Why this chapters are so short are beyond me. I thought this one was longer than the last one...guess is shorter. Figures. Promise the next ones are going to be a little longer, I mean I'm gonna try.

Love you all!

Fran

"God I'm getting fat," I whisper to myself, completely alone in the headquarters.

"Who are you talking to?" Steve says from behind, making me jump slightly.

So much for being completely alone.

"Myself," I speak naturally, he smiles amused.

"I hope that's a pregnant woman thing."

"It is, sort of."

There's a silence between us, and the way he looks at me the same way he did when he first learned about my pregnancy and it makes me feel all flushed inside.

"So, how are the wedding preparations going?" I figured if I reminded the both of us that he was going to get married, all the feelings I had inside would disappear, at least for a while.

"They're going well, I guess. I mean not that Stacie actually lets me do anything."

"Figures."

"She says it's a girl's thing so…"

"Yeah."

"How are you feeling, by the way?" he points to my four month growing belly.

"Good. I'm feeling great, actually," I smile and he does too for a minute and then there's a change in his demeanor which means he wanted to say or ask me something but didn't know how.

"Can I ask you something?" he says. I figured.

"Sure."

"Can I ask you about the father?" he speaks, and I feel a cold shiver running down my back. "I mean you haven't said anything and I didn't ask before because I thought it would make you feel uncomfortable. Sorry if still does."

I hesitate to answer, because clearly I couldn't just tell him the truth. My mind is running fast, trying hard to make up a believable story, something that stops him from asking questions.

"Sorry," he says once again, looking down embarrassed, "I shouldn't have asked you.."

"No, it's okay," I speak, taking a deep breath. "He… he's not from around. He's from L.A. actually and… well, he was on a business trip, that's how we met."

"Where is he now?"

"He left. Home."

"Does he know about the baby?"

"He does. Yes. I told him but he… he's married."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Awkward conversation is awkward. Especially since the sad look on his face is killing me inside. But this was something that I needed to do.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, "this is something you shouldn't be doing alone. This baby needs a father, Kono,"

"And he has one. He's just not here right now."

So to speak.

"Besides, I'm not alone. I have all of you, surely my baby won't have his father but he will have three awesome uncles."

There's something terribly wrong about this whole situation, all of this. Even though I know I won't be alone, somehow I just can't help but feel sad about it, especially since I know I brought myself to all of this.

"You're gonna be a great mother, I'm sure of it," he reaches for my baby bump, touching it softly for a moment and suddenly I'm surprised at the movement inside my womb.

The baby's first move.

"Can you feel it?" I ask in awe. He nods, amazed.

"How does it feel?" he speaks without taking his eyes away from me, and I am on the verge of tears.

"Weird, but in a good way."

"He likes me already."

Sometimes I just hate myself.

TBC