Disclaimer: I am not in any way associated with Guiding Light, and I'm not making any profit from this story.

Chapter Two: Mistakes We Knew We Were Making

Bill just stared at Ava. "Pregnant?" he finally repeated, and recoiled, holding up his hands defensively. "No. Nonononono. You're not pregnant, you're just-"

"Bill, stop it," she said impatiently. "Denial is not going to make this go away."

"'This', this… it's probably just, I don't know- what makes you think you're actually-" He couldn't even say the word again. "I mean, if you're, like, I dunno, getting sick, or-"

"What makes me think I'm pregnant," she repeated sarcastically, slamming the bottle back down on the bar. "I don't know, maybe three home pregnancy tests and a trip to Cedars? Do you really think I'd be telling you this if I wasn't sure?"

"I don't know what anyone in this town would do anymore," he retorted, taking a few steps away from her and rubbing his temples. Think, he had to think. He had to figure this out. He could not have gotten Ava Peralta, of all people, pregnant. Lizzie would kill him. Olivia would kill him. How were they going to explain this to Emma? And his father- oh, god. "Look, Ava, are you sure-"

"We slept together right before you started dating Lizzie, remember? Look, you're the only person I've been with since I broke up with Coop. It's yours, Bill. Why would I lie?"

"But- but- this is impossible!" he exclaimed, whirling back around. "We used protection-"

"Take a look at the warning label next time. I'll give you a hint- it doesn't say '100 guarantee' anywhere on there."

Bill groaned, dropping his head in his hands. "So let me get this straight," he said, voice muffled, then looked back up at her. "You and I slept together a few times after I came back home. Then we don't see each other for awhile, then I sleep with you once before I get with Lizzie, and two months later-"

Her jaw dropped. "Are you saying that I'm lying about this, or that I got pregnant on purpose?"

"I don't know, but it's possible." He sounded perfectly reasonable. He knew he did. His palms were starting to sweat. Oh god. "Look, Ava, when you want something you do whatever it takes to get it. I respect that. I'm the same way. Just tell me what this is all about, and-"

Ava slapped him, effectively cutting off his babbling. "You know what?" she asked, voice low and taut with rage. "I would do a lot of things to get what I want, but I don't want you, and I wouldn't fake a pregnancy or use a real pregnancy to get you, or anyone, to care about me. That's your girlfriend's m.o., not mine."

Ah, this was something he could discuss without wanting to throw up. "Lizzie didn't get pregnant to-"

"Oh well maybe she didn't get pregnant on purpose, but she certainly used it to her advantage," Ava said witheringly. "I was there, Bill. I had to sit by and watch her-"

Bill's eyes narrowed. "Enough," he interrupted her sharply. "I'm not going to stand here and listen to you-"

She crossed her arms under her chest. "Oh so, what, you're going to kick me out?"

"You know what, I just might."

"Oh yeah?"

The door abruptly slammed shut. "What's going on in here?" Lizzie demanded, her voice a few steps away from shrill.

Bill winced, then quickly turned around, clasping his hands. He hadn't even noticed her arrival. Oh god, he was not ready to handle this. "Lizzie, hi," he said, forcing a smile. "Did you-"

"Bill," she interrupted, speaking slowly as if to a child, "what is she doing here?"

"Go on, Bill, tell her," Ava said mockingly, her eyes full of anger.

He gulped. He didn't want to lie, of course, but there was no way he could tell Lizzie the truth. Not when he wasn't even able to deal with it yet. He needed to come to terms with it first. There was no way he could deal with that and with Lizzie's reaction at the same time.

I'll tell her soon, he assured himself. I'm not lying, exactly, just- postponing the truth. She'll understand. Pause. Maybe. Another pause. If I'm really, really lucky.

"It's just about business, that's all," he said quickly, stroking Lizzie's hair. Ava huffed indignantly and Lizzie's expression was extremely skeptical, but he kept talking. "Alan wants to make some sort of deal with us, and he thought I'd be the best person to talk to about it, so-"