"I'm sure you know why I'm here."

If there's one way Dex didn't expect to spend his New Year's Eve, setting up a nursery was it. He's not sure when (or why) Kristina and Molly agreed to make something of the spare room; the crib Sonny purchased for the baby shower collected dust in the spare room. The pile of gifts that appeared behind the sofa Christmas morning, courtesy of Kristina's family, gave him a clue, and the text Kristina left him that morning filled the rest in.

"Did Kristina or Molly text you?" Dex guides TJ inside, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sure you can guess," TJ laughs, "How much have you gotten done?"

"A half-assembled crib and half-painted walls."

"You're painting the walls?"

"Uh, yeah? The pink in there is ugly, so it'll be replaced with a more pastel yellow."

"Okay, well, I can finish the crib if you want."

"Be my guest," Dex slaps TJ's shoulder before the men head upstairs. They walk past the open loft space and turn the left corner, entering the room to their immediate left. The infamous pink walls stare at them, yellow paint sloppily applied. The crib sits by the door to the bathroom, its foundation lopsided. Other boxes and items sit scattered, half-opened and messy.

"Not much of a handyman, are you?" TJ looks around.

"I have a lot to do," Dex sighs, "Between the walls and the crib and everything else-"

"I'm just giving you crap, man. I get it."

"Okay," Dex takes a breath, "well, uh, yeah. Let's get to work."

The next few hours consist of an assortment of noises, between hammer slams, heavy breathing, cardboard tears, and drill spins. The walls are a pastel yellow, wet and fresh, while the crib stands upright, the white wood clean and sturdy. Dex slumps down onto the floor, his elbows on top of his knees. TJ drops to one knee, wiping his forehead free of sweat.

"Okay," he gasps, "what's next?"

"There's the…dresser," Dex points to a large box in front of the bathroom door before gesturing to a box by the finished crib, "and the…chair."

"Which do you want to tackle first?"

"We can do the chair after I catch my breath," Dex falls onto the floor, inhaling deeply. TJ moves closer and slaps his shoulder to get him up, pulling the man to his feet. They drag the box towards the middle of the room and open it, pulling out legs, cushions, and a bag of nuts and bolts.

"So," Dex begins as he grabs a few tools, "the baby's almost here."

"Yeah," TJ beams, "We just have to wait another month or two. God," he stops moving for a moment, leaning against the box, "I'm going to be a dad. I'm going to have a little girl, and she'll grow up with the best care imaginable. Top tier schools, an accepting environment, and a huge, huge support system."

Dex doesn't respond, giving him a smile.

"I just…I never thought any of this would happen. I mean, Molly and I agreed to not have kids, to be career-focused and enjoy a family that's just us. And then, after our pregnancy scare, and we tried and tried and tried, to know that we'll finally get what we want…it's just the best."

"I'm happy for you, TJ," Dex grins as he flips the spine of the chair upside down, grabbing a leg and the drill, "You're going to be a great dad."

"That's the hope. Honestly, at the end of the day, I want my daughter to know that no matter what, I'll love her for who and what she'll become. I had a messy childhood, an even worse teen years, and now, as an adult, I have myself together. If that's the journey she takes, I'll have her back the whole way."

"You'll definitely be her favorite parent," Dex laughs. TJ grimaces a bit before walking over, holding the chair while Dex drills each leg in, "I wish I had a parent like that when I was a kid."

"Tough childhood?"

"Very tough. Youngest of three boys, and they let me know it," Dex sets the drill down, flipping the chair up. He moves it close to a corner by the window, placing a few gift pillows and toys in the seat.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I'm away from them now and I'm better off for it. Plus, it helps me know what not to do if I have kids of my own."

"Do you think you will?"

"Um," Dex stops himself as he's opening the box for the dresser, "maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I haven't given it much thought. I've just been focused on taking care of Kristina and working for Sonny."

"You call being with your girlfriend 'taking care of her?'"

"Well, no, but I'm also her bodyguard."

"How long have you been with Kristina?"

"Uh," Dex rubs the underside of his chin, "we weren't really official until a few months ago but we were 'together' before that, so…almost a year?"

"You haven't thought about your future?"

"Like what, getting married? Having a family? Not really. It's too soon to consider anything like that. I'd rather us just…be a couple before we get there."

"I get that. Molly and I were high school sweethearts before we decided to be in a domestic partnership."

"A what?"

"It's an alternative to traditional marriage. Molly and I can enjoy some of the same benefits without all the baggage that comes with being married."

"If you wanted the same benefits, why don't you just get married? That makes no sense to me."

"It's something we agreed to do and it works for us. It's a little confusing, sorry."

"No, no, it's okay. Like you said, it works for you and Molly. Traditional marriage, if it ever happens, works for me," Dex chuckles as he pulls wooden pieces out from the box, "but yeah, when it comes to me and Kristina, I don't want to rush anything. Moving in together was a big leap, but her staying with me in my apartment was a pretty solid trial run, all things considered."

"Well, for what it's worth, I hope you two go the distance. You've been good to her and good for her, and it's clear you really love her. Plus, you'd make a great brother-in-law."

"Aw, thank you, TJ," Dex grins from ear to ear, "I appreciate that."

"Of course," TJ shakes the man's shoulder, slapping it gently. He then looks at the box and pulls out a few dresser pieces, "Ready to get back to it?"

Another few hours pass as the men finish off their work, twilight present in the sky as Dex hangs up the last wall decoration: wooden clouds tied together with twine just above the dresser. The furniture's situated and against the wall, the paint dry and free of blemishes. The chair sits in the corner with a lamp behind and a footrest in front. The crib sits against the middle of the back wall, perfectly between the bathroom and bedroom doors. The dresser is across the way, just to the right. An assortment of decorations, from clouds to stars to butterflies, cover different spots of the yellow walls, and toys rest in neat little piles both close to and away from the designated chest.

"Not bad, huh?" TJ slings an arm around Dex's shoulders, marveling at the space.

"Not at all," Dex replies, cleaning up the cardboard and tools on the floor. They make their exit and go back down to the living room, TJ holding what's left of the boxes as Dex puts the tools away.

"Oh, hey," TJ nods at the balcony doors, "we didn't miss the fireworks."

"Good," Dex laughs, turning his way, "I can take care of the boxes-"

"No, that's okay. I'm heading out anyway, so I'll do it," TJ shifts the cardboard around to get a better grip on it, "Got any plans to ring in the new year?"

"Nothing special, just ringing it in with Kristina. I'll pick her up later and we'll go from there."

"Sounds good. Have a Happy New Year, Dex."

"You too," Dex opens the front door, watching TJ walk off with the boxes before grabbing his car keys and locking the door behind him. The drive to Corinthos-Davis House is relatively smooth, more stars appearing as the sky gradually turns dark. He parks in Kristina's designated spot, nodding at the few teens setting off firecrackers in the open parking lot. He stops as he walks in, watching Kristina talk to a few girls in one of the seating areas. One of them sees him at the front door, catching Kristina's attention and directing her his way. Their faces light up as they make eye contact and she approaches him with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Hey, you," she says, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him, "you're early."

"I wanted to stop by," he shrugs, wrapping his arms around her, "How are you?"

"Good, good," she nods slowly, "You?"

"Better."

"Better?"

"Working on that nursery was a pain," he furrows his brow, making a playful face, "but I'm happy to report it's done," he pulls back to hold her hands in his, "Now I'm here with you."

"And I'm glad you're here, but please tell me you had some help."

"Of course. TJ stopped by…thanks to Molly."

"Good," she squeezes his hands, "We're grateful for you both."

"Yeah, yeah, we're decent handymen," he rolls his eyes, causing her to laugh, "So, how are things going here a week in?"

"It's great, honestly. I've had so many kids move in here, and they're all so happy and feel so safe and loved. It's everything I've wanted."

"And they all love you, I hope."

"Oh, they absolutely do."

"Any New Year's plans for Corinthos-Davis House?"

"Mm, not really. I'm just letting them do their own thing: lighting fireworks, going out with friends, hanging out in their rooms. It's their call."

"What do you want to do?"

"Honestly," she lets go of his hands and takes a deep breath, "I just want to lay down. I do not have the energy to stay up until midnight, but I'm not ready to go home."

"Well, we can stay here, or maybe I can drive around and find somewhere for us to watch the fireworks."

"...How about both?"

Kristina falls asleep almost half an hour into the drive, a sight that causes a small smile to spread onto Dex's face. Her seat rests at an obtuse angle, head turned his direction. A few fireworks light up the night sky, looking between her and them and the road ahead.

"Um," he clears his throat, his voice soft, part of him thinking she's listening, "I had an interesting talk with TJ today, about the future: marriage, kids, things like that. He's excited to be a dad, and he's really happy in this…domestic partnership thing he's got with Molly, and I told him I wasn't thinking that far ahead."

Kristina gently stirs, her ears twitching when she registers his whisper. She keeps her eyes closed as she processes his words, "I mean, you and I…we haven't been together for a whole year yet, and the biggest milestone we've had was moving in together. Everything's still new to me and the last thing I want to do is ruin things."

She maintains her half-asleep posture as he continues, "I really haven't thought about getting married or having kids at all, but…I'm kind of thinking about it now, and I actually kind of…want it."

Her heart skips a beat in both fear and excitement, "Maybe it's just the exhaustion and nerves talking, but I…I want to get married, I want to have kids, I want all of that stuff. And I know how I feel about you: I don't think I'll ever love someone the way I love you, so if there's any person I'd marry and have a family with, it's you."

Kristina's head rolls away from him, her eyes firmly shut yet shaking with sadness. Dex keeps his eyes on the road, curving as they round a cliffside. He notices a few cars parked by a fenced off area, a cliff overlooking most of the town lights. He pulls into the last available spot, a few feet away from the small crowd. Her head rolls back in his direction, the roughness of the move fully waking her up. She rubs her eyes and blinks a few times, her vision clearing up in time to see the brightness in his ocean eyes.

"Hey," he greets her gently, turning off the car.

"Hey," she replies.

"How was the nap?"

"Decent," she looks around, "Where are we?"

"I don't really know," Dex shrugs, "but there's other people here to watch the fireworks, so I figured we'd do the same."

"Oh, okay," she sighs as he gets out. He opens the passenger door and helps her onto the ground before lifting her up enough to recline against the windshield. He locks the car before sitting next to her, taking her hand in his. They sit in silence, watching a few fireworks paint them in greens and reds and purple before she looks his way. He matches her gaze, giving her a gentle smile.

The words tumble out of her mouth absent-mindedly: "I heard what you said in the car."

"...Oh," his face turns red, and she can see fear in his eyes. She squeezes his hand to reassure him, but it didn't help much, "um, well, I was just-"

"It's okay. You didn't say anything bad," she rests a hand on his thigh, "It was actually kind of nice to hear what you want out of this relationship."

"Even if you don't want the same?"

Kristina stares at him, gently biting her bottom lip before responding, "Who said I didn't?"

Dex doesn't say a word, looking at her with surprise. She glances down for a second, gently rubbing his thigh before making eye contact once more.

"You really mean that?" Dex asks, his voice almost inaudible.

"Mhm," Kristina moves closer to him, their legs pressed against one another. Her fingers dance over his chest, slowly gliding across the fabric of his sweater, "I love you."

"I love you too," Dex says as they meet in the middle for a kiss. They go back and forth a bit, somewhat coming up for air in between. He pulls away first, "Obviously, it's way too soon for us to get engaged, but…it's nice knowing I'm not getting ahead of myself."

"Oh, definitely not. I don't think I've loved any man the way I love you, and I've loved a few of them. Hell, I even married one of them."

"You've been married before?" Dex asks, eyebrows shooting up in intrigue.

"I have. When I was in college, I…dated this guy making a reality show about my life. At the time, I was pretty mad at my parents, and I stuck it to them by going with a guy to Vegas and eloping."

"Did you love the guy?"

"Well, yeah, I did, but the marriage itself wasn't on the best grounds and a lot of my behaviors back then were done out of spite. It got annulled after a little while."

"What show did he film? Would I have seen it?"

"Ever heard of Mob Princess?"

"Uh, no."

"Good. That part of my life was as ugly as the program itself," she rests a hand on her bump, rubbing it, "If there's one thing I never want my daughter to see, it's that."

"Your daughter?"

Kristina mentally kicks herself as Dex looks at her, confusion present on his face. She immediately tries to pivot, "Yeah, like, if I have a daughter of my own. I didn't mean this baby…though, uh, I don't want her to see it either."

"...Right," Dex nods slowly, settling back in against the windshield, "but I get it. I've done things I wouldn't want my kids to know about either. I'd rather they know me as their dad rather than a mob goon or a failed soldier," he clears his throat, "I grew up with very little support and even less love, and I was left for dead by people that are supposed to be my family. I never want a kid to feel the way I felt, especially my own kids."

"You'd be wrapped around their finger, you know."

"Yeah? That's fine. What matters is their happiness and safety, and besides," he rests a hand on her stomach, "this little one's already got me."

"Yeah…" she mutters as he glides his hand across her torso, "I mean, you're practically a father to her already."

"True, but I'm not her real father."

Kristina bites her lip as the sentence leaves his mouth, and she feels the confession dangling off the edge.

Don't go into the new year with this lie, she tells herself, Don't hide this anymore. The baby's due in early February, and that'll be here before you know it. Tell Dex the truth, tell Molly and TJ the truth, tell everyone the truth before you literally lose everyone and everything-

"One minute to midnight!" someone shouts, snapping Kristina back to reality. She and Dex lace their fingers together as they watch a barrage of fireworks go off, the sound of people counting down clashing with the explosions.

"Ten!"

"Dex," she tugs at his shoulder.

"Nine!"

"Yeah?" he stares at her.

"Eight, seven, six!"

"There's something you need to know."

"Five, four!"

"What is it?"

"Three!"

She moves his hands to her bump, her breathing picking up speed as she feels the words on the tip of her tongue, his eyes bright with concern.

"Two!"

"I…I…"

"One! Happy New Year!"

She doesn't say anything and pulls him into an aggressive, almost suffocating kiss, keeping him tight against her. She keeps pulling him into her, swallowing his gasps and moans as she tries her best to communicate what she really wants to say.

I'm pregnant with your baby. You're just as much a father to her because you're, in fact, her father. She's half of you and half of me. You deserve to know and I'm so, so sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry I lied to everyone about this.

"Krissy," he gasps out, trying to pull back. She lets him go, "God…"

"I'm sorry," she says.

"It's fine, um," he gently touches his bottom lip, "You've never kissed me like that before."

"I just…wanted you to know how much I love you."

"Well, I definitely know now," he laughs, "I was ready to…retreat to the car with how passionate you got."

"We can still do that," she looks past him to see most of the cars leaving the area, "Looks like it'll just be us up here."

Dex gives her a smirk before he gets off the hood of the car. He goes around the back, opening the back passenger door and creating room before approaching Kristina to help her down. It doesn't take them long to get into it once they end up in the back of the SUV, heavy breathing mixed with a collection of moans as their hands travel over each other's bodies. Kristina pulls him into her completely, her head on her shoulder as he pushes against her. Her face turns red with each and every moan that leaves his mouth, and she keeps hold of him once they both finish. Sweaty and tired, they gaze into each other's eyes, silent.

"Happy New Year, Dex."

"Happy New Year, Kristina."

She leans over to capture his lips once more, her movement gentle and sensual. Her hand goes between the side of his face and his neck as their kiss deepens. She hears the voice in her head screech and yell, calling her a coward, but ignores it, pulling him closer and drinking in the post-coital glow they're both bathed in.