Chapter 23

Adrienne sighed as she shifted on the couch.

"You know I really do feel ok now," she said as she looked between her two brothers.

"You do have some of your colour back," Jack reassured himself more than her.

As for Steve, he said little. Out of the two of them, Adrienne knew he was going to be the one who saw her true motivation in saying that, hoping that they were going to take her out of there. She wanted to go back to the apartment and finish up their meal, say sorry to everyone for no doubt freaking them out…

No chance, Steve shook his head. There was no way they were leaving until they knew just what was up with her.

"I am so sorry you have had to spend so much time here since you have been home," she said sadly.

"Well, I have to say it is feeling like a home from home right now," he said as he smoothed back her hair. But it did not matter to him. All that mattered was that she was ok. "You don't worry about that though." They had enough to be worrying about that without borrowing any trouble.

She nodded as she lay back on the couch and for just a moment she let herself shut her eyes. In spite of the fact she had had a nap that afternoon, she still felt so tired.

More so than she had been in a while actually.

She tried to look back over the last few weeks, and how she had been in herself but it had all just got lost in a whirl of trying to be there for the family.

She knew she had been tired more than she had been beforehand but there had been so much going on… she had just put it down to all the stress.

But this was the first time she had felt so woozy. A few months ago she had had a bug but that was something she had eaten.

She was sure of it.

At long last, the doctor who had met them at the ER came in. She gave them a smile and Jack and Steve sprung to their feet.

"Do you know what us up with our sister?" Jack asked before she had so much had a chance to talk to Adrienne.

"Why don't you both sit down? Mrs Kiriakis, would you like to discuss this privately?"

Adrienne shook her head. "These two are my brothers and I think they would go crazy if I kicked them out now. Besides, the three of us don't have secrets from one another. Whatever is up with me, Jack and Steve can know. Its nothing serious, is it?"

The doctor sat down as the two men did. "Well, yes but nothing life threatening. Mrs Kiriakis, I have got big news for you. If you don't mind me asking, are you aware of how long it has been since you have had a period."

Adrienne felt herself flush and she knew both of her brothers were suddenly going to wish they were not in the room after all.

"To be honest… no. Things have become … irregular, over the last few years. But I am in my late forties and I am pretty sure I am going in to the menopause." She nodded.

That was just one of the unhappier changes she had had to put up with lately.

"Quite the opposite. I am afraid this is going to be a shock for you. You're five months pregnant."

Adrienne burst out laughing as she looked at the face of the doctor. She had to have heard it wrong. She was far too old to be having a baby and when she thought of all the trouble she had had conceiving when she had been young… there was no way she was having a child now…

Sonny was her little miracle baby… and she was a grandmother now. There was no way…

"That not possible."

She couldn't be – she just couldn't be. She turned to her brothers for one of them to tell her that the doctor was joking but they were just staring at her as if they were as stunned as she was.

She realised for all the fact she could not take it in, this did not change the fact Steve and Jack were going to be uncles again.

"Let me get you a glass of water," the doctor said as she got up.

"I – I don't know what to say."

The doctor nodded sympathetically.

"Five – five months. How could I not have known? I mean… oh my god."

There was nothing else to say.

"I do understand this is a lot to take in."

Yet even that seemed to be an understatement.

A baby?

She was too old. And not just because of the night feeds.

She thought of the baby's health, of her own and then of the elephant which had joined them in the room.

When she had a better idea of dates she might be able to work it out but just then she had no idea whose baby was inside of her.

She just didn't know.

"Can I go home please?"

All she wanted to do was go home and digest this news. She didn't know how she was ever going to even begin doing that but she knew she had to give it ago.

"Mrs Kiriakis, you can but before you do go we would just like to do an ultra sound and check on the baby if that is ok."

Adrienne knew she did not have to even so much as think about it. Of course she would stay…

For the first time she moved her hand to rest on her stomach. Her baby was in there, its little tiny toes and fingers developing as she panicked.

She turned to Steve and Jack and knew they were not going to be going anywhere until she had had this scan either.

"Are you ok?" asked Jack as the nurse went to get the ultra sound scanner.

Adrienne shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea."

X x x

There was a soft glow in the apartment when Steve got back to it. He had known no one was going to sleep all that easy till they had known just what was going on so he could not claim to be surprised.

Kayla had clearly come back to her own apartment a little while ago and was in her pyjamas, but had waited up on the sofa for him.

It reminded Steve all of a sudden of when they had been so much younger, when their little Stephanie Kay had been a babe in arms. He had been with the Salem PD and Kayla had used to wait up for him before going to bed. Just like so much else about her, he had thought the gesture sweet.

'Is Adrienne ok?' she signed as he took off his coat. 'Are you?' she checked as she saw how worried he was.

There was no hiding it.

'I am fine…. But Adrienne is…'

'Is what?'

'Having…. Having a baby. She's having a little baby.'

Out of everything Steve could say… Kayla did not think that was a possibility. She had not seen it coming.

"Pregnant?"

He nodded. 'She is five months gone and she had no idea.' Steve explained.

She had just had no idea.

His mind raced with the implications. Dimples was going to have to step up. They were all going to, they had to look after Adrienne. She was going to need them all and a bit of extra cherishing.

But then there was the fear. The fear that she was not going to be able to have a healthy baby, that something would go wrong…

He considered all the research which the two of them had done when they had had Joey. The statistics had terrified him then and they had been in possession of all the facts.

His sister had been caught unawares. What if…

'She was so scared – she didn't say it but I could tell,' he admitted as he signed.

It was only as he felt Kayla take his hands he realised his own had been shaking.

He wondered how long the two of them had been playing this game now. When one of them was unsteady, the other would give them a little safety, firm the ground beneath their feet. Her touch… her touch had been very much required…

As he looked at her, and smile crept on to his lips. For all the anxiety and worry of the evening…. He would be an uncle again. And Kayla would be an aunt again whether they were married or not.

A new tiny life and for all the chances things might go wrong, they could also go very right. That was what he saw when he looked at Kayla.

Her glass was always half full.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured. He hoped through the silence she could hear what he meant, that she could feel what he meant…

Reaching out, he touched her cheek, caressing it his fingers for a moment before he sat back.

He didn't want to presume… but Kayla shut the gap between them.

She placed a hand over his heart before pillowing her head on his shoulder and then the flood gates open.

And he held her… He held her tighter than he had held her for years.

He had fought this for weeks, the desire just to be close to her and now he couldn't. As his cheek came close to her lips she could not resist bringing them together for just a moment. Then she snuggled down.

They stayed close until the sun rose.

X x x

"Another cousin?"

Had it not been for the fact that Joey had seen his aunt faint then Steve would have kept the news from him for longer.

He had to give his sister time to get used to the idea before they started spreading the good news.

But as soon as Joey had got up he had been asking and Steve felt it was not right to lie to him.

He owed his son the truth.

The two of them had gone out for breakfast at Club TBD so Steve could explain and get a little – space, for him and Kayla.

When he had woke up that morning she had still been curled up in his arms. He had pushed his lips to her forehead and wondered if she was going to regret what had gone on in the cold light of day and thought there were no signs that was the case… but he wanted her to be sure.

"Yeah… it is the last thing Aunt Adrienne expected though so we have to give her a little time to get used to the idea."

Joey nodded. "Things aren't good between her and Uncle Justin right now, either, are they?"

"They could be better," Steve admitted.

He was not sure of the ins and outs of it but he knew they were not prepared or ready for this at all.

"Do you think they are going to be able to work it out?"

"Maybe."

His son looked at him with a knowing expression.

"Say what's on your mind, son."

"I had to go to the toilet last night. I saw you and mama - you were cuddling."

"I was upset after I got back from the hospital last night – we just…"

"It's ok. I know you are not going to be getting back together it was just… nice."

Steve nodded. It had been very nice.

Joey's eyes were distracted as he looked at the bar. "Does Sonny know about the baby?"

"I don't know if his mama has had a chance to tell him yet so we had better not let on."

"Here is someone else we had better not let on to."

Justin Kiriakis had just come in to the bar – and he had not come in alone.

A small, young, pretty blonde was on his arm.

"We're leaving Joey." Steve said. Their breakfasts were half eaten but he did not trust his own temper some times. Especially not then. His little sister needed treasuring and yet her husband was walking about town with another women on his arm and…

Joe did not argue with his father. They may not have had that long together but he knew that tone in his voice.

He was not to argue with him and it would take a child braver than Joey to try.

As they headed for the door, Justin released they were there which was inevitable.

Steve was glad to see he looked embarrassed.

As he should do. This was his sons club…

"Steve, Joe, how's Kayla?" asked Justin.

Joe gave a nod that she was ok but Steve said nothing.

"I know this is hard –"

"Don't you dare to talk to me about what is hard." Steve knew he had to be careful about what he said.

He was not going to be letting Dimples know anything his sister was not ready for him to know.

Luckily, at that moment, the two of them got rescued.

"Uncle Steve, it is ok," Sonny said as he came round from the bar. "I have got this."

The two of them looked at each other and Steve knew that Sonny understood the situation.

"Dad, come on lets go. We should get back to mom," Joe encouraged. And with that the two Johnson's left the bar.

"I know he was not going to be happy but Sonny –"

"Dad, I cannot understand this and there is too much on my mind to deal with – with whatever this is. I am not going to stop the two of you getting a coffee here but please do not introduce me to – this."

Sonny knew he was being rude and he hated the way that he sounded. But with good reason he was feeling protective of his mother.

Stalking off, he went back to his office and tried to imagine what it would be like to have a baby brother or sister.

X x x

Moving in day came fast for Shane and Kim. Kim could only guess that was because they had chosen one of the very first houses they had seen to move into.

It was the third one they had seen the day they were out with Kayla.

They got to the house early and were waiting for the van to bring their possessions.

Kim therefore had a chance to look about one last time with the house being bare. She could hear the echo of her heals on the floor as she walked about the living room to be.

"Do you know how long it is going to be until the van is here?" asked Shane as he came into the room with a coffee for them both.

"Thank you, my love," she said as she took the mug from him. "Not too much longer now." He nodded and put an arm about her.

"So do you think he we will be happy here?"

"As long as we are here with our grandchildren I am almost sure of it."

"I note you make no mention of our lovely girls," he murmured sarcastically.

"They are good girls, deep down," she said with a sigh.

"I just wish they would act like it from time to time…"

Kim giggled. They must do… some time, she thought. "Well then we will spend a bit of time with lovely Paige and Tate."

They were good.

Shane pushed his lips to her forehead.

"Paige text me last night and asked me if we were going to the lake for the fourth."

"She did?" he asked. Their plans for this particular holiday was always something which Shane had left to Kim. It had always been more hers than his after all.

"Yes, she wanted us to go down to the picnic by the lake," Kim nodded. "I said we would go."

"Good."

"It'll be fun. And nice for us to be altogether…"

"Yes it will," he said as he leaned into him. Right then he had no idea, truly, how he would have got through any of this without her... And so he was more than content to have a moment just to hold her.

It was only when they heard the roAR of a van outside their house they broke apart. It was going to be a long day for them but they had Bo coming to help and as long as they were together then it would be a good day none the less.

X x x

"It's fourth of July next week."

"I know it is," said Hope as she Ciara walked down the street. They had a brunch date with the Jennings to attend.

The four of them hadn't had a lot of time together lately. It was a situation which they wanted to remedy.

"Are we going to go down to the picnic by the lake?"

That was what they generally did. It was what most of the town normally did.

"Of course, honey," said Hope with a smile. "Why?"

"Because I think dad is going too," said Ciara with a smile.

Hope did not see that as entirely good news but she knew Ciara probably did. It was clear from her tone of voice.

After they had got back from the park, Ciara had been much less hard on Bo. She had been daddy's girls when she had been young.

And part of her was always going too devoted to him. But that part was getting bigger again already.

Hope wished he had run what he was planning by her but then why the hell should he? Hope had a feeling the Johnson's were going to be at the lake, as well as the Donovan's, and this was the first chance in years Bo had had the opportunity to spend the holiday with his friends and his family.

Of course he was going to relish is.

Aidan and herself were going to have to see Bo socially. It was a fact of life. And they may as well start of the fourth, she thought to herself.

"Well then he can play baseball with you guys."

"Yeah, he can, it's going to be good!"

Ciara raced ahead to the restaurant and Hope sighed. She was growing up so fast. It was not going to be very long until she wanted to spent the fourth with her friends instead of them family. And of course as she looked forward to future fourths, she looked back. She remembered when her daughter was a tiny girl, how much fun she and Bo had had with her.

Somewhere deep in side of her, a voice said to was going to be a good thing. Another fourth when she, Bo and Ciara were together. It was far too long since they had had this type of time together.

She smiled and followed Ciara into the restaurant.

X x x

Joe had abandoned Steve on the way back to the apartment. One of his buddies from school had called him about heading over to the park to play some football and it had been clear he had wanted to go before he had so much as asked Steve. His father had said he could go with no hesitation… the little dude has spent a lot of time with his family lately and could probably do with blowing off a bit of steam with his buddies.

Steve was not going to get in the way of that.

So when he got back he was on his own and he knew if he were a dog (as some in the past had believed him to be) then his heckles would still be up.

Damn Dimples and that blonde stick insect he had brought home to Salem. He was only glad Adrienne had not been with him and Joe that morning for he did not know if she would have been able to take that.

His guess was not right then. He had just been walking through to the kitchen, thinking he should really go over and check on his sister when the door to the bathroom opened and Kayla stepped out. In nothing but a towel.

The first thing he noted was her wet hair. He averted his eyes and they handed on her bare feet which did not help matters.

He could feel the weight of her on his chest, balled up as she had been the night before.

It made him feel heady till he saw the still fading bruises at the tops of her arms… Then he just felt angry.

Who had hurt her? When was he going to be able to kill them for doing so?

Before he did stop himself he gently touched the top of her arms, his fingers traces over her wounds and felt her stiffen.

He removed it right away.

But even then she didn't run and hide from him. It many ways it would have been easier if she had.

But she didn't.

They stayed frozen in time, till they moved off, leaving them both wondering what had passed between them and what the ramifications would be.

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