A/N: Thanks for reviewing and I hope you all like how this little "love triangle" works out. :)

4.03 Thinking It Over

----November 5, 2004----

Ephram spun around to face his Father. "Get out of here, you asshole! I don't want to see you again! I mean God, look what you've caused now!" He walked over to the floor and picked up the ring, put it in his pocket, and walked away without turning back. He walked through the hospital, aimlessly for a few hours and then finally stopped in the waiting room to sit down. He had no idea what he was going to do about the recent events. He loved Amy and wanted, no needed, her to forgive him. But he cared about Madison too, as a friend and the Mother of his first child. And of course, he cared for his 2 daughters: Kelly and Julia, who were conceived three months apart, but were ironically born three days apart. With those restless thoughts in mind, he drifted off to sleep.

----November 6, 2004----

"Ephram? Ephram? Ephram wake up!" Madison said, as she lightly shook Ephram from his odd sleeping position in an uncomfortable looking chair, in the waiting room.

"Madison?" Ephram asked groggily, as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"Yeah, it's me." Madison said. She was no longer dressed in a hospital gown. She was wearing an over sized blue sweater that made her hair look even more beautiful, white jeans, blue socks, and white tennis shoes. "What are you doing out here?"

That question made all of the questions from the night before flood into his mind. "What time is it?"

"A little after nine A.M. Why?" Madison asked, as she helped her ex out of the chair.

"Shit!" Ephram cursed.

"What?" Madison asked, concerned.

"It's just...Amy heard my Dad and I fighting last night and got the wrong part of the conversation. Then she threw my ring back at me and locked me out of the room." Ephram blurted out. He felt like he could tell Madison anything; she was that good of a friend.

"Oh Ephram, I'm so sorry!" Madison apologized.

"It isn't your fault. But when I tell her about Kelly, it will just make things even more upsetting, I know it!" Ephram whimpered. He eyed Madison's clothes one more time. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah, I was getting ready to leave. It was my last day at the hospital." Madison said.

"Where's Kelly?" Ephram asked, growing more concerned. "You weren't giv.."

"No!" Madison cut in. She shook her head fiercely. "They were just prepping her, before I took her." She walked down a hall with Ephram. "Do you want to come with me to get her?"

Ephram nodded. "I have nothing better to do."

"Hey, maybe after that, we could go to the cafeteria and chat." Madison suggested. "You look like you could use something to eat."

"Hospital food?" Ephram questioned, as they rounded a corner.

"Okay, not the best unless you love processed turkey, but it's still nutrition." Madison reasoned.

Ephram shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt. Besides, I could get to hang around Kelly a little more."

Madison smiled inwardly, at the change of tone when he talked about Kelly. 'He already loves her.' She thought. "Wait, stop here. This is where I'm supposed to pick her up." She opened the door that they were standing by and poked her head in. "Hello? Madison Kellner here, to pick up Kellner Brown." She walked inside, followed by Ephram.

A Nurse walked over to Madison. "Oh, Ms. Kellner! Hello. Yeah, little Kellner is over here and ready to go." She said, as she picked up the baby.

Madison smiled and took the bundle of pink blanket and blonde hair. "Thank you."

"And who are you?" The Nurse asked, as she eyed Ephram.

"He's Kelly's Father." Madison interrupted.

"Oh! The Father! Why didn't you say so? We were wondering when he'd come to sign the birth certificate!" The Nurse said. She walked over to a small file and rummaged through it, then pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Ephram. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a blue pen. "Please just sign there." The Nurse said, as she pointed to a blank line.

Ephram mentally read over the paper and then leaned it against the wall and signed his name on the empty line next to, 'Father:'. Then he handed the certificate and paper back to the Nurse. "Thank you."

"No, thank you!" The Nurse said, cheerfully. She put the pen back in her pocket and the certificate back in the file. "We'll be mailing to the certificate, once we have made a few copies for our own files." She said, as she looked at the new parents.

"Well, thank you very much." Madison said. She turned to push the door open, but Ephram opened it for her. "Thanks, Ephram."

"Sure." Ephram said, as he followed his ex and daughter into the hallway. "Can I carry her to the cafeteria?" He asked.

Madison stopped and turned to face him. "Well she's your daughter too...I don't see why not." Madison said, as she gently placed Kelly in Ephram's arms.

Ephram carefully held Kelly and followed Madison. "She's so little."

"I know..It's amazing, isn't it?" Madison said.

"She's so..." Ephram didn't know how to finish the sentence. He had 2 perfect daughters with 2 different women. He also had no idea what to do. "Where are you living now? Where have you been since you left Everwood?"

Madison frowned. "This little nobody town, just outside of Everwood, it's called Green Pines and it's so small I doubt that they even bothered to put it on a map."

"Do you have a nice place?"

Madison let out a small laugh. "A very tiny and very old apartment, it's all I can afford. Well, all I could afford. Now I don't even know if I can afford that. Especially now that I'll need all the money your Dad sends me for Kelly."

"I'll help out!" Ephram said, on instinct.

"Ephram..." Madison began.

"No. Madison, I know I made a commitment to Amy and Julia, but when I slept with you and helped to make this little miracle here, I made a commitment to her too." Ephram cut in.

"But you're only seventeen and you'll need everything you have to take care of Julia." Madison pointed out.

"And Kelly." Ephram said, in a defiant tone. He followed Madison into the cafeteria. "How the hell am I going to break the news to Amy though? And oh God, her family!"

"You shouldn't feel bad about this, Ephram. Your Father was the one who decided not to allow you to know. And I was the one who agreed to listen to him. It isn't your fault at all." Madison said, as she found an empty table and sat down.

Ephram sat down too and then Kelly started to whimper. He gently rocked Kelly, but she just got louder. "Uh..Mad..Madison...What's wrong? What am I doing wrong?"

Madison laughed and took Kelly from Ephram. "She probably just needs a change. Here, I'll go do that and you get something to eat." She said, as she stood up with the fussy baby.

"Do you want anything?"

"Nah, I already ate." Madison said, as she walked out of the room to go change Kelly.

Ephram got up and got in line. He huffed, at the thought of the hospital food. He waited a few minutes and then finally reached the front. He grabbed a tray and decided to get an apple, a jello cut, and a little bottle of milk. He walked back to the table and found that Madison was already there.

"See, she's all better now." Madison said, as she slowly rocked Kelly back and forth.

Ephram moaned. "I should've known that she needed a change. God, I'm a lousy excuse for a Father."

Madison rolled her eyes. "Don't say that. It takes a while. All babies are different. You have to be around them for a while. Learn their different cries and cooes."

"They have different cries? Oh God, I'm so dead!" Ephram muttered.

"Oh Ephram! I know you're already going to be an amazing Father! I saw the way you were holding Kelly and the way you talked to her! Pro I tell you! You're a Pro!"

"Really?" Ephram asked, then took a bite of the apple.

"Oh, most definitely!" Madison assured him. She glanced down at Kelly, who'd drifted off to sleep.

"Look. I was thinking, while you left to take care of Kelly, and I think that you need to move back to Everwood. You know, so we can both take care of Kelly." Ephram said. He took a drink of milk.

"Ephram..I don't know..I mean, there isn't really a place for me to stay and it's expensive enough as it is and...."

"Move in with me!" Ephram blurted out.

"What?!" Madison coughed, with wide eyes. "You're Dad went through great lengths to keep us apart! Why do you think he'd allow me to move in? And what about Amy? How will she feel about that? You're engaged!"

Ephram frowned. "We were engaged." He sighed, as a stinging feeling ran through him. He pulled the ring from his pocket. "She won't even look at me now."

"Ephram, she's the Mother of one of your children! Trust me, she will want you to come back. She is going to need you!"

"But you didn't hear or see what happened! She hates me!" Ephram protested, as he took a large bite of the jello.

"Finish your food and then we'll go talk to her."

Ephram nearly choked on his jello. "We will go talk to her? As in, you and I? She's already pissed off and hurt! I don't know if seeing you is a good idea."

"I'll explain to her about Kelly." Madison offered.

"Madison..."

"Enough talk. We're going to get this settled, between you and your fiance." Madison said, making the decision final.