Chelsea. "So what is Alyssa doing?"
"Keeping it," said Ben. "She wants to keep it."
"Well, she is 23 and out of college. She has a good job. I'm sure she can handle the challenge of raising a baby. But you… you're just out of high school.. And you only have wrestling nothing else to fall back on. What do you want her to do?"
"I want her to abort it or put it up for adoption. I don't want to be a father."
"Ben, you slept with her. You got her pregnant don't be an ass about it."
"I just don't want to be a dad," he said. "I'm not ready for a baby."
"You should have thought about that before you had sex with her. I don't want a baby either and I know I'm not ready for a baby but that's why I use birth control so it doesn't happen."
"Alyssa was on the pill," he said making Chelsea feel sick in her stomach also making her realize that the pill wasn't exactly 100% effective.
"Really?"
"Yes. It failed her," said Ben. "What am I going to do? How am I supposed to handle this?"
"Talk to Alyssa and figure it out. I think you'll make a GREAT father. You used to play with baby dolls when you were little and you did pretty good with them. I'm sure you'll make a great dad. You're just in shock."
"Chels, I'm not ready for this. I am NOT ready for this. I have to go with her to an appointment next week though. I guess I'm scared. I am going to need to take care of a tiny baby."
"I can see how that is scary but I know you can handle it. So Alyssa is really keeping it?"
"That's what she said. I don't know, Chels."
"I think you'll be all right once you get passed all this," she said. "Trust me it will be okay and just think a little baby shared between my two favorite people!"
"Chelsea, can you do me a favor?" he asked.
"What?" she asked.
"Can you let Cody get you pregnant so that I don't have to face the wrath of dad alone?"
Chelsea let out a laugh and said, "I don't need to get pregnant to face the wrath of dad. I'm already going to face the wrath of dad for being with Cody. The baby will come MUCH later!"
Ben laughed too and said, "it's funny Dad is SO worried about you getting pregnant or something and here I am at 18 with a baby on the way. Our family will NEVER be boring."
"Never," she said with a smile. "But don't worry, Ben, your secret is safe with me."
"And yours is safe with me," he said with a smile. "Thank-you."
"No. Thank-you," said Chelsea with a smile. "Oh my God, Ben! I am so excited. Can't wait for my little niece or nephew." She threw her arms around Ben and said, "congratulations."
"Thanks," he said with a smile. "I'm going to be a daddy. I guess things could turn out well."
"I'm sure they will. I'm here for you whenever you need me."
"Same here," he said hugging his sister. "You're my best friend."
"And you're mine," she said. "I love you, Ben."
"Love you too," he said before breaking the hug.
Chelsea and Ben had always been close so it was no surprise to her that he came to her with his secret. She was happy for her brother but she was also happy knowing that she wasn't alone in hiding things from her father. She felt a lot better.
*A/N: So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading.