rejazzz: You bet I did! Craig love in this chapter!

katydid13: I had some help with that. They don't know for sure yet... we'll see. Thanks for the review

ooOoo

Beat the drum, beat the drum, like a heartbeat, lonely and strong. Beat the drum, beat the drum, like a heartbeat, lonely and strong, beat the drum

Beat the Drum- Great Big Sea

ooOoo

I saw Craig's mouth drop open, and he stumbled backward. He caught himself on one of the chairs at the kitchen table. He looked dazed, almost sick.

"Craig?" I loosened his tie and went into the kitchen to find him water. "Are you alright? Say something…"

"I…" his words caught in his throat. "I've got to go."

"What?"

"I need some air…"

And he was gone as shiftly as he'd come.

ooOoo

Marcie had returned from grocery store and had gotten the kids back inside. It was starting to rain (what else is new) and I noticed someone running out Vivianne's front door. We live down the road from each other, it wasn't that difficult to see this guy was in distress.

Suddenly I realized who this must be. Craig Patrick, the coach bloke, who Viv had been working with. I'd only ever seen someone bolt from a house that fast for a couple of things. Either she'd threatened to call the cops on him (but he didn't seem the type to hit her), or someone had died (far as I knew Kate wasn't sick and Viv looked okay) or…

Ah ha…

I poked my head in the front door and met Marcie's eyes.

"Marce? You alright for a couple of minutes?"

"Sure, Charlie's in bed and the girls are having a snack. Where you going?"

"Just down the road, won't be long," I answered. "Love you, doll. Be right back."

"Love you too!" I heard her call back.

I followed him down the road and waited till he stopped moving. There was a frantic look in his eyes, he was running his hands through his hair, staring into oblivion.

"You Craig Patrick?" I asked, taking a step toward him.

He turned to look at me. "That's right, and you would be?"

"Bane Kearney," I offered him my hand. "I was Gary's best friend," he looked confused. "You know, Viv's brother."

He shook my hand and nodded. I shoved my hands into my jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Sticking it in my mouth and lighting it, I took a drag and leaned against the railing that Craig had stopped at. "You wanna tell me what happened in there?"

He shook his head, obviously still in shock. "Not worth worrying about."

I took another drag and flicked off the end. "She tell you she thinks she's pregnant?"

I had startled him, I could tell. "Did she tell you?"

I shook my head. "My wife's been through six. I knows it when I see it." I reached into my pocket and withdrew another cigarette, offered it to him.

He declined, said he didn't smoke. "How'd you do it?"

"She don't even know if she's actually knocked up, why are you so worried?"

"I'm not ready…"

"How old are you?"

"I'm thirty four," he answered.

I nearly knocked him in the back of the head. "Blimey, and you're telling me you're just getting your rocks off now?" I stubbed my cancer stick into the ground. "Fuck me, man, you're worse off now then I was when me wife told me she was pregnant the first time."

"When was that?"

"I was seventeen," I answered him. "Look, you're scared, but no use getting yerself worked up if it's nothin' at all," I leaned over the railing and spit. "Chances are she's just as scared. Don't be like her old man and knock yerself off cause you can't handle a baby."

"Is that what happened?"

"I dunno, don't think so, rumour was that he slipped off that flow and told em not to try to rescue him. Didn't want his kids to think he was a fucked up drunk," I told him. "But I think it was an accident. She ever tell you bout the time she knocked a kid in the dirt for callin' her mom a floozy?"

"I don't think so," Craig answered.

"She don't take lightly to things like that." I said, though I'm sure he knew that. "Look, she's had a rough enough time as it is. Be good to her, yeah?"

"Of course," he told me. "Look, Bane, I know I must've scared her, but I'm not leaving."

"Where you from, anyway?"

"I work in New York."

"Ah," I nodded. "How you two gonna work this out?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, if you don't know, go back and talk to her, you dolt!" I slapped him in the arm.

He nodded, a little shaken. Almost as soon as I said it, he started walking back toward Viv's house, and if I'd done my job right, they'd be able to talk about this like responsible adults.

Ha, good luck, you bugger.

ooOoo

As elated as I was that Craig had come back, I wanted to hit him. Never had I expected him to walk out like that upon hearing the news. I don't know if I am actually pregnant, all I said was that I think I'm pregnant.

And once he got back, I relegated him to the couch. I actually refused to talk to him till the next morning. I went into the kitchen and searched the cupboards for something to throw into the frying pan.

Ah ha, potatoes! And in the fridge… yay, Mom bought eggs. Apparently her sewing has brought in more money since she was on her own now. I know that sounds horrible but it's true.

As I turned on the stove and levelled my hand over the pan, I felt Craig kiss my bare shoulder.

I jumped as a shiver of electricity went through my body. Pulling away, I'm sure he saw me tense.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't do that," I answered, emphasizing each word.

"What?"

"That!" I answered. "Not while I'm in front of the stove!"

"Viv, what's going on?" he ran his hands down my arms.

"Hands off!" I nearly shouted.

He stepped back, his hands up in surrender. "I don't understand, Viv, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?!" I hissed, slamming the spatula down on the counter and turning to face him so fast my hair flipped out to the side. "Do you love me?"

"What?"

"Do you love me, Craig Patrick?"

"Where is this coming from, of course I do…"

"As a person?" I walked toward him. "Do you love me as a person?"

"Of course…"

"Then why the hell did it take you six weeks to pick up the damn phone, book a plane ticket, and get your ass up here like you promised me you would?"

"I…"

"And as soon as I say I might be pregnant, you walk out!" I continued. "What if I actually am pregnant? What are you going to do then? Are you going to walk out and tell me I'm not good enough for you?"

"Never!"

"Because I can't…" I felt my lip tremble. "I can't do it on my own, I can't…" my arms were shaking so badly I couldn't hold on to the counter. "I can't…"

The next thing I knew I was on my knees with tears falling, forming little puddles on the floor. I heard footsteps coming from my mother's bedroom, moving to console me.

"No!" I cried, throwing her hands off me. "No, don't touch me!" I curled into a ball against the oven door, the eggs and potatoes forgotten. Luckily she turned off the stove before things got out of hand. "Go away, just leave me be!"

"I can't leave you be, Viv," it was Craig's voice. He sat down beside me and put his arms around my shoulders. "Not when you're like this, I can't leave you be…"

I beat his chest once with my fist before gripping on to his shirt and breaking down completely.

My tears echoed throughout the apartment as Craig held me.

"Don't do this to me again, I love you too much…" I hiccupped. "I love you too much, never again…"

He kissed my temple. "I love you too, Viv, and I'm sorry."

"I love you…" I repeated. "I love you…"