Chapter 25

True to her word, Abigail stayed away and avoided EJ at great length for three weeks before they had encountered one another. She had spotted him a few times at the hospital or in the town square but had always turned the other direction. She had noticed Johnny and Sydney with him once. Seeing him with his kids gave her a smile that at least Sami wasn't keeping him out of their lives because despite everything, kids still needed both parents.

Abigail had been equally as observant of Sami when she'd spotted her. There had only been one instance that had Abigail in a tight spot. She had been at the Pub when Sami walked in with Allie and Lucas. Allie had waved and Abigail had given her a small smile but the death glare that Sami had shoved at her, kept her at bay.

Sami couldn't outright kick Abigail out of the Pub, but she could make her life a living hell if Abigail tried anything under Sami's nose. Allie and Abigail were cousins, so she couldn't keep the two of them out of a room together forever, but, she didn't have to let Abigail babysit Allie anymore either.

The day that Abigail and EJ would speak their first words to each other after Sami found out about them, came on a Friday, three weeks after the truth had actually come out of EJ's mouth himself.

Abigail was sitting in the town square with her lunch. She kept staring at her food. To others it might have seemed as though she was simply staring off into space or lost in her own thoughts. In reality, she was trying to gather the courage to eat her lunch. It just didn't look appealing. It had sounded good to her the night before when she made it, but looking at it, then, it made her almost sick to her stomach. It hadn't been the first time in the past week that her stomach had been doing flip-flops at the sight of her food.

"Abigail?" She heard a familiar voice from behind her pulling her out of her thoughts.

She looked up to see EJ peering down at her. "Damn." She thought to herself. She didn't know if it was a 'damn' because she hadn't been able to turn the other way upon seeing him, or if it was a 'damn' because he looked so damn sexy in his suit and tie. She looked away from him, her spine stiffening as she did so. "What do you want EJ?"

Moving around to the opposite side of the table, he sat in the empty chair across from her. He crossed his legs as he received the deadliest death glare that he had ever seen cross Abigail's beautiful face. He licked his lips as he could tell that she didn't really want to talk to him. "I just wanted to say hello."

"Well, you said it." She snipped back at him, whipping her head to the side to look away from him.

He thought for a moment. "No, actually I didn't." The smile on his face was flirting and friendly.

She chuckled. He was right. She cleared her throat, in hopes of avoiding talking about them. The way they ended. The way Sami had verbally attacked her in front of Logan. She had done enough obsessing and mourning in private.

"I'm sorry, I'm just cranky and not feeling well this morning."

He pushed her plate to her. "Well, you have this delicious meal here. Why don't you eat up? That might make you feel better."

Quickly she covered her mouth with her hand and ran off. "Oh God." She exclaimed as she ran to the outer area of the square where no one could hear her expunge her stomach.

EJ took off after her to make sure that she was okay. He certainly had no intention of making her sick by offering her, her own food.

When he found her, she was bent over by a bush. He took her hair in his hands and held it back for her, gently rubbing her back with his other hand. "It's okay." He kept telling her as she spewed everywhere. "Just breathe."

She gasped as she finished throwing up. EJ held out a napkin for her to wipe her mouth with. She graciously accepted it and cleaned up her mess. "Are you alright?" he asked her concerned.

She nodded her head, grateful that he had been kind enough to hold her hair back for her. "I'm sorry." She told him.

"For what?"

"For treating you the way I did earlier. I had no reason to snap at you and I'm sorry."

He put his hands in his pockets with a smirk on his face. "You actually had good reason for snipping at me but apology accepted."

She smiled at him softly. She did have good reason. He had been a jerk to her and she had every right to be short with him. She turned to leave and a whiff of pine shot up her nose. She almost lost her stomach again at the scent.

"Are you sure you're alright?" EJ asked concerned. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

Abigail wanted to lean into him. His touch made her melt and it was taking all of her willpower to not glide into his strong, muscular arms. She stood her ground, closing her eyes, focusing on keeping it together. She had broken things off. She couldn't be the one to start things again between them.

"Yeah, I think I just have a stomach bug or something."

"I mean just one look at your lunch and you lost your…" His eyes narrowed as he was about to finish his sentence. "No."

"What?"

"Could you?"

"Could I WHAT EJ?"

"Could you be… pregnant?"

Abigail was in shock. How could EJ be suggesting that she be pregnant? It wasn't as if… she was sick at the sight or mention of food and the scent of pine trees. As she thought about it, she was late. Ten days late.

"Abigail?" His demanding tone shot through her fog of piecing all of the puzzle together. "Could you be pregnant?"

"I don't know. I mean, I guess it's possible. Having unprotected sex several times does create that option." Her sarcastic tongue was getting the better of her.

EJ scoffed. "Unbelievable! I am very concerned about this matter and you're being sarcastic?! Do you even know who the father is?!"

She glared at him, her eyes darting at his. Without a second thought, she slapped him. Hard. "How dare you! You're calling ME a whore!"

EJ shook off the slap. It wasn't the first one he'd received over the years. "If the shoe fits sweetheart! You've been gallivanting with Logan all around town. Am I supposed to believe that you haven't let him in between your thighs?"

She went to slap him again for being so crude, but he stopped her the second time. "Uh-uh sweetheart. You only get one pass today."

She feigned sympathy. "Well EJ, I'm so sorry. Does it hurt? Does it kill you to see that Logan and I are together? It amazes me EJ how you are so deluded in your own ego that you're the only one with feelings in this matter. I'M the whore, when you're the one who was probably fucking Sami and I both when we were together!"

"I wasn't fucking Samantha while we were together!" He tried to defend himself to her, yelling back at her.

"Really? And why am I supposed to believe that?" She crossed her arms.

"Because damn it you're the only one I've wanted to…" EJ stopped his confession before he admitted his true feelings on the matter.

Abigail stood in her spot, unsure of where to go in this conversation. She had told Logan that EJ was out of her life. Forever. If she was pregnant with his child, they were far from over. It was just their start.

"Do you really think I would be having this conversation with anyone else besides the father?"

"I don't know Abigail. We haven't had sex in weeks. How do I know or not if you're shagging up with Logan Smith?"

"Please, EJ, I know you. I know you've got your little minions tailing me and Logan when we go out. Do you think I'm blind? Maybe you should hire some thugs who aren't completely obvious about their job. And while you're at it, maybe get some different ones because the same three, are kind of easy to spot when they're staring at me all night."

EJ zeroed in on the fact that she had been being followed. He hadn't ordered anyone on his watch to do so. "What do you mean you're being followed?"

"I mean, I've been seeing the same three guys tail me for the past month of so. They look like DiMera henchman. I just assumed they were yours."

EJ was very worried. Who the hell was following Abigail? And why? Was it Logan? He didn't know much about the young man but he didn't seem like the paranoid type. This was somebody else.

"Abigail, I give you my word as a DiMera. This is not me. I'm not having you followed. I heard you the last time we were together. You didn't want anything to do with me and I didn't pursue it. I backed off."

Now, it was Abigail's turn to look pale. The sinking feeling that there was someone else who had been following her made her already sensitive stomach flip in knots. "Then who's following me? I'm not crazy. I have been seeing the same Silver Carolla behind me, parked outside my house, the hospital, school for the past three and a half weeks!"

EJ shook his head. "I don't know sweetheart. But, I will find out who it is and why they are following you." He put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting fashion. He gave her a genuine smile. "Let's get you to a doctor and looked at? If you are pregnant, we should find out."

"No!"

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean, I'm not going to a doctor that either of us knows. My family practically owns the hospital and God knows how many doctors you have on your payroll. Or your father for that matter. I don't want there to be any questions about this pregnancy."

"That's a fair request." His smile softened her stern demeanor. She was a stubborn, determined young woman that was stronger than she realized or gave herself credit for. It took a strong woman to carry a DiMera child and raise one. He didn't have any doubts about Abigail's strength, though it seemed he was more sure of it than she was.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. I promise you." He told her as he lovingly placed a hand upon her cheek. He bent down to look in her breathtaking brown eyes and reassured her. "If you are in fact pregnant, I am here. I'm not going anywhere."

His eyes were so genuine. She wanted to believe him. She knew he was a good Dad but she'd heard stories about how Sami fought with him and Stefano about how Johnny and Sydney were to be raised and she was terrified that EJ wouldn't fight for their child. She didn't have the backbone that Sami Brady had. She didn't have a chance in hell if Stefano wanted to take their child away.

"What about your Dad?"

"What about my father?" EJ asked confused.

"What would he do if he knew that I was pregnant with your child?" Abigail posed the question.

"Yes, what *would* Father do if he knew that there was another DiMera heir on the way?" The familiar voice came out from the bushes.

Abigail almost gasped in shock and EJ's eyes were wide with guilt as he saw his little brother standing beside him. Chad looked back and forth between the two as he awaited an answer.