AN: Thank you all for the amazing comments on the last chapter and on Only Love. If you haven't reviewed; I'd really appreciate knowing what you thought of it. Once this story is done (not long to go, guys!) I might fill some prompts before I start another full-blown story. You guys should give me some ideas of what to write!

Anyway, this part should probably be called 'Tying Up Loose Ends'... Please, as always, review when you've read. I love reading them; it does help me get motivated and write faster!

Part 35

'Okay, Brittany. This is going to be a little cold at first'. The nurse squirted clear liquid onto Brittany's exposed (and still flat) abdomen. Heather squeezed her friend's hand as she saw her wince at the cold; smiling at her she realised how glad she was to be able to share in this moment with her. As the room was filled with the rhythmic beat of the baby's heart, she squeezed again. 'Okay, so here we go. This', the nurse pointed to a large, dark blob on the ultrasound screen; 'this is your baby's head. And here' she pointed lower down, 'are it's little legs. Everything looks healthy from what I can see. There are two arms and two legs, and a cute little button nose right here.' She pointed at the screen one more time before turning the machine off and letting Brittany relax.

'So, this week is the week you find out your due date?' Brittany nodded, catching Heather's eye and smiling. 'If we go by the date of your last period, your due date is going to be around September 28th.' Brittany smiled, trying not to cry. Lifting her hand to her face, she apologised. 'Sorry, I've just been really emotional lately.' The nurse nodded; 'it's perfectly normal at this stage. Your hormones should start to settle down soon. How have you been sleeping?'

'Pretty well, I guess. I do feel tired in the day, though. And everything aches. Is that normal?' The nurse nodded, smiling. 'Perfectly normal. Everything should start to change again as you move into your second trimester. Now, I do have one more question. At this stage, we are able to do tests for any conditions the baby may be born with. I know from your records that your family doesn't have a history of anything, but since the sperm donor' she glanced at Heather and smiled, 'is unnamed, there is a possibility that there could be problems since I don't have any proof that the insemination wasn't performed by a medical professional.'

Heather bit her lip to stop herself laughing as she watched Brittany getting more and more flustered. 'I… I don't think there's any need to test. I mean, what does it test for exactly?' Swallowing hard, she composed herself as the doctor explained that they could test for anything from chromosome disorders to spina bifida. Brittany shook her head. 'I don't want to know. I'm going to love this baby even if it comes out green with a mohawk and one eye.' Heather's shoulders moved as she tried her best to silence her giggles. 'Wonderful. Well, if you speak to the receptionist she will book you in for another scan in four weeks' time.' Brittany rose from her seat, taking her jacket gratefully from Heather.

'Oh, girls' the nurse called them back just as they were about to leave the room, 'if you need any advice about your parenting rights, or if you have any questions at all, I know a very good gay parenting group in Van Nuys who would be able to help you out.'

Once they left the room, Brittany hurriedly made an appointment. Clearly trying to keep a straight face in front of the staff, the moment she and Heather made it to the car park they both burst out laughing. 'Oh my God' Heather managed to utter between bouts raucous laughter, 'she thought' she took a moment to catch her breath, 'she thought I was… Oh my God!' Brittany had tears rolling down her cheeks as she laughed. 'Oh Jeez. That was so funny! We have to tell Naya.'

/

The girls met Naya in a coffee shop a short drive from the clinic. 'Oh my God. Britt, are you okay?' Naya sounded concerned as she pulled Brittany into a hug before she had even said hello to her girlfriend. Looking at her face, her worry grew. 'Have you been crying? What's up?' Brittany shook her head, 'I'm fine. I'll tell you in a minute. I'll go order- I owe you since you bought the last ones.' After a short protest, Brittany made her way to the counter.

'Is she okay?' Naya asked as Heather pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. Heather nodded, 'yeah, she's fine. I'll fill you in on what happened when she gets back. Anyway' brushing Naya's soft cheek with her thumb, she leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss, 'Hi.'

'Hi' Naya replied, smiling widely as she reached for Heather's hand and held it on top of the table. 'Okay! Two lattes and a peppermint tea.' The girls took their drinks gratefully and set them down to cool for a moment before they drank. Heather caught Britt's eye from across the table and once again started laughing uncontrollably.

'Okay' Naya held her hand up, 'someone needs to tell me what's going on because I have never been so confused.' Brittany nodded, gesturing to Heather who had calmed down enough to speak. 'The lady at the scan thought I was having the baby with Britt. She kept calling the father the sperm donor and she suggested a gay parenting group for us to go to.' Naya smiled at the story; her lack of jealousy was surprising, even to her. 'But what gave her the impression you were together? I mean, I went to a scan with one of my friends when she asked me to be godmother.'

Heather nodded, acknowledging the fact that Naya was more confused than concerned. 'I think it was a couple of things. I held Britt's hand through the scan because, well, she was shaking so much I couldn't not hold her hand. And then I think she took the fact that Britt hasn't named a father on her documents as an indication that it was an anonymous donor.' Naya nodded, finally everything clicked into place.

'So she put two and two together' she began. Britt nodded, 'yeah, she put two and two together and came up with lesbians.'

The girls took a few moments to stop laughing and drink before Naya spoke up again. 'So, seriously Britt. Are you okay about raising the baby without a father? Being a single mom?' Brittany looked up into Naya's concerned eyes before she answered. 'Yeah, I guess. I… I just want this baby. I don't care that it doesn't have a real dad. It's just... when I couldn't you know' Naya and Heather both nodded, 'when I couldn't… it just dawned on me that I already love this baby. That's all it needs. Love.' Heather smiled as Naya reached her hand across the table to take Brittany's.

'We're going to be here for you, you know. Both of us.'

'Thanks guys. You've been so good to me.' Heather shook her head, 'it's nothing. I mean, we both love you. And we both love kids. Naya used to be a nanny, you know.' Brittany looked across at her, smiling. 'Really?' Naya nodded. 'You know, you guys are going to make amazing parents one day.' Heather caught Naya's gaze, feeling her face blush as she tried to control her smile.

/

'And dinner is served!' Naya stepped out of her kitchen and towards her more formal dining area carefully holding a steaming dish. Setting it down on the surface, she rushed back into the kitchen to dispose of the towel she had been using to protect her hands. 'Oh my God, Nay. That smells amazing.' Naya smiled at Lea's compliment, sitting down in her seat before gesturing for the smaller brunette to pass her plate. 'Thanks. It's my attempt at vegan cannelloni, so I hope you like it.'

Naya had been in her house for a little over a month and had finally got round to inviting Lea and Dianna over for a 'thank you' meal. Heather had helped her search the internet for a vegan dinner that would look impressive and taste good; finally they had settled on cannelloni made with slices of eggplant after a long-winded (failed) attempt to find out how to make vegan pasta had ended up with Naya getting so irrationally annoyed that she had stormed out of the kitchen.

'Naya, this is insane. You've gone to so much effort.' Naya shrugged, 'it's nothing, seriously. Not after everything you've done for me. Well, for us'. She winked at Heather across the table. 'We couldn't have got through everything without you.' Heather nodded, smiling at Lea and Dianna. 'You were amazing. But we shouldn't dwell on it. How have you both been? I feel like we've hardly had a chance to sit down and chat.'

'Yeah. I guess work has kept us all pretty busy. I feel like I've hardly had time to sit and rest.' Lea emphasised her exhaustion by slumping back in her chair. Naya nodded in agreement, 'I know what you mean. I'm so looking forward to getting out of here for a few days and just taking some time to relax.' Heather beamed at her.

'Getting out of here? Where are you off to?' Naya smiled at Dianna's curious enthusiasm. 'Well, Heather surprised me with a trip to Malibu for Valentine's day. We're just going to hole up in a little cottage by the sea, aren't we babe?' Heather nodded, still smiling sweetly as she lost herself in deep brown eyes. 'So, when do you go?' Lea asked, joining in. 'Friday night' Heather and Naya said at the same time, still completely absorbed in the other's gaze.

/

'Well, tonight has been lovely. Thank you so much for dinner; you must email me the recipe so I can try it!' Lea kissed Naya on both cheeks, before turning to Heather. 'I'm sorry I'm disappearing so early. Work is a pain in the ass, but I guess I asked for it. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon.' Heather smiled, leaning in so that the girl could also kiss her on each cheek. 'Yeah, see you tomorrow Le. Have a good time at work!'

Once they heard Lea's car moving down the street, Naya shut the door and took Heather's hand. Walking into the living room, they sat down next to Dianna who hadn't even got up to say goodbye to Lea. 'Tell us' Naya prompted her, 'tell us what happened.' Dianna sat back, letting her head rest on the cushion so that she was looking up at the ceiling. 'I don't even know what to say' was her reply, her voice low and quiet. 'She broke my heart.' Naya moved closer to her on the couch, putting a protective arm around her as she noticed her bottom lip begin to tremble. 'She was the first person in such a long time that I thought I could fall in love with. Well, I think I had. She… she seemed like she felt the same. She was the one who came onto me first. We were drunk but it didn't feel like it. I thought she was different. But then she just moved on. She packed up her shit and moved out and now she's with him and I'm…' she paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, letting herself relax as Heather rubbed a gentle, calming hand up and down her back.

'Do you still feel that way about her?' Naya asked, her voice soft. Dianna shook her head. 'I don't think so. I… I don't love her anymore. But I can't help but feel betrayed. We can be civil around each other, but that's all.'

'It's a start' Naya commented as Heather leapt up off the couch. 'Sorry, I should probably get that.' Naya and Dianna both watched in silence as Heather picked up her ringing phone, answered and walked through the kitchen and into the office. Once the door was closed, Naya turned back to her friend.

'So do you think you can still work around her? Won't it get awkward?' Dianna shrugged. 'I don't know, really. Filming is hard because of Cory. Having to see them together on screen and off screen doesn't help because I can't escape. Well, I can…' Naya looked at her confused. Sitting up straighter, Dianna began to explain. 'I… I auditioned for a movie when you were sick. I got the part.' Naya tried her best not to squeal in excitement as she pulled the blonde in for a tight hug. 'So when do you start filming?' Dianna smiled sweetly, 'soon. Three weeks. But it will give me a chance to relax and be away from Lea.'

'Where are you filming?'

'France. Paris and Nice, I think. So,' she patted Naya on the forearm, 'I was thinking you might want to come and visit? I promised you a trip for your birthday so why don't you come and stay with me?' Naya smiled, 'that sounds perfect.'

/

Lea sat alone on her sofa, absentmindedly stroking her fingers through Sheila's fur as she let her thoughts run wild. The same things were going round and round in her head: 'tell her you're sorry', 'just be honest with her', 'she'll always want you in her life, Lea'. It was getting too much, all the thinking. It was why she had left the dinner early. She hadn't really had to work at all. But everything was swelling and morphing in her brain and it was starting to hurt. Her mind wasn't going to let her rest. She just kept telling herself that if she didn't go now she never would. Picking up her jacket and her keys, she made her way back out of her house and into her car. It was time to bite the bullet.

/

Dianna's lights were still on when she arrived, even though it was late. She had no idea how long she had been sitting in her house, but it had felt like a lifetime. Ringing the doorbell, she bounced nervously on her feet.

'Lea?' Dianna was tired, she could tell. 'What are you doing here?' She was dressed in long pyjama pants and a knitted jumper she only wore when she was sad or ill. It hurt that Lea knew so much about this girl, yet she felt like a perfect stranger. 'Can I come in?' Dianna opened the door wider, gesturing for her to step into the corridor.

'I'm sorry for coming over so late' Lea said, still standing in the corner of the room as Dianna moved around the kitchen making tea for herself. 'I just needed to talk to you. Di, I miss you. And I'm sorry for what happened.' Dianna put down the mug she had been holding. 'Oh, well that's great. You're sorry. Do you even know what you're apologising for, Lea? Do you have any idea how I feel right now?' Lea shook her head. She didn't know, it was true.

'I haven't slept properly in over a month. I can't sleep in my bed because you used to share it with me. I can't sleep in your old room because, well, it still smells like your perfume. So I've been living on the couch. Which hurts my back more than I can explain. Lea, I don't have the energy to go over every minor detail of what happened with you. I've had enough of combing through everything by myself and I'm not doing it again right now. So if you've come here just to tell me you're sorry, you know where the door is.'

'Di…' Lea made her way across the room, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. 'Di, I just want us to be friends again. I… I miss our friendship more than anything.' Dianna turned to face her, tears pooling in her eyes. 'See, that's what I think you're missing here. I don't knowhow to be just friends with you, Lea. I need time' she took a deep breath, 'I need time to get over this first.' Lea nodded, backing away. 'I can give you time. If that's what you need.' Dianna nodded back, not looking away from the ground. 'I'm going away in three weeks. To France. So if we can be civil to each other until then, maybe we can try and be friends when I get back?' Lea smiled. 'Of course we can.'

Both girls stood in their respective corners of the kitchen, not speaking. Finally, after going over and over the advice she had been given in her mind, Lea spoke up. 'I think we should email… when you're in France. We should keep in contact. Just so that we don't lose touch completely.' Dianna nodded in agreement. 'Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.'

/

Sender: LeLeLaLa

Message: Thanks for your advice. It helped a lot. Will fill you in tomorrow. L xxx

Heather put her phone down on her bedside table before turning to face Naya. 'She did it.' Naya smiled, 'I hoped she would. I wasn't sure but I'm glad she did. Did she say how it was?' Heather shook her head. 'No. I think she just needed someone to help her get her thoughts in check. It's hard being in that kind of situation. I've been the bad guy like that before, but I hope they'll be okay.' Naya nodded, reaching for Heather's arm in the dark and pulling it over her shoulder before leaning in. 'You're such a genius.' Heather smiled, scrunching her nose just like her girlfriend, 'I know. Anyway, did you make any headway with Di? Did she say anything?'

Naya shook her head. 'She's upset. Le hurt her, you know? But I think she'll be okay once she's in France. As long as she doesn't forget that she's got a friendship to repair when she gets back, I think they'll be fine.' Heather smiled, moving even closed to Naya. 'You know, I'm really glad we're getting away this weekend. There is so much drama in this city!' Naya laughed lightly. 'Yeah, you should be grateful that for once it's nothing to do with us!'

/

AN: Next chapter- MALIBU! Please review?