If I Don't Have You

by NMI123

In an alternate Universe, Laura married Stefan, and Steve moved to Russia. Five years later, their lives seem almost unrecognizable until they finally begin to reconnect. (To be continued...)

10. Chapter 10

The next day, just before lunch, Laura slipped into Steve's office. "Hey," she said.

"Hey, there, Sugar Lips," he said, pleasantly surprised by her intrusion. "Did you realize it's almost lunchtime? Are you here for a little adventure?"

"No," she said decisively. "I told you that's not going to happen again."

"Yes, of course," Steve agreed insincerely.

"I'm just here to make sure you're ready for your lunch."

"I sure am, Sweetums. I couldn't be more excited. I'm a little nervous, but I'm cautiously optimistic."
"Good. That's the right attitude. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well, I can think of a few things you could do that might help me relax," he teased.

"Hey, what happened to your best behavior?" she scolded.

"But, Pet…"

"I mean it, Steve. Yesterday was an… unfortunate relapse, but we need to try to keep ourselves under control for a while."

"If you insist…"

"I do," she said firmly.

He nodded, slightly disappointed, but not surprised. "Then, there's really nothing you can do for me, Sweetheart. I have a couple of things to finish up here, and then I'm heading out. Just make sure you eat something, and be here when I get back because I will definitely want to talk to you."

She smiled sweetly. "Ok. I can handle that." She turned to leave but paused at the door. "Steve?"

"Yes, my pet?"

"Please, work this out. It's very important to me."

"To me, too, my sweet."

"Good, because if we ever… Well, I'll want his support."

"So will I, Laura Lee. You know I'll need his blessing."

She nodded and quickly walked out, before she changed her mind about helping him relax.

Steve arrived at the diner forty-five minutes early, not wanting to be tardy, and found a secluded booth in the back. He wanted them to have some privacy to really talk things out. He took a few deep breaths and tried to focus on the apology he had prepared, but soon, he found his mind trailing to his lady love.

When Carl walked in, a while later, he found Steve slack jawed and nearly drooling as he stared off into space. He cleared his throat to get his attention as he sidled up to the table. "Ahem."

"Oh!" Steve jumped, standing to greet him. "I didn't see you there." He extended his hand, but Carl ignored it and sat down. Steve accepted the defeat and sat back down in front of him.

"What were you thinking so hard about?" Carl asked, hoping he'd start to ramble about some invention for a few minutes to give him time to gather his thoughts.

Steve blushed, unable to explain to Carl where his naughty mind had wandered. "Oh… Uh... Nothing really," he lied.

So much for that plan.

"Uh… Carl," Steve began, "I think I need to start with an apology."

Carl shook his head. He had no desire to do the whole touchy-feely thing with Steve. He just needed to figure out how to share a civil meal with him, and that meant burying his feelings and biting his tongue, not baring his soul. "That's not necessary, Steve," he lied.

"Oh, it darn well is," Steve insisted. "Carl, if I had any idea how much my leaving would hurt you, I never would've–"
"Steve," Carl interrupted, "I really don't want to do this. Let's just talk about something else."

"But, Carl, you're the most important man in the world to me. I can't bear the thought of hurting your feelings."

"You didn't hurt me, Steve!" Carl barked. "Just drop it."

"Carl, we're never gonna get anywhere if you're not honest about your feelings."

Carl stood abruptly. "Ok. No. I can't do this," he grumbled. "See you around, Steve," he called over his shoulder as he sped away.

Steve was shocked that he had managed to drive him away so quickly. That had to be a record, even for him. "But, Carl!" he yelled, sliding out of the booth. He ran after him, but when Carl reached his car, Steve couldn't very well chase that so he watched him drive away.

Laura waited expectantly for Steve to come back for hours. She had expected him back at one or two, but then three and four rolled around, and she started to worry. Maybe her father had snapped and finally killed him. She told herself to think positively. She imagined them spending the whole day together, both choosing to blow off work, because they missed each other so much. She called his cell phone a few times, but he didn't answer, so she spent the afternoon pushing his meetings. She tried her father, but he didn't answer either. By five o'clock, she found herself walking alone to the daycare center for the first time since Steve's meeting with Jenna. She picked up the kids, telling Michael that his Uncle Steve was out having fun with Grandpa, whether or not that was true, and she drove them home. When she pulled into the driveway, she saw her father's car and allowed herself to prepare for some more negative possibilities.

"Hi, Daddy. Hi, Mom," she said as she walked in and found her parents sitting at the kitchen table. Michael ran past her and started to his room. She took Eli into her arms and put him in his high chair. She started toward the fridge to pull out some baby food, hoping to feed him before she had to worry about dinner for Michael or herself. She started the interrogation as casually as she could. "How was your lunch with Steve, Daddy?"

Her mother turned to Carl abruptly. "Your what with who?"

Carl's brow furrowed defensively. "You didn't talk to Steve?"

Laura walked back to them and took a seat beside Elijah. "No," she said, trying to keep her cool as she sensed his rising aggression. "He never came back to the office. Did you guys have fun?"
"You had lunch with Steve?" Harriette asked Carl again. "And he never came back to the office?" she confirmed, twisting to face Laura. She closed her eyes and threw up her hands. "Oh, Lord! You finally snapped and killed that poor boy, didn't you?"
Carl grumbled, "No, I didn't kill him. I just didn't have lunch with him."

"You stood him up?" Laura asked, scolding her father for his rude behavior. No wonder Steve didn't come back. He's probably still waiting at the diner, she thought. She opened the baby food and started to spoon it into the gargling baby's mouth.

"No," Carl explained, "I showed up, and Steve annoyed me, so I left." He unsuccessfully tried to pass the blame.

Laura didn't stand for it. "He's always annoyed you. What made you storm out this time?"
"He insisted on talking about his feelings and my feelings," he growled. "It was despicable."
"You mean he actually wanted to work stuff out with you? The horror!" she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, you didn't have to sit through any of it."

"Oh, I did, too. He's apologized for leaving me a hundred times."
Carl's head shot up. "He apologized to you?"

Laura's eyes widened as her brain caught up with her mouth.

Harriette pursed her lips, knowing Laura's secret was too far out of the bag to be forced back in now.

Still, she tried to play it off. "Oh, well… Um. You know how Steve is. He apologizes for everything."

"Nuh-uh," Carl insisted. "You said he apologized for leaving you. He left you?"
Laura thought for a long moment and sighed, "Yes."

"But you told us you dumped him. That's why he left!"

Laura cringed, knowing she had just made this harder for Steve. "I wanted to marry him, but he didn't think he was good enough for me, so he left," she explained simply. She hoped that that explanation would suffice because she certainly didn't want to add any more detail about that afternoon. She turned her attention back to Eli as Carl digested this new information.

"So you didn't even break his heart? And he still left? That little…" Carl stood up, knocking his chair over. "That ungrateful…" He mumbled insults under his breath.

Laura handed the baby food to her mother and stood to confront her father. "C'mon, Daddy. You're being ridiculous. If anyone has a right to be mad at Steve, it's me. If I can forgive him, you should, too."

"Well, you didn't feed him, shelter him, and clothe him for years! Do you know how much money I wasted on that creep only to have him break my daughter's heart and abandon us all?" Carl yelled.

"That was a long time ago, and if you had let him talk today, he would have apologized!" Laura yelled back, as their conversation quickly deteriorated.

"I didn't want to hear a stinkin' apology. All I want is to unknow that jerk."

"If we didn't know Steve, you would be dead. How many times did he save your life?"

"Twice, but how many times did he almost kill me?"
Laura ignored his question. "We are better people for having known Steve Urkel, and you would think that you would know that after all this time."

"Well, that kind of thing is a lot easier to see when you're fawning all over somebody," Carl snarled.

Laura scoffed, "Oh, sue me! I have feelings for someone. At least, I have feelings! If you loved Steve half as much as you claim to, you would have forgiven him by now. If you really treated him like a son, you wouldn't be able to turn your back on him now when he's coming to you and admitting he messed up. You wouldn't do that to me, and you wouldn't do that to Eddie. You wouldn't do that to 3J. You're no father at all if you do that to Steve," she concluded, shaking her head.

Carl was speechless. She had a point. He claimed to be mad that Steve had ignored him after he had taken him into his family, but based on the way Carl had treated him lately, maybe that grievance was hypocritical. Maybe he had never treated Steve like one of his own.

Laura glared at him for a moment before realizing she wanted to be anywhere but in that kitchen. She had someone else who needed her anyway. "Michael?" she called up the stairs.

A few moments later, he ran down. "Yeah, Mom?"

She took him into her arms and smiled at him. "How would you like to go have dinner at Uncle Steve's house?"

"Yeah!" Michael cheered excitedly.

"Laura…" her mother warned.

Laura kissed Michael's cheek and set him down. "Why don't you go pick a couple of toys to bring and meet me back down here?"

"Ok!" he said, as he turned back to the stairs.

Laura turned back and grabbed the diaper bag, knowing she needed to fill it with a few things first.

"Laura…" her mother said again.

"I don't want to hear it, Mom. Steve had an awful day, and I need to check on him. He's not even answering his phone." She grabbed the bag and Eli and headed upstairs to pack what she needed.

Steve sat on his deck, watching the water move on the lake. He did everything he could to clear his head, but he kept replaying his lunch over and over again, trying to figure out what he could have done differently. Around six o'clock, he heard the doorbell ring, so he walked back inside. "Coming!" he called, though he was probably too far for his unexpected visitor or visitors to hear him. Without checking the security cameras or even the peephole, he threw the door wide open. He gasped dramatically. "Laura Lee! What are you doing here?"

She smiled at his shocked face. She was glad just to see him at all, actually. She watched as Michael ran up to him and threw his arms around his legs.

Steve looked down at his assailant and lifted him into his arms, only then noticing the kids. "Hey, Mikey! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you here?"
"Oh," he nodded, then understanding the question. "Mama said we could come over and have dinner with you tonight. Is that ok?"

"That's more than ok," Steve beamed at Laura. "Your mom knows that you all are welcome here anytime."

She smiled back at him and held up the pizza in her hand.

"Oh!" Steve said, reaching out to take it from her. "Let me get that, Sweetums." He walked inside, holding the door for Laura to follow with Eli. "I know the perfect spot for us to have dinner. Michael, have you ever been on a boat?"

"No!" Michael answered excitedly.

"Well, how does pizza on my boat sound?"

"You have your own boat? Cool!"

Laura followed Steve out to the deck and down to his private stretch of the beach. He walked onto his yacht and set Michael and the pizza down. He turned to Laura and took Eli before offering her a hand to help her aboard. "There," he said as they had all made it safely aboard. He left a hand on her back for a long moment after she was on the boat. He smiled at her, grateful for the unexpected appearance. Eventually conscious of Michael's presence, he turned and led them to a little seating area that was now facing the rest of the lake. He helped get the kids situated and said, "Ok, I'll go grab some stuff from inside the cabin, and we'll be good to go."

"I'd offer to help you, but we're on a boat, so…" she explained, gesturing to the boys as she took a seat.

"Aye-aye!" Steve agreed. "Safety first!"

When he returned with some plates, napkins, non-alcoholic drinks, and dessert, he focused all of his attention on Michael. He sometimes had a hard time figuring out what he was and wasn't allowed to say to Laura, especially in front of Michael, and especially when she was sending him confusing signals like showing up at his house unexpectedly. He settled for talking to the toddler and stealing long, conspicuous glances at Laura when he thought he was being subtle.

She let him and Michael chat, because she couldn't talk about what she really wanted to talk about until they were alone. She could have come alone, but she really wanted to cheer Steve up, not indulge in temptation. She thought some family time would do the trick and let her feel like she was still somewhat in control of her life.

When the pizza and dessert was gone, Steve decided he had to do something to find a little alone time with Laura. "Hey, Mikey," he said cheerily, "do you like to go to the movies?"

"Yeah!" he cheered.

"Do you know I have a movie theater right here in my house?"

"Cool!"

"Do you guys want to watch a movie?"

"Can we, Mommy?" Michael asked, turning to Laura.

"Of course, we can, Sweetheart!" she smiled, thinking she too was relieved that she and Steve might have a minute to talk but in controlled circumstances.

Steve led them both inside and to his private theater. He and Michael picked a movie while Laura put Eli down for the night in one of the guestrooms. She thought it was odd that Steve had a fully stocked nursery set up, but it wasn't odd for Steve, so she let it go without saying anything. When she returned, the movie was ready to start. Steve hit play and turned to Michael. "Hey, Bud, I'm gonna go get us some popcorn and movie snacks, ok?"
"Ok," he agreed, paying little attention to the grown-up talking over a cartoon.

"Laura," Steve asked, "could you give me a hand with that?"

"Sure," she nodded knowingly. She followed him out to the kitchen and watched as he pulled out a popcorn machine. She shouldn't have been surprised that his popcorn wouldn't come from the microwave.

"So," he began as the popping started, "what are you really doing here?"
"You didn't come back to work today," she answered. "You didn't even call."

"I know, Laura Lee. I'm sorry," he apologized, stepping toward her. "I was just so upset after that awful lunch…"

"You should have answered my calls, Steve. I was worried about you."

"I didn't know what to say. I blew it, Laura. I had one chance to win him over again, and I messed it all up."

"No, you didn't, Steve. He did. He was the one who wouldn't listen. That's not your fault," she said firmly, taking his hand.

He squeezed her hand back and moved even closer. "Thank you, Sweetums. I'm glad you're here. I really am bummed. I thought I was going to fix everything today."

"Well, being here is the least I could do," she admitted. "I made everything worse for you tonight."

"How?"

"I accidentally told my dad that you were the one who dumped me. Now, he thinks you're even more selfish and ungrateful."

"Oh, great!" he moaned.

"I'm sorry, Steve."

"Oh, it's not your fault, my sweet. I don't expect you to lie to anyone for me. I did leave you. I am selfish and ungrateful."

She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "No, you're not." As he leaned his face down to her, she rested her forehead against his. "You made a big mistake, Steve, but you're sorry about it. You tried to apologize to him. That's all you can do for now."

He kept his arms at his sides, not feeling worthy of her embrace, "I hurt him so much, Laura… and you…. and everyone."

"I've already forgiven you, Steve. My mom's forgiven you. 3J has, too. Michael and Eli adore you. You're getting there, Steve, and… I'm going to be there for you in the meantime," she assured him.

"Really?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.

"Yes, maybe not always in the way you want me to be, but… I love you, Steve Urkel. I'm here for you."

He bravely placed his hands on her hips and drew her nearer. "I love you too, Laura Lee, and I'm here for you too. Whatever you need."
Her face flushed as she felt his erection poking into her stomach where he pressed his pelvis against her. She pulled away gently, wanting to maintain some friendly distance, but wanting to remain clear about her affections. She cleared her throat, "Ahem. So, did Family Night cheer you up at all?"

He smiled brightly, accepting that he wasn't going to get her into any compromising positions with her son only a few rooms away. "So much. You three really are welcome anytime."

"I knew we would be."

He scooped some of the popcorn out and grabbed a few other snacks from the pantry, including some more suited to his bizarre tastes. He had never understood the popcorn at the movies phenomenon. He led Laura back into his private theater, and she sat between Michael and Steve. He got brave about halfway through Finding Nemo and placed a hand on her thigh. He waited for her to object, but when she didn't he began to stroke it gently up and down. He heard her sigh deeply and took that as approval. He continued his gentle touch through the end of the film.

As the lights turned on automatically, he pulled his hand away, not wanting Michael to see anything suspicious. He turned to Laura and Michael. Michael was leaning against her, his eyes drifting shut. Steve decided to be brave again. "I have a few free guestrooms if you want to spend the night." He tried to make it sound innocent, but he hoped it was clear to Laura what he was really offering her.

It was. She looked back at Michael, who really was tired. She was tired, too. She didn't want to have to drive that far, but that didn't necessarily mean she was ready to stay here.

Always able to read her mind, Steve suggested against his every instinct, "Or I could have Maven drive you home."

Laura smiled at his pleading eyes. He was still sweet enough to offer her other options even when the desperation was pouring off of him. Oh, her pity would take her far. "What do you think, Mikey? Do you want to spend the night at Uncle Steve's?"

He sat up energetically, renewed by the prospect. "Yeah!"

Steve smiled, relieved that she seemed to be taking the bait, though he was careful not to make any assumptions.

"Ok, well, then how about we go find you a room, Baby?" Laura asked. "You look exhausted."

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her neck. She lifted him up and followed Steve, carrying her bags, as he led the way upstairs.

"Um… Do you want a room you can share or… two separate rooms?"

"He's a big boy. He'll be fine in his own room."

"Ok," Steve nodded, opening the door to a playroom filled with toys and two twin beds.

Michael's eyes widened. "Whoa."

"You can play with some of this stuff another time. You have to go to sleep for now, Mikey."

Michael wanted to argue, but he was exhausted. Laura laid him in the twin bed and helped him undress. She got him comfortable and tucked him in. She and Steve both kissed him on the cheek before tiptoeing out of the room and turning off the lights.

"So," he whispered, turning to her, "we just need to find a room for you now."

She smiled at his chivalry, "I appreciate that, Steve, but I told you that I'm here for you, so I think I should be here for you… all night."

He swallowed nervously. "In my bed?"

She nodded, giggling at his sudden bashfulness.

He grabbed her hand and led her to the master bedroom at the end of the hall. He opened the double doors to reveal a huge master suite. There was a California king-sized bed, a seating area, a big screen TV, and a gorgeous view from the balcony. She could see that it tiered off into an enormous bathroom and two different walk-in closets. He closed the doors behind them and locked them. He swaggered over to her confidently, thinking again that he had a chance. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her butt back into his aching manhood. "Mmmm…" he moaned. "I've been dreaming about getting you in here for so long."

"This is just a onetime thing, Steve," she insisted.

"You keep saying that," he teased.

"I mean it. You had a bad day. You shouldn't be alone tonight."

"Every day I'm without you is a bad day, my love."

"Well, today was worse," she whispered.

He leaned close and smelled her neck, enjoying her warm, sweet scent. "I wanted to fix everything for us today, Laura. I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that, Steve," she insisted, relaxing back against him. "Fixing things with my dad wouldn't have changed anything anyway."

"It would've been a good start," Steve whined.

"Well," Laura said, turning around to press her front to his, "if you had fixed everything, I wouldn't have brought the boys over tonight, and we wouldn't be here, so maybe there was a reason your lunch went sour."
"You don't believe in that kind of stuff… That we're fated to be together."

"No, but you do."

"Oh, I know we're meant to be together, Laura Lee. That's why you can't stay away from me… or stay mad at me."

"I have to admit," she whispered, "I never feel completely in control when I'm with you."

"Really?" he smiled.

"Really. It would be so much easier if I could just… But I can't. I just can't stop myself sometimes."

"Like tonight?"

She sighed. "Yes, like tonight. I didn't plan to spend the night here." She pulled out of his arms and moved to sit on the edge of his bed. "My plan was to have dinner, watch a movie, and go home. Then you invited us, and I still wasn't going to stay, but then you offered to have Maven drive us home, and I just couldn't believe that you would suggest an alternative like that that would leave you all alone."

"Well, you looked tired. I didn't want you driving even if you weren't staying here."

"I know you didn't, Steve, because you're not selfish at all."

He smiled softly and took a seat next to her. "Oh, I'm a little selfish. You made it clear that you didn't want to make love again anytime soon, and I still orchestrated all of this," he said, gesturing around him.

"Hey, did you make my father ditch you?"
"Well, no."

"Did you invite me over tonight?"

"No, but–"

"Did you force me to sleep in your room?"

"No," he agreed.

"Then you didn't orchestrate anything. You just got lucky." She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "Very, very lucky."

He shivered slightly as her hot breath tickled his ear. "I-I-I-I should be more respectful of your requests."

Laura shook her head. "You aren't making me do anything I don't want to do, Steve. You're very respectful. I'm the one who keeps… crossing the line."

"It's not my line, Laura. You haven't crossed any lines on my end," he encouraged, taking her hand between his and turning to look into her eyes.

"I know. It's my line and even I can't follow it."

"Maybe it's too strict," he suggested, stroking the back of her hand.

"Maybe," she agreed. "Tonight was so… You were so good with Michael."

He smiled. "He's a good kid." He paused for a moment and then said, "He is the best kid. You're an incredible mother, Laura Lee."

"Thank you, Steve, but it's hard sometimes," she admitted. "Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how much easier it would be if I had someone by my side."

He took the hint and leaned his head down to her neck. He started to kiss it and suck on it, placing one hand on the bed to support himself and the other on her tiny waist. "I'm by your side, Pet. I'm always by your side," he whispered.

"Mmmmm…" she moaned as he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him, placing one hand on the back of his head to pull him closer and using the other to stroke his back. "I knooooooow…"

"I love you so much," he said between kisses.

"I love you too, Steve," she whispered.

He pushed her back on the bed and lay on top of her, continuing to kiss her neck. As he kissed and sucked, some of her makeup wiped away, revealing her hickey from the day before. He smiled to himself as he rediscovered his love mark. He sat up and moved further up the bed. He waved her over and watched her intently as she lay back on the pillows. When she was comfortable, he climbed between her legs. He pushed her skirt up so her legs had more room to move. He lay down on top of her, lining up their intimate areas, and he started to grind, his suit pants rubbing against her only panty-clad womanhood. He grunted softly as he rubbed himself against her, trying so hard to feel her through his layers of clothing. "Mm. Oh. Ohh. Uh. Mm."

She closed her eyes and enjoyed his movements, having much less fabric concealing her sensitive areas. "Ohhhhhhh," she moaned softly. "Oh, Steeeeeve…" Her hips started to work with his, grinding her womanhood into his groin.

Still feeling too far away from her, he started to rub against her harder, the springs in the bed squeaking as he found his fast, powerful rhythm. "Oh, Laura. Oh, my love…" he grunted, slamming against her over and over.

"Ohhhh, Steve…" she purred, reaching up to unbutton his shirt. He had already ditched his coat and tie after work, so as she unbuttoned his dress shirt, his chest was completely exposed to her. She ripped it from his shoulders exposing his muscular chest. Her hands trailed up and down his abs as he continued to dry hump her.

"Ughhhhh," he groaned and quickly rolled off of her.

She turned to him and sat up, confused and concerned.

"We're not teenagers, Laura," he grumbled, standing from the bed. He unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants to the floor. "I don't want to grind. I want to make love."

She nodded, not saying anything as she watched him undress. When he was completely naked, she watched him climb under the covers and sit up to look at her. She got suddenly nervous when she saw the look of passion in his eye. Sure, he had been passionate the previous times they had made love, but something about the twinkle in his eye looked different. He looked like he was finally done begging for scraps. She swallowed the lump in her throat and stood up. She unbuttoned her blouse and slipped off her tank top. She unzipped her skirt and stepped out of her heels. Wearing only her bra and panties, she moved to get into bed.

"No," he said firmly, grabbing her wrist so she couldn't pull back the sheet. "Everything off first."

She obeyed and unhooked her bra. She slipped it from her shoulders and looked down at him. She watched his eyes devour her newly exposed breasts. Then she hooked her thumbs into her panties and pulled them to the ground. Completely nude, he moved to allow her to slip under the bedding. She turned to face him.

He slid closer and kissed her deeply. He pushed her back and climbed on top of her. He pulled away from her lips, looking at her intently. "I just want to be clear, Laura," he whispered. "We're done with all of this, right? You're going to stop pushing me away?"

She looked away. Why did he always insist on labeling everything?

He put a hand under her chin and turned her eyes back to his. "I don't want to play games anymore, Laura."

She stared at him in silence.

He leaned down and kissed her neck again, their chests brushing together. He moved up to suck on her earlobe. He whispered in her ear, "I just want to love you. I want to be there for you. I want to make love to you. I want to hold you at night. I want to be a daddy. I want your kids to call me dad. I want to get you pregnant. I want you to be mine. You're mine, aren't you? Tell me your mine. Say it. I need to hear it. Tell me you're ready to be mine." He tried to fill the silence with sweet nothings, but his cool, confident insistence was starting to turn back to begging the longer she ignored him. His hands wandered her body, touching her everywhere, but not really stimulating any part of her. His hands just claimed every part of her as his own.

She didn't know what to say as she listened to his rant. A part of her wanted to give in, especially because she could see how her resistance was torturing him, but she still didn't feel ready to take any plunges. Maybe she could just… dip her toe in the water. "One date," she said, eventually.

He sat up and looked at her. "What?"

"One real date. That's all I can agree to for now."

He smiled down at her confidently. "Oh, that's plenty, my pet." He kissed her deeply and started to trail kisses down her body. His head slipped below the covers, and he found his way between her legs in the dark. He descended to devour her hot, wet pussy, rewarding her for giving in. He sucked on her clit and fingered her hard and fast.

She moaned and writhed beneath him, humping his face and squeezing his head tightly between her strong thighs. "OHHHHH, STEEEEEVE! OH, BABY! MAKE ME COME!" she shouted to him, demanding that he satisfy her.

He happily obliged, moving faster, sucking harder, reaching a free hand up to her sensitive nipple. A long while later, he felt her convulsing around him and heard her moaning his name in ecstasy.

"STEEEEEVE," she moaned over and over. "STEEEEEEEVE… STEEEEEVE… STEEEVE…" As her body relaxed, her legs released his head, and she looked down at him as he came up from under the covers.

"Did you like that, Babycakes?"

"You know I did," she sighed.

"You like it when I eat your pussy, don't you?"

"Mmmm," she moaned. "I love it."

"What do you love?"

"I love it when you eat my pussy."

He slipped two fingers inside of her again, just enjoying teasing her.

She gasped, "OHHH!"

"Are you gonna let me eat your pussy on our date?"

She nodded adamantly but didn't say anything.

He pulled out his fingers and spanked her big booty… hard. SMACK.

"OH!"

"Say it," he ordered.

"I'm gonna let you eat my pussy on our date," she said quickly.

"Good girl," he whispered. "What else am I gonna do to your little pussy on our date?" he asked, rubbing her clit with his wet thumb.

"Ooooo," she moaned. "Oh, you're gonna do whatever you want to it!"

He smiled. "Oh, really? Whatever I want?"

She nodded and confirmed, "Whatever you want." She paused for a moment before telling him what he wanted to hear. "My pussy is all yours, Steve."

He groaned loudly and thrust his fingers in and out of her. "OHHHHHH!" he growled low while he watched her swallow his fingers again and again. "Oh, it's mine!"

"Yesssss…"

"You're mine!"

"YESSSSSS!"

"Say it!" he demanded. "Say it, Laura! Say it right now!"

"I'm yours!" she called.

He ripped his fingers from her and shoved his cock deep inside of her. "OH, GOD! LAURAAAAAAAAA!" he yelled as he began to thrust into her savagely. He pounded into her hard and fast, giving her no time to adjust to his size.

She yelled out with his every thrust, "OH! OH, GOD! OH, STEVE!" Her calls got faster and louder as he did. His hand moved down to play with her clit as he slammed into her again and again. She felt her body react immediately, approaching another orgasm. "OHHH, DON'T STOP!"

His bed was squeaking wildly over the next several minutes as he took her the way he needed to, the way that showed her there was no one else for them. They were meant to be. "I'M GONNA COME! I'M GONNA COME! I'M GONNA COME IN YOUR PUSSY!" he yelled as his balls tightened, and he passed the point of no return.

"STEVE. STEVE, YES! COME IN MY PUSSY!" she encouraged, her head free of any doubt about him. She was always surest they could make it work when he was inside of her. When he was inside of her, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. When he was inside of her, she wanted to satisfy his every desire. When he was inside of her, she wanted to give him the baby he wanted. Baby? Wait. "WAIT. STEVE. NO!"

"LAURAAAAAA!" he yelled as he pinned her hips down and shot his load deep in her tight womanhood.

Despite her objection, the sudden force of his orgasm in her deepest parts, along with the forceful stimulation of her button, sent her over the edge with him. "OH, STEEEEEEEVE!" she called out as her walls milked him of his cream and drew it deeper and deeper inside of her. "Oh, Steeeeeeeeeve!" she purred. "Oh, Steeeeve…"

"OH, LAURA. OH, LAURA, LAURA, LAURA," he groaned again and again as hips continued to thrust into her forcefully as he finished. When his last drop had poured into her, he collapsed on top of her and held her close as she continued to shutter.

"Oh, Steeeeve… Steeeeve… Steeeve…"

"That's it," he purred. "Good girl," he whispered. "Give me that pussy. Come all over me."

As she came down from the clouds, her brain started to work again, and she realized what a huge mistake they had just made. "Oh, my God! Get off of me!" she yelled. She pushed against his chest, but he didn't budge. "Get off of me!" she yelled again, pushing harder and pounding on his chest.

The moment his brain registered what she was saying, he pulled out of her and rolled to the other side of the bed. He put his hands above his head like he was being accused of a crime. "WHAT? Laura! What is it? What's wrong?"

She jumped out of bed, hoping some of it would drip out of her. She ran quickly to the bathroom, praying that by some miracle she could clean him right out of her.

Steve watched her run from him and jumped when she slammed the door. Great! Now, what did I do? He waited as patiently as he could, running over the moment in his head again and again. He couldn't figure out what had made her freak. She seemed to be enjoying it one moment and then… what?

She opened the door quickly, now wearing his bathrobe. She stormed over to him, her eyes filled with fury. "DID YOU DO THAT ON PURPOSE?" she screamed, wagging a finger at him.

"Did I do what?" he asked, confused and terrified that he had somehow destroyed his every chance with her.

"Did you forget the condom on purpose?" she snarled.

Steve's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. The condom? The condom! He was supposed to wear a condom. Wuh-oh. He started to shake his head over and over and over.

She continued to glower at him, waiting for a real, spoken response.

"N-n-no, L-l-l-Laura L-Lee. I s-s-s-swear," he stuttered.

She stared at him, unblinking, hoping to figure out if he was lying. She eventually concluded he wasn't. If she could forget, being the person who would have the most consequences to deal with, how could she not believe he could have forgotten, too? She pressed a hand to her forehead and returned to the other side of the bed. She sat down on top of the covers and leaned against the headboard. She looked at Steve, who was staring at her intently, and she punched him as hard as she could in the arm.

"OW!" he yelped, recoiling only slightly.

"I can't believe we forgot the condom," she growled.

Steve gently rubbed his arm where she hit it and moved closer to her. "I'm sorry, Laura. It was an accident, I swear."

She nodded, holding back her stinging tears. "It's not your fault," she croaked. "It's both our responsibilities."

"Do you think… I mean… Do you know if… Are you going to get pregnant?" he asked, trying to hide a small smile.

She shrugged, "I'm not sure."

"Well, are you ovulating?"

"I don't know, Steve!" she sighed, exasperated. How carefully did he expect her to study her cycle?

"Well, when was your last period?"

"Steve…" she whined uncomfortably.

"We can make love, but I can't ask you a simple question about your cycle?" he demanded.

She rolled her eyes. "About two weeks ago."

"You could be ovulating then," he nodded.

"Not helping," she scolded.

"And even if you're not yet, sperm can survive inside of you for 3-5 days."

She turned to him, shocked that he would try to make this worse, and she punched his arm again. "NOT HELPING," she roared.

"OW! I just want you to have all the facts, Laura," he rubbed his arm again, waiting for it to bruise.

"I don't want facts like that!" she groaned. "I want facts that show how very unlikely it is that I'll get pregnant. Pick and choose your facts wisely, Steve, or I will hit you again."

"Duly noted," he replied. He watched her for a long moment as she stared into space. "Would it really be so bad?" he asked eventually.

She turned quickly to glare at him.

"I just mean… Would it be so bad to have a baby with a man that you love, who loves you, and who has more than enough means to take care of you and all three kids? Would that be the end of the world for you?"

"We're not having this conversation until we know there's a reason to have this conversation. They make pills for this kind of thing. I'll just stop on the way to work tomorrow."

"Please don't," he said quickly. "Please."

She turned to him, more confused than angry. "Why not? You're a scientist, Steve. I know you don't think the morning after pill is… the abortion pill. I know you know how it works. Plus, aren't you…?"

"I believe only a woman can decide what she does with her body," he nodded, "but that doesn't mean I want you to…"

"So, only women you're not having sex with can have control over their own bodies? I know you were having fun with that possessive question and answer while we were… but I thought that was just a little dirty talk."

"Oh, it was, Pet. That's all it was. I swear. I will support you no matter what decisions you make about our little mistake tonight. I know your… womanhood isn't mine to take. You don't belong to me. I know that. I just… I don't want you to take the pill because I want to have a baby with you, Laura… and I think there's a part of you that wants that, too. Don't make this decision because you're scared. Really think about it and figure out what's best for you."

She moved closer to him and lay on his chest. She wrapped an arm around him. "I am scared, Steve," she whispered.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, Sweetheart. I'm going to take care of you. I will always protect you."

She paused for a long time and then said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

She sat up and untied his robe that she was wearing. She slipped it from her shoulders and tossed it on the ground. She looked down at him, her body exposed. "You do have condoms here, don't you?"

He nodded vehemently and reached into the nightstand. He held the box up and showed it to her.

"Good," she smiled seductively, crawling closer to him, "because I was hoping we'd be able to make love more than once tonight, but I certainly don't want to increase my chances of…" She trailed off, choking on the words to describe such a concerning possibility. She grabbed the box and pulled one out. She unwrapped it and slipped it onto his rapidly hardening member. She rubbed him gently, hoping to hurry the process along. She leaned close to his lips and kissed him. She felt his hands grab and squeeze her breasts. "It's not that I don't think you'd be a good dad or a good husband, Steve," she said softly.

He looked up at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I know you'd be amazing, but I'm just not ready to… I'm just not ready, Steve."

He continued to stare.

"I'm going to take the pill tomorrow," she said, kissing him softly. "I'm sorry if that bothers you."

He placed a hand on her back and rubbed it comfortingly. "That's ok, Sweetheart. I just want you to do what's best for you. If you're sure, I'll support you."

"I'm sure," she said firmly.

He smiled at her. "But maybe someday?"

"Maybe someday," she agreed before mounting him.

They made love several more times that night, all fully-protected. Laura fell asleep in his arms, and Steve barely slept at all, afraid to miss a moment of her in his bed. He was disappointed that he wasn't going to become a father anytime soon, but he had renewed hope for their love. She was coming around, faster than the last time, too. All he had to do was be patient. Plus, the waiting game was way more fun this time around being that he seemed to spend half of it in bed with her. As he stared at her, he tried to plan that one real date that she promised him, and he prayed that she wouldn't go back on her word.

At the Winslow house, however, things weren't quite as peaceful. Carl had spent the night upset with Laura after their fight. Harriette was sitting up, wondering if she was going to come home at all that night, or at least call. As time ticked by, Carl went from being mad about their fight to being mad that she would spend the night with Steve Urkel and take her kids with her. "This is irresponsible, Harriette!" he yelled, pacing around the living room.

"It's not her best moment, but those boys love Steve. Michael was probably more excited than Steve was about the sleepover," she reasoned, trying to convince herself. She sat on the couch and tried to follow Carl's pacing, but it was making her dizzy, so she turned away from him.

"You can't bring your children on a one-night stand," he grumbled.

"It's not a one-night stand, Carl. I told you she's falling in love with him again, which is why you were supposed to work all of your issues out so that she wouldn't just pick up and leave to be with him one day. I've lost that boy once, and I don't want to do it again. Losing Laura would kill me."

"We're not going to lose her, Harriette. Maybe she'll be with him for a while, but then one day, he'll up and leave her like he left her before. Once a leaver, always a leaver!" he declared.

"It's, 'Once a cheater'…" she corrected.

"Oh, they both work."
"Carl, Steve Urkel is not going anywhere. He only left her the first time because he didn't think he could compete with Stefan. Now, he doesn't have to!"

.Knock.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Harriette asked.

Carl shrugged and stomped over to the door. He peeked outside. "Ha! You're about to eat your words, Harriette," he gloated, opening the door to reveal Stefan. "Hey there, Stefan," Carl smiled, wiggling his eyebrows. He shook his hand but pulled him in for a hug.

"Hey, Carl," Stefan smiled his hypnotic smile. "How ya been, Man?"

"Not great, but I think things are about to get a whole lot better for me."
"Glad to hear it!" Stefan stepped inside and moved over to Harriette. He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, but she turned and stood, leaving him hanging with puckered lips.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He grew immediately defensive. "Can't a man visit his kids?"

"You can't. You surrendered your parental rights. You don't have any kids."

"That was a mistake," he grumbled.

"But you did it," she said firmly.

Carl glared at her. "Harriette, c'mon. Now, you're being ridiculous. He has a right to see his kids if he wants to… Well, he would if they were here."

"'If they were here?'" Stefan parroted. "Where are my kids?"

"Laura's kids are out," Harriette said simply.

"My 10 month-old and my three year-old have taken up clubbing?"

Harriette was not amused. "No, they are with their mother who is staying at a friend's house because she had a fight with her father." She glared at Carl.

"What friend?" Stefan demanded.

Carl scoffed, "They're–"

"CARL, NO!" Harriette ordered. "That is none of his business."

Carl glared back at her. "It is, too, Harriette."

"That's enough, Carl. Can I see you in the kitchen?"

"They're at Steve's, aren't they?" Stefan interrupted.

Harriette turned to him. "How did you know that?"

"I saw Laura in an article about Steve. She's working for him now, so it wasn't a huge leap with you two being so cagey."

Harriette sighed, "Well, we don't even have the address, so you might as well just go and try again tomorrow… or not."

"Harriette, he can stay here," Carl said, growing tired of his wife's rudeness.

"That man is not staying in this house," she said firmly, "and if you fight me on that, Carl Winslow, neither will you."

"Now, I've had just about enough– "

"It's fine, Carl," Stefan interrupted, squeezing his shoulder. "I have a hotel room anyway. I'll see you guys tomorrow." He turned toward the door and slipped out while Harriette and Carl stared each other down.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Carl asked when the door closed.

"What's wrong with me?" she repeated. "You were the one who wanted a wife beater sleeping on our couch, but if you gave him the couch, where would you sleep?"

"That's just distasteful, Harriette. He's not a wife beater. It was an ugly divorce, but– "

"I'm sorry," she said sarcastically, prowling closer to him, "I must be the only one who remembers Laura showing up at our door with a bruise covering half her face."

"That was an accident," he growled, refusing to believe he could have been so blind.

"You're a police officer. When did you become so stupid?"

"If he hit her, she would have told us."

"No," Harriette argued, "because then you would have killed him and gone to prison. If it were an accident, she would have explained it. She showed up at our door with no warning and a huge bruise on her face. She wouldn't tell us why their marriage was over or why she wouldn't go to counseling. She insisted that he surrender his parental rights and that the divorce go through as quickly as possible. Didn't you ever wonder why she wouldn't let us go to court with her?"

Carl shook his head over and over. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he also couldn't un-hear it. "Why didn't you ever say anything to me?" he growled.

"I didn't want you to go to jail, either, Honey!"

He stood and stormed out the door.

"Carl!" Harriette yelled after him. "Carl Winslow, get back here right now!" She sighed and sat on the couch, knowing Stefan had already driven away. She prayed Carl wouldn't find him.