So… new chapter. For once, I don't have much to rant about. I wasn't really sure what to do with this story, since I know how it ends, but not how it gets there. Hopefully, this chapter pushes the story in a satisfactory direction. When I first came up with this story, I always had this image of Abby coming up with really obscure names, don't know why. Just feel like it's her personality. Reviews are always welcomed.
Abby hadn't told anyone else about the pregnancy. Other than Olivia, she didn't have many friends she trusted, and she had barely spoken to her family since her divorce. However, between her newfound proclivity for loose clothing and Stephen's hands' constant presence on the small of her back or her stomach, it didn't take long for their coworkers to deduce the situation. But despite their knowledge, no one dared to say anything. Abby was not someone you wanted to piss off.
Even though things seemed fine now, she wondered how she-the liberal feminist- and he- the traditional alpha male- could possibly raise a sane child. Sometimes she thought their differences would be too much to overcome. Could the precocious playboy and the aggressive workaholic possibly parent together?
On some days it seemed more impossible than others. For instance, one day, Abby started to feel woozy after too many days working without a break. Suddenly, Stephen was suggesting she work less and stay home more. This made Abby furious. Who was he to tell her what she could and couldn't do? She had noticed that Olivia was putting Quinn and Harrison on the more dangerous investigations over her, but she had begrudgingly accepted that. But Stephen suggesting she give up her work, even for a few months, aggravated her beyond belief. Maybe it was the hormones or maybe her own sense of independence, but after that she wouldn't talk to him for days. He learned then to be a little more subtle in his suggestions.
There were, however, some concerns Stephen would not give up. He had made sure Olivia kept Abby away from dictators, suspected killers, and anyone remotely attracted to her. There was nothing he could do about Abby's willingness to risk her neck, but he wouldn't allow his child to be in those situations. He knew his possessiveness was irritating Abby, but he was surprisingly overjoyed at the prospect of being a father, and he wasn't about to jeopardize that. He, Stephen Finch, was actually excited to settle down. With Abby of all people. He knew she wanted to be independent, but a small, mostly silent, part of him was really falling for Abby. That small part of him was finally seeing her differently. But the rest of him mostly ignored that part. He highly doubted he and Abby could ever work out. However, he wondered if this child might give them a reason to try.
"Atticus Finch. Really Abby. You would really want to name our son after a character from a book?"
"First of all," Abby replied fervently, "it would be Atticus Whelan-Finch. Secondly, I like the name Atticus. I didn't plan on getting knocked up by someone with your last name. Although To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my favorite books," she continued, getting off topic, "Besides, it's after the Greek philosopher, not the character. You wouldn't have wanted me to suggest Socrates or Plato instead, would you?"
"Of course not," Stephen muttered, rolling his eyes. He and Abby had been discussing baby names for the past hour, and they clearly had very different ideas about how to name a child. While Stephen had suggested the kind of names that would appear on the list of most common baby names, Abby came up with some of the most unique names he had ever heard. Thus far, she had suggested names of historical figures, literary heroes, and an occasional famous musician. She had clearly given it a lot of thought, as many little girls once had. It was clear they weren't going to come to a consensus on boys' names. Since they didn't know the baby's sex, they decided to move on to girls' names. As if that would be any easier.
It came as no shock to him that her first suggestion was Cleopatra. He threw back Emily, which he had learned was her grandmother's name, hoping to show her the merits of a more conventional name. She just looked at him disdainfully. She clearly wanted something distinctive, unlike her own name, while Stephen wanted something normal. Maybe they were even more hopeless together than he originally thought.