Chapter 35:

Several Months Later:

Mel POV:

Mel put on a baggy hoodie sweater to cover her slightly protruding belly and headed out to the living room. "You know you're going to sweat to death in that." Matt claimed walking over and handing her a glass of tea with just a little Tabasco and of course sugar.

Groaning Mel plopped down on the couch tucking her feet under her butt. "I don't want to be the talk of the school and I can't just ditch my last week." She said bitterly. "Damn school."

Matt chuckled softly shaking his head as he took a seat next to her resting is hand on her belly casually. "You're almost twenty I don't think that anyone is going to care if your pregnant."

"You lost privileges to touch me last night remember?" Mel said removing his hand making him chuckle quite loudly. "And this is Roswell, blink and you miss it when you drive through…in other words it's a small town and I'm still technically a teen so me being pregnant would be news to the whole world."

"So how bad could it get?" Matt asked teasingly.

Mel swatted his arms. "Stop teasing me. Have you ever seen Where The Heart Is, or Lifetime teen pregnancy movies, people go crazy and people in Roswell are already crazy I don't want them going completely insane on me."

Matt tried to refrain from laughing but had no luck. Mel knew why too. She had been having this little rants since a couple weeks ago. She couldn't help it, her brain was on overdrive and as time went on she got more insecure and paranoid about her pregnancy.

"Mel it's fine trust me. Take the sweater off, the last thing I need is for you to over heat and end up in the hospital."

"I don't want to." She pouted.

Matt grabbed the hem of the sweater and started to lift it up. "Well too bad." He chuckled.

Mel didn't fight back and soon the sweater was gone leaving her in her Aerosmith black vintage wash t-shirt. "Happy?" She grumbled.

Kissing her cheek Matt chucked the sweater into the recliner behind him. "Yes I am. Now, come on let's get to class." He said.

Mel groaned. "Don't make me go." She whined.

"Mel you have to, come on. Unless you want to stop going and have to make up a week next year and then get your degree?" Matt asked jokingly.

Mel smirked at him gently. "You think I could?" She asked almost mockingly but slightly more serious.

Matt frowned at her. "No, now let's go Lindy bug."

"Fine." Mel whined and got up from the couch with Matt's help and they started out the door. Matt wrapped his arm back around her shoulder and she rested her head upon his and her arms went around his waist. They walked down the stairs and over to the Mel's car. "I can still drive." Mel said as he led her to the passenger door.

Matt smiled and gave her a soft kiss. "Wouldn't you prefer a chauffer?" He asked playfully.

Mel grumbled. "No." She muttered agitatedly and when she looked at his smile she couldn't help but let some of the melt away. Matt was just being sweet and caring, not wanting her or the baby hurt in any way. "I guess."

After helping Mel into the car Matt went around to the driver's side door and climbed in. Buckling up he started the engine keeping one hand on the gearshift and the other on the steering wheel. Mel reached over resting her hand upon his on the gearshift leaving it there. "What happened to not touching you?" Matt asked smirking at her.

Mel shrugged with a smirk of her own in place. "Guess I threw it out the window." She said softly. After that she looked out the window and watched the surrounding area pass by as they made their way to the college.

Campus:

Mel felt weird stepping out of the car in her jean shorts, t-shirt and converse. It was odd because she knew it was obvious that she was pregnant, but she had been able to cover it well until this last couple of days really. She had run out of excuses to where baggy sweaters cause the heat had come and she hated baggy shirts. She did however adjust her shirts to cover her slightly mounded abdomen.

"We're running a little late do you want me to walk you to class or not?" Matt asked walking over to her and grabbing her hand as she brought the strap to her black faded jean material messenger bag over her head to rest on her left shoulder and the bag at her right upper thigh.

Mel sighed. "Matty I can get to class on my own you don't have to walk me every day." She said sweetly.

"I know, I just like to make sure…"

"Yes the baby and I are fine. I can still take care of myself I'm not an invalid or terminally ill I don't need a care taker." She told him firmly.

Matt sighed kissed her cheek and temple and released her hand. "Let me know if you need anything." He said cautiously.

Mel looked and him smiled and nodded. "I will, but I probably wont need much of anything. Meet me and Jess for lunch by the tree?" She asked.

"Always." He said they met in a tender kiss and then split and went in different directions.

Mel made it to class, it wasn't like she was an invalid just like she had told Matt. She could get around on her own and she was fine. "Well Melinda good of you to join us." Her professor, Mr. Marten said.

Mel smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I was running a bit behind this morning."

"It's quite alright, please take your seat, we're discussing the end of the year final paper." Mr. Marten said. As he was talking Mel could hear the whispers going around the room and it was making her uncomfortable, but she pushed aside the discomfort and made her way to her seat.

"Sppst…Mel…" A girl a couple seats to her left said trying to get her attention. Her name was Rosalyn and she was the new editor of the Roswell University paper since Mel had passed up the offer.

Mel looked over and smiled at her. "Yeah."

"Are you?" She asked scooting down a few chairs to sit beside Mel. Mel sighed and nodded. "What's it like?" Rosalyn asked.

Mel giggled softly. "It ain't no bed of roses I can guarantee that." She muttered softly as Mr. Marten continued to give his lecture on the final paper. Mel had already finished hers and it was ready to turn in. She wondered if she turned that and her finally story for the paper in early if she could get out of coming to class for the rest of the time till the graduation ceremony.

"But you're only nineteen." Rosalyn said.

Mel nodded. "Yeah but I'm not a stereotypical pregnant girl. I don't sleep around and I already know I'm marrying the father, besides I'll be twenty in a few weeks, what's the big deal?" She asked almost defensively.

Rosalyn smiled at her. "Nothing I didn't mean to be blunt. I'm just shocked is all. I didn't see this and you look…"

"I'm about seven months along." Mel said softly.

Rosalyn nodded. "I figured. Hey don't let the whispers and snickers get to you, k? My mom went through the same thing except alone."

"Your mom?" Mel asked.

"Yeah she got pregnant when she was eighteen and in college. She was bound determined to finish. Lucky for her, her nine months were up after school let out for summer, so she was able to have me, recover and go back after finding a great nanny." Rosalyn whispered.

"Wow." Mel muttered softly.

"Yeah. Anyways it's not uncommon and besides a girl like you and a guy like Matt are bound to end up together in the end."

Mel giggled faintly. "What makes you say that?"

"I saw the pictures from that gallery six months ago. And I see the looks you and he get when he comes into the press room, you love each other and it's so obvious." Rosalyn said with a smile. Even though she didn't know it, Rosalyn was making Mel feel ten times better about walking around not hiding the fact that she was pregnant.

At least I have Matt; Rosa's mom had no one. I bet it sucked walking around with people talking about how she was alone and pregnant. Bu I wont go threw that cause everyone here basically knows Matt and I are a couple. Even the bitch that hit on him after the paper was published with me and him on the cover from his the gallery. I have Matt, so no one is going to bother me about this. I'm not going to let anyone bring me down. Mel thought to herself.

"You aren't going to like make an announcement in the paper if I tell you something are you?" Mel whispered.

Now it was Rosalyn's turn to giggle lightly. "No of course not."

"Matt and I are engaged, have been for a while. We just are a little backwards sort of on the whole marriage then family thing." Mel joked softly. Mr. Marten had finished his lecture by now and the others were working diligently on their laptops to write their papers.

Rosalyn smiled. "Well see I was right. Anyway Roswell may be a small place and yeah this will be a topic of interest for a few days at least and then something else will happen and you and this will be old news."

"You know I don't think I can express how great this talk was and what it did for me." Mel said sincerely. "Thank you."

Rosalyn nodded. "I'm just nosy, I can't help it. It's the reporter in me."

"Yeah, but really this helped. I felt so uncomfortable coming in class without hiding this and you just made me feel ten times better." Mel explained to her.

Rosalyn smiled. "Well I'm glad. Hey you know I'm applying for this internship at the Daily Roswellian and they are looking for a couple, you should apply. It's part time that way you could still take care of the baby, and it can lead to a full reporter/journalist position at the paper."

Mel smiled. "That sounds perfect. But I don't know just yet what I want to do. I know I want to work, but I'm going to give myself some time after the baby's born. Matt and I still need to talk about that stuff."

Rosalyn nodded. "Well just keep in mind they are always looking for interns with degrees in journalism. And you have photography on top of that, you'd be a perfect candidate."

"Thanks." Mel smiled.

"No problem. Oh and just so you know, yours is some of the best writing I've seen in a long time. I worked editor on my high school paper staff too and I had some good writers, but nothing like you. You're unique and a talented journalist, don't forget that." After that Rosalyn patted Mel's shoulder and head back to her seat where her laptop sat and her stuff and she got down to working on her final paper.

Mel sat in a slight daze. It was nice to know that she had a future ahead of her in the field she loved most. She got writing from her mother. Max had told her that Liz was the reason for her love in writing. And now it was a really great thing for Mel to be able to do something she loved.

Lunch:

Matt POV:

Matt wandered over to the big tree that Mel and him sat under every day. Jess had decided to join them for lunch instead of going home and spending some time with Shayn. Mel was laying on her side a magazine open under her line of vision and she was munching on cheese-its dipped in habanero sauce.

"Hey." Matt said leaning against the tree as he sat down crossing her outstretched legs in front of him. Mel looked at him and smiled.

"Hey solider boy. How was class?" She asked sweetly. Matt noticed her mood had changed greatly from the unsure Mel to happy go lucky.

"Great. What happened your mood has done a one-eighty." Matt asked.

Mel smiled. "Nothing. I just had a little help realizing that I have it made and I shouldn't be scared to show the world that I'm loved and I'm going to have a family regardless of my age." She said quickly, almost too quickly and Matt only caught part of it. But he nodded all the same.

"Ok. Hey Jess." Matt said looking over and the honey blond. She had changed her hair again and now it had bold dark black streaks in it.

Jess smiled. "Hey. Oh I'm supposed to ask you both if you want to go with Chaz and I to Harley and Harpers for dinner tomorrow?" After Harper came to town he found he really like it there and decided to stay with his sister. She claimed it was a drag cause all the guys she did want to date wouldn't go anywhere near her place with her brother hanging around.

"Sure." They said quickly. And then Mel groaned.

"What's wrong?" Matt and Jess both asked.

Mel smirked at them. "Nothing. You two are worse then my mother when I see her. The baby quick and it hurt give me a break would ya?" She asked playfully.

Matt and Jess both physically relaxed. Jess had been through this already and she wanted to be there for Mel like no one had really been there for her but her grandma and mother. "I think maybe…" Jess started.

"What?" Mel and Matt asked.

"I-think-it-would-be-ok-if-you-told-Harley-Chaz-and-Harper-about-you." She said fast almost tongue-tying herself.

Matt blinked a few times unsure if he heard correctly but when Mel cleared her throat he knew he had heard the gist. "Why?" Matt asked quickly before Mel could say anything.

Jess shrugged. "It's just hard hiding conversations from Harley when she walks in on me and Mel."

"Yeah it's even come to the point where we told her we were talking about football, secretly. We've run out of excuses." Mel informed Matt.

Matt nodded and thought about this. Jess had been one thing, but to bring three other people in on their secret was something completely different. "I don't know. We've always made these decisions heavy heartedly." Matt said.

Mel nodded. "It's hard to tell other's cause we don't know how they react." She added softly.

Jess smiled at them. "I think they're are really great friends and I also think they can handle it. If I didn't think so I'd say lets just go on lying, but I have a feeling about them. I mean I lo…"

Mel looked up at her quickly and Matt wasn't sure why for a moment. "Did you just about say you love Zan?" She asked almost giddily.

Jess snorted slightly. "No." She protested and then her façade faded.

"Oh come on…" Mel squealed slightly.

Jess sighed and looked at Mel with a sheepish grin. "Is it obvious?" She asked.

Mel scoffed. "Has been since that barbeque."

"Anyways as I was saying I…love Zan and if I didn't think they could handle the secret I wouldn't even been suggesting telling them. Cause it would include him as well and I don't want anything happening to him." Jess said softly.

Mel looked and Matt and Matt smiled back. "We've never gone on other peoples feelings before. We've only ever relied on ourselves and our family." Matt said quietly.

"He's right Jess." Mel said.

Jess nodded. "I know."

"But…" Matt interjected. "Since Jess is technically one of us, though she isn't actually, but by relationship maybe…"

"We can trust her thoughts?" Mel asked finishing for her boyfriend/fiancé/soon to be father of her baby.

Matt nodded. "Yeah." He answered.

Jess smiled. "Really?" She asked.

They both nodded. "Yeah." They said.

"Cool." Jess said smiling and taking a bite of her hot Cheeto's.

"So does Zan know you love him?" Mel asked looking back down at her magazine and flipping the page.

Jess snorted. "Not exactly." She said sarcastically.

"What's that mean?" Matt asked.

"I mean that he said it to me a few nights ago and I was too chicken to say it back at the time and he hasn't talked to me since."

"First off why couldn't you say it back?" Mel asked.

Jess sighed. "I'm terrified of saying those three words. Last time I said them to anyone was Danny when we…ya know. And I ended up alone with a daughter after spending two months in Juvy. So yeah those words scare the living daylights out of me."

"Well you have to tell him." Matt said.

"Thank you captain obvious, but how he doesn't answer his cell when I call and it's not like I can leave it on his voicemail. He wont even come to the door when I show up." Jess said sullenly.

Mel sighed. "Stubborn jackass. He gets that from my father. It's the king/leader complex they both have. Anyway um just barge in when you know he's there and yell at him through the door."

"I'd like the Evans' to think I'm sane not a complete whacko thank you very much." Jess scoffed lightly.

Mel giggled. "I'll explain it to grandma, don't worry. I know he's going to be home tonight cause we are going over for dinner."

"And you want me to just barge in?" Jess asked.

Mel smirked. "Sure. Why not? I'll call you when Zan goes up to his room like he always does and then you show up, barge in and yell through the door till he answers." She said.

"Here's a better plan…" Matt interrupted. "Mel get Zan out into the backyard at a particular time and I'll let Jess in through the gate. Set him up and block his exits."

"Scheming against your own, brilliant I love having a guy on our side." Jess chuckled. "This way I keep my sanity in tacked thank you very much."

Mel rolled her eyes. "I was trying for entertainment." She told her boyfriend.

"And I'm going for slightly romantic. So chill." He grinned back.

Mel grumbled. "I'm the pregnant one I need entertainment."

"I'll rent you some movies then and make habanero butter popcorn." Matt said.

Mel smiled at him. "What movies?"

"Coyote Ugly…"

"Ooh I love that movie." Mel interrupted.

"And how about…" Matt started.

"That John Travolta movie I love so much…"

"Sure, whatever you want." Matt said sweetly.

Jess groaned. "You too make me nauseous." She joked and stood leaving for class as the bell rung. "See you around seven?" She called back waving over her shoulder. Shortly after Mel and Matt both headed off to their classes as well.