Monday 6:15 a.m.

Brian woke up to an empty bed. He reached over to the right side, Justin's side, and found nothing but icy sheets. He rolled over, opened his eyes as much as he could (he wasn't a morning person), and peered into the bathroom. Everything was still so blurry. He squinted until the world was a little sharper, until individual objects emerged from the shapeless patches of color in which they were formerly embedded. Justin was standing in front of the mirror naked, gently stroking his belly, which now had the appearance of a cantaloupe. He was alternately smiling and frowning. Brian chuckled and climbed out of bed.

He walked behind Justin, wrapped his arms around him, placing his hands on top of Justin's, which were on his belly, and kissed the boy's cheek.

He drawled, "Morning, Sunshine."

Justin leaned back against Brian and smiled brightly. "Morning."

Brian inquired, "So what's with all the smiling and frowning? Are you happy or sad?"

Justin wrinkled his nose. He replied hesitantly, "I don't know."

Brian repeated, "You don't know?"

Justin colored before explaining, "I love that our baby girl is in here (he stroked his belly again; Brian frowned a little. He didn't want Justin to be disappointed if the nurse was wrong, which, he thought, she most likely was), but…I'm not used to seeing myself so…"

"So…beautiful?"

Justin smiled brightly as he looked into mirror Brian's dancing hazel eyes. Then, he confessed, "I was going to say fat."

Brian spun Justin around quickly (though carefully). He declared firmly, "You are NOT fat. If you were, that would suggest that my child has a weight problem, and she most definitely does not."

Justin stammered, "I…I didn't mean…"

Brian fixed the boy with eagle eyes.

Then he kneeled in front of the boy and addressed the baby. Justin stared at him in amazement. Brian stated softly, "Papa doesn't mean it. He's never been pregnant before, so he's confused. But you know Daddy well enough to know that he's been keeping an eye on everybody. The doctor says that you are perfect. Perfectly formed and the perfect size for your age. He also tells me that Papa hasn't gained much more than your weight (he was looking pointedly at Justin as he said this). Now, you should take a little nap. You're a little too young to be exposed to gay porn, but I just can't resist your Papa. Ever. But especially when he's all rounded and glowing."

Brian stood up and placed his hands on Justin's neck, caressing him tenderly. He noted that Justin's face was flushed. With pleasure or desire, Brian didn't know. Probably both.

Justin asked, in a tiny voice, "You still find me attractive?"

Brian gazed into the boy's eyes with an intensity that scared Justin a little. Brian nudged the boy's nose, kissed his lips gently, and then pulled him closer as he thrust his tongue into the boy's mouth and kissed him passionately. He continued to deepen the kiss, pulling Justin closer and closer. Then, he pulled away, pressed his forehead gently against Justin's, and caressed his ass.

Brian nibbled on Justin's lower lip for a moment and then breathed, "Of course, Sunshine. How could I not?"

Justin moaned softly, grabbed Brian's ass, and rubbed their erections together. He licked his lips and closed his eyes tight, a sight that had Brian licking, sucking, and nibbling on Justin's neck.

Brian turned the boy around, ran his hands tenderly over his ass, and then opened him up as he continued to lick, suck, and nibble on his neck. Once done, Brian sheathed his cock, wrapped his arms around the boy, gently slid his hands over his belly and chest, and then started pushing inside him as he nuzzled the boy's neck. Justin leaned his head back on Brian's chest and moaned as the tip of Brian's cock grazed his prostate. Wrapped in Brian's arms as the man filled him up and kissed his neck passionately, Justin felt incredibly loved, adored, and possessed. By the most beautiful man in the world. The man he'd fallen in love with at first sight and who had finally declared his love for him last night. Oddly enough, remembering just got him hotter. It also made him crave a deeper connection. In between soft moans, Justin breathed, "Brian, I need to be facing you. I want kiss you while riding your cock."

Justin smiled when he heard Brian gasp softly. Brian pulled out of the boy and carried him to the couch, sitting down and situating Justin so that he was straddling him. Brian let out a deep body moan when Justin impaled himself on his cock. For a few moments Justin didn't move, leaving Brian fully buried inside him as he nudged Brian's nose, brushed his lips against Brian's gently, and whispered, "I love you," before plunging his tongue inside the man's mouth, kissing him passionately. A moment later, he started sliding up and down Brian's cock.

Brian ran his fingers through the boy's blond silky hair and kissed him back eagerly, almost violently. Brian knew he'd never be able to hold out, so, instead of trying to delay his orgasm, he laid the boy on the couch, quickly but carefully, and started pounding his tight little ass like there was no tomorrow, all the while stroking the boy's throbbing, leaking cock and continuing to kiss him. Moments later, they were cumming, their moans muffled by their hot wet mouths crushed together in a scorching kiss.

A few minutes later, they were back in bed snuggling. Justin sighed contentedly, relishing in his post-orgasm bliss and the warmth of Brian's embrace. Everything was so perfect. He was carrying the baby of the man he loved, the man who had finally declared his love for him and had proposed properly, with a ring, and they were going to start a whole new life together in Vermont. A life that would include college for Justin, better yet, art school. Not even his dreams could beat real life right now.

Wednesday 12:00 p.m.

Lindsay was still going half out of her mind. Nothing she'd tried so far had worked. In fact, everything had had the effect of drawing Brian and Justin closer and of making both suspicious of her. She had few viable options left. Planning wasn't working well at all, so she would need to try something else: random acts of subversion. That is to say, she would try to cause Brian and Justin problems without their being part of a larger plan. She still had a few months. Maybe, by then, an effective strategy would become clear. In addition, she needed to delegate. Brian and Justin were expecting her to cause problems, not other friends and family members. If she could manipulate others into causing problems, she might be able to blindside them. So, this morning, she had invited Michael over for lunch. He was as much in love with Brian as she was, and, as cruel as it might be to say, he wasn't that bright. It wouldn't take much to manipulate him. She finished setting the table and smiled. If nothing else, she was the perfect hostess.

*******

Michael was very nervous. Brian had told him that he shouldn't mention the marriage to Lindsay, that Lindsay had tried to get Justin to give Brian and Justin's baby to her and Mel. Michael should have said no to her lunch invite, but she'd caught him off guard. Before he knew what he was doing, he'd said yes. Now, he stood on Lindsay's porch waiting for her to answer the door, feeling as though he was about to face a firing squad.

Saturday 6:00 p.m.

Brian and Justin were relaxing in bed after an especially hot post-welcome home fuck. Brian was lying down, while Justin was sitting up looking at a list he'd made of prospective baby names for girls.

He asked, "How about Selene with an S? Selene was part of the pre-Olympian pantheon, goddess of the moon, and her name is derived from the Greek word selas meaning 'light.'"

"Won't that remind people of Selena the singer and her murder?"

Justin wrinkled his nose. "Oh…I don't know. Maybe."

"Plus, it sounds like Celine with a C, and I really hate her music."

Justin examined his list for a minute. "Hmmm...how about Savannah?"

Brian laughed. Loudly.

Justin asked defensively, "What?"

Brian inquired, trying hard to keep a straight face, but not quite succeeding, "You want our daughter's namesake to be a porn star?"

Justin's eyes widened. He just stared at Brian.

Brian explained, "She was one of the most famous hetero porn stars in the early 90s. She started off as a precocious groupie, fucking famous musicians as early as 13, and, by 20, she was well on her way to porn stardom. By 23, she'd killed herself."

Justin's eyes were as wide as saucers now. He exclaimed, "Holy crap!" and quickly crossed the name of his list, which set Brian into a fit of giggles (He and Mikey had gone to a movie earlier and had gotten high while there).

Brian said through giggles, "Try again, Sunshine."

Justin shook his head. "I don't think I'm in the mood anymore."

Brian poked Justin in the side a few times, prodding, "Oh come on! I'm sure you've got some good names on the list. You can only go up from here…"

Brian laughed, and Justin pouted. Brian frowned a bit and urged, "Oh don't be sad, Sunshine. Come on, smile for me. I know you want to…"

Brian started tickling the boy. Justin tried to stay angry, but, with Brian tickling him and smiling (brightly), he couldn't hold out for long. When Justin started giggling, Brian rolled onto his back again and said, "Next."

Justin giggled again and asked, "How about Beatrice? That was the name of the woman Dante was desperately in love with. She was his muse for his entire life, even though she died young, and they were never actually together. The name means 'she who blesses' or 'bringer of joy.'"

Encouraged by Brian's silence, he suggested, "We could call her Tricia for short."

Brian responded, "I'd say we should put that in the strong maybe column."

He rolled onto his side and inquired, "What else you got?"

Justin replied, "What do you think of Cleo?"

Brian chuckled. "Cleo for Cleopatra? I fucking love it! She was, after all, the original diva.'

Justin laughed. "Yeah. Plus, Cleo with an e is an alternate spelling of Clio with an i, who was one of the Greek muses."

"Oh yeah. History, right?"

"Yup."

"Well, if we picked that one, I'd want Cleopatra on her birth certificate, but we could call her Cleo for short."

Justin smiled brightly. "Ok!"

He moved quickly to get out of bed (he was suddenly dying for pickles and ice cream), when he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He cried out and fell back on the bed.

A second later, Brian was next to him, studying Justin's face, alarm evident in his eyes.

He asked urgently, "What's wrong? What hurts?"

Justin stammered, "Stabbing pain…here (he clutched his abdomen)."

Brian wasn't sure what to do. For the first time in years, he was scared out of his mind, terrified. But, being a man of action, he quickly pushed down the fear and decided on a course of action.

He told Justin firmly (he hoped with no trace of fear in his voice), "I'm going to take you to the hospital" and then jumped out of bed and started throwing clothes on.

Suddenly, Justin cried, "Wait!"

Brian looked up in surprise.

Justin explained, "The pain stopped."

Brian inquired anxiously, "All of it?"

Justin shook his head. "My abdomen still aches a little, but not bad."

Brian sat down, looking a bit perplexed, but then glanced at Justin and stated, "I'm still going to call your doctor."

Justin nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

He was less freaked out, but still worried. He rubbed his belly protectively as he prayed that nothing was wrong with the baby.

Brian could barely breathe. The fact that Justin's pain had subsided did nothing to quell the panic he was now experiencing. Justin was barely one-third the way through his pregnancy, it was his first, and his dangerously high stress levels had only recently decreased.

Justin watched Brian with increasing concern as the chestnut-haired man paced, his cell phone pressed hard against his cheek, and waited for someone to answer. Suddenly, Justin began to see him with new eyes. Brian's face was pale and slightly haggard, and he looked thinner. How long had Brian been deteriorating this way? Justin felt ashamed. He had been so worried about, no obsessed with, the potential threat Lindsay posed to himself and Cleo that he had not even considered how his fear and failing health might be impacting Brian. Brian always seemed so strong; his easygoing nature and reticence to speak about emotions, particularly his own, made it easy for one to forget he even had them. Justin had prided himself on being the only one to know better, but ever since the incident in Brian's office, he'd thought primarily about himself and the baby. Justin couldn't help but wonder how Brian would react if something were to happen to him after they moved, if more health problems arose. He shuddered at the thought of Brian being exhausted, afraid, and…alone.

Justin's shame only deepened when he remembered his recent insecurities about Brian's feelings toward him. Brian was willing to move away from everything and everyone he knew and had even proposed just to make Justin feel safe, to protect he and the baby. Without the words, the ring, or the proposed ceremony, Justin should have felt Brian's love. Suddenly, Justin was ripped from his self-deprecating reverie by the sound of shouting.

Brian snapped, "Well, wake him up!"

Justin's eyes widened.

After a brief pause (during which the other party most likely refused to bend to Brian's demand), Brian hissed, "You wake him up immediately! I pay him good money to take care of Justin and our unborn child!"

Pause.

Brian growled, "I don't want Justin seeing some strange doctor at the hospital. He's already had problems with his pregnancy, and a few minutes ago, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He could be miscarrying. A new doctor would waste time with unnecessary tests."

After another brief pause, Brian closed his eyes and exhaled in relief. Justin could see the tension start to leave his body. Then, Brian offered the other party a terse thank you.

Justin paled when he heard Brian speak again. Brian sounded…helpless and afraid. Justin had never observed this side of him.

In a tremulous voice, Brian explained the situation to the doctor. Then he stood silently (once again, his body was as rigid as a board), as he listened intently to the doctor's response. Suddenly, Brian asked, panic evident in his voice, "Round ligament pain? What's that? Is it serious? Should I take Justin to the hospital?"

Pause.

"Are you sure? That's normal?"

Pause.

"Should I do anything? Get Justin anything?"

Pause.

"Okay. See you tomorrow morning."

Brian pressed the end button, tossed the phone aside, and collapsed into a heap on the bed. He lay there for a moment with his eyes closed but then rolled over onto his stomach. He caressed Justin's leg gently and said in a very soft voice, "The doctor said that your pain was almost certainly round ligament pain. According to him, that kind of pain is normal at this stage of pregnancy and is caused by your body's transformation, your ligaments stretching as the baby grows."

Justin asked softly, "So the baby is okay?"

Brian nodded slowly. "But the doctor's going to make time for us tomorrow morning to make sure."

Justin smiled weakly. Brian noticed the missing brightness and scrutinized him for a moment before asking, "Something wrong, Sunshine?" He tried to ask nonchalantly, but the last thirty minutes had been long, so he couldn't quite manage it.

Justin looked thoughtful for a few moments, but then answered firmly, "I don't think we should move to Vermont."

Brian just gaped at him.

Justin continued, "Tonight's scare was a wake-up call for me. If something should happen to me, I don't want you to be alone."

Brian snapped, "Nothing is going to happen to you."

Then he stood up quickly and walked into the kitchen. He returned a couple minutes later with two bottles of water and handed one to Justin, but he did not lie back down. He just stood there staring at Justin, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

Justin responded, "You're probably right, but if…if I have more problems with the pregnancy, you should have friends around."

Brian asked softly, "You don't want to sort of marry me anymore?"

Justin laughed. "Don't be a twat! Of course, I do. But we can get sort of married there and then come back home."

Brian sighed in exasperation. He replied sharply, "If we stay here, getting married is pointless. Pennsylvania doesn't recognize civil unions."

Justin took a deep breath and asked, "Why did you propose?"

Brian held Justin's gaze and replied firmly, "Because I wanted to."

Justin sighed and shook his head. "I know that you don't do anything you don't want to do. But what was it that got you to thinking about it?"

Brian looked down. After a few moments of silence, Justin inquired gently, "Wasn't it a response to my worrying about Lindsay? Weren't you trying to protect Cleo and I?"

Softly, barely above a whisper, Brian replied, "Yes."

Encouraged, Justin continued, "Well, I was primarily worried that Lindsay was right. That what I thought I knew about you was wrong."

Brian raised an eyebrow.

"Some of my nightmares were about Lindsay taking the baby away from me by force, but most were about you leaving me to raise the baby on my own and my not being able to. In those dreams, my parents or Lindsay would convince me that they could take better care of her, but by the time I'd realized that giving her to them was a mistake, it was too late. I couldn't get her back, no matter how hard I tried."

Brian frowned.

Justin's face flushed as he added, a bit hesitantly, "I started to worry that you didn't love me, even though before speaking with Lindsay, despite your not saying the words, I was certain that you did. I also started to worry that despite your laudable attempt to commit to me and the baby, you might not be able to follow through. That you might not want to."

Brian said nothing. He simply rolled his lips into his mouth and continued to stare at Justin.

Justin smiled. More brightly, he said, "But you proposed, you told me that you love me, and you were so worried about the baby and I, wanted so much to protect us, that you were willing to leave behind everything and everyone you know and begin a new life in Vermont…You even bought me a duck ring and suggested that we have a real wedding ceremony. Obviously, Lindsay doesn't know you at all. Not the parts of you that matter most."

Brian climbed back into bed. Once seated, he pulled Justin onto his lap so that they were facing each other. Justin watched him curiously. Brian caressed Justin's face gently with both hands and then pulled him into a passionate kiss. He wrapped his arms around Justin and pulled him closer and closer, all the while kissing him more and more deeply. After a few minutes of frantic necking and groping, Justin pulled away. Still out of breath, Justin declared, "I don't need you to marry me. I know how you feel about me and about the baby. I know who you are. Better than anyone else."

Brian tilted his head and smiled, his eyes dancing. He whispered, "But, Sunshine, I need you to make an honest man of me."

Then he flipped Justin onto his back and started tickling him.

Brian teased, "Unless, of course, you aren't man enough to try…"

Justin scoffed, "Not man enough? I'll show you man enough…" and flipped Brian onto his stomach, turning Brian's head and kissing him passionately all the while grinding his rather large, very erect cock against Brian's ass.

Brian broke their kiss and breathed, "I was hoping you'd say that…"