So, due to stupidity, I'm going to have to take down Just a Dream, The Way You Look Tonight, Make-Up Smeared Eyes, All the Same, and Everybody's Fool. I'm sorry guys but blame the person that got me all upset and paranoid and guilty. I'll be taking those stories down tomorrow. So, read 'em while you still can. -_-

Anyway, enjoy! :)

"Yes, Joyless, how can I help you?" Jerome smiled with forced kindness, peeking out of the front door.

"Is Mara here?" she asked in slight annoyance.

"Please hold," he said.

The door shut behind him and after a minute, he reappeared.

"I'm sorry; Mara Clarke isn't in at the moment. But I'll be sure to let her know you called."

"Jerome," she knocked on the door quickly and he reopened it, looking down at her irritated.

"What?"

"When will she be back?"

"Soon."

"Can I come in and wait for her? This is important." She explained.

Jerome sighed and stepped away from the doorway, looking up at the ceiling. She brushed past him and with a gentle push, the front door clicked shut. He followed her silently, discreetly glaring at the back of her head. She sat at the dining room table and made herself comfortable.

"May I have a glass of water?" she requested, putting her purse on the chair beside her.

"You know where everything is. Get it yourself." he retorted, falling back into the cushions of the living room sofa.

Joy scoffed and rolled her eyes, getting up. Jerome turned his head to watch her as she reached up to get a glass from the cabinet.

"So how's it going with the pregnancy?" Joy looked up at him, sipping her water.

Jerome sighed, leaning back. "Great; no problems yet. What about you? When are you and Mick gonna start trying?"

Joy's eyes cast down to the counter and her posture tensed. Why did Jerome of all people have to bring that up? She could feel his questioning gaze on her, and when she lifted her head, he was standing right there in front of her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

And just like that, their insults and annoyance for each other had been shoved in a box and pushed away. Right now, Joy needed a friend, and Jerome knew how to be that friend.

"Mick and I have been fighting about the whole baby thing." She said softly. "He…acts like he doesn't want one. I just don't know what to do."

Tears welled up in her eyes and Jerome sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sure that's not it."

"Then what could it be?" she cried.

"Joy—"

"Does he not love me anymore?" she asked herself quietly.

"No, he's probably just nervous about the whole thing; scared even. He couldn't just stop loving you."

"I've talked to him about this. He's not nervous or scared—Mara said the same thing. Maybe he just doesn't want a family with me."

"Now, that can't be it." Jerome said sternly. He gently pulled her into his arms. "It's okay; it'll all work out for the best."

Joy didn't listen to him. She didn't believe him. She just sobbed into the light purple fabric of his shirt and fisted the back in her small hands. She felt broken. Unfortunately, Jerome wasn't sure how to fix this, all he knew to do was comfort her. He didn't need to say anything; he just needed to be there.

Jerome heard the front door click shut and he looked up at Mara. Joy pushed away from him and wiped her cheeks.

"Hey, Mara, I wanted to talk to you." She whispered and Mara nodded, brown eyes watching her friend sit at the dining room table.

She turned back to Jerome and he pecked her forehead. "She needs comfort." He said simply before leaving the room so the women could talk.

"Hey, Mick," Fabian said with a welcoming smile. He opened the door a little wider so his friend could step inside the house.

"Mate, I need some advice." The blonde said, getting straight to the point as he made himself comfortable, plopping down into the arm chair in the corner of the common room.

"What's up?"

Mick sighed. "Joy wants to have kids."

Realization flashed across Fabian's face. "You haven't told her yet?"

"No. I just…can't do that to her. I can't mess everything up with that."

"But, Mick, you can't keep that from her. She has a right to know. And she's your wife; you're not supposed to keep secrets from your spouse. Mate, you need to tell her."

"Every time I step inside the house, a fight breaks out; and every time I try to tell her, I wimp out. I can't do it to her. I can't do this. It would hurt her way worse than it hurts me."

Mara sipped from her cup of tea as Amber hugged Joy comfortingly.

After Mara and Joy had talked, they headed over to the Lewis household and spoke with Amber about what had happened between Joy and Mick. Amber immediately felt sympathy for her friend and told her that everything would work out for the best. Amber didn't once say that Mick was scared or nervous; she softly told Joy what she thought,

"We can't tell you why he's acting this way; only he can. Talk to him one last time, and if he doesn't come clean, I'll take care of him." she said confidently.

Mara and Joy let out soft giggles.

Mick knocked on the front door of Jerome's house. He knew that Mara and Joy had left the house and went to Amber's; and knowing Amber, they'd probably be there for a while. After a minute, the door opened.

"I need to talk to you. I need some advice."

"Alright then," Jerome nodded and let his friend in.

They both sat down in the common room and Mick took a deep breath, trying to figure out how he should word his problem. Jerome could tell that something was bothering him, he had noticed it a while ago, and assumed that Mick would come to him when he was ready. But Jerome could also tell that this 'something' was horrible and it was going to affect everyone's lives. And it worried Jerome.

"I need to tell Joy something, and I'm absolutely positive that it'll upset her. Maybe not break her heart, but definitely rock our relationship a little. Jerome…Joy wants to have kids, but…"

Jerome then realized that he could discover why they'd been fighting. He leaned forward in his seat in what appeared to be a interested way, but it was really curiosity. "You don't?"

"No! I do! But…please, don't tell anyone. Fabian's the only one that knows. Jerome, I can't have kids."

Jerome blinked. "What do you mean you can't have kids?"

Mick swallowed thickly. It was hard for him to explain this; it really upset him. "My doctor told me a few months ago that I am incapable of having children. Joy's fine, but I'm not. We've tried, I swear, but I've never told her that the reason nothing is happening is not because I'm not up for it, or because it's just not ready to happen, but because I just can't…have kids."

Jerome's eager eyes softened. He couldn't imagine how it would feel to know that you couldn't have any children of your own. "Oh god, mate, you need to tell her—"

Mick jumped out of his seat and dragged his fingers through his hair, frustrated. "I can't! I told Fabian the same thing because he told me to do the same thing, but every time I try to tell her, I chicken out because I don't want to hurt her! I can't do that to her."

Jerome rose from his seat as well and looked him in the eye; any emotions the two men had been thinking were immediately replaced with hard seriousness. "Mick, she thinks you don't love her anymore."

"So many things have been going on." Jerome sighed tiredly, walking into the bedroom.

"I know, but it'll all be okay." Mara assured him and patted his spot on the mattress next to her.

He smiled and slid under the covers next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested against him. She blew out a small breath that floated over his stomach. He shuddered gently and pulled the duvet up to cover her shoulders. He took a deep, relaxing breath and closed his eyes, basking in the warmth his wife brought him.

"I went to Lucy's grave today." She whispered, barely breaking the silence in the dimmed room.

Jerome's eyes opened and he looked down at her. Her small fingers were playing with the edge of the duvet. He pushed it away from her hands and flipped them over so he was hovering above her body. His blue eyes bore into her brown ones. "I am so proud of you, love."

Mara smiled and bit her bottom lip, her right hand slipping up his bare arm to his shoulder. "I missed her. I needed to go for closure and I wanted to talk to her about the baby."

Jerome nodded in understanding. "I know; I've done that too. See, it's a good thing to be able to go and talk to her. You know she's listening and you know that she's there. That's something I didn't feel while I was growing up. But then I had you and now I have Lucy. I'm so glad you did that; I think you needed it."

Mara nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"I'm not tired," he admitted. "Okay, so if the baby is boy, what would you name him? I like Matthew, but you know I'm always willing to compromise."

"I like Michael." She replied and he nodded.

"I actually like that name a little bit better."

Mara giggled. "What about a girl?"

He was silent for a moment before mumbling, "I don't know."

Mara wrapped her arms around his neck. "Same here…"

Review?

Time stood still the way it did before. It's like I'm sleepwalking. Fell into another hole again. It's like I'm sleepwalking. I'm at the edge of the world. Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world. Should I sink or swim? Or simply disappear?

-Rachel