Laura answered the door when Kellie arrived at Lulu's.
"I thought you might stop by today," Laura said.
"Is she up for company?" Kellie asked, holding a grocery bag, "If she's not, I can stop by another time."
"I'm sure she'll be glad to see you," Laura said, opening the door wider for Kellie to enter, "Your timing couldn't be more perfect, I have some mayor related business to take care of."
Kellie stepped inside to see Lulu laying on the couch, her face tear-stained. Kellie's eyes immediately teared up in response.
Kellie took a deep breathe trying to get her tears under control, "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be making you feel better and not crying my eyes out here."
Lulu moved to make room for Kellie on the couch.
"I'd say you're both entitled to more than a few tears for Dante," Laura said, grabbing her purse, "I'm going to go take care of a few things and then I'll be back."
Kellie curled up on the corner of couch, next to Lulu. She pulled a couple of ice cream bars out of the bag and handed one to Lulu. Lulu absentmindedly began eating it.
"I assumed your mom told you that I talked to her last night," Kellie said.
Lulu nodded, "You think Dante's brainwashed and Robert Scorpio confirmed it. Would have been nice if Dante could have explained it me himself. But he just told me he had to leave because he was afraid he would hurt me and the kids. No explanation."
"Remind me to kick Dante's butt when I get chance to do that for being an idiot about that," Kellie said.
"Do you think he'll come back to us?" Lulu asked.
"With the right treatment…." Kellie started to replied.
"Don't sugar coat it, okay?" Lulu said.
"It's hard to say," Kellie said, "Even if he does I think it's going to take a long time."
"I was really hoping for a better answer," Lulu said.
"It's not the answer I want to give anyone," Kellie said, "I wish I could have figured it out sooner, but I don't know that it would have changed anything either."
"He still would have had to go away," Lulu said,
"Yeah," Kellie said, "We just might not have been blindsided by him leaving."
"I don't even know what I"m supposed to do about telling Rocco," Lulu said, "Or about our life and marriage at all. Dante just left and I can't even communicate with him to make decisions together."
"Dante meant well, Lulu," Kellie said, "i know that doesn't make it feel any better. He was making the best decision he thought he could to protect you and kids. I can't defend how he handled it, but I understand it. I hurt my siblings and Tyler pushing them away because I thought I was too dangerous to be around them. I made decisions to leave without their input or telling them because I thought it was better that way. I went as far faking my death at one point."
"Do you think Dante feels desperate?" Lulu asked.
"Yeah, I do," Kellie said, "He's trying to get away as fast as possible before the danger he feels he is puts someone in jeopardy. And that any hurt feelings if he's even considering that are worth keeping the ones we love physically safe. Unfortunately, Dante and I seem to share each other's worst traits sometimes. That apparently is one of them."
"Dante really didn't say anything to you about any of this?" Lulu asked.
"He didn't," Kellie said, "Believe me I tried to get him to open up for me or someone. This wasn't what I had in mind when I told him to get help."
They were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"I got it," Kellie said, getting up from the couch. She opened the door to find Maxie standing on the other side.
"Oh good, you're here," Maxie said, marching in, "This saves me from having to track you down later. But first things first…"
Maxie marched just past Kellie, stopped, and then turned around to look at Kellie, "Wait a minute."
"About what?" Kellie asked, shutting the door.
Maxie turned Kellie back around to look at her.
"What is it, Maxie?" Kellie said, "Did I sprout horns since you saw me yesterday or something?"
"I'm trying to figure out how I missed it," Maxie said.
"Missed what?" Kellie replied.
Maxie moved closer to Kellie. She pulled Kellie's slightly loose shirt tight against her stomach, making the outward curve obvious.
"That," Maxie said, "looks suspiciously like the beginnings of a baby bump, Miss I Couldn't Get Pregnant Even If I Wanted To. I'm pretty sure that bun had to be in the oven when told me you couldn't have kids."
"How did you not know Kellie was pregnant?" Lulu said, "Where were you yesterday?"
"Obviously not in any conversation involving the words "Kellie" and "pregnant"," Maxie said, "Why didn't you send me at least a text to tell me or something?"
"I have no idea at this point who does and doesn't know," Kellie said, moving Maxie's hands off of her shirt, "Half of Port Charles probably knew before I did that my tubes were never actually tied and said bun was probably in the oven."
"And she only found out in the last week," Lulu said.
"Those jeans obviously don't fit you anymore," Maxie said, "Stop wearing them. I don't care if you are using a hair tie."
"Didn't Sam bring you some of her old maternity clothes?" Lulu asked.
"For when I need them," Kellie said, "The hair tie still works. My pregnancy and rapidly expanding waistline are beside the point at the moment. Lulu and my well-meaning but idiot brother are what's important right now."
Maxie pulled out her phone and texting, "First things, I need to call in reinforcements since both of you are a mess right now. Lulu with Dante leaving and you with your weird denial of how pregnant you actually are."
"I'm going to go get something to drink out of the kitchen," Kellie said, rolling her eyes at Maxie, "Does anybody want anything?"
"Nope," Maxie said, "I already told Sage and Sam to bring some wine. Actually on second thought maybe we should take you shopping. It might take Lulu's mind off Dante."
"Carly already called dibs on shopping with Kellie for maternity clothes. I wouldn't get in the middle of that one if I were you," Lulu said, "Carly's pregnant too if you hadn't heard."
Maxie's jaw dropped.
Kellie walked off to the kitchen without another word, leaving Lulu and Maxie to talk.
When she came back out, Maxie turned to look at her, "I've got this figured out. You need to do whatever it takes to talk to Dante and convince him to come home to Lulu and his family. If the WSB tells you no, you keep calling and asking until they give in."
"That's not happening," Kellie said.
"You're the one with the best connections to make it happen," Maxie said.
"It's a no contact situation, Maxie," Kellie said, "I'm not going to screw up Dante's treatment by forcing my way into talking to him."
Maxie started to protest as there was a knock at the door,
"No," Kellie said, getting the door, "That discussion is over. I better not hear anything about you trying to interfere with Dante's treatment."
"What discussion is over?" Sage asked as she and Sam entered.
"Anything involving me going against WSB protocol for treating victims of brainwashing," Kellie said.
"Who was brainwashed?" Sam asked.
"Dante," Kellie said, "That's why he left, to get treatment."
"That explains why Lulu needs us," Sage said, "But Maxie's text indicated you were part of her SOS."
"What's going on?" Sam asked.
"Maxie thinks using a hair tie to fasten my jeans at this point in my pregnancy constitutes a fashion emergency," Kellie said.
"As long you can still fasten the hair tie, I don't think there's a fashion emergency," Sam said.
"Thank you," Kellie said, feeling vindicated.
"But you are like kind of showing," Sage said, "Or starting to. Even compared to yesterday when I saw you, you look like you're starting to round out."
"Sage," Sam exclaimed
"But maybe it's just the clothes you're wearing," Sage quickly tried to counter.
"We're not talking about my pregnancy," Kellie said, trying to hold her composure, "Even if I am little freaked out because I only just found out and I'm already spilling out of my clothes. I can worry about that later."
"You're more than a little freaked out," Maxie said, facing Kellie and staring her right in the eye, "How long did it take you fasten said hair tie this morning?"
"That's irrelevant," Kellie said.
"A few seconds, a minute or two, five minutes," Maxie continued, "or more, forcing the hair tie to stretch a just little more. Or better yet, did you break any hair ties?"
Kellie's jaw twitched as Maxie hit a nerve.
"Maxie, enough," Sam said,dragging Maxie out of the room into the kitchen, "Kellie can figure out on her own wardrobe. Now let's go get some wine glasses."
"She means well," Lulu said, apologetically.
"Can we just focus on something else right now?" Kellie said, "Please."
"We could," Lulu said, "But talking about your bundle of joy was a good distraction. And there's no rule that says only one of us at time gets to have issues, problems, or whatever."
"I'm starting to wonder when did you figure out you were pregnant," Sage said, "i mean I assumed it was a surprise when you got to the hospital and they or Jason told you after you were rescued."
"In the cabin," Kellie said, quietly.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen…
"So how is it that no one thought to inform me that Kellie's in the family way," Maxie said.
"Sage and I just found out in the last two days," Sam said, "With everything else that's been going on that's pretty low on our list of things to worry about. Not mention, Kellie just found out herself about the pregnancy. So pointing out that she's already starting to show probably not the best idea even if you are trying to help. Kellie didn't even think she could get pregnant. She thought she'd made sure of it. She gets to be freaked out and use the hair ties as long as she can manage it."
"About the not thinking she could get pregnant," Maxie asked, "What was up with that?"
"Rumor has it Helena paid someone off not to tie her tubes," Sam said, "But they're still looking into it. Considering that nothing came of that when she was married to Tyler…"
"I guess I could see how that might be shock during your second marriage," Maxie said.
"You think," Sam said, "And come to think of it, have you even talked to Liesl since she was rescued. I'm surprised she didn't say something to you about all this. She was with Kellie. It's assumed she was kidnapped to treat Kellie's illness which we now know is severe morning sickness."
"It might have gotten lost her German filled description of how dumb she thought Kellie was," Maxie said, "Which for the life of me didn't make sense at all. But now that I think about it, if Liesl knew Kellie was pregnant and Kellie was denying it in the cabin. I guess somebody did tell me and I missed it in the different languages and between how good looking she thought some Agent Jibbs was."
By this time Sam and grabbed the wine glasses and poured four glasses of wine and a glass of sparkling cider.
"Do you think you lay off the talk about Kellie's clothing," Sam said.
"I'll try," Maxie said, "But if she's still trying this in a week, I might have to stage an intervention."
"Maxie," Sam said, "What are we going to do with you?"
"Drink wine?" Maxie said, grabbing some of the glasses.
Once they returned to the living room, they heard Kellie explaining how she'd suspected she was pregnant in the cabin.
"That's a lot for anybody to take in," Sage said as Maxie and Sam handed the wine and cider glasses out.
"That's not even considering you didn't think having more kids was even an option," Sam said, "and you were thinking you had cancer instead."
"That is definitely one giant roller coaster of up and downs to deal with," Maxie said, " and I'm sorry about making you feel uncomfortable about having another kid."
"It's not your fault I'd hoped a get couple more weeks out of the hair ties," Kellie said, "And that starting show means I don't have that much time to get ready for another kid in the middle of everything else. I already failed at protecting her once by."
"I don't even want to hear you utter the words it's your fault you ended up in the cabin," Lulu said, "And neither would Dante."
"But it's the truth," Kellie said, "I have so much more to worry about this time around with threats and everything. I can't guarantee I can even protect myself in my condition right now."
"And you have plenty of people to help you," Sage said.
"Including us," Lulu said, "You did move back to Port Charles so we could all help you."
"What kind of mom does it make me when one hand the thought of having another kid freaks me out while I am simultaneously grateful I don't have cancer and terrified something will happen to her," Kellie said.
"A normal mom," Maxie said, "You're not first parent to be freaked out about having a kid. It doesn't mean you love her any less. Wait, are you and Jason having a girl?"
"I don't know actually," Kellie said, "It just slipped out."
"Actually you do need another girl to balance out the testosterone in your house," Maxie said.
"You and Alyssa are currently outnumbered," Sage said.
"Can we please change the subject now?" Kellie said, "I'm over all the baby talk at the moment."
"Fair enough," Sam said.
"Which means we can discuss Lulu…" Maxie and.
"You know I really don't want to talk about my problems any more right now," Lulu said.
"That's why we're here," Maxie said.
"How's Lorenzo and Francis?" Lulu asked.
"You can't dodge," Maxie said, but was interrupted by Sam and Sage answering Lulu's question.