1995, February

He kept the cigarette between his lips, while his hands were stuffed into the pockets of his coat to evade the cruel cold wind. It was in the middle of the bloody night, but he was stood outside his building with just a coat thrown over his flimsy silk pyjamas that couldn't shrug off the wind. Victor could feel the hairs on his legs standing up. "What's so important you had to wake me up in the middle of the night?" he growled, unable to keep his annoyance at bay despite himself.

Meena had suggested the pair of them stay in doors, but Mycroft was asleep upstairs (he'd also wanted a cigarette). Not that the man wouldn't adore being woken up four in the morning when he was getting up six. She looked rather composed in front of him, despite her shaky hands, but she didn't answer immediately, eyes cast off to some remote spot.

"Meena?" he said when a minute or two passed by.

Immediately her eyes flicked to his face, "I'm pregnant."

He stared, coloured and doubted.

"Fuck."

This was why he liked being gay besides the obvious, but this kind of thing couldn't fucking happen. If it did, it was usually on the front page of the Sun or some other rag. "Are you serious?" he said wanting to light another cigarette.

"Yes, you see at first I was - no as well - but I think I can do this," she said wide-eyed, the sort of wide-eyed look people who'd just discovered that auras were a thing had, or that tarot cards could possibly predict the future.

"No, you can't!" he said almost shouting. His voice echoed in the street, and he immediately lowered his voice. "You're a chain-smoker - you drink every weekend - you're still trying to get a bloody job - and you're just 18-,"

"19! Thank you very much!" she said loudly.

"Doesn't mean you're an adult capable of taking care of a baby - have you even told Molly? Or your parents?"

Meena frowned. "No - - but I plan on asking my parents for help."

"Fuck," he said throwing his cigarette and lighting up another one. "Fuck - wait - who's the father?"

"Yeah, err, that's a bit tricky-,"

"How is that-,"

"It was a threesome."

Victor laughed, unable to help himself. "You're - you're joking-," his voice almost hoarse. "Did you even use protection?"

"Yes! I'm on the pill and there was even condoms. But obviously one of the little bastards slipped past anyway."

"Sexually responsible, but completely buggered anyway-,"

"Yeah, if that had happened we'd not be having this talk."

"Meena!" said Victor throwing away his cigarette and taking her by the shoulders. "You can't do this. I mean that as a friend."

"Yes, I can!" she snapped.

"Okay, then."

"What?" she said looking wide-eyed at him.

"If you're really serious about this, then I'll help you, but for god's sake - tell me who the potential daddy's are at least! - - And that's a sentence I never thought I'd say this year."

Meena grinned before throwing her arms around him, whispering 'thank you, thank you' into his ear. They stood like that for a little while, until they finally broke apart.

"Okay, so Samuel - you know well -," she faltered off all of a sudden, the last name more or less mouthed than said.

"Who?"

"Charlie," she said averting her eyes.

"Charlie," he bit out looking at her in surprise. The man was a complete arsehole and a womanizer. Meena had said a couple of years ago that she'd never shag him, which sounded like a comfortable lie she'd told herself, like any woman would after meeting the bastard. "I'd rather you'd say it was Graham or something."

Meena made a face. "I'd never do that to Molly."

"How come you haven't told her?" he said looking bewildered. "I thought she'd be the first."

"I just don't want her to be disappointed in me-," she began. "I'm always used to her tidying up my messes and I know she'd be holding my hand through all of this. I know that. She probably will, but I also know she expected us to somehow go through the same things at the same time. It's just - - the second I knew - I felt excited. Not terrified, like I always thought I'd be if this ever happened. I felt happy. And you know what I'd be a fantastic fucking mum - I will actually. So yeah, whatever anyone says, I am getting this child."

"Fuck," he said sniffing, as he grabbed her for a hug.

She laughed at him, and somehow he knew she'd be fine.