Hey guys, Fallout here and I'm just dropping in to say, I'm still looking for a beta, so if you would be up for that, PM me and we'll talk.

Also, this story has hit over two hundred reviews! Which is unbelievable, you guys are just fucking awesome. I know I've told you guys this before, but I almost didn't post this story, because I honestly didn't think anyone would care to read it. But, you guys have been nothing but kind and loving, all of you, not just those reviewing, but YOU taking the time to read this.

Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

I don't own Modern Family or any characters from the show, enjoy.


The 14th of July, 5:57 pm. Haley's POV.

I finish the book and set it down on the coffee table. I think in the last few months, I've read more books, than I have in my whole life. I've been reading every book about babies, parenthood and giving birth that I could find. I know, I've screwed up a lot in my life. But, I'm not screwing this up, I won't.

With each passing day, week and month, my fear builds. I'm going to be a mother, a mother! Someone's going to be looking up to me, looking to me for answers, guidance and advice. God, help them. What the hell do I know? I'm twenty years old, unemployed, a college dropout and living with my parents. I'm suppose to raise someone and teach them right, from wrong and I'm not even sure if I know the finer points myself.

What am I going to tell them? Don't skip school, don't drink and don't do drugs. I've done all those things. I'm suppose to set a good example, but I'm far from being one. I know everything's going to work out, I know me and Clay will find a way. But these are the thoughts that have been running through my head over the last few weeks. Before, me having the baby was far off and I had time to plan and prepare. But now, I'm only a few weeks out, by this time next month I will be holding my little boy or girl in my arms.

I wrap my arms around my belly, my thoughts on my child. Your parents are still growing up themselves, so please be patient with us.

I hear the front door open and I look over the back of the couch, Clay and Luke come through. Clay grabs Luke by the shoulder, but Luke twists out of his grip and darts up the stairs. Clay stares after him, then shakes his head, with a sigh.

"Rough day?" I ask, with a small smile.

Clay just shakes his head and comes into the living room, looking slightly frustrated.

"Come on big guy, talk to me." I say, watching as he walks to the middle of the room.

He puts his hands on his hips and sighs.

"I don't know why, but for some reason Luke's all down on himself about not being strong enough or some shit." He says, pulling off his black baseball hat and running a hand through his hair.

"Did something happen today?" I ask, patting the spot next to me on the couch.

"No, I mean they won't great. But, I tried to be nice." He says, walking to the couch and dropping down next to me.

"Did you try to be nice, or were you nice?" I ask, looking over at him.

"I don't know, I thought I was." He says, leaning into me and putting his head on my chest.

I smile, as he does. I know, it must be a funny sight. Besides my huge freaking belly, I'm a tiny person. Standing only five-two and usually being between ninety to hundred pounds, I've never been called a large person. Clay on the other hand, is six foot and about two hundred and fifty pounds. So the big guy leaning on teeny tiny me, must look weird. But I love it. He trusts me, really trusts me. I know, he doesn't trust anyone, like he trusts me. It makes me proud, honestly. That after all my hard work, after all this time his walls were down.

"I'm sure, you were." I say, kissing the top of his head. "He's probably just upset about getting caught." I add, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, maybe." He says, putting one of his large hands on my belly. "Some of the shit he said... I don't get why he has such a low opinion of himself. He's a great kid, a bit of an idiot, but all fourteen year old boys are idiots." He says, rubbing my belly.

His words worry me a bit, why would Luke have a low opinion of himself? As far as I know, Luke isn't bullied at school. I know, he's doing good with girls. I've seen him a handful of times with his little girlfriend. She seems like a nice girl, from the few times I've spoken with her and she's a very pretty girl too. So, what could possibly be making Luke think so low of himself.

Clay sits up and I look over at him, he's rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. He tosses his black baseball hat onto the coffee table and sighs, resting his large arms on his knees.

"It sucks, when someone can't see the good in 'em." Clay says, looking over at me.

I shake my head, stopping myself from smiling.

"Trust me, I know." I say, shooting him a pointed look.

"That's different." He says, shooting me a look of his own.

"No, it's not." I state, crossing my arms.

"It is." Clay says, looking ahead.

"How is it different?" I ask, keeping my arms crossed.

"He's never hurt anyone, he's never sold drugs, he..." He starts, but I cut him off.

"Clay." I say softly, making him stop.

"Right, right, sorry." He mutters, rubbing the back of his head.

Something I've been working with Clay on since his birthday, was getting him to stop speaking so badly about himself and it has been working out well. With him staring down at his hat on the coffee table and the look on his face, I can tell he's a little upset. I want to do something to cheer him up, but the one thing I'm sure will cheer him up is out of the question, not with my little brother hiding up in his room and not with my Mom wondering around.

But, I smile as an idea pops into my head.

"How about we go out to eat tonight?" I ask, with a small smile. "Just the two of us."


The 14th of July, 6:11 pm. Luke's POV.

I'm lying on the bottom bunk, staring up at the bottom of the top bunk. My mind on what Clay said, how am I stronger than he ever could be? Clay's easily the toughest person I know. I had been told all about the fight, by a few friends at school. Clay had easily beaten up Jimmy and all his friends, while I got my ass kicked. I couldn't even hang with him today at work, I'm fucking pathetic. He was just trying to be nice, you idiot, a small voice says. I sigh, knowing it's right.

Clay wouldn't tell me I'm a big pussy, even if that's what he thought. He's too nice to do that,even if he wasn't, he wouldn't say anything because of Haley. Clay probably thinks I'm nothing but a pussy. I ball a fist at my side and slam it into my bed, getting angry just thinking about today. I shouldn't dwell on it, there's no point.

I sit up and look over at my door, making sure it's still shut. I then reach under my bed, pulling out my laptop. I smile, when I see that I have an IM from Ginny.

'Where were u 2day?'

I bite my lip, not being sure if I want to tell her the truth. Gin knew I smoked, but it was a little embarrassing that my Mom found my weed while putting my laundry away. But, I also knew it might be a little hard to hide the fact I wouldn't be able to hang out for the rest of the summer. I sigh, before typing out my reply.

'my mom found my bud .'

A full two minutes pass before she replies.

'WHAT?!'

'Yeah.'

'how much trouble r u in?'

'grounded and have to work with clay.'

'who? Haley's bo?'

'Yeah.'

'4 how long?!'

Before I can answer, I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. I slam the laptop shut and try to hide it under my bed, but before I can, the door to my room bangs open and my Mom comes in. She sees the laptop and her face twists in anger, with it turning a dark red.

"What is that?" She hisses, taking a few steps towards me.

"Mom..." I try, but she cuts me off.

"I don't care, I told you everything." She hisses again, her voice hard and full of anger.

She sncatches the laptop from me and glares down at me, before turning and stomping towards the door.

"Go clean out the gutters." She says, over her shoulder.

"But Clay already cleaned 'em." I say, slowly getting up from my bed and following her.

She stops half-way down the stairs and glares up at me, making me regret saying anything.

"Well, I guess you get to wash his truck and the van too." She says, brightly. She then turns and starts down the stairs again. "Since the gutters won't take you long." She adds, looking over her shoulder at me, as she goes.

I sigh and go back into my room, hanging my head. This is so fucking unfair, I've already spent the whole day working with Clay, I shouldn't have to work when I'm home too. It was just a little bit of weed, but she's acting like I was cooking meth in my room or something. I dig around my room, looking for a pair of shoes. When I find a pair, I pull them on and leave my room, going down the stairs. I then go down the hall and into the kitchen, my Mom and Haley are on the couch in the den, watching T.V. They look over at me, my Mom with a blank look, Haley looking like she feels slightly bad for me.

"The ladder is on the side of the garage." My Mom says, looking back at the T.V.

"Are you really gonna make me do this?" I ask, with a sigh. "I just spent the whole day working with Clay, remember?" I add, looking down at them and walking over to the couch.

"Well, maybe you should've thought about that before bringing drugs into my house." My Mom says, not even looking back at me. "Oh yeah, when you're done washing the cars, you can clean up the garage." She adds, making me sigh.

Haley shoots me a sympathetic smile, before turning back to the T.V. I want to say something else to my Mom, but don't, knowing it will probably only earn me more work. I just sigh again and leave out the backdoor, going to grab the ladder. I get to it, just as Clay comes out of the garage. He shoots me a look, clearly showing how confused he is about me holding the ladder.

"What's up, bud?" Clay asks, looking between me and the ladder.

"Apparently part of my punishment is being a slave." I say, standing the ladder up.

"Well, you got caught brother. Don't do the crime, if you can't serve the time." He says, popping me in the arm.

I just shoot him a look and he just shrugs, a small smile on his face. I carry the ladder over to the house and put it against the house, adjusting it. Clay follows me, his hands in his pockets. I put a foot on the bottom rung and start up it.

"You didn't set it right." Clay says, pulling his hands out of his pockets and crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm sure, I'll be fine." I say, going up the ladder.

"Okay, bud. Just remember, I told ya." He says, smiling up at me.

I go up another rung and the ladder slides to the left, panic fills my chest. But it stops and I let out a breath, I didn't know I was holding. I'm all shaky, as I hold on to the ladder. My breathing is in short and sharp breaths, as I look down at Clay, who looks concerned.

"See, I'm fine." I say, my voice more shaky than I would like.

But as soon as the words leave my mouth, the ladder slides again. The next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground, with Clay standing over me. My whole body hurts, but I don't think anything is broken and I don't feel any blood. Clay holds out one of his large hands, I take it and he easily pulls me to my feet.

"You good?" Clay asks, giving me a once over.

"Yeah... I think." I say, wincing, as pain aches from my back. Clay grins and pops me on the back. "Ah..." I mutter, as more pain shoots up from my back.

"I've fallen off ladders and roofs plenty of times, you'll be fine." He says, popping me on the back again.

"Ah... good to know." I say, taking a step away from him.

"Bet, you'll be more careful next time." He says, grinning at me.

"Oh, fuck off." I say, shooting him a look.

He sighs and puts a hand to my ear, shit. He flicks it and I wheel away in pain, cupping my ear with a hand.

"Watch your mouth, bud."


The 14th of July, 6:41 pm. Claire's POV.

"Phil, two nights in a row." I say, letting out a sigh and pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Sorry." He says, sounding tired. "This buyer is being so..." He trails off, letting out a sigh of his own. "I'll be home when I can, Claire." He says, making me bite my lip.

"Okay, should I leave a plate out for you?" I ask, looking over at the oven, the smell of roast beef heavy in the air.

"No, we're ordering take out." He answers, the sound of papers being move coming over the phone.

"Okay... I love you." I say, smiling slightly.

"Um-huh... I gotta go." He says, hanging up.

I let out another sigh, setting the phone down on the counter. Phil has been working late all week, due to this huge deal. Some big out of town buyer was buying up these huge stores, apparently he wants to build a... something... I wasn't paying much attention to Phil when he told me. But, I know if he makes the deal, it would be the biggest commission of his career and the biggest deal in his company's short history. All that money would be great for us, with the baby right around the corner and Alex going off to college in a few years, not to mention how good it would be for his company. But it's putting a lot of pressure on Phil and it's starting to worry me, I love Phil, but he doesn't handle pressure well.

"Looks like its just us tonight." I say, walking into the den and over to the couch.

"Me and Clay are going out tonight." Haley says, not even looking over at me.

"What?" I ask, disappointment filling me.

Haley and Clayton would be the only pleasant company I would have at dinner. Since Alex is still brooding about the fight and... well, Clayton. While Luke isn't going to be very nice to me for the next few weeks or maybe even months, since I grounded him. So, without them or Phil, it's going to be a very long and quiet dinner.

"Come on, not tonight." I say, walking over to her.

I sit down next to her, giving her a puppy dog look.

"No, don't give me that look." She says, with a laugh.

"Come on, you can't leave me here with your siblings." I say, sticking my bottom lip out.

"No, it's been way too long since me and Clay have had some alone time." She says, looking back at the T.V.

"Oh come on, can't you wait another night before you run off, just to have sex?" I ask, shooting her a look.

Haley blushes a dark pink and shifts uncomfortably, not being able to meet my eye.

"I don't know why you think that, we're just going out to eat." Haley says, not so convincingly, with a shrug.

"Come on, please." I say, grabbing one of her hands, with both of mine. "It's not like it's been that long." I add, still pouting.

"Well, if you must know, it has been awhile... specially for us." She says, the blush to her face darkening.

"Oh please, I'm sure waiting another night won't kill you." I say, rolling my eyes at her.

The back door opens and Clayton comes through, with his shirt torn. The pale blue shirt is torn from his right shoulder to his left hip, showing his hard chest and tight stomach.

"What happened to you?" Haley asks, grinning at him.

"'I was helping Luke and my shirt got caught on the gutter." He says, looking over at us.

He then pulls what's left of the shirt off, fully showing his chest. Scars are here and there on his chest, with five small circular scars on his stomach. Tattoos cover his chest and arms. Tattooed across his collarbone is 'In god we trust'. Tattooed going down his right side is a large tombstone, which looked to have a woman hugging it and weeping. A few names went down it, but I can't make them out from here. He is incredibly toned, with the skin being pulled tight, showing every muscle on his chest and stomach. Does he even have an ounce of fat on him?

"I loved this damn shirt." He says, looking down at the torn shirt, not noticing Haley and I staring at him.

I look over at Haley and she just grins at me, before looking back at him.

"Okay fine, have fun tonight." I say, looking back at the T.V. "And Clay." I add, keeping my eyes on the T.V.

"Yes ma'am?" He answers, looking over at me.

"Put a shirt on."


The 14th of July, 7:37 pm. Phil's POV.

I let out a sigh, looking over all my paperwork. I have a huge mountain of it, I might be here all night. My client is from out of state, he has this huge retail chain back east and wants to expand out here. I sold his son a house and he recommended me to his father. I usually only sell houses, so retail property is a little out of my element. But, if I can pull it off, it will be the biggest deal of my career and the biggest deal in my company's history. Which is putting a lot of pressure on me not to screw it up and everything was going great, till this little book store.

My client loves the space and has his heart set on it, but the owner is being... difficult. I mean, he's running a bookstore! It's not like he's making money hand over fist, but he keeps asking for way above market. No matter what offer I make, he just stands by his asking price and my client won't pay it. So, I'm stuck in this weird limbo, where I can't get my client to go for another property, without him finding another realtor. And I can't get him the property he wants, for the money he's willing to spend.

I hear a knock at my door and look up from my work, my assistant, Molly, is standing there.

"Is it okay if I call it a night, Mr. Dunphy?" She asks, with a small smile.

"Yeah, that's fine." I say, looking back down at my work.

"You sure?" She asks again, making me look back up at her.

"Yeah, I'm only going to be a few more minutes." I lie, giving her a small smile.

She returns the smile and nods.

"Okay, see you in the morning." She says, as I look back down at my work.

I wish I was home. There's so much going on there and I'm here, missing it. Alex is still upset with Clay and the fight. Haley is just weeks away from having the baby, she could be going into labor right now, for all I know. And Luke... I still don't want to believe he has been smoking weed, I never did drugs and he's just like me... or at least I thought he was. These last few months have made me question how well I know my kids. Finding out about Haley being pregnant, Alex dating some older guy and now Luke with the drugs. I don't even know my own kids anymore, they used to tell me everything.

Haley now has Clay, Alex has shut me and Claire out and Luke is... has been drifting away too. Me and Luke were best friends for years, we did everything together. But in the last few years, there's been more and more space between us. He's been spending more time with his friends and less with me, I thought it was just a phase. But, it's not. He's growing up and... he doesn't want to spend anymore time with his old man. I let out a sigh, my mind wondering. Just because I was best friends with my father all through high school, doesn't mean Luke would be the same. Luke's not me, he's his own man.

I just have to remember that.

There's a knock at the door and I don't look up, just wanting to focus on my work.

"Molly, you can go home. I'm only going to be a few more minutes." I say, shifting my papers around.

"Phyllis!"

My head shoots up and I see Gil Thorp standing in my doorway, grinning.

"How is the third best realtor in town?" He asks, grinning at me, as he walks over to my desk and drops down into one of the chairs in front of it.

I lean back in my chair and look over at the clock on my wall, then look back at Gil, wondering what he's doing here at almost eight at night.

"What do you want, Gil?" I ask, letting out a sigh.

"Straight to the point, I like that Dunphy." He says, with a nod. "Your client wants what my client has." He says, grinning.

"No way."


The 14th of July, 8:12 pm. Haley's POV.

"Thank you." I say, with a small smile, as Clay holds the door open for me.

I go into the diner and look around. There's a long counter, with battered and worn stools ringing it. Behind the counter is a short woman, with graying blonde hair, taking orders. Old and worn booths ring the outside of the diner, with a jukebox in a corner. Old rock music is softly playing and people are talking, with the two mixing into a soft hum, that fills the diner. The whole place smells like hamburgers and french fries, with this warm and inviting feeling filling the place.

"Just two?" The woman with graying blonde hair asks, pouring another customer a cup of coffee.

"Yeah." I say, giving her a smile.

"Okay, just take a seat and we'll be right with you." She says, turning around.

Clay grabs my hand, pulling me along and over to a booth. He tries to help me sit, but I shoot him a dirty look and he stops, backing up a bit, holding his hands up. I slowly sit and work myself further into the booth, which is hard due to my belly. Clay sits across from me and looks around, that blank look of his, which if I didn't know better, looks like he's angry. I reach across the table and take his hand, getting him to look back at me. He smiles, that small smile of his and I smile back.

"The food here is great hangover food." I say, looking over at the counter and into the back, where a short and skinny young man is manning a flat grill.

"Yeah?" Clay asks, with a chuckle. "You came here drunk, a lot?" He adds, smirking at me.

"Too many times." I say, shaking my head.

Clay laughs and I can't help but laugh too, giving his hand a squeeze.

"You spent your teen years partyin' and I spent mine, fightin' and sellin' drugs." He says, shaking his head.

I laugh again, shaking my head too.

"God, we're going to have a little hellion, aren't we?" I ask, smiling at him.

"I don't know, but those teen years are goin' to be rough." He says, smiling back at me.

We're still laughing, when our waitress comes to the table.

"What can I ge..." I look over as the waitress trails off. "Well, it's a small world after all, ain't it Clay?" She asks, grinning at Clay.

She's about my age. She's taller than me, standing five-eight or so. She has long light brown hair, which is pulled back in a low ponytail. She's also quite pretty, with full pink lips, a sharp nose and brown almond shaped eyes. I also can't help but notice how large her breasts are, since she is leaning over our table, with a very low cut top. I can't help but feel slightly self-conscious next to her, all tall and lean, while I look like a beached whale. She's grinning at Clay, who smiles, his small smile. Her eyes land on me and her grin falls slightly, I force a smile.

"Who's this? Your sister or something?" She asks, looking between me and Clay.

"This is Haley, my lovely girlfriend and Haley, this is Mr. Marksman's daughter, Heather." He says, waving a hand between us.

Heather's smile falls even more at the word 'girlfriend'.

"Hello." I say, with a slight bite to my voice, holding out my hand.

"Hi." She says, her voice cold, giving my hand a short shake. She then stands to her full height and sucks in a breath, drawing even more attention to her large chest, like the low cut top wasn't already doing that. She sets a menu down in front of me and another down in front of Clay, letting the breath out. "So, what can I get you two love birds to drink?" She asks, pulling out a pen and a notepad.

I can't help but notice a slight bite to the word 'love', when she says it.

"Diet pop, please." Clay says, looking over his menu.

"Pop, that's adorable." She says, letting out a giggle, smiling down at Clay. "And you?" She asks, looking over at me, her smile gone.

"Water, with lemon." I say, shooting her a look.

She just nods, a smirk to her lips.

"Alright, you two look over those menus and figure out what you want and I will be right back with your drinks."


The 14th of July, 9:17 pm. Luke's POV.

I'm staring up at the top bunk again, after cleaning out the already cleaned out gutters and washing my parents' van. I got out of cleaning Clay's truck, since him and Haley left before I could get to it and my Mom sorta forgot about me cleaning out the garage. Man, she'll probably make me do it tomorrow. But, I got tonight to do whatever I want... as long as it's in my room and doesn't involved my T.V. , Xbox or laptop. God, this is so unfair. I'm grounded, while everyone else my age are out, getting up to all kinds of stuff. Ginny's probably out right now, having fun.

God, I haven't told her what's going on yet. She probably thinks I'm just avoiding her. I sigh and put an arm over my eyes, wishing I was anywhere but stuck here in my room. There's a small tap at my window, I ignore it at first, but it happens again and again. Finally, I look up and my jaw drops. At the window is Ginny, she's wearing a black hoodie and beanie pulled low over her face, a small smile to her perfect lips. For a second I think she's flying, but than I notice she's holding onto a rung of my parents' ladder.

I mouth, 'What are you doing here?' and she just mouths back, 'Let me in.'

Worry fills me, as I look between Ginny and the door to my room. I fall out of my bed and stumble towards the window, I open it and she climbs in, hands first and half crawls/half falls to the floor. She lets out a soft laugh, when she lands face first. She rolls over, obviously fighting not to laugh. I stare down at her, wanting to know what the hell she was thinking coming here. I hear someone come up the stairs, I look over at Gin and put a finger to my lips, letting her know to be quiet. She covers her mouth with a hand, clearly fighting another fit of laughs. It must of been Alex, since whoever came up stairs, went into Alex and Haley's room.

I look at the door, then back at her, smiling slightly. She smiles back, she really does have a beautiful smile.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, in a whisper.

"I'm here to see your mom." She says, with a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Why do you think I'm here, stupid? I'm here to see you." She says, looking over at the door, then back at me.

I sit down near my bed and lean against it, my eyes on her. She smiles at me, then crawls over to me and lightly kisses me. She then sits next to me, leaning against the bed too.

"So, what's the deal?" She asks, looking over at me, with a small smile. "How long are you a prisoner?" She adds, getting a small laugh out of me.

"Until school starts back up again." I say, letting out a sigh.

"Fuck." She says, hanging her head. "So, we're not going to be able to hang out anymore?" She asks, sounding slightly upset.

"At least not until school starts." I say, putting a hand on her leg.

She looks over at me, giving me a slightly sad smile.

"That sucks." She mutters, letting out a sigh. She looks around my room, smiling slightly. "Well, I guess we'll have to make the most of tonight." She says, her eyes back on me.

I stare at her for a few seconds, trying to read between the lines. I know what I think 'make the most of tonight' means, but what did it mean to her? Whenever we get close to 'doing it', she always pulls away or makes us stop. I don't want to be that asshole, who keeps pushing her for more, if she's not ready. Cause she's worth waiting for. But...

"What did you have in mind?" I ask, grinning at her.

"Is your mind always in the gutter, Luke Dunphy?" She asks, grinning at me.

"Only when you're around." I say, my grin getting bigger.

"That was a smooth line." She says, before letting out a giggle.

"Yeah?" I ask, leaning in close.

"Oh yeah, very smooth." She says, with a smile, that nearly kills me. "I was almost swooning." She says, getting a laugh out of me.

Our faces are so close, our noses brush. She's smiling, making me smile back. I stare into her rich chocolate brown eyes, eyes I could lose myself in. I must of lost myself in them, since she let's out a laugh.

"Aren't you gonna kiss me, jerk?" She asks, getting another laugh out of me. "Or at least try to feel me up." She adds, laughing herself.

I put a hand on the back of her head and close the small gap between us, kissing her. She puts her hands on my face, as her mouth works over mine. I run a hand up her pant leg, stopping at her waist. She breaks the kiss and smiles at me, rubbing my cheek with a thumb.

"That was more like it." She says, before lightly kissing me again.

There's a sound from the stairs , me and Gin share a look.

"Luke!" My Mom shouts, from what sounds like the bottom of the stairs.

"What do we do?" Ginny whispers, looking worried, her eyes darting between me and the door.

"Hide." I whisper back, slowly getting to my feet.

"Where." She hisses, shooting me a look.

"Under the bed, under the bed." I say, pointing towards it.

"What? Are you kidding? Are we five?" She hisses again, but still slowly climbs under.

Once she's fully under, I put some clothes and a blanket around the opening, hoping to hide Ginny from sight. I then go to the window and close it, before going back to my bed. I hop down on it and I hear Gin mutter a few curses, she then pinches my leg, making me jump slightly.

"Be careful, there's someone under here." She whispers, letting my leg go.

I shift my weight, not wanting to be sitting on her. A few seconds pass before the door opens and my Mom comes in, her eyes shooting around the room. Her eyes land on me, narrowing into slits.

"What are you doing?" My Mom asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Just... sitting here, thinking about what I've done." I say, trying to sound as casual as I can.

"Right." She says, sounding like she doesn't believe me. "Get ready for bed, you're probably getting up early with Clay tomorrow." She says, looking around my room one last time.

"Okay, Mom." I say, giving her a smile.

She shoots me another look, before slowly backing out of the room. I get up and go to the door, my Mom is still looking into my room, as she slowly goes down the hall. I give her another smile and close the door. I go back to my bed and lightly sit, being careful not to crush Gin.

"Can I come out now?" She asks, her voice muffled, with the mattress between us.

"No, she'll be back." I say, lying back, putting my hands behind my head.

"What?" She asks.

I don't answer her, after a few seconds the door bangs open. My Mom stands in the doorway, her eyes darting around the room. I just smile at her, god I'm good at this.

"Hey, Mom." I say, giving her another smile.

"What are you up to?" She asks, taking a few steps into the room.

"Nothing, Mom." I say, giving her a smile

"Nothing? Nothing, huh?" She asks, pursing her lips together, nodding, looking around the room.

"Yeah, nothing." I say, sitting up, my eyes on her.

"So, you wouldn't mind if I have a look... in here." She says, darting to the closet and pulling the doors open.

Some clothes fall out and onto her feet, I have to stop myself from smirking. She clears her throat and looks over at me, running a hand through her hair. She sets her jaw and narrows her eyes at me.

"Goodnight, honey." She says, slowly backing out of my room again.

"Goodnight, Mom."


The 14th of July, 9:20 pm. Haley's POV.

"So, she was very pretty, wasn't she?" I ask, looking over at Clay.

The sky is black, with the clouds blocking out the moon and stars. We're on the top level of a parking garage, where Clay's truck is. I see Clay's truck on the other side of the level and can't help but wish I would've let Clay go get it, while I waited at the diner, like he suggested. But, I wanted to go with him. So, after going up five levels of stairs, I'm sweating.

Clay looks over at me, with a questioning look.

"Who?" He asks, digging around in his pockets for his keys.

"Who? Really?" I ask, shooting him a look. He stops and looks over at me, shrugging. I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Waitress Big Tits." I say, glaring at him. "You know, the one who spent the last hour flirting with you." I add, letting out a sigh.

Clay sighs, setting his hands on his hips.

"Haley, she wasn't flirtin' with me." He says, shaking his head.

"She wasn't flirting with you?" I ask, with a laugh. "Pop, that's so adorable." I say, mockingly.

"Whatever, let's just get home." Clay says, grabbing one of my hands, turning and starting towards his truck again.

I pull my hand from his grasp and cross my arms over my chest.

"You think I'm lying, that Hanna wasn't flirting with you?" I ask, glaring up at him.

"Heather." He says, looking back at me.

"What?" I ask, getting more upset.

"Her name was Heather, you said her name was Hanna." He says, with a shrug.

"Oh yeah, because that's important right now." I say, the anger clear in my voice.

"What's this about, Haley?" Clay asks, looking confused and frustrated. "Don't tell me, you're jealous?" He asks, shooting me a look.

"I'm not jealous." I say, a little too quickly.

I know I'm jealous and by the look on Clay's face, he knows it too. I know it's silly, Clay wouldn't ever cheat on me. But, sitting there, watching her flirt with him... guys used to flirt with me like that. God... that sounds so horrible. I know, I sound so shallow. But, its how I feel. I used to get hit on all the time, now I'm just a huge wale. And her... Hanna or Heather, whatever the hell her name is, she looked great. All tall and lean, even toned a little. She didn't have a huge freaking belly, with ugly stretch marks. I bet her feet aren't swollen two sizes too big or her breasts sore and tender to the touch. I just felt so gross and ugly sitting there next to her.

God, I'm so shallow.

"What do you have to be jealous of?" He asks, with a questioning look.

I let out a sigh, grabbing my pendant and rubbing it.

"She's all hot and I'm..." I trail off, waving a hand over myself, like he has missed how gross I am.

"You're kiddin' me?" He asks, with a sad tone to his voice.

I look down at my feet, my pendant gripped tight in my hand. He reaches out and grabs my face, making me look up at him. He rubs my face, with his thumb, making me smile slightly.

"Comet, you ain't got nothing to be jealous of." He says, smiling, a sad little smile. "You're still the most beautiful girl in the world, you know that right?" He asks, leaning in and kissing me lightly. "It ain't even fair, you're eight months pregnant and you're still hot." He whispers, in my ear, before kissing me on the neck. "If anything, being pregnant has only made you hotter. I mean, look at how big your boobs have gotten." He says, making me laugh.

I pull away from him and slap him on the chest, he just grins at me. I have to fight not to smile back at him.

"I feel bad for Heather." Clay says, his grin falling. "She's all alone, remember what that was like?" He asks, rubbing the back of his head. "Havin' no idea what you're doin', no idea where you're goin', just kinda driftin'." He says, looking back at me. "I don't know about you, but that was me before I met you." He says, smiling, his small smile.

I smile at him, knowing exactly what he's talking about. Before I met Clay, I was adrift. I had no idea what I wanted out of life, I had no idea where I was going. I was just trying to get by. But, I know what I want now. I want him, I want to make a life with him. It doesn't matter if we're rich, living in some huge mansion somewhere or if we're poor and spend the rest of our lives in some shitty little apartment. As long as we're together, it's enough.

"For the first time in my life, I'm not scared of what the future holds." Clay says, looking down at me. "Cause, I know you'll be there beside me." He says, with a nod towards me. "And Heather doesn't have that." He finishes, with a shrug.

I can't help but grin up at him, letting go of my pendant and taking one of his hands in mine. He rubs the back of his head, looking down at his boots.

"What?" He asks, looking at me, before looking back at his boots.

"Just wondering when you got so sweet and smart." I say, before kissing him lightly.

He wraps his arms around me, pulling me as close as we can get with my stupid belly. He grins down at me, making me smile back. He runs a hand through my hair, making my smile grow larger.

"Yeah, I'm pretty much the total package." He jokes, smirking down at me. "So, you better be making one damn cute kid in there." He says, pointing down at my belly.

I laugh and smile up at him.

"Look at us, our baby is going to be fucking adorable."


I would like to thank Korkman2 for reviewing again. Thanks man, that's awesome to hear, especially since you've been here since the beginning. Not to give too much away, but I maybe working on writing Manny's POV... Ah, you all know how I feel about the little fucker.

But, I think Mr. Korkman has the right idea. I believe at this point, I've written from the point of view of every member of the family... well, besides Manny. So, I'm working on it... or him. I want to do right by his character, because the thing I hate most on this site, is an author bashing a character they don't like.

You all know what I'm talking about, I personally think it's a very childish thing to do. So, when Manny's POV comes, I want it to sound and feel like him. Even though I don't like him, I can admit he is a very smart young man.

Anyway, long winded endnote aside.

Thanks again, Kork.

I would like to thank Atfab27 for reviewing again. I'm glad you liked it, I was scared it might come off as cheesy. Thanks again, Atfab.

I would like to thank SideshowJazz1 for reviewing again. That's great to hear, thanks. Well, you never know Jazz. You might make a great helper, you'll never know till you try right? Thanks again, Jazz.

I would like to thank the guest who reviewed on 1/4/14. Thanks man, that is super kind of you. On Clayton's family, yes, I will be bringing them into the story soon... very soon. As for writing a follow-up story, well, I do have plans to write a spin-off for this story. But, that's all I'm willing to say at this time. Thanks again.

I would like to thank TigerBB161 for reviewing again. Thanks Tiger, that's really awesome to hear. I'm happy you liked Claire sending Luke and Manny to work with Clayton, I thought it could be a fun and interesting story point.

I'm also very happy to hear, you really like Clayton. A lot of people on this site have a strong dislike of OCs, so it always puts a smile on my face to hear someone enjoys Clayton. Yes, he's been through a lot of hell and it's made him a very hard young man. But, I think with the help of Haley and her family he's slowly getting better. I have tried very hard to write him honestly, for him to have flaws and shortcomings. So, it's nice to know my hard work is paying off.

You will be hearing more and more about Haley's baby in the coming chapters and before you know it, it will be here.

Thanks again, Tiger.

I would like to thank Taylor for reviewing again. Thanks Taylor, that's great to hear. As for my next story, well, we still have a few chapters to go for this one. I can promise this won't be my last story. But, I don't want to say too much about what I'm writing next. Thanks again, Taylor.

I would like to thank ODA for reviewing again. I'm good, ODA, thanks for asking. Good to hear. Yeah, Luke and Manny avoided the big house this time. Hopefully, Clayton will help them see the error of their ways. You will be seeing more of Haley and Morgan, a lot more. I will keep it up, man. Thanks again, ODA.

I would like to thank Cocobananas for reviewing . Thanks, man. That's awesome to hear, I'm glad you have been enjoying my story. Sorry, I took awhile to update. Thanks again, Coco.

I would like to thank HPFANFREAK08 for reviewing and following. Your review made my week, seriously. I'm so happy you have enjoyed my story so far and I hope to keep you reading to the very end. I honestly wish I can write something more here, just to express how much I appreciated your review. But, I'm at a loss for words. So, I'll just go with a simple thank you.

Thank you.

I would like to thank Splater6 for reviewing and following. I always feel like a terrible person, when I read someone cried because of my story. Because everytime without fail, I can't help but smile. Thank you, I'm happy to hear you love my story. Thanks again, Splater.

I would like to thank Becr26 for reviewing and following. Thank you very much, It's awesome to hear you're enjoying my story. Yes, writing stuff between Clayton and the family has been fun. Specially anything between Clayton and Jay or Clayton and Claire. There's something to those pairs that I love, I just feel like they play off each other so well. Yeah, I think Haley will be a good Mom too. You can see it, in how she is with Lily. But we will see in a few chapters.

Thanks again, Bacr.

I would like to thank the guest who reviewed on 1/24/14. Thank you, man. Well, it's usually about two weeks or a month between updates and the updates usually go up on late Tuesday night or early Wednesday... except sometimes like now, were I'm posting on a saturday... Thanks again for reviewing.

I would like to thank RikkiBrooke and DoubleRainbowsOverFlorida for following, thanks guys.

I would like to thank you all for reading and finally don't forget all reviews are appreciated