Hehe, ya'll really seem to like this story. I'm glad! There's a reference to Full House in this chapter, and whoever gets it gets a cookie! Now enjoy, and please remember to review!
Disclaimer: They're not mine... but baby Logan is! And Dick Wolf can't have it! MWAHAHAHA!!
This chapter is for Podie1, who's reviewed all of my new Mike fics. Thanks!
The knock at the front door startled Bobby from his puzzle, and he grumbled and rose to his feet, lumbering over to the door. When he opened the door, he saw a very wet, sorry looking Mike, but he was unfazed. "Can I help you?" he asked professionally, and Mike rolled his eyes.
"I need to talk to Carolyn, Goren," Mike clarified, attempting to push past Bobby. But even though he was a good sized man himself, he wasn't a match for Bobby Goren. The sound of crying distracted Mike, and he looked Bobby in the eye and said, "Let me by, Bobby. I have to see her."
"So you can inflict more damage? That's not going to happen, Logan. She's already been through enough," Bobby growled.
Running his fingers through his damp hair, Mike finally gave up and fished a bag out of the pocket of his jacket. Bobby watched with mild interest while Mike did this, and his big heart melted when Mike showed him what was inside. "See?" Mike said softly, returning the object to the safety of his jacket. "I need to show her that I'm alright- no, I'm more than alright with this. I'm going to be there for her and my kid, no matter what. Now, please let me by."
Bobby finally gave up and stepped back, allowing Mike access to the apartment. Mike mumbled his thanks as he stepped in, and Bobby said, "I'll go get her. Stay right here." Mike nodded and found a chair to sit in while he waited.
Alex was sitting beside Carolyn on her bed when Bobby walked in, and the women looked at him expectantly. "Uh, Mike's here," he announced, shoving his thumb in the direction of the living room.
Another sob erupted from Carolyn, and Alex patted her on the shoulder and glared at Bobby, who raised his hands in surrender and said, 'He wants to talk to you, Carolyn. And I really think you'll like what he has to say."
Alex gently nudged Carolyn, who reluctantly rose to her feet and disappeared into the living room. Bobby sat down beside Alex in Carolyn's place, resting his head on her shoulder. She shifted and laid her head on his chest, and they both fell back onto the bed. His hand wandered down to rest on her stomach, and she sighed contently and snuggled into his side.
Mike couldn't help but note the redness of her eyes and nose as Carolyn shuffled into the living room, and he rose to his feet and approached her somewhat timidly, all of his self confidence suddenly blown away by the five foot four inch tall woman in front of him.
At a loss for words (for probably the first time in his forty something years), he decided that actions spoke louder than words, and he retrieved the gift from the pocket in his jacket. "I got this for you," he mumbled, handing the object to her. She took the object with some surprise, her hands slowly opening it.
"Oh, Mike," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. In her hand was a golden chain with a locket dangling from it. On the front, Mom was inscribed in delicate cursive, and on the back, it simply said, Love, Mike.
"Here," he said quickly, snapping the tiny locket open. "I put this in there." She looked at two pictures, one of her and one of Mike. "There's even a third place... for the baby's picture," he stated as he toed the floor with his boot. She looked at the locket, then at Mike, and she suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.
His arms went around her waist, and he breathed into her ear, "Car, are you sure? Is this... are you really here with me?"
"Yes," was all she could manage as she buried her face in his broad chest and tightened her arms around him.
This was it. Mike and Carolyn. And our baby, she thought as her hand slid down to cover her stomach. Yes, they could make it.
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"Mike?" Mike groaned and curled his long body around his girlfriend's, holding her close as he returned to sleep. "Mike?" The voice became more insistent, and he felt a finger poke him in the side.
He rolled over and buried his face in a pillow. "What?" he grumbled.
"I want some strawberries," Carolyn stated, propping herself up on one elbow, then draping herself over Mike's back. He turned his head and looked at the clock, groaning again when he realized that it was two in the morning.
"Car!" he gasped, carefully rolling onto his back so that Carolyn was lying on his chest. "It's two in the morning in the middle of December!"
Her bottom lip quivered, and he sighed and wiggled out from under her, locating his jeans and a t-shirt. She rolled onto her back and laid against the pillows, smiling as Mike stumbled around while pulling his shoes on. "Thanks, sweetheart!" she called sweetly as he walked out of the room, and he shook his head.
It was nearly four when Carolyn heard the bedroom door open, and Mike stumbled into the room with several large bags. "Uh, Mike, honey? I really hate to do this to you, but..."
He held his hand up and laid the bags on the bed, saying, "I know, I know. You changed your mind. So I did this." He dumped the contents of the bags out, revealing several varieties of chips, dip, ice cream, juices, cookies, jell-o, and crackers. Carolyn squealed in delight and threw her arms around Mike, pulling him down into the bed among the snacks and drinks.
She began kissing him feverishly, and when he looked at her questiongly, she smiled and said, "I have a different craving now." A cat that ate the canary grin came over his face, and she laughed as he slowly removed her pajamas, kissing her all the while.
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"I hate this," she groaned as another spasm shook her body, and Mike knelt down beside her with a moist washcloth, gently dabbing her face. She heaved again, and he held her hair back and murmured softly to her.
Finally she rocked back onto her heels, and Mike flushed the toilet, then pulled her into her lap, his back resting against the wall as he offered her a bottle of Gatorade. She took it and drank it down, shuddering as the liquid washed away the disgusting aftertaste that lingered in her mouth.
Once her stomach felt settled again and her mouth didn't taste like last night's dinner, she relaxed and laid her head on Mike's chest, holding his large hand against her still taut stomach. They stayed like that for a few minutes, then Mike carefully rose to his feet and laid Carolyn on the bed, waiting until she fell asleep before he grabbed his old guitar from under the bed. Plopping himself in a chair in the corner of the room, he plucked at the chords lazily until a song that he had written years ago began to play itself.
My baby knows me better than I do
Funny how a woman has that over a man
I can do anything with her here beside me
Leaning on her is where I make my stand
He glanced over at Carolyn's still sleeping form, and he couldn't help but smile at the faint smile on her lips.
And where would we be without the love of a woman?
Standing behind her man even when he's wrong
The true, pure undying love of a woman
Makes a man a fool to think he can make it alone
My daddy was a wild one when he was younger
Everybody told my mama he'd be hard to tame
Full of himself, he said, 'Sir' to nobody
But you oughta see him come runnin' when mama calls his name
And where would we be without the love of a woman?
Standing behind her man even when he's wrong
The true, pure undying love of a woman
Makes a man a fool to think he can make it alone
A man goes crazy trying to catch his feelings
Too much pride or maybe the words come out wrong
But that's okay, cause he's still her hero
Steady as a rock, her love keeps rolling along
And where would we be without the love of a woman?
Standing behind her man even when he's wrong
The true, pure undying love of a woman
Makes a man a fool to think he can make it alone
Makes a man a fool to think he can make it alone
When he finished, he slid the guitar back to the floor, then glanced at the clock. Five in the morning. He still had a few hours to sleep. Rising out of the chair, he climbed into the bed and slid under the covers with Carolyn, bringing his hands to rest protectively over her stomach.
She stirred in her sleep and buried herself in his arms, the actions making him smile. He tightened his arms around her and fell asleep rather quickly, surrounded by her love for him and their love for the creature growing in her womb.
TBC...
A/N: The song Mike's singing is the great Travis Tritt song Love Of A Woman. And just so ya'll know, this is an all fluff, angst free story from here on out! So enjoy the ride, and remember to review!