A Fresh Start
Chapter Thirty Seven
Jeffrey is sitting with his back to the arm of the couch, with Sam sitting between his legs. Wrapping his arms around her, he lays his hands on tops of hers, which are lying on top of her stomach.
"What are you thinking?" Sam asks, intertwining her fingers with his.
"It's hard to imagine that in nine months we're going to have a baby. I missed all of this with Ava. I didn't even know Olivia was pregnant, let alone that I had a daughter. I don't want to miss a moment of this baby's life." Jeffrey says, laying his hands under hers and against her stomach.
"You won't." Sam says, laying her hands on top of his and leaning back against him.
There were several minutes of silence, before Jeffrey leans over and kisses the side of her neck. "I love both of you."
"We love you too." Sam replies, pulling his arms tighter around her.
"I really am sorry I behaved the way I did yesterday and this morning."
Releasing him, Sam turns around so that she can face him. "You don't have to keep apologizing, I know you're sorry and I forgive you. I was wrong not to trust that you would want us no matter the circumstances, so we were both wrong."
Leaning forward, Jeffrey kisses her. Softly at first, but when desire begins to burn inside him, he wraps his arms around her and pulls her back against him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she moves closer to him, letting her tongue slip inside to play with his as his hand slip underneath her t-shirt.
"J" She moans softly when she feels his hands on her back
"Beca." He whispers, holding her against him. "Baby, I need you." He says, leaning his head against hers
Kneeling between his legs, she reaches for his tie. Slowly tugging it loose, while he watches her through lowered lashes, reaching for the first button on his shirt, she unbuttons it, being careful not to touch his chest. Tugging on the shirt, she slowly moves down until she reaches the last button. Looking up, she pulls the shirt free of his pants.
Leaning forward and kissing him softly as he reaches up, burying his fingers in her hair, he takes control of the kiss for a few minutes and then she leans back. Slowly running her fingers down his chest she asks softly. "Are you going to want me when I'm big and fat, with swollen ankles and my back aches?"
"There will never be a time that I don't want you, pregnant, not pregnant. I will always want you." Jeffrey whispers, leaning forward and kissing her as he reaches for the hem of her t-shirt.
He starts to push it up while she raises her arms, watching him. Pulling it over her head when he reaches her shoulders, she tosses it to the floor before she picks up his hands. Unbuttoning the buttons at his sleeves, she leans forward, brushing his shirt off his shoulders as he kisses the side of her neck, distracting her for a couple seconds when he moves up to her ear, nibbling gently on her earlobe. Bracing her hands on the arm rest of the couch, she sighs softly.
Leaning her head over to give him more room, she shivers slightly as waves of desire burn through her. After a few seconds, she moves back. Kissing him, while she slowly runs her hands down his chest until she reaches his waist, letting her hands rest there, she moves down to his neck, kissing him lightly as he reaches up and buries his hands in her hair, directing her as much as she will allow him to.
After a couple minutes, she sits back on her legs, her hands resting at his waist; she listens to him struggling to catch his breath. His voice sounds rough and ragged as he draws a deep breath, before he whispers "Sam, please." She looks into his eyes, and she can see the fire burning there.
Leaning forwards she begins to lay little kisses across his upper chest. Moving slowly down his body, she stops for several minutes to caress his nipples. Gently sucking on them, slowly running her tongue across them until he reaches up and buries his hands in her hair, holding her against him while heat rolls through him, reaching around her, he quickly unsnaps her bra. When her breasts are free, he reaches for them. Gently caressing them, as she moans softly "J"
"Do you like that?"
Looking up through her lashes, she catches the heat burning in his eyes. Sitting up, she starts to lean forward but he stops her. Leaning forward, he begins to lightly lick her nipples, smiling when he feels her hands clinch into fists as he pulls her to him. Closing his mouth around her left nipple he continues to lightly suck and lick it until it's a hard knot, pressing against his mouth.
Slowly unclenching her fists, she reaches for his belt, unbuckling it. She pulls it free before she unsnaps his pants, stopping when he moves from her left breast to her right while he continues to caress her left breast with his hand. "Oh, darlin." She moans softly.
He continues to play with her right breast while he reaches for her shorts, tugging on them he has to stop when he reaches her knees. Leaning back, he looks up at her. "Beca, I want to see all of you, please." He begs
Moving to stand up, she tugs the shorts down and then leans over him, reaching for the zipper on his pants, she tugs on it being careful not to hurt him. He sighs softly arching his hips as he kicks his shoes off. He helps pull his pants down, kicking them off as she kneels between his legs again.
Leaning over him, she kiss him as he lays back, wrapping his arms around her, he pulls her against him, until their bodies are completely touching. She can feel his desire pressing against her stomach, reminding her of how desperately he needs her. Moving up to her knees, she straddles him, and settling against him. She feels him jump when her body closes around his.
"Sam." He groans, his hand falling to her hips "Oh god, baby, you're hot." He whispers, swallowing hard as he lets his head fall back, savoring the feel of her against him. "Tell me how I feel." He whispers softly.
Leaning over him, she whispers "Hard, baby. You're hard." Sam gasps, savoring the feel of him pressing against her. He isn't expecting it but she slowly begins to roll her hips, rubbing against him "Oh, you feel so good." She moans, trying to move closer to him
"Imagine how I'll feel inside you." Jeffrey whispers, looking at her as she sucks in a deep breath.
Reaching for the waistband of his boxers as he reaches for her panties, they both tug until it becomes obvious that to accomplish what they are trying to do, they'll have to let go of each other. Moving back, Sam tugs on his boxers as he arches his hips reaching to help her. Kicking them off when they are at his feet as she stands up and pulls her panties off. Kneeling over him, she reaches for him. She closes her hand around him; she slowly caresses him a couple of times, before she leans over him, licking the tip of him.
"Beca, baby, I need you." He groans, reaching for her.
Looking up, she sees the desperation in his eyes. Releasing him, she moves to straddle him. Leaning over him again, she kisses him as she reaches for him again, closing her hand around him, she guides him inside her. When she feels him slipping inside her, she releases him as he reaches for her hips, slowly she rocks as he leans back. Watching her and watching their connection.
After a couple minutes, Jeffrey wraps his arms around her. Sitting up, he lays her back. Taking her legs, he doubles them back, and then he begins to thrust. Deep and hard while Sam reaches for him, holding onto his hips tightly, her nails, digging into them. Leaving half moon indentations, as he slips deeper inside her, brushing against the special place inside her "Beca!" he groans "Love me, baby."
"J!" She cries, feeling her body beginning to loose control.
He can feel her tightening around him, holding him deep inside her. "Do you feel…that?" He gasps, thrusting harder.
"Yes, yes, yes!" She cries. "J, please!" She begs, as he switches angles. He feels the moment her release washes over her as she begins to shake, her body clinging to his, holding him tightly. "Oh, Oh, Oh!" Sam screams, arching her back and holding him against her while waves of desire flood her body "Yes, Yes, Yes!" She whines, as the final waves roll through her.
Watching and listening to her breaks his control, thrusting a couple more times he feels the heat of release fill him and then her. "Beca." He groans, as he feels residual waves of ecstasy run through both of them.
Collapsing in he arms, they both gasp for breath, as she wraps her arms around him, burying one hand in the hair at the back of his head and laying the other against his hips, holding him tightly. It is several moments before they are able to relinquish each other. Leaning back, he looks down at her and whispers. "I love you Samantha Ann Whitley."
"I love you, Jeffrey O'Neill." She whispers, leaning up to kiss him softly before they roll to their sides, facing each other.
An hour later, Jeffrey has just left for his meeting and Sam is about to walk out the door when someone knocks. Peeping through the peep hole, she's surprised to see Ava on the other side. Opening the door, she says, "Ava, hi." As she steps back to let her in.
"Hi."
"If you're looking for your Dad, he just left."
"No, I came to ask you something."
"Okay." Sam replies closing the door as Ava walks into the living room.
"I've got my first doctor's appointment with Dr. Sedgwick this afternoon and I was wondering if you would go with me."
"You want me to go with you, what about Olivia?"
"I know she's my mother, but I would feel more comfortable with you. I don't want to listen to her about William and the baby and getting married."
"As long as you realize that if she finds out that I was the one that went with you, she's going to be upset."
"I know, but if she would back off and accept my decision I would feel more comfortable with her coming along."
"Has she been harassing you?"
"No, I've sort of been avoiding her."
"When's your appointment?"
"In about an hour, at Cedars."
"Have you talked to William?" Sam asks, as they walk towards the door.
"Yes, for a few minutes yesterday afternoon. He's busy right now with some new trade agreements and Will's still in the hospital."
Opening the door, they walk out. Sam locks up the loft and then follows Ava downstairs. They leave a few minutes later.
Jeffrey is walking into City Hall when he notices a man standing beside the door going into the building. When Jeffrey looks at him, he notices that the man has a scar on his right cheek, He doesn't say anything to him, but makes a mental note as he walks in to see if he is still standing there when he leaves that evening. When he walks into his office Stacey is at her desk. "Has the Spaulding rep arrived?"
"No, not yet, Sir."
"I'll be in my office." Jeffrey says, walking in.
"Yes Sir."
Sitting down at his desk, he flips through the messages that Stacey gave him. Noticing a message from Mallet, he picks up the phone and dials his number. After a couple rings, he answers. "Detective Mallet."
"Mallet, its Jeffrey."
"Yeah Jeffrey, I called to tell you that we have all the jury members willing to testify on the tampering charge"
"Okay." There's a short pause before Jeffrey speaks again. "I've been thinking about this. Maybe we don't need to have all of them to testify, with the testimony from the foreman and statements from the other members that should be enough. If we put all of the jury members on stand, especially the ones that we had to convince to talk, it could go against us."
"I think you're right."
"Do you have all their statements?"
"Yes."
"Can bring me the file."
"Yes, are you at City Hall?"
"Yes."
"I'll drop it by."
"Okay."
Jeffrey hangs up. Looking over the rest of the messages he decides that they can be taken care of later. He is about call the State Attorney's Office when Stacey buzzes him.
"Yes Stacey." He says, holding down the intercom button.
"The Spaulding Rep is here."
"Okay, send them in." Jeffrey says
Sam and Ava are about thirty minutes early for Ava's appointment, after signing in; they sit down in the waiting room while Ava fills out some paper work. She takes it back to the nurse and then sits down beside Sam. A few minutes later, Dr. Sedgwick's nurse calls them back. Following her into the exam room, Ava sits down on the table as Sam sits down in the chair beside her.
"Dr. Sedgwick should be in within a few minutes."
"Okay." Ava replies.
The nurse leaves and they sit there in silence for a few minutes before Dr. Sedgwick walks in. "Ava, I hear congratulations are in order."
"Yes." Ava replies.
"And who is this with you?" Dr. Sedgwick asks, looking over at Sam.
"This is Dr. Samantha Whitley. She's a friend?" Ava replies, as Dr. Sedgwick shakes Sam's hand.
"You can call me Sam." Sam says, as they shake hands.
"Alright Sam, Well, here's what we're going to do. I've going to give you a quick examination just to make sure that everything is going okay. And then we'll talk about some things you need to look out for."
"Okay." Ava says, as Dr. Sedgwick pulls her stethoscope from her pocket.
After checking Ava's blood pressure, heart rate and listening to her lungs and heart. She does a quick pelvic exam. Then she helps her up.
"I'm sure you know that you're going have to start eating better. I'm going to prescribe you some prenatal vitamins. I don't know if you drink a lot of caffeine but I want you to cut back if you do, drink more water, milk and juice. You're also going to have to get plenty of rest, and try to avoid stress."
"Okay."
"Ideally we would like you to gain about 35lbs with this being your first pregnancy."
"35 pounds!"
"Yes, a little more is okay, but we don't want you to gain too much."
"Okay, when am I due?" Ava asks, not too happy about the weight gain.
From what you wrote down on you paperwork, you're about a week and half long so that would make you due sometime in early March around the fifth. But being that this is your first child there is a chance that you will go over."
"By how much?"
"It varies from woman to woman; you can go as much as two to three weeks over."
"Okay."
"Do either of you have any questions?"
"No." Ava replies, as Sam shakes her head.
Getting off the table, Ava and Sam follow Dr. Sedgwick out of the exam room.
"I'm going to schedule another appointment in a month for you."
"Okay." Ava replies, as they walk up the hallway to the front office.
When they reach the front office, Dr. Sedgwick turns to Ava. "Take care of yourself and I'll see you in a month."
"Okay." Ava replies, shaking Dr. Sedgwick's hand before she turns to Sam.
"It was a pleasure to meet you Sam, tell Jeffrey I said hello."
"Thanks you, and it was a pleasure to meet you and I will." Sam replies, as they walk out of the office. When they reach the street, Sam turns to Ava and asks. "How did she know that I was with Jeffrey?"
"It's a small town Sam, news like that travels."
"But…."
"You were at the gala the other night and if I read the Springfield Journal right, my Dad announced to the whole town that you were his girlfriend, did he not?"
"Well, yes." Sam says, glancing over at Ava as they walk out of the hospital.
"Are you wondering how I feel about that?" Ava asks.
"Maybe a little."
"I can see you're good for him. He's happy and content, more content than he was with Olivia. He always felt like he had to prove himself with her, he doesn't have to do that with you and that makes him more relaxed. Do you want to get something to eat?" She asks, nodding towards Company
"Sure." Sam says, realizing that she hadn't had anything to eat herself and like Ava, she was going to have to start eating better.
They walk across the parking lot as Jeffrey is leaving his last meeting of the day. When the rep leaves, Jeffrey turns to Stacey, "That's the last one for the day." He says.
"Yes. Is there anything you need me to do?"
"No, you can go." He says, walking back into the office.
A few minutes later, after getting the file that Mallet gave him, he follows Stacey out of the building. As they are walking out, Jeffrey glances over to see if the guy that had been standing by the door is still standing there. He is and when they walk out, he calls "Stacey." As he pushes away from the wall. Turning, Stacey stares at Ralph as he walks towards them.
"Stacey, do you know this guy?"
"I used too." Stacey mumbles, looking away from her ex-husband. "He's my ex-husband." She says quietly.
"Hey baby."
"I'm not your baby anymore Ralph." Stacey says, through clinched teeth.
As Ralph slowly run his eyes up and down Jeffrey, trying to gauge what kind of relationship the two of them have. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Ralph asks, looking back at Stacey.
"No, I'm not. What do you want?"
"I'm just passing through town and thought I would look up an old friend."
"We're not friends."
"We were much more than that." He says, taking a step closer to her, but Jeffrey steps between them.
"You need to back off. I think it's plain that she doesn't want to see you." Jeffrey says.
"Whatcha gonna do Mr. Mayor Man."
"You don't want to know what I'll do. You need to leave."
"Alright, Mr. Mayor Man." Ralph says, backing up. "I'll catch you later babe."
"No, you won't." Stacey hisses before he walks away.
"Are you okay?" Jeffrey asks
"I'm fine; I thought he was still locked up." Stacey says, taking a deep breath.
"You don't have to explain, but if you need protection."
"No, I'm fine." Stacey says glancing in the direction that Ralph had walked away in.
"Okay." Jeffrey says. "But I'm going to walk you to your car."
"You don't have to do that, I'm parked right over there." She says, pointing to a maroon SUV, parked next to his truck.
"Well, that's fine." Jeffrey says. "I'm parked next to you."
They walk to their cars together, while Ralph watches from his car parked across the street. Jeffrey doesn't go to his truck until Stacey has gotten in her car started it and is backing out to leave. Putting the file on the seat beside him, he reaches for the ignition and starts the truck. He jumps as the radio comes on blaring "Proud Mary, by Creedence Clearwater." Across the street, Ralph starts to laugh when he sees Jeffrey look around while he reaches for the volume on the radio.
Turning it down, he looks around again before he puts the truck in gear and backs out of the parking lot. When Jeffrey pulls out, Ralph pulls out behind him, following him as he drive through town.
When they reach Company, Sam heads for the bathroom while Ava finds them a table. She is waiting for Sam to return when Olivia walks up to the table. "Ava, what are you doing with her?" She demands.
"We're having lunch." Ava replies.
"What were you doing with her at Cedars?"
"Are you following me?"
"No, I had to take care of some business over there. I saw you leaving Dr. Sedgwick's office with her."
"So what?"
"What were you doing there with her at Dr. Sedgwick office?"
"I had a doctor's appointment."
"What was she doing there?"
"I asked her to go with me."
"You asked her to go with you."
"Yes."
"You need to come with me." Olivia says, taking Ava by the arm as Sam walks up to the table.
"Let her go, Olivia."
"Excuse me."
"I said, let her go and back off. She does not need your drama, right now. Dr. Sedgwick said she needs to avoid stress." Sam says.
"Drop the act, Jeffrey's not here and I know you don't give a damn about her."
"Whether you think I care about her or not, I don't care. But I'm not going to let you hurt her."
"She's my daughter. I'm not going to hurt her but I need..."
"You need to accept that it's her decision. You're not going to stress her out because you want to control her."
"I'm only looking out for her best interest. She has not idea what's its like to raise a child by herself with no help from anyone."
"First, she's not sixteen and drunk, second…."
"What do you know about what happened between me and Jeffrey?"
"I know quite a lot."
"You have no idea what it was like…."
"No, I don't. But then I wouldn't put myself in that situation."
"Well, aren't you just the saint."
"No, but I have enough sense not to go to a party and get drunk, so drunk that I can't remember what happened to me."
"I was taken advantage of…."
"Not by Jeffrey, and that is exactly why you're not together, because you can't fully admit that some of what happened that night was your fault. You have to blame him because you can't accept your responsibility in what happened."
"We're not together, because you took him away from me."
"Mom, she did not. You and Dad had broken up a couple weeks before Sam and Dad back got together." Ava says
"You're defending her. You're my daughter. You're supposed to be on my side." Olivia says, taking a step towards Ava, but Sam steps between them.
"You need to go." Sam says.
"I'm not going anywhere. You're the one that needs to leave. She's my daughter." Olivia says, pushing Sam as Jeffrey walks in.
"Olivia, what do you think you're doing? Let go of her." He says, walking over to them and pulling Olivia back.
"She's interfering." Olivia says, fighting Jeffrey.
Jeffrey picks Olivia around the waist and carries her out of the restaurant. Sitting her down outside. "You need to go." He says
"She's my daughter. I have the right to talk to her."
"Yes you do, but you don't have the right to physically assault my girlfriend."
"She…."
"She was protecting Ava."
"You don't know that, you didn't see her. She attacked me."
"From where I stood, it looked like you were attacking her. Now you need to go home, take care of Emma and let Ava and myself live our lives." Jeffrey says, walking back into the restaurant. Sam and Ava were sitting at the table when he came back in. "Are you both okay?"
"We're fine." Ava says.
"Sam."
"We're fine." Sam says, looking up.
"What happened?" He asks, sitting down beside her.
"I came back from the bathroom and she was trying to make Ava leave with her. I told her to let her go and to back off and we got into it about why you broke up. She said that I took you away from her and..."
"That's when I pointed out that you and Mom broke up a couple weeks before Sam came back. She took a step towards me and Sam stepped in front of her and that's when she pushed Sam and then you came in."
"I didn't mean to antagonize her." Sam says.
"I know you didn't. Why was she trying to get you to come with her?" Jeffrey asks, looking back and forth between them.
"She saw us leaving the hospital together so she followed us over here and confronted me about being with Sam. I told her that I had asked Sam to go with me to see Dr. Sedgwick this afternoon and that's when she tried to make me go with her. That's when Sam came back from the bathroom and stopped her."
"You're really okay." Jeffrey asks Sam, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm fine."
"And the…."
"We're both fine." Sam replies, cutting him off.
"Okay. How did the doctor's appointment go?" He asks, turning to Ava.
"Fine, she did a complete exam and then we went over a few things. I'm due sometime in early March, unless the baby decides to go longer. I have another appointment in a month."
"I think you need to stay away from your mother for a while, and I appreciate you turning to Sam but I think you need find someone else to go to your appointments with you." Jeffrey says.
"I'm not afraid of her." Sam says
"I know you're not, but there's more than you to consider." He says
"What's going on?" Ava asks, looking between Jeffrey and Sam.
Jeffrey looks at Sam, as if to ask if he should tell her. "It's okay." Sam says, nodding to him.
"You know that Sam and I are together, and…."
"What your father is trying to tell you so delicately is that I'm pregnant." Sam says, as Jeffrey looks at her with surprise.
"Oh, wow."
"Are you okay?" Jeffrey asks, looking at Ava.
"Yes, how… I mean I know how, but…."
"We didn't plan this, it sort of just happened." Jeffrey says, taking Sam's hand.
"Are you ready for this? You just go together."
"Yes, if all the stuff that happened in Russia had not have happened we would have been together and would have had kids before now." Jeffrey says, looking over at Sam
"Are you going to get married?"
"We haven't really talked about it." Jeffrey says, still looking at Sam.
"I just found out a couple days ago." Sam says, looking at Ava.
"Okay."
"For right now, you're the only one we've told. And I don't think it would be a good thing to tell anyone else, especially Olivia." Jeffrey says
"I won't say a word to anyone. But I don't think she's going to be talking to me anytime soon anyway." Ava says.
"Just be careful, you're staying at the Beacon and that gives her easy access to you." Jeffrey says, as Marina walks up to the table.
"Are you ready to order?"
"Oh, we forgot all about that." Sam says, looking at the menu. "I'll have a turkey sandwich, milk and a salad."
"I'll have the same." Ava says
"Jeffrey?" Marina asks
"I'll have a Buzz burger, fries and a coke."
"I'll get these out right away."
"Thanks Marina." Ava says
"You're welcome." She says, leaving as Ava turns to Jeffrey.
"Do you really think she'll come after me?"
"She was coming after you today." Jeffrey says
"I think she only wanted to talk to me. She wouldn't hurt me again, not when I'm pregnant."
"I'm not taking the chance, be careful around her." Jeffrey warns her.
"I will."
About ten minutes later, Marina brings their food out and they start to eat. When they finish eating, Jeffrey pays the bill and they leave.
37.11