A/N--Okay, so there's a succession of long chapters. The creative muse got me. It'll be awhile before I can update, due to a semester that's gonna be academically loaded. Just bear with me; parts of it are rather sad, but nothing very intense, I promise. This chapter explains a lot. Enjoy!

Chapter 23

The following Monday. It's the first day of school. Lizzie is starting her sophomore year in high school. Matt is starting the 7th grade, his first year at Hillridge Junior High. Sam is in the kitchen making pancakes, a McGuire family tradition for the first day of school. Lizzie is at the table, eating her breakfast. Matt runs down the stairs.

"Ah, finally away from Intermediate School. Today, I conquer Junior High." Matt breathes a sigh of relief.

"What are you so happy about?" Lizzie groans.

"I'm gonna rule Junior High, that's what."

"Remember, it's not like Intermediate School."

"I know. I've been there before. Plus, I'll have Lanny and Melina."

"Ah, the playmate posse," Jo states, coming down the stairs, carrying Mark.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, I don't want to hear about you getting detention this year."

"Okay, I'll make sure you don't hear about it."

"Matt, you know what I mean. Sam, can you go get Lindsay for me?"

Sam gets Lindsay as Lizzie and Matt leave for school.

AT SCHOOL

Lizzie, Gordo and Miranda meet at their lockers. Lizzie's feeling a little self conscious, due to being five months pregnant. She inhales and greets her friends, "Hey guys!"

"Hey Lizzie!" Miranda greets.

"Hey, babe," Gordo kisses Lizzie on the cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. I'm still a little tired, though." Lizzie tries to be cheerful, "Miranda, I love your outfit!"

"Thanks! Isabella got it for me on the last day of tour."

"Where was I?"

"I think you were at the spa that day."

"Oh yeah."

Kate and Claire walk by. "My! My! Aren't we looking maternal?" Clair sneers.

Miranda glares at the duo, "Knock it off!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kate replies sarcastically, "wouldn't wanna get the little mommy upset, now would we?" They walk off, laughing.

Lizzie runs off the other way, crying. Gordo goes after her. "Lizzie, wait!"

Miranda corners Kate and Claire. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?" Claire barks.

"It looks like you're ragging on my two best friends."

"Oh, really?" Kate replies, in a mock serious tone, "I think it looks more like the truth. She IS looking rather maternal, doncha think?"

"I think you'd better leave them alone."

"Or else what, you'll punch us like last time?" Clair sneers. "I'm shaking in my boots!" She laughs. "Let's go!" The pair walk off.

Meanwhile, Lizzie's standing at the entrance of the building, and Gordo's trying to console her.

Gordo puts his hand on her shoulder, "Lizzie."

She turns around, puts her arms around him and cries into his shoulders. "I can't do this, Gordo! Do I have to endure Kate again?"

"You're not alone, remember."

"I know," she replies between sobs, "but it's just, I'm tired of them always picking at us. Now, that I'm pregnant, it's worse. I thought Kate had changed in Rome."

"We both did. I think if Claire weren't around, she would have kept that change."

"Yeah, Claire's a bitch. Maybe it would be easier if I went to the alternative school."

"Do you want to?"

"No. I don't."

"Then, we won't. Look," he places his hands on her shoulders and looks her in the eyes, "I know you're the one carrying the baby, but you're not alone. It's my baby too. I've got your back and so does Miranda."

"I know, thanks." She attempts to smile.

"Speaking of Miranda, we need to get to class. I know she's worried about you."

The couple walks to class, hand in hand. Miranda saves them a seat.

"Hey, I was worried about you two. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lizzie nods.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

LATER THAT DAY, AT HOME

Lizzie arrives home after school. Jo is cleaning the living room, while the twins are in their baby swings.

"Hey honey, how was your day?" Jo greets.

"Oh, just fine! It was absolutely wonderful," Lizzie replies, rolling her eyes.

Jo stops cleaning. "What's wrong, honey?"

"I'll give you 2 guesses."

"Uh, Kate and Claire."

"Yep."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, they just insist on trying to put a damper on my life." Lizzie sighs.

"I've got some good news." Jo tries to cheer her up.

"What?"

"Your dad got the crib set up in your suite."

"Great. Just great." She tries to sound enthusiastic.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Let me go check on the twins, and we'll talk." Jo walks over to the swings, and sees that the babies are asleep. The swings have stopped, so she winds them back up again. Then, she joins Lizzie on the couch. "What's going on?"

Lizzie begins crying. "I don't know, mom. One minute, I'm excited about the baby, and then the next, I'm not. That doesn't mean I'm going to be a bad mother, does it?"

"No, honey. Of course not!" She looks her in the eyes. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure mom, anything." She pauses and smiles, "well, except for problems with the IRS or that Nana and Grandpa are splitting up."

Jo laughs a bit. "I was a teenaged mother too."

"What?" Lizzie is shocked at the revelation.

"It's true. Your dad and I got pregnant when I was sixteen."

"Is that why dad's having a hard time with me being pregnant?"

"Yes, it is."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"It was a painful time in our lives, so we decided not to tell anyone else."

"Why mom?"

"You had an older brother, Joshua. He only lived for a couple months. He died of SIDS." Jo stops. "I don't wanna scare you, baby."

"Mom, go ahead. It's okay."

Jo continues, "Anyway, your father and I got pregnant when we were 16. Your grandparents flipped out. They tried to keep us from seeing each other. I felt scared and alone, and Coco Newbury was merciless."

"Wasn't she the one who won best dressed right?"

"Yep. The very one. Your dad and I were excited about the baby and planned on getting married the summer after the baby was born. I was sure it was a boy. I wanted a boy so badly."

"So, what did dad want?"

"He wanted a little girl. He wanted to name her Daisy Grace." Lizzie made a face. Jo cracked up. "Of course, I vetoed it, but I didn't have a girl's name picked out. I knew I was carrying a boy, so I picked out Joshua Daniel."

"I like that name."

"Thanks. Your father and I got hounded at school. It was the mid-70s and there was still a stigma to teenaged pregnancies. Both our parents wanted us to give the baby up for adoption, but we wanted to keep him. There were days that I was excited about the baby, and other days when I wished it wasn't happening. I felt the same way you're feeling; I felt that made me a bad mother."

"Thanks, mom. So, when was he born?"

"Bright and early on December 20th. I went into labor at church!" Lizzie begins laughing, and Jo continues, "yeah, my water breaks right in the middle of the sermon. I have an intense contraction and yell right in a quiet part of the sermon. The yell reverberated all over the sanctuary. Then my water broke. I was so embarrassed. Your father took me to the hospital and Joshua was born around 4am the next morning." Jo's eyes mist over. "He was such a pretty baby. Mark looks a lot like him. He was big, nearly 10 pounds. He was perfect, just perfect. I got to take him home right before Christmas. Christmas day, I dressed him in a little Santa suit. He looked so cute. My favorite picture of him is one where Sam's holding him in his arms, looking down at him. Joshua's little hand is wrapped around Sam's index finger, and he's looking back at his daddy..." Jo trails off, about to cry.

"What happened, mom?"

"Valentine's Day. He died on Valentine's Day. Your dad and I were going to go out on a date. Mom finally agreed to watch him for a couple hours while we went out. I had put him down for a nap while I got ready. Your father came, and the two of us kissed him on the top of his sweet little head and went on our date. That was the last time either of us saw him alive. When your dad and I returned home, mom said he had been fussy all night. She fed him a bottle and then put him down for the night. Your dad and I went to his room. I brushed his head with my fingers, and he felt a bit cold. I picked him up and he wasn't breathing. I tried to get him to wake up, but he wouldn't. I started screaming and mom called the paramedics. It was too late. We buried him two days later."

"Oh mom, I'm so sorry." Lizzie began crying.

"Honey, I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have told you this story, not when you're expecting your first child. I feel awful."

"Mom, it's okay. Now, I understand why dad's apprehensive and why you have your doubts to Gordo's loyalty. It also makes sense of why both of you are a bit over protective of the four of us. I think I would be if I lost a child."

"I hope you never do."

"Can I see pictures of him?"

"Sure, let me go get them." Jo goes to her bedroom, and gets the pictures out of Sam's footlocker. The two of them look at the pictures and Jo tells Lizzie about her older brother.

While they are reminiscing about Joshua, Sam comes home. He stops short when he notices what picture album is out. He is stunned.

"Jo? You told her about Joshua?"

"I thought she had the right to know. We shouldn't have kept this from her, or Matt."

"But I thought we agreed."

"Sam, let's not get into this right now. I thought since Lizzie's a teenaged mother, and we were teenaged parents, that she needed to know that we understand what she and Gordo are experiencing."

"Dad, I'm glad mom told me about my brother. I only wish I could have known him."

"He was a great baby," Sam replied. "Just because we lost Josh so early doesn't mean you'll experience the same thing."

"I know. I'm not worried about that. I just hope Gordo and I are just as good of parents as the two of you are."

"You will be. I know you will." Sam hugs his daughter.