Disclaimer: I only own Ava.

A/N: WHOA! I HAVE A HUGE UPDATE FOR YOU GUYS. KNOW WHY? BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT FOR PAITENTLY WAITING. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, I love you all! So this chapter jumps around a bit, but I promise this ties up some loose ends. Enjoy. Review.


Ava's eyes swung to the clock on the wall. It was quickly ticking the minutes away. Second by second she was closer to seeing her, the last time being when she and Roman went to go visit them over a month ago. At first she screened the calls and then she started answering them. Invitations for lunch were given and she had an excuse every time. Ava figured Patricia was humoring her more than anything and finally she stated that she really needed to see her. Part of her hadn't wanted to see her because she was embarrassed. Knowing she couldn't make Roman happy, how could Ava face up to his mother?

Just as the clock struck nine, there was a knock on the door.

Right on time.

She got up to her feet as quickly as she could and waddled out into the main hallway. Reaching the entryway table, she picked up her purse and rested the strap on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, Ava stepped towards the door and gingerly opened it.

"Ava, honey, you can open the door faster than that." Patricia laughed. "I don't bite."

The expectant mother rested her hands on her stomach and shrugged, her eyes skipping away from Patricia's. "I'm just nervous."

"Don't be. We'll talk over breakfast." She smiled, reassuringly. "How is my grandson doing?"

"He's doing fine. Everything is checking out fine for the both of us." Ava replied, still trying to keep herself together. "Just a few short weeks and the baby will be here!"

"I'm so excited!" She exclaimed as they exited the building. "I've gotten some things for the baby when he comes by us and I already have the house baby proofed."

"Patricia, he's not going to walk right out of me." Ava laughed. "You have time until he starts moving around and getting into things."

Patricia threw her arm around Ava's shoulder and led her towards the car. "Spoken like a first time mother. Believe me, Ava, I've gone through all of this twice. With the blink of an eye he is going to be walking and curious about his surroundings. He's going to want to know about things." She sighed. "He is Roman's son, so he's going to be a tough one. Especially, if he is as hard headed as his father."

The mention of Roman sent her heart fluttering. She couldn't help but wonder how he was doing, if he was happy with his life now that their relationship had ended. Since her last doctor's visit they've had no contact with each other.

"I don't know the full details about what you guys are going through." Patricia stopped walking and stood in front of Ava. "He told me that he had messed up horribly and that you had broken up with him. That's the extent of my knowledge."

Her lips parted, ready to spill forth the entire ugly story, but Patricia cut her off. "You'll tell me soon. But before you do tell me anything I just want you to know that no matter what happens you have help in me and Sika."

"Thank you."

With that being said, the two ladies got into the car and headed to breakfast.


His head was killing him and the loud noise that was interrupting his sleep wasn't making it any better. Reaching his arm over to the night he grabbed his phone and fumbled with shutting the alarm off. Setting the phone down, he turned on his back and stared up at the ceiling before running his hands over his face. Another long night had come and gone, with an even longer day following it.

Roman sat up and looked to his left and shook his head and sighed. After telling himself that he wasn't going to do this anymore, he went ahead and did. Despite telling himself, that he was going to go see Ava and try get her back, he still felt the need to go out and drink like a college kid and get together with someone he didn't even know.

"Get up, sweetheart." He shook her awake. "Get dressed and go."

She mumbled something before turning away from him and going silent again. Roman rolled his eyes and shook her a little harder this time.

"I need you to get your ass dressed and get the fuck out of here." He snapped. "I have shit to do and I can't wait on you."

"Just a few more minutes, babe."

"No! No, few more minutes!" Roman yelled. "Get your ass up and go!"

His voice booming through the room was enough to startle her out of bed. She moved around the room and picked up her clothing before heading into the washroom. Within minutes, she was out the bathroom, out the door and out of his life.

"Finally." He muttered, then got up to get ready.

A half hour later, he was in the lobby waiting for Dean to show up.

"You look like shit." Dean said upon seeing his friend. "Another long night out?"

Roman nodded.

"Was she hot?"

Roman nodded again.

"Was she worth not contacting Ava and trying to work things out?"

"Can we fucking go?" Roman growled. "I don't have time to talk about this."

Dean followed him out to the car and soon enough everything was packed in the trunk and they were ready to go. Roman slammed the trunk shut and moved around to the driver's side of the car. He got in and started the car, impatiently waiting for Dean to get in.

"What's crawled up your ass this morning?"

"Nothing."

"Brother, I know when you're lying. Tell me what's up."

"You don't know what's up?" He asked, glancing at Dean for a moment and then focusing on the road again. "I fucked up my relationship with Ava and have potentially lost her, which is really going to make visits with my child awkward. I'm going to stare at her knowing I fucked up and knowing that I still love her, while she's going to pretend all is well even though she hates me. I want to fix shit with her, but every night I fuck up again and go out. I wake up in the mornings, missing her while there's some random woman next to me."

"This is what you wanted." Dean shrugged.

"I didn't handle any of this well."

"Good job." Dean smiled at him. "You're finally fucking figuring this out. If you had talked to her and told her what was going on, none of this would be happening. Your nights would probably be ending with you talking to her instead of fucking some skank."

"I need to find a way to get her back."

"And fast." He told him. "She's been seeing Corey a lot lately."

Roman gripped the steering wheel. "What?"

"Her and Corey have gotten closer over the last month. He helped her find the apartment she's living in right now." Dean smirked. "You mad?"

"There is absolutely no reason for him to be anywhere near her." Roman seethed. "I told him to stay away from her! After all that shit he put her through and she's letting him in!"

"What's wrong with that?" He shrugged. "You believed all his bullshit and even bad mouthed her. Are you the only one allowed to be with her because you knocked her up? You can be with whoever you want and she can't. Roman, you guys are broken up and she can do whatever she wants, just like you can."

"Are you really sitting there telling me that you're fine with this?"

"She's a functioning adult and she can do whatever she wants. If she feels like Corey is good people and feels he's genuine in his apology, then I have no problem."

Roman pulled off to the side of the road and got out. He needed some air, he desperately needed a minute to get himself together. Corey was worming his way back into Ava's good graces and he didn't like that. The threat that he was taking everything that was his jumped out at Roman. He needed to prove himself to her.

"Yo, diva!" Dean shouted as he got out the car. "Get in! I'm driving the rest of the way."

When they were back in the car, Roman finally found the courage to ask more about Corey and Ava.

"I don't think they're fucking." He shrugged. "I just think they're friends. She's still having a difficult time getting over you."

Roman couldn't help but cringe. "What the fuck did I do?"

"Fuck up the best thing to happen to you. Forever be on Ava's shit list." The Ohio native rattled off. "Make Christmas a stressful time for your kid. Listen, it's too late for you to wish that none of this had ever happened. Your downfall was fucking Summer and giving some weak ass apology. Something else the fucked you over was all the partying and sleeping around with random women. You think she doesn't hear about these things? Lately it's been all everyone has been talking about. The more she hears it, the more distant she is going to be. Roman, she's even more repulsed by you than before. Cut this shit out and maybe she'll slowly let you back in. Prove to her that you love her and want your family back."

"I don't know how."

"Find a way, bro." Dean said as he got onto the highway. "You have to find a way to prove to her that you are sorry and want her back. The best place to start is stop partying. I think it's all out of your system by now. If it's not and you keep it up, then you'll really lose her to Corey."


"How are you really doing since your breakup with Roman?"

"Not well." She admitted, knowing there was no use in lying. "Either I miss him or I hate him. Regardless, I spend a lot of time crying over it all and hoping that the baby doesn't wind up hating me for my decision. I never imagined it to be like this. I always thought everything would haven fallen into place by the time I had my first child. Instead, everything is a mess."

"There, there, sweetheart." Patricia handed her a tissue. "Like I said earlier, I don't know the full details. Whatever the reason for all of this, you two will work it out eventually. I've never seen two people love each other as much as you two do."

Ava wiped away her tears and then crumpled the tissue into a ball. "I don't know if I can forgive him for what he did. He shattered my heart into a million pieces. The hurt just won't go away and I don't think it ever will."

"You just have to give it time, honey." She patted the back of her hand. "Soon enough you two will work things out. For the sake of your son, you will."

"I'm not as optimistic as you are." Ava sighed. "I can't forgive him for what he did."

Patricia tilted her head to the side and looked at Ava closely. Despite, saying she was fine, Ava looked a mess. The pregnancy glow she had seemed to have dimmed and she looked tired. In the entire time they had been at breakfast, she had hardly touched her food. Even though she told herself she wouldn't get involved in the kids' business, her curiosity was peaked.

"I told myself I wouldn't get mixed up in this, that I would let you kids deal with it on your own, but now I need to know." She leaned forward, her eyes connecting with Ava. "You guys were so happy the last time we saw you together. You were glowing and Roman had never looked so excited. Then you breakup and it all came out of left field. Honey, I love you, but you look horrible. What exactly is going on? How much sense do I need to knock into you and my son?"

The air around Ava seemed to thicken as she and Patricia stared at each other. It may have been her nerves, but Patricia looked annoyed. The sudden thought of even telling her had terrified her. The longer she stared at her, waiting for her to say something, the more Ava wished she hadn't agreed to breakfast with her.

"Honey, if you need to talk to me, you can." She softly spoke. "We can talk woman to woman. Don't think of me as Roman's mother, think of me as your friend."

Ava looked away from her for moment, released a deep breath and then looked back to the older woman sitting across the table.

"Long story short, he got cold feet about our relationship and the baby and he slept with this one woman we work with. He just upped and left saying he needed to get something and came home at close to four in the morning." She said, trying to hold her tears back. "He jumped in the shower when he got home. While he was in the shower, she kept calling him. I confronted him about it and then left. I couldn't stay in the same house with him after his explanation. This woman, she's a real pain in my ass. She's hated me from the day I walked into the WWE."

Patricia shook her head. "That boy." She muttered. "If there was one thing I taught my boys never to do, it was that. I need to smack some sense into him. All this just before the baby. All this hurt and anguish and for what, his fear of growing up."

"Patricia, please don't say anything to him. This is something for me and him to handle."

"Have the two of you talked at all?"

"Not since my doctor's appointment a little over a month ago." Ava admitted. "I haven't gotten the courage to call him because I feel like I couldn't make him happy. It just hurts. From what I hear, he's doing his own thing and seems to be quite content."

"That boy is going to get a stern talking to." Patricia shook her head. "He thought the one he got before was bad, well that's nothing compared to what I'm going to say now. Treating his girlfriend and unborn child like they don't matter."

Ava was suddenly feeling sick. She didn't want to talk anymore. All she wanted to do now was going home and sleep for days. She wanted to be alone.

"Can we go now?"

"Are you okay, honey?"

"No, I'm not." Ava rose to her feet. "Can we please go now? I need to lay down."

"Drink some more water first." She handed Ava the glass. "Then we can go."


The ringing of her phone woke her up. She fumbled around for it before answering.

"Hello."

"Shit, did I wake you?"

"Who is this?"

He laughed over the phone. "Corey. Go back to sleep, I'll call you later on."

"It's fine." Ava sleepily mumbled. "I'm awake. What did you need?"

"I called to see if you wanted to go the beach. It'll relax you and do some good."

Ava sat up in bed and looked around her room. She hadn't been to the beach since before she had gotten pregnant and she was almost positive her bathing suit wouldn't fit her.

"Corey, I can't." She sighed. "I don't have a bathing suit that will fit me. Besides, I'm too fat and gross to go."

"You're pregnant and beautiful." He told her. "Get ready. I'll be by in fifteen to get you. We'll stop at the store for a bathing suit and then go to the beach from there."

Before she could respond, he hung up on her, giving her no choice but to get ready and go with him. "I guess I'm going to the beach today."

One shopping trip later, the two friends were at the beach. After going into the water for a bit, they headed back to where there things were. Corey helped her sit down and then sat next to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled her into his side.

"Thank you for bringing me out here today." Ava said, looking out at the ocean. "I would have probably slept and ate on and off all day."

"You've been through a lot lately, you deserve it." He smiled down at her. "How's the baby doing?"

"He's doing good." Ava smiled, looking down at her stomach. "He kicked a few times while we were in the water."

"Really?" Corey asked, peeking over his sunglasses. "Can I feel?"

Nodding, Ava grabbed his hand and moved it around her stomach until the baby kicked again.

"Holy fuck." He said, amazed. "Roman wants to give this all up."

The tattooed wrestler caught the disappointment on her face and sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"He's still going to be in the baby's life, not mine."

"Do you think he really cares?"

"Part of me wants to think he does care." Ava replied, unsure of herself. "While another part me of just thinks he doesn't give a shit and wants to go out and party and be with other women. Fuck the responsibility of having a family. I hear the stories backstage at NXT, Corey. I know he's been going nuts in his newfound freedom. It's why I haven't heard from him and why I haven't bothered calling him. I don't think I can face up to him knowing that halfway through this, he just decided that he was suddenly afraid. Pfft, afraid my ass, he just wanted a way out and Summer was the gateway."

Corey kissed her on the temple, before hugging her closer to him. "Forget I mentioned anything. You want to go walking down the beach."

"And let people see just how big I am." Ava muttered. "I could kill you for talking me into getting the two piece."

"You look beautiful, babe." Corey got up and stuck his hands out towards her. "Everybody here is going to be jealous of how hot you are. You forget Ava, you're a MILF."

Laughter came from her as she placed her hands in his and was pulled up to her feet. "You're a dork."

"It's what you love about me." He shrugged as they started walking. "Don't deny it, Ava."

"It's one of your better qualities." Ava laughed. "Which really isn't much."

"Oh thanks." He feigned hurt. "I help you find an apartment, run out to the store to get you random foods, take you to the beach and you say I'm not a good person."

"You are a good person." She admitted. "Where you could have told me to screw off, you helped me. I appreciate it."

Corey stopped walking and stood in front of her, his hands resting on her shoulders. "I was only messing around with you. You don't have to get all serious with me and pour your heart out."

"I know I'm just all pregnant and stuff." Ava looked away from him. "Sometimes my emotions get the best of me and I feel the need to explain myself so I don't hurt other people's feelings."

"You've said so much to me in the past that it really doesn't phase me." Corey smiled. "Let's get in the water."

Ava slowly followed behind him, dipping her toe into the water. Feeling how cold it was, she pulled back and kept her eye on Corey, watching as he impatiently waited for her to get in.

"Get in here!" He shouted, waving her over.

"It's too cold!" Ava shouted back. "I'm not getting in there."

"Yes, you are!" Corey came back to the shore. He moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and slowly ushered her into the water. "I'll be with you and keep you warm."

"How long until you let go and dunk me in the water?" Ava laughed.

"If you weren't pregnant, I would have done it by now." He said, ushering her further into the water. "But I won't because that's mean. But once that kid is out of you and we come to beach, I'm dunking you."

"Gee, something to look forward to." Ava moved away from him. "The water is a lot better now."

"Because I kept you warm." Corey swam toward her. When he reached her he pulled her to him.

"Did you really now?" She asked wrapping her arms around his neck. "You all but dragged me in here."

"Because we're here to enjoy the beach together." He leaned his head down toward hers. "I told you whether or not you had someone there for you, I would be here."

"That you did." Ava nodded in agreement.

His head inched closer to hers, his lips nearly pressing to hers. Realizing what was happening, Ava broke away from Corey and started to swim past him. She shouldn't be doing this. Not when she was still stuck on Roman. It wasn't fair to Corey to lead him on and it wouldn't be fair to her son to have so many men his life to be fathers or fatherlike figures. She couldn't throw that kind of pressure on a kid.

"We better get going." Ava called back to him.

"Stupid. Stupid." Corey muttered to himself. "Why would you find the need to do that?"

He soon followed her out the water and met her by their things. They quietly packed up their things and headed to the car. Silence fell between them as they drove to Ava's house.

Not a single word was said until they got there.


"I told you they had been spending a lot of time together." Dean shrugged. "I don't understand why you're so surprised."

Dean and Seth sat on either side of Roman, all of their eyes glued to his cell phone screen. The image of Corey and Ava together burned into their minds.

"You told me they weren't together!"

"They're not!"

"Are we looking at the same picture? Friends do not hold each other like that." Roman growled, as he tossed the phone across the room. "Who the fuck does he think he is?"

"Who do you think you are?" Seth asked. "You guys are broken up. If you can sleep around and be with other women, then Ava can do the same thing, too. The only thing you guys share now is your son. She doesn't have to worry about your feelings when you don't give a shit about hers."

"Besides, you guys aren't talking."

"Who's side are you guys on?" Roman asked, looking from Seth to Dean.

"The side where you get your head out of your ass and go fight for Ava. Prove to her that you're not a piece of shit." Seth truthfully answered. "The longer you sit here, complaining about not having her in your life, the closer you push her to Corey. If you don't want another man living with Ava and your son, with him helping her raise him, then I suggest you do something about it."

"And fast." Dean said, slapping his friend on the back. "Once that girl falls for someone, she falls."

"Yeah, bullshit."

"She did with you." Dean pointed out. "Why do you think Corey is still in the friend zone?"

"Judging by that picture, he is not in the friend zone."

"Do whatever you have to do." Dean rose to his feet. "I'm getting sick of hearing the same shit from you everyday."

"Oh and you don't hear the same thing from her?" Roman asked.

"Nope." Seth admitted. "She avoids talking about you. All she wants to do is move on."

"Yeah, it shows."

"You know what you have to do." Seth slapped Roman on the back and then got up.


He helped her bring her things up to her apartment.

"You can leave everything in the hall, Corey." She said, finally breaking the silence between them. "Thanks for today. I really needed it."

Corey placed the things in the hall and followed her to the living room. Just before she reached the couch, Corey ran in front of her and rested his hands on her shoulders. He lowered his face down to hers so that their eyes were leveled.

"I'm sorry about what almost happened at the beach." He apologized. "That shouldn't have happened. I don't know what came over me."

Ava cupped either side of his face. "It's fine. Really it is. Nothing happened between us, okay? We were just two friends hanging out at the beach. That was it. So we got a little close, it's no big deal."

"Look me straight in the eye and tell me it's no big deal." He challenged her. "My eyes are up here not on the floor."

Her hands dropped away from his face and and she took a step away from him. What was she supposed to tell him? That she had been freaking out about what almost happened, that she wanted it just as much as he did. Even with thoughts of Roman at the front of her mind, she still couldn't help but feel something for Corey. Her problem with her feelings were that she didn't want to lead him on. Especially, knowing that she still cared a great deal for Roman.

Corey ran a hand over his face. "You're just as freaked out as I am."

Afraid to speak, she nodded.

"You wanted that as much as I did."

She nodded again.

He closed the space between them, rested one hand on her side and the other on the side of her face. His face inched towards his until their lips touched.


A/N: You think things are going progress between them or that Ava is going to nip it in the bud?