A/N: On y va :3

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Disclaimer: I do not own GMW, but Lucaya is bae.

Maya watched the screen of the ultrasound as Dr. Torres slid around the transducer, still wondering if she would ever be able to read it or even understand what was going on with Jellybean. But where Jellybean used to be a sort of tiny long blob, Maya could now make out the shape of her head and her nose and her little hand moving around. Her baby had started out so small, a little jellybean looking thing, and had over time grown into the form of a human being. It was actually pretty amazing.

But Maya could definitely make out Jellybean's spazzing limbs and wiggling around. It was kind of hilarious.

"Your baby just won't stop moving." Dr. Torres said in slight awe, "She's jolting the transducer around so much. Do you want to watch her respond to words? Say something to her."

"Jellybean." She cooed to her abdomen, "I want your first word to be Huckleberry so we can surprise your daddy. What do you say?"

Maya felt the strike and watched the ultrasound as a somewhat distorted fist moved. She laughed and poked her side gently as Dr. Torres then moved around the image. She felt like she'd finally transcended early pregnancy and was now in the nesting period, cleaning literally everything and just waiting for her baby to finally arrive. She'd hit all the check points by that point. Vomiting until she was dizzy, the neverending nausea, wild cravings for food, seeing the heartbeat, hearing the heartbeat, finding out the gender, figuring out the name, moving, kicking.

Now all that was left was waiting for Jellybean to finally arrive in about ten weeks.

"Alright. We should be just about…" Dr. Torres paused, a frown on her face as she moved the transducer once again. "Hmmm…"

Maya's gaze shot to her OB, a little perturbed by her contemplative expression. That didn't sound good.

"Is there a problem?"

"Remember how I told you your placenta was covering part of your cervix a while back? I was hoping by now it would have moved more but it still seems to be in relatively the same place."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that if your placenta stays where it is, the delivery of your baby could result in some severe bleeding. We might have to look into Caesarean section as a delivery method if you want to safely birth Jellybean."

Maya's brows furrowed as her heart started racing.

"Isn't that surgery?"

Dr. Torres smiled sympathetically. "Yes, I know it is surgery, and it sounds a little scary, but it would be for your own good. Jellybean cannot really be birthed naturally with part of your placenta over your cervix, and you risk losing a lot of blood during labour if we even try. And even with a blood transfusion, you'll be putting your life at risk. A C-section would be for your own good and would be a safer method for Jellybean's birth."

"Okay. I understand." Maya chewed on her thumbnail.

"I know it sounds kind of scary, but as we approach your due date, we will explain the procedure to you and anyone involved so that you know what you'll be going into. You have nothing to worry about."

Even though she said that, Maya was worried. Normally, she would come with Lucas to her appointment, but he had a baseball game that day and couldn't get out of it. And Riley was on her way back from visiting a university in DC and wouldn't be in until later. Even Farkle was gone and attending a gala for STAR students. She would have asked Topanga or Lila as a backup, but she had assumed it would just be her usual routine checkup and she would be fine. But she hadn't expected this C-section talk. She needed some support or reassurance because she was terrified.

"Well is Jellybean okay? You know, with this whole placenta thing?"

"Oh absolutely." Dr. Torres smiled. "Placenta previa usually is not a life threatening situation provided that you stay away from physical exertion."

Maya's face fell.

"By physical exertion, do you mean…?"

"Yes Maya. I'm going to have to ask that you abstain from sexual intercourse for the remainder of your pregnancy."

Her brows lifted in shock. "Wait, are you serious? How? I can barely make it through the day without jumping his bones."

And then she promptly blushed when she realized what she had accidentally revealed.

"I-I mean… you know." She tried to play it cool, though she was sure her face was tomato red. "But it's not like I have sex any more than the next person."

"I'm sure you and Lucas can figure it out. There are plenty of ways to satisfy physical intimacy needs without the need for intercourse. We have some brochures at our front desk." Dr. Torres chuckled to herself. "It might be hard for you to change up routine Maya, but sex can trigger bleeding. Which you don't want. You might have been fine up until now, but better safe than sorry. I wouldn't recommend heavy exercise either. Just light motions. The yoga you've been doing should be fine as well as Kegel exercises. But stay away from exercises that may cause jolting or a lot of moving. I know you told me you've recently only started going to school and work three days of the week. But I'm going to have to ask you at this time just for safety's sake that you refrain from going to school or work at all. There are too many wildcards and risks and someone knocking you down could jar the placenta and cause placental abruption."

"What the hell is placental abruption?"

"It's not super common, but it happens. A placental abruption is a separation of your placenta from the uterine wall. Your baby will be devoid of oxygen if it occurs and you will hemorrhage. It's a pretty dangerous situation for a pregnant woman and her baby, because a lot of them occur after accidents or injuries, but are not detected. But vaginal bleeding can sometimes be a sign of abruption." Dr. Torres stated, diligently wiping Maya's abdomen of the gel. "You might experience some light, painless vaginal bleeding here and there during the remainder of your pregnancy that will go away on its own and then come back, especially as your baby continues to move. It's likely to be because of the previa, but just to be safe, any time it occurs, please call me immediately. We must monitor you more carefully."

"Am I high risk?" Maya asked softly, her voice a thin whisper, fright coursing through her body.

She'd heard a lot of stories about Lila's high risk pregnancy. How many miscarriages she'd had before she got lucky with Lucas. How terrifying it was that any moment, she could lose her baby and how as she got closer to her due date, she became extremely paranoid and how after Lucas was born a bit premature, she grew unbelievably anxious and stressed that he wouldn't make it. That was one of the reasons why Lila was so obsessed about healthy lifestyles and living. She just wanted her baby boy to remain healthy.

"Not particularly high risk, per se." Dr. Torres said, tossing her gloves in the trash. "Just that we need to be cautious. Remember what I told you. I want to make this pregnancy as comfortable as I can for you. You'll be fine as long as you just avoid situations that could hurt you. Don't worry. Everything will go swimmingly."

"Okay…"

Maya chewed her lower lip in worry as she sat up and lifted her leggings up. This was the very worst time for her to end up in an appointment by herself. She really needed Lucas' steady presence there to help calm her down. He was the only one who could when Maya grew a little outlandishly emotional. Riley tended to be too agitated and she freaked out over things even more than Maya. She would leave him a voicemail and hopefully he'd answer on his way back after the game, and he could quell her fears.

"Is this my fault?" she asked as she stood.

Dr. Torres tossed her napkins in the trash and walked over to Maya with a warm, consoling smile. She pulled her into a tight hug, and Maya leaned into the older woman, accepting the soothing gesture. After a few moments, she held Maya a bit at arm's length, grasping her shoulders and looking at her seriously.

"Maya, this is in no way your fault. You can't decide where your placenta will attach. Yours just happened to end up in that position. You have done everything perfectly. And everything will be alright. You'll deliver your baby and you'll be an excellent mother, okay? This pregnancy has gone very well and I know it will end successfully as well."

Maya smiled slightly, a little bit comforted by the assurance.

"Okay. Thank you."

"You will be okay, Maya. But nonetheless, I'm going to begin setting up weekly scans so we can check the location of your placenta. There's still time for it to move. And if you experience any pain like period cramps, let me know."

Dr. Torres gave her a quick squeeze before leaving the room. Maya grabbed her stuff and left the office slightly on autopilot, waving at the receptionist as she made her way out to the hallway of the obstetrics floor. She leaned her head against the elevator once she got on, sighing to herself and absentmindedly rubbing her belly soothingly, her mind still racing from the information she came to learn.

As she left the hospital, she pulled out her phone from her bag, dialing Lucas' number.

"Huckleberry can't come to the phone right now and even if you leave a message he probably won't call you back. Hell, why are you even calling him in the first place? Piss off…"

Maya smiled as the automated beep went off.

"Hey Lucas… I know you're probably playing, but I came from my appointment, and I'm a little scared about something. It's nothing horrible at the moment, but you know how I get sometimes. I uh…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "I need you. I really need you right now… Call me as soon as you can?"

She ended the call and sighed, hoping he would be available soon.

"Everything will be fine, right Jellybean?"

There was a bump punctuating the fluttering and Maya smiled, glad that even in the absence of her friends and people who supported her, she still had a companion.

"Yeah. You're right." She rubbed her abdomen.

There was nothing to worry about.

"We'll probably be just fine."

~.~.~

"Goodness gracious, Maya…" Lila said with a raised brow, pressing her hand against Maya's abdomen. "Is Jellybean trying to burst out of you or something? She's really hitting you brutally hard."

Maya winced, taking a small pause from her Kegel exercises to ride out the wave of attack.

"I know…" She rested her hand on her abdomen and the kicking momentarily stopped, though Maya could still feel the fluttering. "Every time I take my hand off, she kicks the crap out of me. She's been at it for almost fifteen minutes…"

"Have you asked her to stop?"

"Multiple times. She won't listen."

"So she's stubborn like you, huh?" Lila laughed when Maya gave her a 'har har' look. "Are you hurting?"

"Not particularly, though it has been keeping me up at night. I mean, there are occasions where it feels like Jellybean is trying to hurt me. Like right now. I think she's mad at me." Maya laughed, stroking the swell, "I didn't have ketchup with dinner, and she's been kicking me ever since."

"That's quite funny." Lila laughed. "She must really take after you because Lucas was tranquil."

"I guess… I can't help but feel like she's doing it on purpose though."

"Oh the woes of motherhood… But at least your due date is approaching. In a little over ten weeks, you're going to have your baby. How does it feel?"

"Weird." Maya responded, smiling gratefully when Lila helped her carefully get to her feet, "I've been carrying her inside me for so long it's kind of weird thinking about not having her keeping me up at night with her violent kicks."

As if on cue, Jellybean kicked her again a couple times until Maya put her hand back onto her abdomen.

"Don't you worry about missing that. She'll just be keeping you up at night now with her crying." Lila said, smoothing down Maya's hair with a smile. "In any case, I'm just glad there are no complications for you."

"Right." Maya replied, trying not to let her guilt show on her face.

Honestly, she wanted to tell Lila about the appointment that afternoon, but she already worried enough about Maya. The last thing Maya wanted to do was give her added stress. Not to mention, Lila's fears of difficult pregnancies. Maya was certain Mama Friar would become way over protective if she found out, and while Maya did appreciate her concerns, she needed her space sometimes.

Lila's phone pinged with the alert for a text message, and she glanced down at it, reading it before rolling her eyes with an annoyed growl.

"I have to go take care of something at the office." Lila said, "Damn incompetent interns…"

Maya laughed. "I understand."

"Will you be okay here by yourself, Maya?" Lila asked in concern, "I'll only be gone maybe an hour or two. And I'm sure Lucas will probably be back from his game by that time."

"I'll be fine. I'll probably just take a shower or a nap while you're gone."

"Alright." Lila grabbed her jacket and her keys before heading towards the door. "Don't hesitate to call if there are any problems. I'll be home lickety split."

She raced out of the door and Maya yawned, wondering if maybe she should just take a quick nap. By the time she woke up, she was sure Lucas or Lila would be back. Riley still hadn't responded to any texts yet, so Maya figured she was still on the road driving back with her dad.

Maya headed to Lucas' room when she heard her phone ringing. She picked it up from his desk, smiling to herself when she saw who was calling.

"Ranger Rick."

"Maya, what's going on? Is everything alright? Your voicemail sounded like you were in some serious trouble."

He sounded worried. She could hear the sounds of guys cheering and laughing in the background and shouting. They had probably won their game.

Yet, he'd called her first. God, she loved him so much.

"It's not as bad anymore. It's just that Dr. Torres told me I'll need a C-section if my placenta doesn't move. Apparently I could bleed a lot."

"A C-section? Are you okay right now? There are no complications, are there?"

"I'm fine. Just a little rattled." Maya sat on his bed, already feeling herself calming down considerably. "It's not high risk or anything. I just have to be careful not to get hit or fall."

He sighed in relief.

"That's a relief. Maya, you scared the shit out of me."

"I'm sorry. Thank you for calling me back."

"How could I not when you ended your voicemail like that?"

Maya chuckled softly. "You know what else she told me? No more sex."

"Damn. So the Cave of Wonders is officially closed?"

Maya snorted, rolling her eyes. She could just imagine his cheeky, teasing grin.

"You're such a dork, Sundance."

"I guess lunch time hanky panky is out then too."

"I guess so… I'm so mad right now. How the hell am I supposed relieve the pressure?"

"We'll figure out some alternatives. How about when I get back, we curl up under my covers, and I can just give you a massage? Nothing serious."

"That sounds like heaven."

Maya was pretty sore after her day walking around everywhere, and she really needed loosening up.

"Alright. The bus just left. We're heading back. See you in an hour or so?"

"Thanks, Lucas. See you at home."

Maya ended the call feeling a lot better than she had the entire afternoon. Talking with him had really helped. She crawled onto his bed and under the covers, settling in and closing her eyes with a smile.

~.~.~

Maya walked through the living room, braiding her wet hair to keep the dripping contained in one spot on Lucas' t-shirt. It felt a little weird being at the apartment by herself. Maya had been used to being in her home all by herself for days at a time on occasion without seeing her mother in the past, but this just felt strange. Maybe it was because she had become so accustomed to always having either Lucas or Lila around to fuss over her.

She had been planning to sleep through their absences, but Jellybean hadn't wanted to keep still, so Maya had given up after a few restless minutes and decided to just take the shower. There was still quite a bit of time left in the hour before either of them would get home.

She vaguely wondered how she should enjoy her newfound temporary freedom. Maybe she'd eat that whole pint of Rocky Road in the freezer and have some ketchup with it to finally settle Jellybean's restless kicking.

"If I give you some ketchup, will you stop beating me up? I get it, okay?" Maya scolded playfully, massaging her sore abdomen, "You won't stop until I give you what you want. You better not try those games with me when you're finally out. I'm not going to fall for them. And don't you dare try to get your huckleberry father to override my rules. I'll kick his ass."

Maya opened the freezer and snatched out that pint before grabbing some ketchup from the fridge. She lathered the top with ketchup before grabbing a spoon and taking the first heavenly bite.

She started making her way to the living room to enjoy her treat and watch whatever was on, but on her way, the mail caught her eye. It seemed like Lila hadn't sorted any of it yet. Maya walked over to it, sifting through it indifferently, not expecting anything addressed to her. Since Lucas had sent the letter to her father, Maya hadn't expected any response of any kind. She checked every now and then, but Kermit hadn't made any efforts to contact her through all these years. Why would he respond now? Plus, a month had already gone by with no response yet. She believed it was pretty much safe to say that he'd made his decision.

He wanted nothing to do with Maya.

Which was why when she saw an envelope with Maya Penelope Hart scrawled over the top, she almost went right by it, not really paying attention.

She doubled back, lifting it up slowly with raised eyebrows. She just knew what this was. No doubt this was from Kermit. There was no return address. Just the Friar's address in the top corner and Maya's name. Maya swallowed nervously, her appetite suddenly lost. No return address usually meant there was no desire for return contact. Was she about to get rejected?

Maya seriously contemplated not opening it. Just tossing it in the trash and moving on with her life.

But she was drawn to it. And something told her she should open it.

Holding her breath, Maya opened the envelope and pulled out the handwritten letter folded inside. Hands shaking slightly and brows knit in worry, she read.

Dear Maya.

Your boyfriend reached out to me and wrote me some pretty harsh words about me being a shit dad to you and leaving you and your mother without considering the consequences of my actions. He called me a Classic Clutterbucket. Which oddly enough, I was unsure what that meant until I read your letter and realized that it isn't a good thing.

And I deserve it.

Maya. I know it's been a month since I got your notebook full of letters to me, and hell, I don't even know if you're going to read this, but I'm sorry it took so long for me to respond.

Here's the truth:

I was scared. I thought you would rip the letter up immediately and not even want to hear my explanation or anything I had to say in response. A lot of your words were very angry (justifiably angry), so I thought you wouldn't give a damn what I had to say. I was also scared to read your letter because it was the first thing I've ever gotten from you in countless years and I thought all it would say was how you would never want to speak to me. I do want you to know that I tried a couple times to contact you, but Katy was adamant about keeping me away until now. And I completely understand. I deserted you both. I had no right to be a part of your life.

But I took a chance to respond to your earnest words.

Your letters made me cry, Maya. Do you mind if I keep them? I don't know if you want me to have them, but I want to keep them. It makes me feel like I've learned about you. That I've learned about your life Maya. That you've granted me glimpse I don't deserve into your life. I want to read this every day. I want to keep it so I never forget how my actions have truly hurt you both. This is my just punishment for being a coward and running away from a life I was lucky to have been given in the first place.

I missed the chance to hold you in my arms, missed the chance to watch you grow, and believe me, not a day goes by that I don't regret my decisions. I know it's too late, but I wish I could do it all over. Even the part where Katy and I had you as teens. Yes, even the part where I was a "douche bag" as you called me and pressured Katy into having sex even though we didn't have any protection. Because despite my having been a tool for not respecting her fears, it did bring you into our lives. And you are a blessing. And even though I ran, I will never forget the day Katy gave birth to you, and I got to hold your precious little body in my arms. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. The day I truly realized I had brought to this world someone who would become extraordinary.

Maya, I compel you to do what's best for you. Raise your Jellybean confidently if that's what makes you happy. Being a teenager who is pregnant is not the worst thing on the planet and it does not make you a bad person. The decisions you make from here on out, as long as they are thoughtful and mature, are what matter. You will be a wonderful mother. Just like Katy was to you. And look on the bright side. At least one good thing about me leaving you and your mother is that you will never turn out like me. You will never take after me. You won't be a Classic Clutterbucket, and for that I'm sincerely glad.

I know that your child will grow up to be as wonderful a human being as you turned out to be, Maya. Especially since you have such a caring, loving boyfriend to take care of you and your baby. Jellybean is lucky to have you two as her parents. The love you two clearly have for each other will definitely play a huge role in the love she'll receive. She will be a loved, happy child because she will have great parents. I know I've forfeited the right to say anything like this, but I'm proud of you. In the face of adversity, you've soared unimaginably, and I honestly wish I could be there with you. I wish I could've done better with you. I wish I could have done better for Katy.

And for that, I'm sorry.

I know it's too little too late, and I'm sure you probably won't forgive me any time soon. But I hope that one day, despite the fact that you hate me, I'll get a chance to meet Jellybean. That you'll give me the chance to slowly enter your life once again and learn about your family. That you'll give me the chance to meet all these wonderful people you've told me about in your life who have been your rocks and supports where I have failed.

I understand if you don't respond to me. But if you want to, Katy has my address. Go to her and talk to her Maya. You two need each other. I may be willing to come back in your life, but you and I both know that I'll never be anything more than an outsider. You'll always resent me for never being around and even if you open up to me, you'll always put distance between us. But Katy will always be the one who you need. She's been there for you all along. And you've been there for her all along. Lucas is right. You both need each other. So he requested I do this for your own good: if you want to continue talking to me, you will have to talk to Katy first.

Please.

I may have deserted you both, but you've both persevered through all your hardships together. So please don't desert each other.

Good luck, Maya.

By the end of the letter, Maya was sniffling, her vision blurred with the thick tears pooling on her eyelids. Her lip trembled as she set the letter back onto the counter, staring at the wall with a small smile on her lips.

She wasn't even sure what to think, but she knew that something inside her was about to burst out of her chest and make her break down in tears. She didn't know what she had expected him to say, but this was much more than she had ever hoped for.

And it made her unbelievably happy.

She felt on top of the world.

Behind her, the door of the apartment opened and then closed. Footsteps walked in, and Maya figured it was probably Lucas back from his game.

"Lucas." Maya laughed breathlessly, staring down at the letter. "My father finally responded. He apologized. And he thinks we'll make good parents."

"Parents?"

The deep, gruff voice that she heard was not Lucas.

Alarmed by the unfamiliar voice, she spun around and faced the door, eyes a little wide in surprise.

It was a man in a business suit standing stiffly in the foyer, facing her with a raised brow. Ice cold viridian eyes were glaring at her impassively.

She froze, staring at him, her heartbeat drumming wildly in her ears. His gaze dropped to her abdomen in disgust. She knew he couldn't actually hurt Jellybean with his stare, but it was so vicious and frigid and treacherous that she swallowed thickly and protectively placed her hands on her belly. She'd never seen this man before in her life, but somehow, she just knew who he was.

The notorious Mr. Friar himself.