I'm soooooooo sorry!!! I promised a quicker update but i just made you wait longer! I had this chapter written like a week ago, but the internet didnt work on the computer that i had saved it on. Spell check wasn't working so there might be some errors. Review or email for suggestions or comments! Thanks!

Chapter 10

Three Months Later; San Diego, California...

"Hey, Halliwell! Does this look like nap time?! Get your ass back to work!"

Chris jumped at the voice, as he had unknowingly been dozing off while he sat crouched on the dirt ground, back up against the rough brick wall.

But at the sound of his boss's harsh words, Chris immediately leapt up onto his feet and rubbed at his exhausted eyes that had remained the same blood-shot color ever since he had first received his job.

Looking slightly sheepish, Chris muttered his apology, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wadeson; it won't happen again."

The large middle-aged man glared down at him with uncaring eyes and sneered, "It better not, Halliwell. It's enough I even hired ya! If you want to take a nap, go back to school kid! You're at the end of a very short rope, so watch you're step. You understand me, boy?"

Biting his tongue and gritting his teeth, Chris forced himself not to release the frustration that was already boiling so close to the edge of his lips and instead ducked his head down while staring intently at the dirt ground and mumbled, "Yes, sir. It won't happen again..."

Giving him one last final scowl, Mr. Wadeson wandered off while muttering about the problems of youth in America today.

Ever since Chris had found the job at construction site a couple months back, he had been given a hard time due to his young age. While most of the men working there were well in their late thirties or early forties, Chris remained the only teen there causing him to be the butt of many jokes that irritated him to no end and made his work there a living hell.

He often found himself being dumped with most of the work by his other co-workers and then blamed for not finishing it on time by his boss.

The labor was definitely strenuous with a lot of heavy lifting and being left under the intense heat of the sun.

'Long hours, hard labor, crappy boss, low pay.... Yup, this is the life....' Chris thought sarcastically to himself as he rubbed his sore shoulders, hoping to release some tension that had built up.

Striding across the construction site, Chris reached a large pile of metal pipes and he let out a deep annoyed sigh. 'Oh great, leave all the heavy lifting for me. No probelm, really. I'll just tap into my super-human strength!!'

As Chris slowly began the laborious work of carrying the large pipes over his shoulder and delivering them to the builders throughout the site, he felt his back acting up again and had to slow down for a bit before continuing.

'Wasn't Jake supposed to do this with me?' he thought to himself as he gathered another couple of pipes over his shoulder and continued his slow labor.

Chris scoffed at himself, 'He's probably out getting a beer or something; anywhere but here.'

Out of all his co-workers, Jake Warren was the worst when it came to ridiculing Chris. A tall, well-built, middle-aged man who seemed to have permanent sneer plastered across his face; he was always stabbing jokes at him and leaving work early while leaving Chris to finish for him. The worst of it was that he got paid twice as much as Chris did. The first day of work, he immediately demanded that Chris refer to him as either "sir" or "Mr. Warren." Chris would've replied by saying he could find a couple of other well chosen names to fit him, but he knew he needed the job; fighting wasn't going to help him.

"Bianca?! I'm home!" Chris exclaimed as he entered the foyer of their apartment and proceeded to take of his work boots.

The apartment was nothing great to look at. In fact it was rather small and a far cry from luxury. The living room and kitchen were mixed into one and there were only two rather small bedrooms. But it was all they could find or afford for that matter.

The day after the fight, Chris and Bianca had gathered a few of their belongings and collected as much money as they could find. Selling her apartment had added to their pot but still only left them with a couple of thousand dollars.

After the 5 hours bus ride to San Diego, they had found a small hotel where they had stayed for two weeks as they continually searched for a more permanant place to stay.

The land lord was a little reluctant to be renting out his apartment to a couple of teens, especially after he had seen Bianca's protruding belly. But after a little cajoling from Chris's part and an extra couple of hundreds were thrown in, they found themselves settled into their new home.

Shortly after, Chris has begun his quest to find a job that would allow them to keep their home and also feed them since their money had run alarmingly low in the short time they had stayed here. After what seemed like the hundreth rejection, Chris was desperate enough to take the first job that was thrown his way; unfortunately for him, that was at the consruction site.

"I'm in the nursery, sweetie!" Bianca replied as her voice carried through the tiny apartment.

Smiling, Chris made his way into the nursery room and found his fiance re-arranging the many dolls that filled one of the shelves.

Soon after moving in, Bianca had had her 20th birthday which the couple celebrated by going out to eat dinner and a little private after party in their bedroom at night.

When Chris had asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she answered by saying she wanted to make the nursery room. Immediately after, she began designing the nursery room and had gone on a shopping crusade to buy as many baby things as she could find. Unfortuanetly for Chris, he was also dragged along on many of them and forced to sit through hours and hours of his fiance's cooing over the baby furniture.

The hardest decision came down to what color they should paint the room since the sex of the baby was still un-known. Bianca had been dead set on painting the room pink claiming that even if the baby wasn't a girl, the color was too cute. Chris had countered her by saying that the baby blue color could be for both girls and boys. So they did the most obvious choice and painted the room a pastel green.

"Having fun?" Chris teased as he leaned against the door way and watched her perfect the display.

After making sure the stuffed animals were in perfect positions, a six month pregnant Bianca straightened up and flashed a grin at him. "Maybe I am..." She answered suductively as she made her way to the door and wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on his cheek, "So whatcha been doin' good lookin'?"

Chris let out a a chuckle, "The baby's making you crazier and crazier each day, you know that?" He teased as he felt her snuggle in his arms.

"Well, half the baby's genes do come from you so it is to be expected," she goaded as she unhooked her arms from around his neck and made her way to the living room so she could plop down on the couch. Chris followed behind and took a seat beside her while wrapping an arm across Bianca's shoulder.

"So how was your day?" Chris asked while mindlessly rubbing her belly.

"I puked in the morning, then i ate a peanut butter and pickle sandwich and puked again. I got bored so i started watching soap operas; and then realized i was actually watching them so i turned the t.v off. So then i went into the nursery and began cleaning it again. So baby, how was your day?"

He shrugged, "bleh."

"Bleh?" She asked with a quizical grin.

"Yup, my day was bleh," he reaffirmed her with a smirk.

Bianca rolled her eyes as she squirmed in his arms before lifting her head with a frown on her face, "Why are you so tense?"

"I'm not tense."

"Yes, you are."

"Bianca, I'm not tense."

"You're shoulders are all stiff, that means you're tense."

"My shoulders are not stiff."

"Yes, they are."

"No, they're not."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nuh-uh."

"If I say they are stiff, they are stiff! If i say you're tense then you are! Do you understand me, Christopher Perry Halliwell because im pregnant and a little irritated right now so i DONT won't to repeat myself. Am i understood?!"

Chris had to stiffle a laugh before replying with mock seriousness, "Yes, mam!"

"Good! Now is you're back hurting again? And you better not lie to me because believe me, I will know.""

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "OK, fine. It was acting up again today, but i feel fine now, really. 100 percentbetter."

Off the look Bianca was shooting him, Chris finally relented, "Maybe it hurts a little. But i can hardly feel any pain. When i mean little, i mean like really little." Chris emphasized his point with his thumb and index finger.

"Okay, a little pain in Chris language means alot in english so im gonna get you a pack of ice to put on your back."

Letting out a sigh of exasperation, Chris leaned back onto the couch as Bianca made her way into the kitchen.

Rolling his shoulders a little, he was about to lay down when an object caught the corner of his eyes. Sighing, he reached over and grabbed the picture frame off the side table.

Running his thumb across the picture, conflicting emotions began to arise in the pit of his stomach and he felt his throat tighten a little.

He flinched when he felt someone's arm wrap around his shoulder and turned to see Bianca staring down at the picture he held in his hand, the ice pack resting on the table.

"It's okay to miss them, Chris. They are your family."

Blinking back tears and straightening up, he replaced the picture back onto the side table and answered, "You and the baby are my family."

Shaking her head, she brushed a hand over his cheek, "You don't have to feel this way, Chris."

Bewildered, Chris turned to her and asked, "Feel like what?"

"Like you have to choose between me and your family. Because you can have both, Chris."

"You're wrong, I don't miss them."

"That's not true."

"How would you know?"

"Why else did you bring a picture of them?"

Silence buzzed throughout the apartment and the faint sound of footsteps were heard from the people upstairs.

"It's okay to want to see your family. To go back home. I know you won't say it, but it's been hard for you here hasn't it? Chris, you're eighteen and having to support a family. I know you're scared. Other people might think you're handling it pretty well, but i know you," she covered his hand with hers, "If you want to go back home, I'll go with you."

Chris sat still, his gaze transfixed on the photo, his mind deep in thought.

"I can't. Not now. Maybe....... maybe in a couple of years we can go visit and let them meet the baby. But not now. Im not ready for that yet."

"You know they're sorry, Chris. That they've forgiven you..."

" I know.... but...." Chris faltered as his words wouldn't leave his throat.

"But you haven't exactly forgiven them yet."

Turning his head, he flashed her a weak grin, "I think we've been spending to much time together."

Taking the bait to ease the atmosphere, she nudged him in the ribs, "No, i just know my man."

Chris gave her a weak smile, but there was still conflicting emotions that showed through his eyes. The smile was distant, one that hid his true thoughts.

"Baby, what are you thinking about?"

Chris sighed as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a long hug as she snuggled into his embrace. His eyes traveled over to the photo that never ceased to haunt him,

"I'm just wondering how they're doing...." he answered truthfully.

Little did he know that a couple thousand miles away, his family was asking themselves the same question....

TBC....