Matt rolled his eyes as Shane pulled the scan out again and proudly showed it off to Trish.

"Awwww." Trish said. "How long to go now?"

"A month. But the Doctor's said that she could go into labour any time after two weeks."

Trish smiled. "Let me know. I want Godmother rights!"

Shane put the picture away and Matt shook his head.

"Get a grip."

"What? I'm excited. What can I say?"

"How can you get excited about sleepless nights and dirty diapers? Plus you're making Amy broody and the last thing I need when I'm trying to recover from knee surgery is Amy bugging me about babies and marriage. Anyway, how's the wife?"

"Fine." was Shane's simple reply.

But she was better then fine. Riley had the 'pregnant' glow still and she had made peace with being so big. She read the bump bedtime stories and when Shane heard her giving a running commentary on celebrities on E! he thought she was talking to herself, until he saw her glancing down at the bump.

"And that's Jessica Simpson. She isn't the brightest crayon in the box. Britney Spears, if you end up dressing like her I will kill you, but if you're a boy and you choose that life style I will still accept and love you." She'd been saying before she switched to Spike TV and giving a run down on the entire roster. Shane could tell that Riley was ready to have the baby, whether or not she was ready for life with him was a different matter all together.

Riley was dancing in the kitchen. Well she was dancing as well as she could being eight months pregnant and all. Eminem blared out from the radio as she made herself a stack of sandwiches and read a book of baby names, trying out a few experimentally.

"Ok. Leo. Leo. Leo Shane Helms, what do you think?"

She took no activity from the baby as a no.

"Fine. What about...?" she flipped the pages. "Alyssa?"

Nothing.

"You know you are my baby and I love you but damn it child you are picky."

The phone rang. Alice, she knew before she picked it up.

"It's so sad Clarke." Alice began. "I'm not going to see you for a long time."

"Why?"

"Well first the baby will cry and make a mess. Then it will be a horrible toddler followed by a horrible child then a teenager and eventually it will grow up and move out, then I can see you."

"Alice, you are insane and if you don't come and visit your godchild I'll come to you."

"How are things? Do you still hate him or do you want to rip his clothes off?"

It took all of Riley's strength not to choke on her sandwich.

"Neither, plus even if I wanted to rip his clothes off I couldn't. Not in my condition."

"You're pregnant Clarke, you haven't got the measles. Then again, I do consider pregnancy to be the biggest STD in America."

"I'm so charmed you think of my child as a disease. Thanks Alice."

She could practically see the grin on Alice's face.

"You're welcome, what are friends for. Anyway, on a serious note."

Riley nearly choked again, even when Alice was serious, she never said she was.

"Riley, take care of yourself."

"Alice, you just called my Riley."

"I know, but I'm worried."

She smiled and sat down at the kitchen table. "Lots of people have babies."

"Not about that. You and Shane. I hear the tone in your voice when you speak about him and I'm not stupid. I know that you're falling in love with him."

"I..."

"Don't bother arguing Riley. I know, I can tell. Don't forget why you're there. If you think he loves you back it's only because you're carrying his baby, nothing else and all these hormones are making you crazy."

"Alice...."

"Don't get your hopes up, don't let him hurt you."

As if to agree, the baby kicked and Riley felt sick.

"I have to go Alice."

There was no goodbye, she just hung up and ran to the sink to throw up.

When Shane arrived home, Riley had worried herself sick literally and had made all the plans in her head. Once the baby was born she'd arrange joint custody with Shane and go back to New York. Alice was right, she shouldn't try and kid herself. The smile on Shane's face evaporated when he saw her.

"You look like crap." he told her, rushing to Riley's side as though she might fall over an second.

"I'm fine." she said waving him away, but knowing she did indeed look like crap.

"Are you sure?"

What sort of question was that? Of course she wasn't sure, she wasn't sure about anything else, why would this be any different?

"No. I'm not."

Shane sat her down on the couch and Riley tried to take a few deep breaths, mentally blaming Alice for making her worry and not eat or sleep since their phone call. This wasn't going to turn out very well.

"Have you been stressed, because I read that can cause premature labour in some women."

"No. I just need to sleep. Help me upstairs."

So Shane did, he stayed until Riley was under the covers and until the lights where turned off, then he lay next to her. It was only once she was fast asleep and Shane knew it did he say

"I love you."