Sorry, this chapter took longer to write than I thought it would, the week got busy. But, it's finally done! Enjoy!

Change of Plans
Chapter 3: Replacement Will, Replacement Baby?

Grace woke up to the smell of maple syrup and a feeling of being sunk farther into the bed than when she fell asleep, which told her that Karen was already up and gone. Stretching and opening her eyes, she found Rosario at the end of the bed, arranging a breakfast tray. She scooted herself into a sitting position and sleepily blinked her eyes.

"Oh good, you're up. Miss Karen says you're to eat everything on this tray. She's informed me that you're perfectly capable," Rosario said, picking up the tray and placing it across Grace's lap. She nodded and gave Grace a clear 'and-you-better' look before exiting the room and leaving the redhead alone.

Grace was both shocked and thankful for the sheer amount of food on the tray, which was quite a bit larger than the average breakfast tray. She grabbed a fork and began digging into the scrambled eggs while eyeing the large stack of pancakes. Save the best for last, she thought to herself.

After she was finished with the eggs and halfway through her sausages, she began to analyze the previous night. She definitely hadn't wanted to leave the manse before the baby was born, but had already decided that it was what she was going to have to do. She didn't want to bother Karen with a baby around. But her friend had been so insistent that she should stay as long as she needed to, and it was starting to sound like a better and better idea. But when would be the time to leave? How would she ever know? She was afraid of getting too comfortable living with Karen and neglecting her apartment search.

Grace felt safe at the manse, and comforted knowing Karen was in the building if she needed her. She was becoming more and more anxious whenever they were apart, and she was afraid she had become too clingy with Karen ever since Will had announced that he was, in a way, leaving her for Vince. Since that day Grace had gradually felt things changing between herself and Karen, a small pang of need growing into a much larger one, and she found herself wondering if she was beginning to find in Karen a new Will to replace the one she was losing. It wasn't quite the same as her feelings for Will, but it didn't stop her from believing that it was exactly what was happening. She wasn't sure if it was all a good thing or not, but she had a feeling that it was too far developed to be stopped now. She finally began to cut into her anxiously awaited pancakes, but she was frowning.

Karen had made sure to get up before Grace did, both to assure that a large breakfast was made for her and to avoid immediate discussion about the night before. She was now in her bath tub, sunk into her bubbles and sipping a martini. She had no idea what was going on in Grace's head, and therefore had no idea what to do with herself. She'd been truly happy last night to help out her friend, and had found herself perfectly content with Grace curled up beside her, gripping her hand. She had insisted that Grace should stay with her as long as she needed, even though Grace had been planning on getting out before the baby came. Was she being too clingy? She didn't want Grace to leave, but was it mutual or did Grace want to go?

Karen was also struggling over whether or not to show Grace the forbidden room. On the one hand, she was afraid of how Grace would react. But Karen could always pretend that it was completely new, and she found herself wanting nothing more than for Grace to just live at the manse with her, and for the two of them to raise the baby in that room.

It was that thought that troubled Karen. She'd been feeling more and more attached to Grace since she accepted a temporary room at the manse. She liked the other woman there with her, because she liked knowing that she could see her whenever she wanted. She had felt special when Grace had refused to let go of her hand, refusing to go to sleep without her there. Her feelings for Grace were bordering on romantic, if they weren't already.

But Karen was trying to pull herself away from the feelings and from her friend, because she was afraid that her real love was for the baby, not Grace. She'd been so happy when she thought she was pregnant, and had been crushed ever since she found out that it was a false alarm. After that moment, she knew she'd never have a baby. She knew that her time had come and gone.

But then Grace got pregnant, and then Grace moved in, and Karen found herself loving the unborn child as if it were her own, wanting to care for it and watch it grow into a wonderful human being. Wanting to be the mother that she never had, wanting the child to be the person that she never could be. And this, she decided, must be why she was seemingly falling in love with Grace. While a good explanation, it didn't fit her feelings exactly right. But that didn't stop her from telling herself that it was the truth. So she felt guilty, wanting to just reverse it all. But it was far too late for that. She went to take a sip of her martini, her typical comfort drink. But then she studied the glass, frowned, and set it aside.