Author's note: Sorry for the delay in posting. I thought I had this finished last week, but I was wrong. There are several more chapters to go yet, and I've actually already written the ending. Just a few of more angsty twists and turns need to happen first. Thanks again for sticking with me and this story and my erratic postings and for all your lovely reviews.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Walter glanced over to check on Ralph, who was standing on another ladder a few feet from his own, before turning his attention back to the constellation he was painting on the nursery ceiling. Orion had always been one of his favorites. The way the three stars lined up to form the belt. The fact it pointed toward the Pleiades. And while he was glad he didn't have seven sisters, he'd been very happy with the one he'd had.

Megan would have loved being an aunt. Hell, she probably would have been ecstatic he finally admitted he was in love with Paige. Would have been proud of how far he'd come. He had to blink away tears as he thought how much he still missed her.

"Hey, Walter."

The unspoken question in Ralph's voice shook him from his melancholy musing."Yes?"

"Are you going to get deported?"

Of all the things the boy genius could have asked him, Walter was totally unprepared for the one he did. "I don't know, Ralph," he replied honestly. "I certainly hope not. But the probability is hard to factor. There are too many unknown variables. . ."

"If you adopted me, would it help you keep you here?" Ralph put down his paintbrush.

"I don't think it works that way, buddy," said Walter.

"I didn't think so either, but I thought maybe it was worth a shot." The boy shrugged. "Drew said no, so it's all moot anyway."

Of course the other man had said no, he was a moron. "Are you serious about me adopting you?"

"Yes. I want you to be my dad. I wish my mom had met you first instead of him."

"I don't think I would have been ready to meet your mom back then," he said, thinking of the arrogant, angry twenty-one year old asshole he'd been twelve years ago as he raked his hand through his hair. "Plus there's no guarantee you would have been a genius if you truly were my son," he explained gently. "Being born a genius is a fluke of nature according to Toby."

"I suppose you're right," Ralph said with a sigh. Scrunching up his face, he looked over at Walter. "So, are you worried the new baby won't be a genius?"

He wanted to say no, he wasn't concerned at all, but that wouldn't be true. "I worry I won't be able to connect with him if he's not," he said. "Although your mother says I connect better with children than I do with adults, whether they're enabled or not."

"That's true. You don't patronize us like most adults do," Ralph explained. "You listen to us and don't discount our input. My little brother couldn't ask for a better father."

"Uh, you know, being a family doesn't necessarily being biologically related," Walter said after clearing his strangely constricted throat. "I, uh, want you to know how I-I. . .how I feel about you won't change because I'll have a biological child. I'll still l-love you as if you were my own."

"I know. You're not my bio dad but I love you more than. . ." The boy's declaration trailed off but Walter knew what he'd been about to say. He'd experienced the same conflicting emotions for the man who'd fathered him and the one who had accepted him for what he was. Deciding to change the subject, he pointed to Ralph's side of the room.

"That is an excellent rendering of Ursa Minor."

"Thanks. But it's not that difficult." The boy genius shrugged before resuming his work.

Walter was grateful their conversation turned back to constellations and nebulae and galaxies. Anything to take his mind off all of the worries weighing him down.

"Hey, guys, time for lunch. I made. . . Oh, my God. . ." Paige stood in the doorway. her mouth hanging open as she looked up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" Walter immediately climbed down from his ladder and hurried toward her.

"It's beautiful," she replied, still gazing upward. "I know you told me what you were going to do but. . . I didn't expect. . . It's amazing."

"So you like it?" Inwardly, he was pleased she seemed appreciative of their efforts. He'd been apprehensive she would think it too intricate for an infant.

"I love it." Lowering her eyes, she smiled at him as she rubbed her belly. "I think he's going to like it too." She kissed his cheek.

"Ew," Ralph commented with a grin as he jumped off the last rung of his ladder. "Don't make me lose my lunch before I eat it. What are we having?"

Paige ruffled his hair. "Mac and cheese," she replied.

"With extra cheese?"

"Yes. Go wash your hands," she called out as the boy rushed out of the room. "You, too, mister," she said as she placed her palm on his chest.

"Okay." He started to go do as she ordered but halted when he saw her bite her lip as she observed the room. "Are you all right?"

"What? Oh, yeah." He watched as she surreptitiously wiped her face. "Just remembering when Ralph was a baby and how I wanted to fix up his nursery but. . ." She stopped, her eyes glistening.

Oh, crap. Running his hand through his hair, he cursed himself for not asking for her input. Which hadn't occurred to him to do until that moment. "Paige, I'm sorry. . ."

"For what?"

"For not consulting you. . .about any of this. We should have asked you what you wanted for the baby."

"Walter, it's okay. This is truly beautiful," she said, pointing at the ceiling. "I wouldn't change a thing."

"Are you sure? It's not too late to. . ."

"I'm positive." She reached out and put her arms around his neck, moving as close to him as much as her stomach allowed. "I love how you guys researched and planned and put together such a scientifically beautiful room. And I love you." She kissed him again, but on the lips this time.

"What about Mack?" he asked after she'd pulled away. He wasn't completely teasing. Mack was a strong name and his maternal grandmother had been a McNamara.

"What about Mack?" she replied distractedly as she gazed up at the ceiling.

"As a name for the baby. My gran. . ."

"Mack O'Brien." An odd look came over her face as she tried out the name. "Oh, God, the other kids will call him Mack O'Roni."

"I didn't think of that." Although a bit disappointed, a sense of satisfaction settled over him she'd once again used his surname for their son.

"Clearly," she said with a laugh.

"We still have twenty-five days to come up with a name," he pointed out.

"Ugh, don't remind me." She rubbed her burgeoning belly. "And that's if he's not a week late like Ralph was. Come on, we better go before Ralph eats all the mac and cheese."

Walter watched for a moment as she waddled away. Guilt mingled with desire as he took a deep breath in a futile bid to control his response to the unwitting effect her pregnancy had on him. She was already enduring so much and he didn't want to add to her discomfort. Especially since he was the cause of it all in the first place.

With a sigh, he followed her to the kitchen, where Ralph had already dished himself a huge bowl of cheesy pasta and was happily chowing down.

ooooo

Later that evening, Paige stripped out of the yoga pants and t-shirt she'd been wearing all day, letting them drop to the floor. Reaching for her pajamas (which were basically another pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt), she caught a glimpse of her naked body in the full-length mirror on the closet door.

Oh, God. She looked like a blimp. Running her hand over her swollen belly, she knew she shouldn't let what Drew had said about her body get to her. But it did. She'd never been this huge with Ralph. But then he'd weighed just a little over seven pounds. Her doctor had told her this baby could be eight and a half pounds or more. Louise had told her during their last Skype chat Walter had been almost nine pounds at birth.

And it wasn't just her size which bothered her. Her back and feet ached constantly. Her mood swung from crying one minute to being cranky the next. Her stretch marks had stretch marks. She was a fat, frumpy, hormonal mess. She had cankles, for heaven's sake.

"Hey, Paige, where. . ."

She gasped as she spun around in time to see Walter stumble to a halt just inside the doorway. Grabbing her shirt, she held it in front of her in a pointless attempt to cover herself.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he moved toward her.

Everything. "Nothing. I'm fine," she lied.

"You've been crying."

"No, I haven't. . ." She swiped at her face with one hand as the other clutched her tee and felt the dampness on her cheeks. Okay, so she was and hadn't even noticed.

"I'm sorry," he said as he stared down at the floor.

"For what?" She couldn't think of a reason why he needed to be sorry.

He gestured toward her stomach. "For doing this to you. It's my fault."

Oh, God. "Walter, no. . ."

"It is. It never crossed my mind to do anything to prevent. . .prevent a pregnancy. I put all the burden on you. And that's not. . .it's not right."

"Walter," she said with a sigh. "If anyone is at fault, it's me. I'm the one who. . ." Heat flushed over her as she remembered their first time together, and how she'd been the one who'd started it. "I was on birth control. I though we were safe." She ran her hand over her bulging stomach. "And even if you had thought about protection. . . We can't unring a bell. I don't regret this. Don't ever think that."

"I don't. . .I don't regret it either," he said, and she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "You just seem so. . .so miserable lately and I can't help but feel it's my fault."

"It's not your fault, but you're right, I am miserable right now," she agreed, "and tired and uncomfortable and grouchy. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted nothing to do with me."

"Ah." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "When you were pregnant with Ralph, it was at this point when Drew started seeking out other women," he stated matter-of-factly.

"How did you. . .?" More than a little surprised he had figured it, she said, "Yeah, at least I think so. . ."

"I'm not Drew," he declared.

"I know you're not," she replied.

"You still compare me with him." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You still worry I'll abandon you like he did."

"I do not," she replied, but even as she said it, she knew it wasn't true. "It's just. . . The situations are similar. Unexpected pregnancy, we're not married, you're not interested in sleeping with me anymore. . ."

"Wait, you think I'm not interested?" He seemed genuinely confused.

"We haven't done anything for over a week," she said, her face once again feeling as if it were on fire.

"Eleven days to be. . ." His voice tapered off as he must have realized she didn't care about an exact count. "I don't want to hurt you. . .or the baby."

"Oh, Walter." She plopped down on the bed. "You're not going to hurt either of us. The doctor said it's still okay if we. . ."

"You said your hips were sore the last time. . ." His cheeks turned red. "When you were. . .er, on top"

"Yeah, they were a little," she conceded, patting her belly once more. "And this is kinda getting in the way too. But it's still a month until I'm due. Then we have to wait for six weeks afterward. That's a long time to go. . ."

"I've gone a lot longer without. . .without sex," he said, his blush deepening.. "Two and a half months of celibacy is nothing compared to nearly thirty-three years of it."

"Oh, God." He'd done it again. Totally disarmed her with a sad fact of his life before he met her.

"I-I, uh. . . Don't think I don't want to. . .you know," he stammered, raking a hand through his hair. "My, uh, my desire for you has not lessened."

She couldn't help it, her eyes strayed to the front of his jeans. "I can see that." Standing back up, she licked her lips and stepped toward him. "So. . . You wanna fool around, nerd?"

"O-Okay." Walter swallowed nervously. "If-If you're s-sure."

Coming even closer, she rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'm very sure."

He closed his eyes as she wended her fingers to the back of his neck and into his hair. Hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way, he confessed, "S-So, uh I've done some research."

"Research, huh?" A shiver ran through his body as a seductive smile grew on her lips, causing him to momentarily forget everything he ever knew.

"Uh, yeah," he said when he could think clearly again. "On sexual positions. . . No, no, no. . ." he added when she pulled back and arched an eyebrow at him. "Not-not p-porn. Legitimate pregnancy websites. I. . . We. . ."

"Nothing too kinky then?" she asked as he shook his head. Glancing down at her belly, she said. "I don't think I'm in any condition to do any acrobatics."

"N-No acrobatics," he confirmed as he kicked off his shoes and toed off his socks. "Just scientifically tested positions for maximum comfort and efficiency."

"Okay, as long as I don't have to get down on all fours," she said as she unbuttoned his shirt.

"No, although that is one of the suggested positions." Walter undid his belt. "The one I have in mind requires you to lie on your left side."

She pulled his t-shirt over his head. "Good. I already feel like a fat cow."

"I grew up on a farm," he stated as he dropped his boxers, "and I can assure you, you do not in any way resemble a bovine. You are, however, the most beautiful woman in the world."

He was sure he'd said the wrong thing when her face crumpled and tears formed in the corner of her eyes. He opened his mouth to apologize but didn't get the chance as she whispered "Oh, God, Walter" a split second before mashing her lips to his.