=Hector's POV=
(Monday, 5/13/19-8:30 pm)
(Berk, Archia Isle)
(Haddock Apartment)

I had been sleeping peacefully, but I was a light sleeper so even if I didn't wake completely; I could tune into things going on around me. I had heard Astrid moving around to make dinner and clean, then also when she was relaxing on the couch because the TV was on. However, what woke me up was the phone call she took. It sounded like whoever it was called my phone and didn't like that Astrid wouldn't come bother me because I was trying to rest. I didn't go right back to sleep, I laid awake for a bit making sure I wouldn't instantly throw up if I moved. My head was pounding and I was nauseous, but I had to use the bathroom so it seemed I would be forcing myself to move and run the risk of puking when I got up. As I was getting to my feet, I heard knocking and it sounded like someone had come over, but my ears were a little blocked so I missed the conversation. When I opened the door, the sound hit me better. I heard arguing, and when I stepped out the door into the hallway; I saw Roseanna, one of my hookups who I just referred to as Rose, getting physical with Astrid, who was on the ground. I had no idea what was going on, but this had to stop.

"What the hell is going on!?" I got their attention on me. Astrid looked relieved, but maybe also hurt. Roseanna looked surprised, like she'd been caught because she instantly let go of Astrid and stepped back a little.

"Oh! Baby…Thank the Gods you're awake," Roseanna said quickly in an innocent voice. "She got so jealous that I came over to check on you, trying to slam the door in my face and wanted to hurt me…" Roseanna whipped up some tears. Astrid was holding her side and wincing as she tried to get up. As Roseanna was coming towards me, I passed her by to get to Astrid and help her up. "You're helping her?" Roseanna asked.

"She's the one who is on the ground and hurt," I told her, helping Astrid to sit on the couch. "Are you alright?" I asked Astrid.

"Sore…" Astrid mentioned, checking the back of he head for blood. "She got me pretty good a few times…"

I looked over at Roseanna. "What the hell were you thinking, Roseanna?" I scolded, making sure the front door was shut. We didn't need anyone looking in or questioning things. "You know the rules, you can't just show up here until I tell you to. And we never made plans tonight…" I added.

"You said you'd call me after work so we could, but I didn't hear from you and got worried something happened." Roseanna replied shyly, looking to the ground. "I was only defending myself, she's the one who got violent when all I had asked was if you were okay and I'd go."

Astrid's head snapped up. "That's a lie." Astrid looked at me now. "That's a lie, Hector. She called your phone first, and I told her you were resting because you didn't feel good. She caught the attitude with me that I was lying about what I said and that you gave me permission to answer your phone and let anyone who called know…" Astrid explained. "She told me to wake you up or she would come over and fifteen minutes later, she's banging on the door and demanding to see you…" She winced at the pain in her side.

"What happened when she came over?" I inquired.

"I told her you were sleeping and that I wasn't letting her in the apartment. I said I'd let her know you called, and you'd reach out when you felt better. I tried to shut the door and she pushed it back open. We had it out for a moment and when I tried to close the door again, she shoved me down and-," Astrid stopped, unsure to continue explaining.

"And…What? What happened, Astrid?" I urged. "You can tell me,"

Astrid took a short breath. "She told me you were going to leave me after she told you some good news. It just went from there and turned physical-,"

"I was defending myself from her. Trying to protect our baby!" Roseanna cut Astrid off.

My eyes widened. "What?" I asked, then looked at Roseanna. "What?"

"I didn't start-," Astrid tried.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you…" Roseanna began. "I'm pregnant, with your baby…I found out today with two home tests. A regular line one, and a digital read out…" She smiled a little. "But when I told her I was trying to see you to let you know the news, she got jealous and angry." I looked at Astrid now.

"You...Got physical with her? Knowing she's pregnant?" I questioned.

"No…" Astrid shook her head. "Hector, no. I swear I never got jealous or angry. I never even put my hands on her…She's the one who put her hands on me first. I knew she was pregnant because she had no problem telling me you'd leave me. That I should know now that she was pregnant with your baby. I, at first, said she was lying, but she showed me the tests." Astrid looked down. "But I never touched her, Hector…I swear that on my life, on Stormfly's even…" Astrid said. "She got violent with me, telling me she was your girlfriend, and that you didn't need or want me. That you'd leave, divorce me to marry her…And she told me to pack my things and leave. She attacked me and I just…Took it because I know you'd never forgive me if I hurt her or the baby…" She informed.

I watched Astrid's reactions, I knew she wasn't lying. Astrid didn't cry easily and she'd never have allowed herself to just take being attacked if it were a normal fight. I've seen Astrid fight before, and her temper; there's no stopping her. But this wasn't your average fight, it was against Roseanna, who was evidently pregnant. Astrid knew not to fight back or it would risk the baby. "Roseanna…Why would you attack her?" I asked.

"Y-You're taking her side? What about me, and our baby!?" Roseanna countered.

"She's the one who is hurt, and you're fine because I believe her when she says she never touched you knowing you're pregnant." I replied. "Astrid may not be a great wife, and made mistakes…" I paused. "But she prides herself on honor. So I know that if you told her you were pregnant, then she didn't touch you at all and you went on attacking her for no reason."

"N-No reason? She wouldn't let me talk to you and this is kind of important! I'm pregnant, with your baby. We're not married, or even living together! We have things to dis-," Roseanna started.

"That is not a reason to attack my wife when she was only doing what I asked her to do." I interrupted her. "I asked her to hold onto my phone, and tell anyone who called that I was resting because I didn't feel well, and would call them back later or another day when I was better. Being pregnant doesn't give you the right to go after people and since she didn't start it, and never touched you; she can press charges for assault. Being pregnant with a child won't protect you in a courtroom, or from facing punishment for assault or breaking and entering."

"She opened the door, I didn't break anything!" Roseanna argued.

"Did she tell you I was resting on the phone? Did you still show up here anyway? Did you shove her back when she tried to close the door after telling you I was sleeping and to leave?" I wondered. "If the answer is yes to those questions, you shoved your way in here without permission and attacked her," I continued. "Astrid doesn't have to let you in here, she lives here, Roseanna. We're both on the lease. You are not. You had no right to attack her, nor tell her to get out," I reprimanded.

"B-But our-," Roseanna began.

"Stop bringing up the baby as an excuse to defend yourself for what you did." I told her. "You might be pregnant, but you no proof to say that it's my baby. Don't parade around acting like I'm the only one you sleep with and calling yourself my girlfriend," I stated. "Despite the arrangement, you know I said I wasn't dating anyone. It's hookups, just sex. You know I don't have feelings for you. We're friends, with benefits. It was only to hookup. You have another person you sleep with when I'm not available and with how my schedule has been since I turned eighteen…I'm not that free anymore." I reminded.

"How can you say its not your baby?...We had sex last month and now, I'm pregnant." Roseanna mentioned.

"We had sex once last month. How many times did you have sex with the other guy?" I countered. "How many days late is your period?"

"Wrong question…When was her last period," Astrid chimed in. "Doctors count from then,"

"Well, Roseanna?" I pushed. "When was your last period?"

"It was April 8th, so I was fertile when we had sex on the 30th. I keep track on my phone," Roseanna said, handing over her phone to Hector to see the dates of when she had her period, when she would have been fertile based on the information of her period patterns. "So you're within the window of this being your baby," I suddenly felt nervous like I was going to throw up. "And I want to know what you-," She began.

"Hold up," Astrid stopped Roseanna from continuing. "Let me see that a sec,"

"Dispute it all you want, the fact are there." Roseanna folded her arms. I gave Astrid the phone as she looked over things, then she suddenly grinned a little.

"Yeah, you're right. The facts are there," Astrid said.

"I know." Roseanna smiled triumphantly.

"Then you should know that a woman with a normal cycle as your app displays you have, ovulates twelve to fourteen days before the start of her next period. And according to this…Your next period should have been May 8th, which would mean your period is five days late." Astrid enlightened. "Secondly…Hector isn't in the window of that being his baby because you just said that you two had sex on the 30th of April? Right?" Roseanna nodded to her. "If everything is how I was taught it to go in Sex Ed…Your egg was fertilized on April 22nd. Eight days before you slept with Hector. You were already pregnant, and counting normal weeks of pregnancy…Today, you should be five weeks and one day along. It's basic math; you ovulated on day twelve, April 19th or day fourteen, the 21st. Seven, if the 19th, or nine, if the 21st, days before you slept with Hector," Astrid informed. "So there is no way that baby you're carrying can be his because you were already pregnant." She gave me the phone back. Okay, I was impressed by what she just did. She cleared me from the being the father, or possibly raising a kid that wasn't mine. I needed to thank Astrid after this.

I gave the phone back to Roseanna, staring with unforgiving and annoyed eyes. "So it's not my baby and you're just looking to throw it on me because the other guy bailed." I remarked.

"You can't prove all that off the top of your head!" Roseanna challenged.

"It's fairly easy to track your cycle if it's regular and yours is. Find any online pregnancy calculator to determine things, but the information, I assure you, will be correct." Astrid revealed. "Hector wasn't the only one sleeping with others and making sure no one ended up pregnant. I track my cycle, I made sure not to be having sex the week I could have ovulated in and I also never let any of the guys screw me vaginally." She added. "Numbers don't lie, there is no way that child is Hector's. Now…I think your embarrassment is punishment enough…Get out before I call the cops and have you arrested for breaking in and assaulting me for no reason at all other than a lie."

"You can't do that…Hector?" Roseanna looked at me for help.

"Don't look at me for help. You showed up here, attacked my wife, and it was all to try and lock me down with you by making me think that kid you're carrying is mine. Because you can't accept that I don't love or even like you as more than a friend. You couldn't accept that I sleep with others, and won't divorce Astrid. All the others play along nice and share me, but not you. After all this, you can forget being friends as well," I told her firmly. "I think Astrid gave you a pretty fair exchange, leave now or be arrested because she'll press charges for attacking her. And she can do that, because she has just as much pull in this place as I do. So get out, and don't contact me again. We're through,"

Hanging her head low, Roseanna quickly left the apartment and then the premises in her car. Astrid went to get up from the couch, but she held her left side and hissed. "Don't move," I got up and went to get her some ice. "Here," I handed it to her. "Put it right on your side," She nodded and raised her shirt a little and put the dish towel-wrapped ice on her side. It was already beginning to bruise a little. "What else did she do?" I asked. Astrid began to explain how things went from the phone call to Roseanna showing up, and finally, when I made it into the room to see things. I was livid with how Roseanna behaved, Astrid had done nothing wrong. "I'm sorry for what she did…"

"It's fine, Hector…I can take a few hits here and there," Astrid shrugged.

"Maybe in controlled settings for training or play wrestling, but this wasn't that…" I mentioned. "How's your head?"

"Probably gonna have a bump, but feel alright aside the soreness," Astrid replied calmly, adjusting a bit and wincing. "Mainly from that…" She mumbled.

"I'm worried she might have bruised or cracked a rib…We should go to the hospital," I suggested.

"No, no…I don't think it's that bad," Astrid shook her head.

"But you don't know for sure, Astrid…Neither of us does, and I'd rather not just let it sit until a later date where it could be getting worse. It would make me feel better if we went and got the confirmation from a doctor," I hoped she'd agree. I really didn't want to assume it was okay when it might be worse and need different care than just go about normal.

"Okay…" Astrid sighed softly. "If you really think we should go, I trust your word and won't fight you on it," She said. "I'll get my shoes, purse, and jacket…Are we taking the car?"

"No, you stay there and I'll get them. We don't need to potentially make it worse with too much movement…And yes, the car would be best." I informed, getting up to get her things for her.

I quickly got her shoes, which were by the door, and her light jacket. I located her purse on the counter, then got the keys to my car. I helped Astrid with her shoes, and then her coat. After that, I got our phones and assisted her outside and into the passenger's side. I clipped her belt and then shut the door to get around and hop in the driver's side. I buckled, then started the car and we were on our way to the hospital. I still felt sick and tired, but I was mad about what happened. Not at Astrid, it wasn't her fault Roseanna decided to be a huge bitch. I felt bad that she got hurt because of me. This was the second time a situation landed Astrid hurt over me. The first was with her ex being pissed off that she called my name during them having sex. Now this, one of my hookups giving her trouble to try and get me all for herself. I was once again debating on stopping the arrangement, I couldn't trust that any other hookups wouldn't get bold. I know Selena already made it clear she wanted me, came up with a whole idea to divorcing Astrid and marrying her, merging the company with her father's.

I turned it down, obviously, but I knew Selena wasn't happy that I declined an offer to leave Astrid without it affecting business, and even maybe making it better. I was wondering why I did that, I guess I thought back to what Astrid said about taking her break to focus on herself, then maybe we try to make things work again. Astrid told me about what Roseanna said, mentioning that I was thinking about that. I felt like things between Astrid and I could work if we did it together. Maybe stop thinking about how we were forced into it and accept that this is how it is and might as well go with things. Astrid did appear to be trying hard to be a good roommate, dare I say, wife to me. Use tonight, she physically took hits to try and stop Roseanna from getting in the house and never fought back knowing Roseanna was pregnant. Astrid has been very good about working, chores, and all the stuff we had problems with before. I guess I was willing to give it another chance, but it was still something we needed to talk about first. I would wait for her to come to me about it. I didn't want anything to seem rushed or pushy. If she wanted it, she could let me know when she was ready.

Right now, my priority was getting her to the hospital to get her checked out and make sure she's okay. After that, once we get back to the apartment; I really just wanted to get some more sleep. Today had proven to be enough and I was ready for it to be over.