Author's notes:

Sorry this has been so late in coming. But look, it's longer! Not by much, but maybe it'll help make up for the delay.

Famous99You're right, they said this season that Hailey was twenty-five. I was going by last season, when Hailey and Jimmy were reminiscing about when she was ten and Kirsten and Jimmy used to babysit her. Who knows, with this show's screwy timelines?

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Not surprisingly, Dennys was almost empty, with just a few solitary individuals scattered around the restaurant. Looking at them, Kirsten felt a little better about not being with her family this Thanksgiving. At least she had Sandy...these people had no one.

They ordered breakfast. Sandy, having missed the earlier breakfast fiasco, ordered eggs and pancakes. Kirsten settled for French toast. She'd had enough of eggs and pancakes for awhile.

She was sipping her orange juice and waiting for her food to come when Sandy broke the silence. "Kirsten." She looked at him, surprised at the serious tone to his voice. She hadn't heard it very often. Sandy was almost always joking around with her. It was one of the things she liked about him. "Kirsten, we need to talk."

She shrank back automatically. "Okay."

Sandy noticed the stricken look on her face and felt bad. Her last conversation with her boyfriend had probably started off the same way. Of course she looked scared. "You don't have to be afraid," he tried to assure her. "This isn't anything bad. I just think we should talk about what's going to happen once the baby comes."

Kirsten sighed. "I suppose you're right."

Sandy heard the reluctance in her voice, but forced himself to continue on. "I hope you know that no matter what happens, I want to be part of our child's life. But to be honest, Kirsten, I want more than that. I haven't wanted to push you, because I know you're still dealing with a lot, but I really like you. A lot."

This was different than what she'd expected. She needed to say something. Sandy was trying to look calm, she knew, but his eyebrows were knit together in an expression of concern. Pretty soon he would take her silence as an indication that she didn't feel the same way, and would apologize for his hasty remarks.

She didn't want that. She couldn't let that happen. Kirsten took a deep breath. "I like you too, Sandy."

Any lingering thoughts of Jimmy were wiped away by the broad grin that spread across Sandy's face. "I'll be honest, Kirsten, I've been waiting months to hear you say that."

"I know you let me take my time," Kirsten answered quietly. "And I appreciate it, Sandy."

"Now," he continued, taking her hands in his. "I want to tell you that I've been offered a job starting in July. I haven't said yes yet because I wanted to talk it over with you first."

"A job? Sandy, that's great!" Kirsten enthused. "Where is it?"

"Here's the thing," Sandy began. "It's for the public defender's office here in Berkeley. It doesn't pay all that much, not as much as I could make in a private firm, but the hours are more flexible, so I'd be able to spend more time with you and our baby. And you could finish college at Berkeley."

Kirsten thought for a moment. "I'm not sure if I can see you working at a private law firm."

Sandy shuddered. "To be honest, I'd rather not, but then again, babies are expensive."

She felt guilty. Sandy was just twenty-three, finishing up law school. By all rights he should be looking forward to getting his first real job and earning some real money.

Sandy's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I know what you're thinking. And you shouldn't. This is my choice. I want to do this, Kirsten."

"Fine," she agreed. "But I'm going to help too. I know I'm a spoiled Newport girl who's never had to work a day in her life, but I can learn. And you can't stop me."

"You're stubborn, aren't you?" Sandy asked.

Kirsten smiled. "Yes I am, so you'd better get used to it."

"There's something else I was thinking," Sandy continued. "How would you feel about moving in with me next semester, instead of living in the dorm?"

"My father would kill you, and probably me too," Kirsten answered. "But he might be more tolerant if we were married."

Sandy looked sharply at her. "Did you say married?"

"You said to let you know if I changed my mind," Kirsten reminded him. "Remember?"

Sandy broke into a wide smile. "I did, didn't I?"

"You're a wonderful person, Sandy Cohen," Kirsten said softly. "I'm very lucky."

Sandy gripped her hands. "I'm the lucky one. I just wish I had a ring for you right now."

Kirsten shook her head. "I don't need a ring."

"You're going to have one," Sandy promised. "As soon as we can afford it, I'll get you the best ring money can buy."

"Sandy, I don't need anything expensive," Kirsten insisted. "I don't need it."

"Well, I do," Sandy insisted.

"You're stubborn too," Kirsten commented.

He laughed. "I suppose I am. We're a perfect match."

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They made love ten minutes after returning to Sandy's apartment. It wasn't their first time, obviously, but it felt as if it were. Sandy wasn't just a drunken one-night stand this time around. He was more than a handsome law student who made her feel desirable again after the mess with Jimmy. Sandy was someone she'd come to care deeply about, maybe evenwell, she wasn't ready to go there yet. But he was good and kind and funny and best of all, he thought all these things about her as well.

They stayed in bed for the better part of the afternoon. Kirsten finally got up around four, and went to call her family while Sandy took a shower. The Nichols had always eaten Thanksgiving dinner at two for as long as Kirsten could remember, so by now they were likely sitting around the living room in food-induced comas. She felt a twinge of homesickness as she dialed the number.

"Hello?" She recognized her sister's voice immediately. "Who's there?"

"Hailey, it's me," she answered.

"Kirsten!" Hailey squealed in delight. "I miss you! Why didn't you come home?"

Kirsten promised herself that she would take her sister out for the day as soon as she got home. "I miss you too, kid. How are you?"

"I got an A on my math test!" Hailey announced proudly. "And I might get to take the class guinea pig home next weekend, and my friend Molly got a new sister! She's so cute!"

Kirsten tried to smile. "Sounds like you're doing great."

"You're coming home for Christmas, right?" Hailey persisted.

"I promise," Kirsten assured her.

"And I" Hailey broke off. "Mom wants to talk to you. You'll be home soon, right?"

"Three weeks," Kirsten promised. "Just three weeks and I'll be home."

"Okay," Hailey agreed. "Bye Kirsten!"

"Kirsten?" It was her mother's voice on the other end of the phone now. "How are you, sweetie? Are you and your friend having fun?"

"Yes, Mom," Kirsten managed to answer. At least that wasn't a lie.

"Did you have a nice Thanksgiving dinner?" Katherine Nichol continued. "Is your friend Sandy's family nice?"

Kirsten swallowed. "Yes, Mom." Now she was lying, and she hated it. "They're very nice people."

"I'm glad, honey," her mother answered. "I just wanted to say that we love you and miss you and can't wait to see you for Christmas."

Kirsten's lip was beginning to tremble. She bit down and struggled to keep her voice even. "I miss you too."

"Here's your father," Katherine told her daughter. "Take care of yourself and we'll see you in three weeks."

"Kiki!" her father's voice boomed out. "How are they treating you up at Berkeley?"

Kirsten gulped. "Great, Dad, everyone's really nice."

"Well, don't get too uncomfortable up there," Caleb ordered, "because if you call and say you're not coming home for Christmas either, I'm going to have to fly there and bring you home myself."

"No, I'll be there," Kirsten promised. "I can't wait to see everyone."

"We can't wait to see you either, Kiki" her father told her affectionately. She hated when her father called her Kiki, but today, hearing it made her want to cry.

Sandy had just gotten out of the shower as she hung up the phone. He was wearing a pair of blue sweatpants and his hair was damp and he looked very handsome and she would have smiled if she wasn't feeling so miserable.

He took one look at her and knew that something was wrong. "Kirsten, what is it?"

Her lower lip was trembling again. "Sandy, why does this have to be so hard?"

Sandy wrapped his arms around her as she cried against his shoulder. He knew there was nothing he could say, that all he could offer was his love and support.

At least she could accept that now. It was a start.