Hey everyone! Please read my AN at the bottom when you're done!
I looked at Ranger, I was panicking slightly. Ok, I was panicking a lot. We'd finally just decided that we wanted to make a go of us and now this? Cripes. The look on Ranger's face wasn't as bad as I thought. I mean he had to have figured it out but he didn't look mad. He looked…resigned maybe.
"Babe?" I shook my head confirming his fears. "Does this mean…uh…are you going to stay with Diesel?" Ranger asked, his voice low.
"What? No! I love you. Cripes. I mean obviously this is going to change things for you. I understand that. I don't expect you to want to be with me anymore." I wanted to get up, to find something to do, but I couldn't stand by myself.
Ranger reached over and took a hold of my hand. "It doesn't. It should. I realize it should change everything, but it doesn't. Damn it Steph, it took me this long to admit that I love you and want you, and I'm not letting anything get in the way of us anymore." Ranger gave me a half grin and I smiled back in surprise.
"Really?" I couldn't quite believe it. Ranger wasn't a sharing type of person. I couldn't see him helping me raise Diesel's baby. I looked at him skeptically and I was rewarded with a shrug.
"Okay, I'm not going to lie. I'm pissed. But not at you. I wish it was my baby in there. I wish I would have done things a little different. To be honest, I think you're going to need some support. I can't imagine Diesel sticking around."
I nodded, "I need to talk to him. Can you help me?" I asked. Ranger stood up and helped me into the bathroom. I awkwardly went pee and hobbled over to the sink to wash my hands. Ranger came in and helped me put some pajamas on. He walked me out to the living room and sat me on the couch right behind Diesel, who was playing Wii baseball. "Thanks."
Ranger nodded, "I'll be in the shower." He gave me a gentle kiss and walked into the bathroom. I was going to have to examine Ranger's change in demeanor later.
I was pregnant. Cripes. How did that happen? I mean, I knew how it happened but, wow. I'd never really wanted kids. Maybe in a "someday" type of way. But apparently someday was now and I was a little freaked out.
"Hey Steph, you okay? What did the doctor want?" Diesel asked after hitting a homer.
So, like a bandaid? Just rip it off? No, better to go slow. "Diesel? I'm pregnant." It just popped out when I opened my mouth. Diesel took a step backwards so he could sit on the couch, next to me. He missed by a few inches and landed on his ass in front of the couch.
"With a baby?"
"No. With a puppy. YES WITH A BABY!"
"Don't yell at me!"
"Sorry I'm freaking out!"
Diesel stood up and sat down next to me. He wrapped me in his arms and started running his hands up and down my back. "Okay, this is going to be okay. We can do this. We're adults." I had my doubts about that. I usually didn't feel like an adult. Diesel never acted like an adult. "How do you want to handle this Steph?"
"I haven't even thought about that Diesel. I need some time to think." I mean I'd only just found out, and I didn't quite believe it yet. My options were limited, abortion, that was out, adoption seemed ridiculous at my age, so keeping the baby was the really the only thing I could do. "I want to keep the baby." Want was a stretch but I couldn't think of another way to say it. Diesel and I had had made our bed, now we had to lay in it.
"I want to do whatever I can to help. You're a very good friend Steph and I don't want to ruin that. I love you."
"I love you too." I said.
Diesels hand went to my stomach, "Seriously?" I nodded. I heard the door open behind us and Ranger stepped out of the bedroom.
"Hey, I just got a call Steph, break in at one of my buildings. Diesel? You cool with feeding and watering her while I'm gone?" Ranger asked. I gave him 'Burg hand gesture and he chuckled before giving me a toe curling kiss and walking out the door.
"You know I've never been scared of Ranger. How he's taking this though? It's fucking terrifying. Shouldn't he have shot me or something?" Diesel asked.
"I'm as surprised as you are. It's downright freaky," I said. "I need to shower and get dressed."
"I gotta say, I'm loving this broken leg thing. I'm still going to get to see you naked." Diesel said as he stood up. Apparently we were going to ignore the elephant in the room. Or the baby in my womb as the case may be. He pulled me and helped me hobble into the bathroom. Despite Diesel's comment we managed to let me keep a little bit of my dignity.
"What are we going to do today?" I asked Diesel.
"We can go to breakfast?" Diesel offered.
I knew I probably wasn't going to get much more than that. Ranger would've kept me in bed all day. I nodded and Diesel grabbed my crutches. We decided it was easier if I used one crutch and Diesel held my other side. He got me into the passenger side of my Jeep and Diesel hopped into the driver's side.
"Do you know how far along you are?" Diesel suddenly asked.
"Nope, if it was in Seattle…what that's been nine weeks now." Truthfully I couldn't say. I don't actually keep track of my period, I couldn't remember having it after getting back from Seattle, the number I'd written on the form was random. "Coulda been last week though." I added.
Diesel drove us to breakfast, I scanned the tables there was nothing open. Joe was sitting in the back by himself and waved us over. Seriously? I glanced and Diesel and he shrugged. We went and sat down.
"Heard you managed to get yourself beat up Cupcake, you alright?" He asked.
Apparently my brain wasn't attached to my mouth because I blurted out, "I'm finally with Ranger but Diesel got me pregnant." My hands flew up to cover my mouth as Joe's dropped open. Diesel was looking at me with a grin.
"Jesus Christ. I didn't bring my Maalox today."
Ok, so before the murdering starts, I will tell you that I have every intention of this being a babe HEA now. So not too much freaking out. So from now on there will be a lot of Steph/Ranger love and a lot of Steph/Ranger/Diesel comedy. :)