A/N: Thanks for the reviews and reads, everyone. I hope you enjoy the chapter, it's getting very, very difficult to keep these two apart so who knows, maybe with enough influence, I'll get them together already. ;) Anyways, enjoy, review if you feel up to it! :)

"Look at you, stuck here for an evening in with me."

Chris turned his head slightly and looked at Stephanie. They had a rare night off with the cameras so he didn't have to be "on" right now. So, instead of being his normal, charming self, he was flailed across the sofa, his head resting against the back of it as he watched television with Stephanie. She'd been having some wicked heartburn the past few days and she wanted nothing more than to lounge around and do nothing.

"I don't consider that punishment," Chris told her with a smile.

"Are you sure? Because I'm the most boring roommate ever, I think," Stephanie told him. "I wouldn't blame you if you just died of boredom right now, just went ahead and keeled over."

Chris laughed and reached out to grab her hand, lacing their fingers together, "I wouldn't consider you a bore, ever, not once. It's nice to have someone who you can just watch TV with, it's actually kind of nice. Feels very homey."

"I'm glad you actually feel like this is your home now," Stephanie said, "I know it's been an adjustment for you, especially because you knew so many people in Florida, what with most of our guys actually living there in our off time."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," he told her, giving her another one of his smiles. "I like it here, it's calmer, you know what I mean."

"That's only going to last a few more months before I pop these things out," Stephanie pointed to her stomach. She seemed to be growing by the day, or at least that's how she felt. Every morning, her maternity pants got tighter and tighter. She tried not to be one of those women who constantly complained about being fat and hating their body, but it became harder the bigger she got. And she was carrying two so she was automatically bigger than most women who were pregnant with one child.

"These things? Don't listen to her, guys, she doesn't mean that," Chris leaned over to talk to her stomach. "It's okay, Brant, Amelia, Mommy doesn't mean what she says. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

"Believe me, I do," Stephanie said. "I think they wrestle in there, they move around so much."

"Maybe they're just trying to get comfortable," Chris said, unlacing their hands so he could rub her stomach. "Are they awake right now or are they asleep?"

"They're awake," Stephanie told him, grabbing his hand as she pulled up her shirt and then put his hand on a particular spot.

Chris felt one of them pound against his hand, small though it was still, and he grinned up at Stephanie, his whole face lighting up. This was the only way he could communicate with his children for right now, but it never got old. It was like his babies were making themselves present in his life, and he could not wait for the moment where he got to actually interact with them. He was going to hold both of them for hours when they finally showed their probably adorable faces. They'd have to pry him from his arms he was going to love those two so much.

"I will never get tired of feeling that…you know, until they actually come," Chris told her, keeping his hand on her stomach. "That is seriously the best feeling in the world right now. I know it's probably uncomfortable for you, but for me, it's pretty awesome."

"It is, because they are dancing all over my insides and with two of them, it's like they've taken the initiative to just make more room for themselves."

"Poor Stephy, poor babies," Chris pouted and she shoved him playfully in the shoulder as he pretended to fall back against the couch. Chris turned back towards the television, but his phone rang from where it was sitting on the end table. He looked at it and his eyes widened.

"Who is it?" Stephanie asked.

"It's this woman I met the other day when I was getting lunch for us," Chris said, "do you mind if I take this?"

"No, go ahead," Stephanie told him, giving him a smile as she turned back to the television. Chris left the room and went into the kitchen so he could talk on the phone without disturbing Stephanie.

"Hey," Chris answered the phone when he was out of earshot.

"Hey, Chris, I was just making sure this wasn't a fake number," Alaina told him. "Actually, I was just calling up to say hey and I was hoping we could go out sometime."

"Bold, I like that," he joked. "Um, can I get back to you on that? My schedule is pretty weird right now so I want to make sure that I can find a time when I can go out. Do you mind if I call you back?"

"No, I don't mind at all," Alaina said. "Just call me back whenever, you obviously have my number in your phone now."

"I do, thanks," Chris said, "I'll talk to you later?"

"You better," she told him, "bye."

"Later," he responded before ending the call. He smiled down at the phone for a moment before he walked back into the living room where Stephanie had switched the channel to some game show or another. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile before he dropped down to the couch again.

"Hey, so who's the girl?" Stephanie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Her name's Alaina. She seems pretty cool. She bumped into me when I was at that lunch place, like I said. I mean, she literally bumped into me and she's pretty, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Yeah, I mean, you know, the standard pretty, blonde, blue-eyed, that whole deal, I mean, she was pretty, but I guess it was her boldness that really struck me. She's one of those people who just likes to talk to anyone, who's friendly like that," Chris explained. "I guess I was just drawn into it."

"Well, she seems cool, I guess, I mean, she had the balls to call you and that's something," Stephanie told him, "does she watch wrestling? Did she recognize you?"

"No, probably because I wasn't in ring tights with my name splashed on my ass," he joked and she laughed and ducked her head. "She doesn't strike me as the kind of person who watches wrestling."

"Oh, so one of those," Stephanie joked and Chris laughed. "So when are you going out with her?"

"Probably never," he shrugged.

"What, why?" Stephanie asked. "I mean, you seem to like her, you gave her your number after all. Doesn't that mean you want to go out with her? You should if you want to, I'm not going to mind. We have an understanding, Chris, we've always had an understanding. You're my best friend and nothing more."

"I know," Chris shook his head. "It's just the circumstances under which we're having these kids is going to be a challenge to explain to any woman, let alone one I just met on a whim. I mean, how does it sound when I tell someone, oh, I'm having twins with my best friend?"

"I don't know, I'm the best friend," Stephanie told him, running her hand up and down his arm. "I don't want to cramp your style. Me and the kids are going to be here, we're not going anywhere."

"I thought we discussed this, Steph," Chris said, "I gave her my number because—"

"Because you liked her," Stephanie said. "I know you said you wouldn't date anyone or you would stay celibate or whatever for the duration of my pregnancy, but that's not fair to you. It's not fair that you set these rules for yourself when they're unreasonable. Go out with her."

"I don't want to," Chris told her, "I would rather hang out with you. I really would."

"I insist," Stephanie told him.

"Steph."

"Chris, I insist."

That was how he found himself on a date with Alaina. He'd chosen a fairly romantic restaurant, French bistro with white tablecloths and mood lighting. Alaina was sitting across from him in a tight-fitting red dress that definitely hugged her curves. Her hair was falling softly over her shoulders in waves, and the lighting made her facial features soft and inviting. Chris smiled at her across the table, but his mind was elsewhere. Stephanie had strained her back that morning trying to pick up a sock she'd dropped from the dryer. She was laid up in bed and he'd wanted to stay home, but she'd almost made him leave.

"I'm really glad I got the chance to go out with you," Alaina told him. "You mentioned your busy schedule, do you travel a lot?"

"Yeah, I do, I'm a wrestler," Chris told her. "I also have a band so I travel a lot."

"That's cool," Alaina told him. "I've never watched it, but it seems kind of cool. What kind of band?"

"Metal," he said distractedly, hoping that Stephanie was okay. He'd left her on the couch so she had access to the kitchen, but it was probably going to be extra difficult for her to get up. It was already becoming a chore for her to pull herself out of anything more comfortable than a sturdy chair.

"Wow, I'd love to see that, metal is one of my favorite genres," she told him, "Stryper is totally my band."

He couldn't help but smile at that, "I love them too. I have so many favorite bands. I consider myself a bit of an aficionado with music, but metal music in particular."

"Oh wow, that's cool, I may have to try and challenge you, but then I think I'd get crushed, so I'm probably better off not saying anything and not challenging you, right?"

"I wouldn't bet against me if that's what you're wondering," he winked at her.

"So what's your story? " Alaina asked.

"Well, I'm from Winnipeg, Canada originally, but I live here in Connecticut now. I actually recently moved here after living in Florida for about eleven years before I moved up here."

"Wow, that had to be a change," she said. "Why did you move up here? Was it closer to work or something?"

"More like or something," Chris admitted.

"Oh, that sounds ominous," she said, narrowing her eyes a little bit. "Was there something up here that made you come back? Family or something?"

"Kind of family, well, yes, I would say it is family. You see, I have kids."

"Oh, oh," Alaina nodded slowly. "You have kids, wow, kids as in plural, wow, that's actually pretty cool, um, kids are pretty cool, actually, so you have more than one, so you have…two, three?"

"Two," Chris smiled as he thought about the little girl and boy he couldn't wait to meet. Alaina took notice of the way his face softened and it was actually quite endearing. There was something so sweet about a man who was obviously enamored with his children. "Twins, actually, a boy and a girl."

"Oh wow, that's so cute," she said, "how old are they?"

And here came the hard part, "Well, actually, they're not going to be born for about three more months."

"Oh my God, you're married," her jaw dropped open. "I accepted a date from a married guy."

"No, no, no, it's not like that."

"She's your girlfriend, oh my God, you're scum!" she told him.

"No, it's not like that either," he said quickly. "We're just best friends and we kind of decided that kids were something we both wanted and…we just kind of decided to have them and she got pregnant and they're twins and…yeah…"

"So you got your best friend pregnant and now you're what, living with her?" she asked. Chris nodded. "And you don't find that the least bit weird?"

"It's crazy, I know this," he told her, "but it is what it is, and if I'm being honest, she hurt her back this morning and I'm worried sick about her."

Alaina laughed, "You're kidding me, right?"

"I'm sorry."

"Wow, okay," she nodded, but she didn't understand. "I'm really sorry to butt in here when I barely know you and I don't know her at all beyond the fact she's carrying your twins, but don't you think that tells you something? I mean, you move up to be around her, you impregnated her, that means something. You know what, go back to her, I'll catch a cab and you can go back to the woman carrying your children."

"Alaina, I'm really sorry."

"No, don't be, be sorry for her because seriously, guy, I mean, what woman wants to see the guy who knocked her up go out on a date?"

Chris just looked at her and nodded. This was the second time that someone had said something about him and Stephanie in the last week. He wished people could understand what he saw when he looked at Stephanie. Nobody seemed to see that. He put down some money for the waiter and left. The drive home was quiet and when he walked into the house he could hear the TV on in the living room.

"Chris, back so soon?" Stephanie asked as she looked up at Chris. She had a bag of potato chips next to her. "Bad date?"

"I was too worried about you and your back. How are you feeling?"

"It's still sore, but I managed to get some potato chips," she held up the bag triumphantly.

"You haven't eaten dinner?" he asked. She shook her head. "Steph, come on, you know you have to eat because you have two people mooching off of you right now. What were you going to do?"

She shrugged, "I guess I was probably going to order in."

"I'll make something, it's healthier for you guys," he told her, kissing the top of her head as he passed. "She wasn't my type anyways. It's for the best."

"Well, as long as it was for the best," Stephanie called out as she watched Chris's back.

"Believe me, it was."

"Everyone keeps telling me I should feel this way or I do feel this way, but it never makes any sense to me why people do this. They never get inside my head, they don't think my thoughts. It's just frustrating how everyone thinks they know one thing when they don't know a damn thing about the situation."

"I'm sensing a but here," Amy said from beyond the camera. Chris sighed and looked straight at the camera.

"But she's having my kids…"