So uh.. Hey (^_^')

Um, before I start to do anything, I just want to apologize. Again.

I get that I say sorry in these a lot, like 'sorry it's late guys' or 'sorry it's kinda short' or even the occasional 'sorry I won't be writing for a while because I have things to do and yeah', and, well, this is more of a sorry than those ones.

STORY TIME!

I was on tumblr the other day, after the first week back at school, and I saw one particular post that kind of hit me more than it should have.

"Finding really good fanfiction that slowly gets worse and worse because the author loses interest in it."

Now I'm not saying this was ever 'really good', I mean it was just an idea, a dumb thing that I'd had running in my head for a while that I finally wrote down.
But I feel like it was getting worse, because I was running out of those ideas, yet still trying to churn out a few chapters a week, essentially forcing myself to write stuff that maybe I wasn't 100% happy with. And it was getting slow, and it was getting dull, and I felt like I could feel you guys losing interest too.

So, I guess this is me trying to say that, yeah, I am sorry that this is really dragging on, and I am sorry that this is late (I said six weeks but it's been like eight my bad), and I am sorry that I'm kinda dumb and worry too much about apologizing and making people happy when really I should just be putting more effort in instead of lying around thinking about stuff I should be doing. But, I dunno, it's just.. I need more time to do stuff. I'm slow, never mind the plot x)

Soooo, I'm sorry for this long, dumb, feel-filled A/N (also for saying sorry more times than humanly possible in such a short space of time), but, eh, I guess I've been meaning to say this for a while, and what better time to do that than when making a minor comeback after an eight week break, right?

In terms of the story itself, I'm no longer so sure where this is going. I'm not gonna just stop completely, because, well, after bringing it this far, that just seemed silly. But I'm also not gonna be posting so many chapters either, for the reasons that were vaguely mentioned above.

Thus far, the plan is to keep writing this, but in my own time. Now that could mean chapters once a week, once every fortnight, I'm not really sure. But I think that might be best, because it's not like I'd be rushing to get it finished, or just sharing more itty bitty scraps of unnecessary conversations. I'd still be doing it, just at a more comfortable pace. And in effect, I'd have more time to do other writing (got some more Mad Father stuff on the go, as well as some Kick Ass and Attack on Titan fluff in progress ^_^), and complete all of the homework and revision and lord knows what else that's due to get dumped on me in the coming year.. o_O

So, I really hope that this is okay with you guys, and again, I'm sorry for this really stupid little (little? This is longer than the goddamn chapter!) outburst, and hey, just stay awesome, okay? Because as often as I might say sorry, I don't think I say thanks quite nearly enough.

Thank you for sticking with this no matter how boring it was getting, and thank you for being such lovely people, and just, thank you for being you haha :)


*Sighs* Well, after that long and nonsensical personal rant thingamajig, I suppose it's time we got on with the story!

Also, hello again Emily, I missed you too, did you have a nice holiday? :)

And as for you, Someone, please, don't worry about being critical or anything. In fact, it was kind of your review that gave me the kick start I needed to even post this chapter, heck it could have been weeks before I finally got round to doing it otherwise! I appreciate what you've said, and I'm going to try and take those pointers into account for the future chapters of this thing (also thank you for confirming Tony's age, that was kind of a gray area for me until now :L), and, minor spoiler alert, the 'not telling the Professor', is one of the things I was planning to include later on, as part of something else haha, so yeah, that's why that's the way it is :P

*More sighs* Well, that's that. I'm a little nervous about the big-ass personally sh*t at the start of this, but I guess it had to be said sooner or later x)

Stay groovy you wonderful people! :D ~nellen xxxx


Making an appointment at the family planning clinic had been surprisingly easy. One quick phone call later and the job had been done.

Actually turning up, however, had proven a much harder task.

"I'm so nervous," Arianna squeaked, clinging to Luke's arm as they approached the little building. "I don't know if I can.. Ugh.. Let's go home."

"No, Ari," the boy chuckled, kissing her cheek, "we're not chickening out of this one."

"Excuse you, I make my own decisions, and I, Arianna Barde, declare myself to be officially chickening out of this entire shebang. Good day," the girl announced, turning sharply on her heels.

"No," Luke laughed, gently yanking her back to his side. "You are not 'officially chickening out' of anything, especially not this one. Look, darling, I'm terrified too, but we really have to do this. Okay? For us, and maybe this little guy, or girl," he smiled, resting a hand on her stomach.

He wasn't joking, he really was terrified. But he had to be strong for Ari, and that was enough to keep him going.

"But I don't want to go.."

"Oh come on, sweetheart, it's going to be fine, I promise," the boy soothed, having somehow succeeded in leading her to the door. He laced his fingers through hers, giving them a comforting squeeze. "Besides, the lady is super nice, apparently."

The lady, or Nurse Healey, as she was more professionally known, was incredibly nice, as it turned out.

And kinda hot too..

"So, you must be Luke and Arianna," the young woman smiled, a little too brightly, "I'm Nurse Healey, what can I help you with?"

"Well, um, you see.."


"You really should have been more careful, you know," the woman sighed, sliding them a bundle of leaflets across the desk. "Oh, you have no idea how many kids I have to say that to.. I think there's some more information in a different one though, I'll have a look through the draws."

"We know, we just weren't thinking at the time," Arianna replied, kicking Luke's shin beneath the desk.

"What?" He hissed quietly, as soon as the nurse's back was turned.

"You know what," the girl whispered back, scowling slightly as she did so. "Stop checking her out."

"Jealous are we?" The boy chuckled, "oh come on darling, you know my eyes are only for you."

"And her arse."

"Right, so, oh," Nurse Healey frowned slightly, as she turned around to see Luke shaking with silent laughter, "you know I'm not really sure this is something to joke about, young man."

"Wha- oh, oh, I know, sorry Miss," he blushed, coughing as he tried to disguise the giggles and the slight crack in his voice as he spoke.

Bollocks, of all the times for my voice to start breaking.

"I was laughing about something else."

"Right.. Oh, well I suppose, oh I don't know anymore," Healey sighed, "I found the other leaflet, you can have this one too. Just have a read through them and then we can discuss some of the options further. Any questions, feel free to ask."

"If.. If hypothetically I were to keep the baby, which at the moment would be the preferred option, would there be help available afterwards?" Ari enquired tentatively, sliding the papers back across the desk.

"As in childcare, benefits, that sort of thing?"

"Uh, yes," Luke nodded, "we're um, we're going to be in the middle of exams, see? And well, our parents both... Work away.."

"Well, this tends to be discussed nearer the time," the woman chuckled weakly, "but in short, yes. There is and will be a lot of help available for the two of you, should you make that choice."

"Okay, thank you, I think we've made our decision."

"We have?" Luke frowned slightly, tilting his head as he watched his girlfriend thumb through another pamphlet.

"Yes, we have."

"Oh, and, uh, what might that decision be?"

"Oh for goodness' sake, Luke, what do you bloody think it'll be?"