Chapter 2
Good Morning, World

She didn't remember the dream she'd been having when she woke up, the morning after Halloween, except that it had left her feeling like her head was spinning, something was spinning, something…

"Oh, here we go…" she muttered, slipping out of Lucas' arms like a pro before making a mad dash out of their room and into the bathroom, treating whoever else might have been awake to the sound of retching. Clearly, if she hadn't done the math the day before which had sent her buying eight pregnancy tests, this wake-up call would have been… well, a wake-up call.

She didn't know who it was at first, except suddenly there was a hand on her back, and when she stopped being sick and the world seemed to clear up again a bit, that hand was running reassuringly up and down her back. She figured out that hadn't been Lucas when, after a beat, that first hand went away and another came to replace it and that one was him, she knew. She reached out for that hand as she sat back on the ground. The mystery first hand was revealed as belonging to Chiara when it presented her with a wet cloth.

"I'm fine, I'm good," Maya told them both, her voice coming out shaky as she pressed the cloth to her face. "I'm totally super."

"Hangover?" Chiara asked sympathetically.

"No," Lucas told her, kneeling now to where Maya could see him. "Hey…"

"Morning," she breathed, promising with a look that she really was fine, no matter how rotten she felt on the inside. "No kissing right now, it'll be horrible," she gestured to her mouth.

"Maya?" Sophie's voice sounded, and the trio turned their heads to look at her. "What happened?"

"I…" she started to say, just as Dylan popped up next to Sophie.

"Hangover?" he asked.

"No," both Lucas and Maya replied as one. Maya looked to her boyfriend now, and her eyes said enough. Too many people here.

"Look, I've got her," he turned to the others. "Thanks," he turned to Chiara, who gave him a nod. She left the bathroom with Sophie, and after tipping his head to Dylan in thanks for his concern, too, he pulled the bathroom door shut and turned back to Maya. "I woke up and you weren't there," he told her, taking the wet towel from her and moving to the sink to refresh it. "Then I heard the…"

"Don't… say it," she closed her eyes. "I don't want it to start again."

"Right…" he breathed out, sitting with her again.

For a minute or so, neither of them said a word. As he sat there, on the bathroom floor, all Lucas could think was the way he'd come running as soon as he'd figured out where she was. It was all starting… And this was going to keep happening for weeks, he knew. Last night, they'd gone to bed, and he couldn't sleep, so he'd gone and dived headlong into the internet, trying to inform himself about what would be happening to her, to the baby… Finally, around four in the morning, he'd managed to settle down and drift off to sleep.

"We're going to have to tell them," Maya spoke, and he looked at her.

"Have to?"

"What do you think's happening out there right now?" she pointed toward the door. "Five bucks Riley was already downstairs," she started. "And when the others go down there and start telling her I was… you know," she motioned to the toilet, scrunching her face, "She's going to put the pieces together. She knows I took the tests last night, and now this morning…"

"I know," he pointed to the bowl. She nodded. "We're going to have to tell them," he agreed. "Are you okay with that? We don't have to tell them. Even if Riley figures it out…" She chuckled.

"You think that Riley Matthews, upon discovering that her best friend of almost fifteen years is having a baby, she will be the coolest cucumber in the room and give no reaction in the slightest?"

Almost to prove a point, at that very moment, they heard an extended squeal from downstairs.

"Pay up… Dad," Maya smiled. Oh, that word ran right through him. He smiled back, big and bright.

"Happy to."

When they finally left the bathroom and started down the stairs, they found all four of their roommates standing in the kitchen, whispering to one another. Lucas cleared his throat, and they all looked up, like a herd of deer in headlights.

"Pathetic," Maya shook her head judgingly. Riley tried to look away like she'd done nothing.

"Are you really…" Sophie stepped up, holding back a reaction that was dying to come out.

"Knocked up? With child? Growing a human?" Maya suggested. She turned to look at Lucas. He looked back at her, tipping his head; this was hers to tell. She slipped her hand in his. "Yes," she breathed out. "We are."

The next few minutes consisted of many arms around them, many voices speaking over one another. Riley had been the one to get to Maya, the two old friends remaining locked in that embrace for a good long while. Maya could just feel the excitement coursing through her best friend. Right then, she could just imagine it all… Auntie Riley would be a whirlwind around that kid, and she couldn't wait to see it.

Eventually, they'd let go, at Lucas' suggestion that it might not have been ideal to jostle her too much after how their day had started. Suddenly, they were on task, getting her something to eat and drink she would hopefully keep down.

"You can't tell anyone, okay?" Maya looked to each of the four of them, harnessing her very best piercing look. "Not yet." Sophie, Chiara, Dylan, and Riley all promised. "I haven't even known for sure half a day yet, it hasn't even really sunk in yet, so we just need… time."

"You'll have it," Riley nodded, and on this Maya believed her. "I probably shouldn't talk to your parents… Or my parents…" she mumbled to herself.

"Riley," Maya tapped the table in front of her and the brunette looked up. "Breathe." Riley breathed. "You'll be fine."

Before long, the excitement of that morning had to be set aside. They all had classes and jobs to get ready for. Maya and Lucas made their way back up to their room, where Maya promptly sat on the bed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling as she breathed out.

"My brain feels too big for my head right now," she declared. Lucas came up to the bed and, when she could see him up there, looking at her, she turned her head toward him. "If I play hooky, will it impress badly on the sprout?" she asked, pointing to her stomach with both index fingers. "I have a medical reason," she insisted.

"I will back you up to my last breath," he vowed crouching down. "If you stay, I stay."

"Mmm…" she considered this. "If we stay here, we might actually make ourselves crazier. Next thing we know, there'll be half a nursery planned, and name lists, and I'll have started learning how to knit," she stared him down.

"Knitting?" he smirked.

"You know I like a new art medium. This one gets to keep the kid warm, so why not?"

"And it gives your hands something to do," he nodded.

"Yes, exactly," she reached up to tap his arm. "Well said."

"I'm confused, are we going to class today?" Lucas asked. Maya sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I guess…" she replied in such a way that the words 'if we have to' hung in the air unspoken.

"And tonight?" he asked as she sat up. She stared back at him and, after a beat, she blinked and smiled. "Forgot what day it was?" he guessed.

"I was a bit preoccupied with… you know," Maya reminded him. "But what about tonight? You're not changing anything, We've been together five years as of today, actually, probably exactly five years, give or take a few minutes. Plus, by next year's anniversary we'll have an actual live baby to deal with, which might complicate elaborate dinner plans. We need tonight to go on as planned."

"When you put it like that," he nodded. "Alright then, I'm coming to pick you up from your last class, we come back here, get changed, and then we're on."

"I am going to put on the best dress," she declared, chin up. "While I still can," she sighed.

"The green one?" he couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"That one, yeah," she smirked at the look on his face.

So, much as they felt like staying home, they got ready and drove off to school along with the others. When they arrived, Riley turned to Maya with a look like she didn't want to leave her behind. It took Sophie and Chiara to convince her and lead her away.

"You, too, Huckleberry," Maya turned to Lucas.

"What?" he looked at her.

"You're tailing me," she whispered, then laughed. "Go to class." He sighed, turning to face her, grasping her face in his hands, kissing her. "I love you…"

"I love you… both," he smiled, which made her smile back and mouth the words 'green dress.' He pressed a hand to his heart like he'd lose his balance.

Once she was on her own, walking to class, Maya felt that flutter in her heart, left to her own thoughts and the knowledge that she was having a baby. She'd lost count of how many times she'd felt the urge to press her hand to that one spot she could swear had started to shift, the one tangible proof she had for the time being, beyond the tests and the sickness. She couldn't do that, not here, not if she wanted to keep her secret for a little while.

When she got a text from Willow, she remembered that she knew, too, part of the way. She wanted to know how it had all turned out. After a moment's thought, she pressed her hand to her pocket, thinking of the key to Professor Robinson's office.

She'd held her breath just a moment as she turned the knob, before seeing that the professor wasn't there. She went in, shut the door and turned the lock. She pulled out her phone and dialled up Willow.

"Maya?" she answered. "Hey, I…"

"So, is it too early to start planning play dates with the kids?" Maya asked. Willow squealed and laughed. "No telling yet, okay?"

"Not a peep," Willow swore.

"Everyone at the house knows on account of my waking them up to the tune of… you know…" Thankfully she didn't have to say the word, which she still didn't trust wouldn't send her going again. Willow understood well enough.

"And you're doing okay?" Willow asked. "Last night, when we were talking…"

"Last night, I was teetering on a line, not sure what side I'd fall on. But now I know I'm on the side of… diapers, and onesies, and tiny socks… and I'm completely okay with it."

"That's good to hear."

"I know I'm just in that bubble right now, like 'yay, baby!' Eventually it's going to be 'oh… baby… what do I do now?' and…"

She'd been pacing back and forth along the space in her corner of the room where she had her desk, focused on the call, so when she turned around and found Professor Robinson standing just inside the room, she startled, the phone nearly slipping out of her hand before she managed to hold on to it again.

"Hey, I should let you go, I need to get to class," she told Willow.

"What happened?" Willow asked.

"Tell you later. Bye," she hung up, slipping her phone back in her pocket. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she sighed. "How much did you…" she slowly asked.

"Some of it," the professor told her, then, smiling, "Congratulations, Maya, dear."

"Thanks," she grinned as the professor walked forward and motioned as though she was about to hug her but wanted to make sure it was okay. Maya nodded, folding into that hug and feeling like this was one solid grandma hold. "You know, this whole plan of not telling too many people is not working out so great so far," she frowned into the woman's shoulder. In a matter of two hours, they'd gone from two people to eight people knowing.

"Don't worry yourself, I'm like a steel trap."

Not so far away, while Maya had gone looking for a quiet place to talk to Willow, Lucas had found his way to his first class. All he could think about as he went – apart from that green dress – was the fact that they needed to get informed, needed to get ready. Sure, the baby wouldn't be born for many months, but until then there was the whole pregnancy, everything that needed to happen before they had the baby, and he very much wanted to get the ball rolling on that. This was his family, and he had to take care of them. They needed books, and if it would be too complicated to get them from the store where he worked then he'd just have to get them elsewhere. Did the university library have anything like that?

"Woah, hey," someone grabbed him at the shoulders and stopped him walking forward. This turned out to be a good thing, as he blinked and realized he had been all of three steps away from walking headlong into a pillar. When he turned around, he found Bishop standing there. "Better watch where you're going, Friar, that anniversary of yours won't be nearly as fun if you show up with a busted nose."

"Yeah, thanks, sorry, I was just thinking about… stuff," he blinked.

"Must be really important stuff then," Bishop chuckled as they walked on toward class.

"It is," Lucas spoke quietly to himself.

"Party was great last night, by the way. I know you didn't get to spend as much time there as the rest of us, what with your cousin popping in, and then you and Maya just disappeared on us."

"Yeah, she wasn't feeling well," Lucas lied, sort of. "But she's better now," he went on.

"Well, that's good to hear," Bishop smiled.

It would have been so easy to tell him, and oh how he wanted to get to tell someone, anyone. He wanted to share this joy that was building up in him, so much he could barely hold it all in. But he'd promised not to say a word to anyone, so that was what he'd do… or not do… He wouldn't tell anyone. Now he just had to get through the day without having an outburst and spilling the beans… the sprout… He smiled to himself, the nickname adopted so naturally between Maya and him already. It almost made the baby feel even more real. It was their little sprout.

"What's with the smile there?" Bishop asked, and Lucas realized that, once again, he'd gotten lost in thought, so much so that he hadn't seen they'd arrived to their classroom.

"Nothing, just… just excited for tonight, and the notes…" he told Bishop, which was in this case not a lie at all, even if it came hand in hand with a bit of an omission. He had written notes, five of them, distributed to people who would be in each of Maya's classes that day. Five notes for five years.

"Alright, fair enough. Hey, so, you want to come and study at my place over lunch?" Bishop offered. Lucas was about to say no, but then, remembering that 'Bishop's place' was also 'Willow and Lion's place,' it got him wondering if maybe that'd be his way to get his hands on some books for Maya and him to at least start looking at in the days and weeks to come, until they got around to getting their own. If he could just do all this without Bishop seeing…

"Yeah, sure, okay."

TO BE CONTINUED

See you next week! - mooners