A/N: Wow! Y'all spoiled me with the reviews from the last chapter! I'm so glad you agreed with my decision not to make Mally cheat (well, the vast majority). I guess it just wasn't somewhere I wanted to go with her character after all. She's a good kid, darn it! More may be revealed about who this girl is Mally's helping. Thanks once again for sticking with me, and please click that little button at the bottom, and I'll love you forever!
Nick looked at his wife curiously. She always had stuff up her sleeve. By the way she said it, though, it sounded pretty important.
"You're such a nut." He told her, kissing her nose. "What is it?"
"Well you know how I said I was a pro at this parenting thing now?" She smiled, watching Nick's face for any sign of comprehension.
Nick's eyes darted around and went back to his wife's face. Oh dear god. What?
"Yyyyyyeah…"
"Well, I think I may be pregnant again." Sara told him, full out grinning now. Nick was speechless and flat-out shocked. They'd decided not to have any more children for now at least, and Sara was on birth control.
"What?" He asked incredulously. Sara couldn't decide if it was a happy 'what' or a freak out 'what'.
"I said I may be pregnant." She repeated slowly for effect. "My period is five days late."
Nick and Sara both knew that her period came like clockwork with her being on birth control. But it was supposed to be foolproof, dammit!
"Are you serious?" Nick breathed out, allowing a small smile.
"Yes. We're going to be parents again."
"Really?" Nick looked into his wife's eyes and could see she was tickled about this, and that made him tickled. He couldn't deny it any more – he flashed one of his trademark grins, lighting up his entire face. Sara laughed at his reaction and leaned in for a passionate kiss.
"Another one?" He said between kisses. "We're gonna have four?"
"I think so. I need to go to the doctor to find out for sure."
Nick reached out and touched his wife's belly, rubbing gently. After caressing her flat stomach for a few moments, Nick bent down, lifted up her shirt and kissed her bare abdomen.
"Hi baby." He whispered.
"Nick, it's just a zygote. It has no cognitive thought."
Nick dropped her shirt back down, cleared his throat, and gave his wife a sheepish grin.
"It's never too early to talk to it."
"Awwww. What a good daddy!" Sara teased him. Nick helped his wife up and swatted her on the butt once as they headed outside to join the twins.
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI
Mally sat in her bedroom next to the phone. She needed to call her best friend Natalie, but didn't really know what to say. How would she start? How would she explain why she took her folder without asking? Mally wasn't sure if she wanted to be friends with Natalie right now. She still felt very betrayed by the whole thing.
Mally wasn't ashamed to admit she still needed a little guidance. Her parents had more life experience than her, so she'd ask them. She loved her dad unwaveringly, but in this case Mally decided to ask Sara. She was a female, and understood teenage drama and the cattiness that went along with it. Mally opened her bedroom door and trotted down the stairs. She timidly walked outside where Sara was holding Bailey on her lap in the grass, and her father was tossing a wiffle ball to Aidan. He was the first to see Mally.
"Mal, what are you doing out of your room? Is everything okay?" Nick asked, surprised that she was out. But then he saw the look on her face and could tell she had been in deep ponderance.
"Is it okay if I ask mom for some advice?" Mally looked at her dad hopefully.
Sara had since heard her question and stood Bailey up, kissing her on the cheek.
"I'm gonna go talk to Mally for a minute, okay?" She told her daughter. "You stay here with daddy."
Bailey waddled over to her father and embraced one of his jean-clad legs. She was in a rare cuddly mood. Nick took advantage of this, picking her up, and felt his heart warm as Bailey wrapped her legs around him and settled her head on his chest. Sara and Mally walked back inside, and closed the door.
"What's up?" Sara asked as they sat down on the couch.
Mally let out a dramatic sigh and rested her head in one hand on the back of the couch.
"I can't figure out what to say to Natalie."
She had Sara there. Sara hadn't been what you call popular in high school. Sure, she had friends, but all they really talked about were the academic clubs they were in and what grades they had. Sara had never really experienced full-on teenage drama. Honestly, she didn't know what to tell her daughter, but she'd sure try.
After a few moments' pause, Sara began.
"Well, Mally, I can't say I have much experience, but I'll give it a shot based on what I know."
Sara saw the way Mally looked at her with such awe, ready to listen to any tiny piece of advice she might throw her way. It reminded Sara just how hard being a teenager was. She was trying to follow her heart, but was unsure of herself. Sara would try her best, and hopefully everything would turn out okay.
"If you're still mad at her, it would probably be best to leave it a day or so. Get your feelings in check. The last thing you want to do is snap at your best friend."
"But dad told me to call her right away." Mally said, not wanting to disobey her dad. The last thing she wanted right now was for her father to be upset with her again, though Mally knew it was ridiculous for him to mad for not calling Natalie yet.
"I'm sure he'd understand." Sara told her. "And when you do talk to her, just be very honest. Tell her it upset you that she thought you cheated. That your trust of her has been broken. Because she has a lot of explaining to do. She's probably more nervous than you are."
"What if she's mad at me?" Mally worriedly asked.
"Well she has a right to be, after you took her folder without permission. You should probably apologize for that. That's a big trust issue for her too."
"I know." Mally mumbled. What Sara just explained was what her heart had been telling her, but it felt comforting to hear it from an adult. Sometimes Mally wondered if what she was feeling was totally abnormal, but Sara always made her feel sane. "Thanks, mom."
"No problem." Sara smiled and patted Mally's knee, about to get up.
"Hey, mom?" Sara sat back down and raised her eyebrows in invitation. "Did you really think I cheated?"
Sara sighed, hoping she wouldn't ask that, but it was an honest question.
"Well, sweetheart, I just didn't know what to think. I mean, everything in the evidence told me you were, but I really didn't think you'd do something like that. So, I was skeptical, but I really didn't want it to be true. Does that make sense?"
"Sort of." Mally answered after a bit of a pause. Sara had faith in her, though she had every right to question her intentions. "Thanks for not jumping to conclusions."
"Anything for you, kid." Then Sara kissed Mally on the head and ruffled her hair a little. "You better get back up to your room though, unless you want to tell your dad what you're doing."
"Nah. Will you just tell him I'll wait a while to call her?"
"Sure thing."
"Thanks, mom." Mally hugged Sara before they departed ways. Sara joined her husband and the twins outside, Bailey still snuggling in Nick's arms. She smiled as she approached him, giving him a tender kiss on the lips. Nick could tell she'd taken care of things. Things that maybe he in all his maleness couldn't understand. That's why he was so glad to have Sara.
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI
Natalie heard a knock on her bedroom door, where she'd locked herself up after school. She was so ashamed and confused. How could she do this to her best friend? Mally probably hated her guts right now. She hadn't seen Mally after school to apologize, and she'd learned Mally had been called to the principal's office. Who knew what happened in there? Natalie figured she was probably in huge trouble with the principal, and knew her parents were firm believers in punishing her at home for any problems at school. She was on the verge of tears again when she told whoever it was to come in.
Natalie could never be happier to see her father at that moment. She desperately needed him to tell her what to do. But what would he think of her? Would he be disappointed that she hadn't gone to Mally first? Somehow she doubted that when he sat next to her on her bed and kissed her forehead lightly.
"Hi, sweetheart." He cooed gently. "You've been up here since you got home. Is something bothering you?"
Gil had immediately noticed a change in his daughter's demeanor that afternoon. She had been so giddy and hyper lately since she found out she'd been accepted to Stanford. On cloud nine was an understatement. She'd been all smiles for about a week now, so it was easy to suspect something when a sullen teenager returned home. He assumed it had to do with the reason Nick got called away to go to Mally' school.
At his gentleness and support, Natalie just broke down crying, putting her hands over her face. Gil didn't say a word; just pulled Natalie into a warm hug, stroking her back and kissing her hair occasionally. She just needed to cry right now, and he'd find out what it was about later.
When Natalie finally pulled away from beneath her sweet spot under his chin, Gil kissed her head once more and stroked her hair.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He offered.
Natalie nodded, but was still choking on her tears a little. She felt so safe at that moment, knowing her dad wouldn't judge her. He was always such a good listener, and so wise.
"I'm in a huge mess, daddy, and it's all my fault." She started, about to start crying once again, but she controlled herself to get through this.
"I'm sure it's not as bad as you think."
"Yes it is!" She sobbed, "Mally took my chemistry folder without asking, and I thought – I was sure – she was using it to copy my answers, so I turned her in to Mrs. Flaherty…"
"Is that her chemistry teacher?"
"Yeah. So she had to report it to the principal, and then I ran into Mally at lunchtime, and I confronted her, and then she got all mad and said she was using my papers to help tutor this other girl in her class."
"Wait, you turned her in without asking her first?" Gil was a little puzzled. He thought his daughter would give the friend she'd known all her life the benefit of the doubt. He wasn't disappointed, but a little shocked.
"I know. I'm an awful friend, dad. What do I do?" She begged him. Not that he understood teenager girl drama, but he sure did seem to know a lot about life. He'd helped his daughters work out numerous problems before.
"You're not an awful friend, Natalie." Gil made clear. "Is she in trouble at school then?"
"I don't know. I heard she got called to the principal, and then I didn't see her after school."
"Her dad got called into school, I know." Gil told her, knowing that's not what Natalie wanted to hear. She'd definitely gotten her friend into major trouble if her parents had to be called in. But Gil knew what type of father Nick was – he wouldn't jump to conclusions. He'd listen to what Mally had to say.
"Should I call her?" Natalie thought she should, but wanted anything Gil would give her.
"I think that would be a good idea, Nat. But wait until you're ready. Get all your thoughts together first. I'd wait a little while."
"Okay." That made sense to Natalie. She was still pretty shaken up herself, and figured Mally was too if she was in trouble. Maybe she'd call later that night, or talk to her at school tomorrow. "Thanks, daddy."
"Come here." Gil motioned for a hug again, holding her close for a few moments. He knew being a teenager was rough, especially being a girl nowadays. "Dinner will be ready in an hour."
Gil left the room, hoping he had equipped his young, naïve daughter with the tools necessary to handle the world. She had a good head on her shoulders, which he couldn't be more thankful for after raising Lindsey. Lindsey was a good kid, but made some bad mistakes. Natalie had a lot more common sense and a huge heart. Gil smiled, knowing it would all turn out okay.
CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI
Sara giggled as she watched her husband kiss and caress her bare stomach once more that night as they lay in bed. The kids were supposedly long since asleep, though they could never be sure. Nick's hands held Sara's sides still as he ran his tongue over her perfect skin, nipping and kissing as he went. He was already in love with the idea of having another child. When his tongue darted into her belly button, Sara squealed a little too loudly. Nick stopped and leaned up to kiss her on the lips, swallowing her excited sounds.
"Ssshhhhh…" He warned her. "Don't wake up the kids. I want to be able to finish what I'm starting." Nick smiled.
"And what exactly are you starting?" Sara teased him, wrapping her arms around his neck. As she felt his hand touch her intimately, she got her answer, as if she didn't know.
"You need to be quiet and be good, or you'll never find out." Nick kissed her tenderly once more, and then his kisses moved all over her face, ears, and then her neck as his hands went to work. She was thrilled that he was so excited about this. It made it that much more wonderful.
The next few hours were spent worshipping each other's bodies and swallowing each other's moans as they practiced the dance that had brought them the sleeping loves of their lives in the adjoining rooms. Six was a good number. Definitely a good number.
