A/N: Please don't forget to check out the poll on my main page about this story concerning the ending of the story. I can't decide, so I'm leaving it up to you guys.

R.I.P. Army Specialist Stephen Fortunato
1983-2008
he made the ultimate sacrifice

Accidentally Expecting

Lacey pulled her sweater closer to her body as she looked back and forth between the blonde and the brunette sitting around the table she currently sat at. The two were currently engrossed in conversation about life in Boston, something Lacey could not relate to at all.

"So Randy, when are you leaving for that press trip for the book?"

"Next Thursday."

Lacey furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What press tour?"

Mentally slapping himself for not telling her sooner, Randy turned to the petite brunette. "Company is sending me out again. The first tour went so well that they wanted me to head back out and get some more people to buy the book."

Inside, she could feel disappointment building, but she couldn't exactly place where it was coming from. This was the man she was not supposed to like. She wasn't supposed to care that he was going away for a few days. "How long?"

"Three weeks."

Lacey bit the inside of her lip, and instead of showing true emotion, she reached into her purse to grab her Blackberry. Forgetting that she left the phone on silent, she found a text message from one of her older brothers, Paul, or London as she called him based on his middle name.

Hey Lace. Elisha's birthday party is next weekend. Still haven't heard from you. -P

For being as early in her pregnancy as she was, Lacey was the first to admit that she was gaining quite a bit of weight. She ran a hand over her growing bump and tried to zone out into her own thoughts, until Randy's voice broke in. "You okay?"

Lacey slightly shrugged. "Yeah," she replied before licking her lips and locking eyes with Randy.

"So, I was thinking, Lacey, since you're not due until December, what if I threw your baby shower for October?"

The brunette nodded. "Sounds good."

xXx

After dropping Torrie off at the airport for her flight back to Boston, Randy turned his attention to Lacey in the passenger seat. "You've been quiet all day. What's up?"

Lacey pulled on the ends of her sweater to cover her hands and shrugged. "I don't know. I just kind of wish I knew you were going away next week."

"I probably should have told you myself." Lacey nodded before looking out the window. "And I'm sorry that I didn't. I didn't think Torrie would bring it up like that." The shorter brunette shrugged again. "Are you going to miss me?" Randy joked and turned to the Texas native.

"Maybe," she teased, turning back to face him. "Why? Are you going to miss me?"

"I'll miss both of you," he offered before placing a hand to her stomach. "So you have a doctor's appointment on Friday?"

Lacey nodded. "Eleven thirty." She placed her hand above his on her belly and let a smile caress her face. "I'm getting huge."

"You're pregnant, Lacey.'

"I know that, genius. Thank you Captain Obvious," she retorted as her smile turned into a smirk. "I just don't remember my sister in law being this big when she was pregnant with Elisha."

Randy shrugged. "I didn't know you had a niece."

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, she actually turns ten next week. I can't go to the party, though."

"And why not?" Lacey turned to look at him like he was crazy before pointing to her stomach. "Let me guess, your family doesn't know yet?" She just shook her head. "How come?"

Lacey pursed her lips as she thought about her family. Paul would be thrilled. Brian would be equally as happy. Her parents on the other hand, were a completely different story. Her father wouldn't mind another grandchild, but her mother would probably disown her for not telling her sooner. Or not truly being in a relationship with the baby's father.

"Lacey."

"I don't know. They're not the family that you just spring this shit on." Lacey tightened her grip on Randy's hand, in fear that if he took his hand away, things would somehow change. "After my divorce, my parents pretty much lost all contact with me. I was the bad child because I couldn't make my disastrous marriage work.

"If Paul ever told Mom he was getting a divorce from Maya, it would be the same thing. Luckily for him, they have a great marriage, and the sweetest little girl. I just can't do it."

"You have me, Lace." Lacey sent a smile in his direction as they interlocked their fingers on her stomach. With her free hand, Lacey outlined the tattoo on his forearm. "You'll always have me."

Not knowing exactly how to respond to the previous statement, she watched as Randy pulled into his driveway. "Want to come over for a little bit?"

"Sure."

Once the car was parked and the ignition was turned off, Randy stepped out and walked to Lacey's side of the car to open the door for her. The twosome stepped across the street and into Lacey's condo once she unlocked the door. "I'll be back in a minute. I'm going to go change."

Randy nodded and took a seat on the couch as Lacey started upstairs. A minute or so later, she stepped back downstairs changed out of her jeans, sweater and top into black sweatpants and a dark blue Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt.

"Do you think I'm getting too big?" she asked as she stood next to the couch. Lifting the sweatshirt just a bit to reveal a tight white tank top and a bump, she bit her lip.

"I think you look perfect," he offered, trying to make her give up, something she hadn't done since lunch. With a sigh, she slid the sweatshirt back down and took a seat on the couch next to Randy. "If you're so concerned, just ask the doctor on Friday."

Lacey nodded and sat sideways so she could face Randy. By looking in her dark brown orbs, he could tell she was starting to get tired, so he wrapped an arm around her and slid her closer to him. A content smile took over Lacey's face as she rested her head on Randy's chest.

The position she was in made her catch a glance of Randy's bulging muscle in his arms. Besides the confidence factor, in Lacey's mind, muscles were one of the sexiest things as far as men were concerned. Again, she took the opportunity to trace his tattoos, this time getting a chance to go higher to the one of his right bicep.

The simple and silent moment between the two soon to be parents was interrupted as Maria busted through the front door. Seeing Randy and Lacey on the couch together, she shielded her eyes with a hand and peeked through her fingers. "Is everyone decent?"

"What's up, Ria?" Lacey offered over her shoulder.

"Uhm," she started, before taking her hand away from her eyes and offering the two a cute smile. "Know that super cute black dress you have?" When Lacey nodded, she continued, "Can I borrow it for tonight? That really cute guy from the gym asked me out."

"Upstairs in my closet, all the way to the left." Just as Maria started up the stairs, the sound of Lacey's voice stopped her. "And you can keep it. I clearly can't wear it for a while."

"Thanks, Lace." Lacey offered the bubbly brunette a smile and nodded.

Turning her attention back to Randy, while she knew Maria could take quite a while going through her closet, she shrugged. "She'll come down with more than just that dress, trust me."

"And you don't mind?"

Lacey rested her head on the top of the couch. "If she didn't take the clothes, they would sit in my closet for the next five and a half months. I'd rather she take them." Randy rubbed circles on the brunette's back, as she placed a hand on his thigh in order to not fall over. "It's not like I can wear them until this baby is born."

"You could wear anything and you would look absolutely stunning."

In reply, Lacey just offered the Boston native a smile. A moment later, Maria sauntered down the staircase, arms full of clothing. "Told you."

"Lace, I hope you don't mind." When Lacey shook her head 'no', Maria beamed. "Ok, good, 'cause this shirt," she started, trying her best to hold out a black high necked top with a ruffled bust area and an almost bare back, "is to die for." Maria giggled and tried to keep the clothes in order balancing on her arms. "I grabbed the LBD and that super tight light pink one that you bought. Well, the one I told you to buy." Looking back and forth between the two on the couch, Maria smirked. "I'm going to head out. You two have fun doing -- whatever it was that you were doing. Lace, we'll catch up for lunch Saturday?"

Lacey nodded as Maria tried her best to wave and leave the condo. "It's a good thing I love her," Lacey offered with a genuine laugh.

Once back to a serene moment between the twosome, Lacey's house phone rang.

After a quick roll of her eyes at life and fate for continuing to intervene, she picked up the phone, but not before checking the caller I.D. "Hey mom." She offered Randy a feigned smile, to which he replied to with a kiss to her temple. "Yeah, how about that. Tell Elisha that Auntie sucks and can't go." Lacey placed a hand to her stomach and let out a sigh. "No, mom, work is just too overwhelming to take a day off. Candy quit on the sequel so I'm doing it all alone.

"I'm quite aware that you don't like Candice. You've told me that since I hooked up with her for the first book." Trying her best to stifle a yawn, Randy sent the brunette a smirk. "Yeah, you can put her on the phone." Lacey bit her lip in frustration, knowing her mother way too well. "Hey Lish. How's my favorite niece?" She laughed at the nine year old's response on the other end of the line. "Just because you're my only niece doesn't mean you aren't my favorite, kiddo.

"You only turn ten once in your life, so what do you think about Auntie taking you out for the day?" Again, the child on the other line made the twenty six year old laugh. "Girls day out. Sound good, babe?" A bright smile took over the pregnant brunette's features. "Saturday. Me, you and Maria. I'll talk to your dad later about it. I got to go babe, I'll talk to you before then, alright?" Randy watched as the smile truly reached her eyes, something he hadn't seen in a while. "Bye babe."

She hung up the phone and placed it back on the charger. "I still think you should go to the party." Lacey just shrugged. "But at least you're not letting your niece down."

"I figure if it's just us and Maria, and a really loose top, she won't be able to tell anything. She's extremely smart for only being nine." Slowly looking into Randy's eyes, she offered a bright smile. "Want to watch a movie?"

"Sure." She figured it was something that would get them off of the topic of her niece's birthday party, and when she was going to tell her mother that she was pregnant.

xXx