A/N Thanks for all the great reviews. I didn't really like this story at first but have come to really enjoy it since Bo and Skye got together. It's been neat to see their relationship grow and how they fool themselves into thinking they are doing the right thing. I alsways knew I wouldn't leave Skye with Randy, he was just a distraction to get Bo thinking. There is more action to happen in Chapter 26, but for now enjoy the build up to the finale!

Thanks for reading....MacSas

Chapter 25

It was only a few weeks after the wedding that things turned to disaster.

Bo and Skye had set up a temporary home in the Hardy home while Matt was still away. In the meantime they had been looking at little places on the outskirts of the county to call their own home.

The selection had been varied, but they seemed to have finally agreed on a small three bed roomed cottage, not far from either family home. The last occupants had been an elderly couple who had been convinced by their daughter to relocate closer to her. The house had been shut up for some time and needed a lot of work to make it functional for a family, but both Bo and Skye had fallen in love with it.

The single level cottage had the traditional front porch with chair swing, a white picket fence, a vegetable garden in the back yard next to a huge unused barn, and a flower garden in the front yard that was well tended. Entering the front door bought them right into the homely kitchen, which still boasted a stone fireplace, as well as a mudroom. The back of the kitchen tapered out into a hall, which lead to the three bedrooms as well as bathroom. Off to the right of the kitchen was an arched doorway that lead to the living room, which housed an even larger fireplace. The late afternoon sun would stream through the bay windows on the two main walls.

All in all it was the perfect find for the newly weds.

As Bo was planning the reconstruction of the room they had decided would be the baby's he tended to loose himself in the excitement of the upcoming event. Skye was now showing her pregnancy, though folks in town never uttered a word about the amazing quickness she had seemed to not only get pregnant but also grow!

As Bo was tending to the varnishing of the basinet one afternoon, he caught himself smiling as he glanced at his wedding ring. Who would have ever thought that he would be so happy being tied down? And in the last few weeks he believed he had made progress with Skye as well. At first he had thought that she would ask for separate rooms, however she had surprised him by insisting that they share the same bed like regular married folk. He loved falling asleep with her in his arms and waking to find her sprawled across his chest in the mornings. Pregnancy had been fairly easy on her, the nausea seemed to be leaving and the doctor was more than happy with the baby's growth. Bo had attended all the doctor's visits and also helped Skye read anything and everything on first time parenthood. They had planned the nursery together, shopped for the items together and laughed themselves silly over the assembly of most of the items. The only black cloud on their joy was Trish and her jealousy making it a mission for Skye to keep her composure whenever the two ran into each other in town. Well, Bo thought with a slight frown, that and the fact that he was sure Skye still wasn't convinced of his love for her being real.

He put the brush aside, and as he reached for a new pot of varnish he checked the time on the clock. Skye should have been back from the market by now.

"I wonder what's keeping her" he murmured to himself, opening the pot a stirring it a little. With a last look at the clock, he shrugged and went back to work.

Skye had seen more than enough of Trish in the last few weeks. The woman never failed to turn her stomach to jelly. She couldn't believe it had only been a few months since Trish had returned to town after trying to fool Bo into marriage with a pregnancy. The effort Trish had put into the scam proved how desperate she had been at the time. Now she was back in the arms of the baby's real daddy and despite her being happy, it seemed she couldn't allow Skye to be the same. And she was happy. So very happy. She loved Bo more each day; more than she thought was possible to love another person. Whenever he talked about the baby –they're child- he had sheer joy in his eyes. He loved to rub her tummy and talk to the child. Anything that she wanted was given to her. She never endured a moment of discomfort as Bo would seemingly anticipate her thoughts and feelings and be there to help out. She couldn't believe how lucky she was. And nights were the best. Though they had yet to make love, she was blissful in his arms at night.

As she prepared to leave the market, a niggle in her back sent a bit of worry through her. She had been feeling a little off colour the last couple of days, but had managed to keep that a secret from Bo, not wanting him to worry. Besides it was probably just a little morning sickness coming back for a last visit. As she rounded the corner to the local coffee shop she welcomed the cool afternoon breeze on her face. After placing her order, she decided to take advantage of the upstairs seating, and chose a window seat to enjoy the breeze.

While sipping her coffee she noticed Trish and Randolph at a nearby table. Her cup froze in midair as she noted they were coming over to her. Oh no, this couldn't be happening, not here. She got up to leave, hoping that she could get to the stairs before the Stevenson's met her.

No such luck. She made it to the small balcony at the top of the stairs before Trish waylaid her.

"How was the wedding?" she asked with mock interest.

"Fine" Skye answered, good manners refusing to let her simply walk away. If only Bo were here, she thought.

"I never would have believed it" a deeper voice noted simply. "Never would have believed that you would leave my bed to warm his"

Skye prepared herself for the onslaught of emotions that she thought she would feel at seeing Randolph for the first time in nearly three months. She was hitting her fifth month of pregnancy, and though she had only been married a month, everyone in town naturally believed Bo to be the daddy. And he is, she fumed to herself.

But as she looked up at Randolph, she was surprised to feel nothing. Not even a slight inkling of what she had once thought was the deepest love possible. Instead it was Bo that her mind and heart were focused on.

"What would you have expected me to do Randy? Wait for you to change your mind?"

Randolph fumed. "There is no way that I would change my mind Skye. We can still be together, despite your silly marriage. You know what you have to do though"

Skye was almost sick. "Wait, you still think I will get rid of my baby and come back to you?'

"Of course" he laughed. "In time you will see that you don't need a baby or a hayseed like Bo Duke. What you need is me"

Skye was floored by his arrogance. She looked at Trish. The woman may be beautiful, but her ego matched her fathers. "And what do you think of that Trish?"

"I really don't care about my father using you to warm his bed. What I do care about is the thought of that spawn your carrying getting it's hands on my inheritance"

Skye sighed. "Neither of you have to worry about that. Bo and I will be raising this child as our own."

"Are you serious?" Trish asked in anger.

"What can he give you that I can't" Randolph fumed.

Skye looked at Trish "Yes, I'm serious."

She then turned to the man who had so fooled her heart. "He can give me the one thing that you can't. Love. And he doesn't have to be a millionaire like you to know what I need. He just knows because he truly knows me. Something you never attempted to do"

In a moment something in her heart shifted. Bo was the one in her thoughts from the moment she woke to the moment she closed her eyes. Looking at Randolph, it was suddenly clear that she had wasted time on him. Now she was doing the same thing to Bo. She was wasting time by not telling him the truth. She needed to tell him how she really felt, so they could be a family for real. She needed to tell him that she wanted to be his wife in every way possible and that she wanted them to have more babies, just so she could see the goofy light in his eyes all over again.

With a toss of her head, she murmured a goodbye to Trish and her Daddy and turned to descend the stairs. She was desperate to get home and see Bo, talk to him.

Tonight would be the start of a whole new, honest life together. She was smiling as she put her foot out to touch the first step. She was still smiling in the instant that another spasm in her back hit her, throwing her a little off balance. Her mind was still focused on her beloved Bo when she tumbled down the short staircase, not hearing the yells from Trish and Randolph or the other diners.

As she lay at the bottom of the stairs, winded, she saw stars before her eyes and knew that something was terribly wrong. The woman that rushed to her side assured her that an ambulance was on its way. Skye put one hand on her belly and willed her child to be ok. She needed it to be ok. So did Bo.

"Bo" she murmured, as her eyes grew hazy with dancing lights.

She was still murmuring his name when she lost consciousness.