even miracles take a little time

Chelsea sighed as she scrolled through her facebook app. There wasn't really much to see, just people she knew from high school and college sharing memes and useless bits about their lives. It was mostly just a way for her to pass time while she was waiting for her boyfriend to get home. He should've been back by now, but maybe he stopped by to get something for them to cook for dinner. Chelsea was almost ready to close her app and toss her phone aside when something in her timeline caught her attention. She scrolled back up, barely glancing at the name of her one of her high school acquaintances before she focused her attention on the image underneath, a grainy black and white ultrasound. Chelsea felt her stomach turn sour and she finally tossed her phone next to her on the couch, pulling one of the throw pillows to her chest. She knew she should be happy for this girl she barely knew anymore, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it, not when all she wanted was to have a baby of her own. She and Zacky had been trying - and quite a lot - but so far she still wasn't pregnant and it just wasn't fair. But at least Chelsea could ignore these people; all she had to do was stay off of facebook and it was easy enough to pretend she wasn't the only one not having a baby. If someone close to her got pregnant, she didn't know how she would handle it.

---

I'm going to stop by that little Italian place and get something for dinner. You want your usual? Matt sent the text message to Allie as he left the studio. After a long day of work, he was more than looking forward to just sitting on the couch with Allie and relaxing, watching a few movies before they went to the bed. Giving a wave over his shoulder to the guys, he climbed into his car and drove away, his stomach already growling at the thought of the shrimp scampi he was going to order. Once the food was safely in the passenger seat, he headed home, a big grin on his face as he walked through the front door. "Allie, I'm home!" Matt called out, shutting the front door. He walked into the kitchen and sat the takeout containers on the counter. Looking around into the living room, he didn't see Allie anywhere. "Allie? Where are you? I've got the food. I figured we could eat and watch a movie and just relax for the rest of the night. I've had a long day." Matt cracked a grin at his own joke. He grabbed himself a beer from the fridge, carrying the food into the living room. Allie was probably just in the bathroom, taking a shower or something. She'd be down soon.

@ paradigm;

Zacky waved to the rest of the guys and left shortly after Matt. He was going to stop by the store and grab some stuff to make dinner before heading home. He made it to the store and ended up getting a little bit more than needed, but oh well, at least they wouldn't have to go grocery shopping this weekend. When he got home, he carried in the groceries and saw Chelsea sitting on the couch. "Hey baby, sorry it took me so long...I decided to do a mini grocery shopping spree." He chuckled as he took everything into the kitchen. He sat the bags on the counter before going back into the living room and frowning. "What's wrong?" He asked, sitting down beside his girlfriend who looked like she was near tears.

--

Allie had heard Matt come in but she didn't answer. She was too busy looking at the positive pregnancy test she held in her hand. She had missed her period for the month and had also been feeling sick for the past week or so. So, while Matt was in the studio today she called her sister and asked her to bring her by a pregnancy test since she didn't have the car. Her sister had gotten her three boxes, just in case. She was going to wait until tomorrow morning to try it but decided to just do it now and now that the results were back, she didn't know how to feel. She washed her hands before taking the test and heading downstairs. Matt was already sitting on the couch, a beer in one hand and a forkful of shrimp scampi headed for his mouth. Allie walked over and sat down, "Matt.." she said, looking at him for a moment before looking down. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous about showing him the test, maybe it was because they hadn't been trying for a baby or anything, maybe that's why.

Chelsea curled up on the end of the couch, turning on the television. She'd thought that just putting her phone aside and focusing on whatever show she was trying to watch would help her forget, but somehow it just wasn't doing the trick. It was getting harder and harder for Chelsea to put her feelings aside. She glanced up when she heard the front door open, seeing Zacky step inside and listening as he rambled on about going to the grocery store. "Nothing, I'm fine," Chelsea answered hastily, reaching up to wipe at her eyes. Luckily, they came away dry. She sighed. There was no point in lying to Zacky. He would figure it out eventually. "Some girl I knew in high school is pregnant," Chelsea mumbled, leaning over against his shoulder.

---

Getting settled on the couch, Matt grabbed his box of takeout and opened it, grinning down at the food in his lap. This was going to be so good. He was just about to shove the first bite into his mouth when he heard someone coming down the stairs. He smiled at Allie as he chewed his food, not noticing her nervous demeanor until she said his name. "Is something wrong?" Matt asked, swallowing his bite of food. He noticed something in her hand, reaching over to take it from her. It took Matt a few seconds longer than he would care to admit to realize what he was staring at and when he finally realized what it was, he moved the food from his lap, turning to face Allie. "Allie, are you pregnant?" he asked her.

@ paradigm;

Zacky frowned whenever Chelsea brought up about a girl she knew in high school who was now expecting. He sighed and sat down beside her, bringing her into a hug. He kissed the top of her head, "I'm sorry, Chels." He said, rubbing her back. They had been trying for so long to have a baby and they had no luck. He knew it was affecting Chelsea more than him, it was so bad that if she saw a commercial on tv having to do with babies or anything related to them, she'd turn the tv off or change the channel. She avoided certain stores and certain areas in stores because of the baby clothes. "You know I love you, right?" He said.

--

"Yes.." Allie said, not looking at him. She got up and went into the kitchen to grab her food and a bottle of water before rejoining Matt on the sofa. She still wouldn't look at him though, she figured he would be mad. She knew he couldn't afford to take care of a kid, not with him and the band always touring or doing video shoots or just in the studio in general. Allie's job didn't pay enough for her to raise a baby on her own when Matt wasn't here. She sighed as she stared at her food, no longer hungry.

Chelsea took a deep breath as Zacky pulled her into his side, pressing her face into his shoulder. He didn't need to apologize to her. It wasn't his fault they couldn't have a baby, it was probably hers. They hadn't really sought any outside help so they didn't really know, but Chelsea just knew. "I love you too, Zack," she whispered. "I wish we could start our family. You would make sure fu make such a good daddy." She sighed before getting to her feet, going into the kitchen to see what groceries Zacky had brought home. "How about sandwiches for lunch?" Chelsea suggested, pulling out some bread. They had lunch meat and condiments in the fridge and Zacky had brought home bread. Besides that, Chelsea really didn't feel like she could stomach anything else right now. Seeing that on facebook had made her feel sick to her stomach.

---

Matt was a little confused when Allie got up and went into the kitchen. He thought she would be happy that she was pregnant. He was a little surprised, but he knew that once the shock wore off, he would be over the moon. He and Allie weren't necessarily trying to get pregnant but they hadn't exactly been trying to prevent it, either. "Well...how do you feel about this, Allie?" Matt asked, looking over at her as she sat down on the couch. "You don't seem happy. I am. I promise I am. I'm just a little shocked, you know? But once I get over it, I'll be super excited. I mean, we're going to have a baby. And it's not like we can't support it. I'm practically a rockstar. I make tons of money." Matt became aware of the fact that he was rambling and he stopped himself, waiting to see if Allie had anything to say.

@ paradigm;

Zacky nodded. "Sandwiches are good." He said as he sat down at the dining room table. "Maybe we should go see a doctor and find out why we can't have kids and see if they could help us?" He suggested as he watched her move around the kitchen. He knew they could adopt but he also knew Chelsea wanted to experience pregnancy for herself.

--

Allie thought for a moment. "I'm happy but I'm also in shock...we weren't really doing anything to protect us from this happening though." She said, as she started eating her food. "I'm sure once the initial shock wears off, I'll be all about it." She said, sipping some water, "I guess I need to call my doctor tomorrow and set up an appointment so we can see how far along I am and when the due date is." She said.

Chelsea went about making the sandwiches, making Zacky a roast beef sandwich and a ham and cheese for herself. She heard Zacky mention something about going to the doctor and she paused for a second. She knew he was right, they needed to see a specialist, but for some reason, she didn't like the idea at all. Maybe it was because going to see a specialist would admitting that there was something wrong with her and that she couldn't do what a woman's body was biologically built to do. "I'll call and make an appointment tomorrow," Chelsea said softly, handing Zacky his plate.

---

"Yeah, we definitely weren't doing anything to prevent it, which is why I feel a little stupid that I'm so shocked it happened," Matt said, reaching for his food again. If Allie was okay enough to eat, he was going to eat, too. He'd been in the studio all day and he was fucking starving. "Well just let me know when your appointment is and I'll clear off my schedule," Matt said. "I want to be with you when you have the first ultrasound."

@ paradigm;

Zacky nodded, "thank you baby." He said. He grabbed a beer for himself and handed her a bottle of water before sitting back down to eat. "I know all this stuff is depressing you so what do you say we go on a little road trip this weekend?" He suggested, watching her and waiting for her answer.

--

Allie smiled, "I hoped that you would." She said. Once the initial shock wore off, she couldn't believe they were going to be parents in about nine months. "What are you hoping for?" Allie asked Matt as she continued eating. She was hoping for a girl and she probably figured Matt was hoping for a boy.

"A road trip sounds like fun," Chelsea said, managing a grin. She liked the time she got to spend alone with Zacky, especially when he was busy in the studio like he was. "We should just get away and stay in a cabin in the mountains or something. I think it would be nice." Chelsea waited until they were both finished with their plates and then she took them into the kitchen, rinsing then off and going back to the living room.

---

"A boy, definitely," Matt said immediately, smiling. "I know it's kind of cliche, but I just want a little boy so I can teach him to be just like me, you know? I'll teach him to play basketball and to sing and rock music. I guess I could do the same with a little girl and I'm sure she'd have me wrapped around her little pinky finger, but I just kind of want a boy."

@ paradigm;

"Hell yeah. I think my cousin's girlfriend still has that cabin up in Oregon. I'll call him tomorrow and see what's going on." Zacky said and wrapped his arm around Chelsea once she sat back down. "It would be nice to just get away for a while, just the two of us." He said, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

--

Allie rolled her eyes. "Typical." She laughed. "Maybe we'll have twins and solve both our problems," she giggled, "unless they're twin girls or twin boys." She shook her head. "Either way I'm excited and can't wait to see what we're having." She said and ate some more food. "Are you going to tell the guys?" She asked Matt.

"That sounds perfect," Chelsea said softly, smiling. Deep down, she held some naive hope that maybe going on this weekend getaway with Zacky would help her to relax enough to get pregnant. She knew that wasn't how infertility worked, but at this point she was desperate and she would believe anything that told her she might be able to get pregnant. "We should definitely go out to that little diner while we're up there," Chelsea said. "I loved their French onion soup."

---

"I can't wait, either," Matt said with a grin. "Too bad we've got to wait like four months to find out." He stuffed another bite of food into his mouth, washing it down with a gulp of beer. "Of course I'm going to tell the guys," Matt told Allie. "This baby is practically their niece or nephew. Hell, maybe we should call them all right now."

@ paradigm;

"Yeah, we will definitely do that." Zacky smiled as he looked at her. He pulled his phone out to text his cousin about the cabin up in Oregon. "I sent my cousin a text, hopefully he'll reply asap." He smiled and sat his phone on the table as he looked at his beautiful girlfriend.

--

Allie thought for a moment. "I don't know about telling Zacky and Chelsea...I don't want her to get upset or anything." She said, closing up her food to save for later. She knew Chesea and Zacky had been trying to get pregnant and Allie knew the news of her being pregnant would devastate her friend.

"Hopefully he'll reply soon," Chelsea said, smiling softly. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have Zacky, who was going out of his way to make her feel better when she was feeling down about that girl from Facebook having a baby. Chelsea leaned her head over on Zacky's shoulder, reaching for his hand and threading her fingers through his. "I love you," she whispered, pressing her face into his shoulder.

---

"Well we can't tell any of the other guys without telling Zacky," Matt told Allie. "You know Jimmy and Johnny have big mouths. And besides, if Zacky and Chelsea find out that we told everyone else and not them, I think they might be kind of upset." Matt knew their friends were trying to get pregnant and they would probably be upset to know that he and Allie were pregnant without even trying, but he didn't see any way around it.

@ paradigm;

"I love you too." Zacky smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek. His phone went off a moment later and he grabbed it. "Good news, they still have the cabin and he said we can have it for as long as we need it. So when did you want to leave baby?" He asked her.

--

Allie sighed. She knew Matt was right. "Okay, we can go ahead and call them." She watched Matt pull his phone out. "I'd start with Brian and go from there." Allie told him. "Save Zack and and Chelsea for later." She said.

"Let's leave tomorrow," Chelsea said. She was glad that Zacky's cousin was willing to let them use the cabin, because a few days away with him sounded absolutely perfect right now. "We can pack tonight and leave as soon as we get up."

---

"I'll call them last," Matt said, nodding. He pulled out his phone and to call Brian, pacing the floor in the living room as he pressed the phone to his ear. "Hey man, what's up?" he asked. "Uh no, nothing's wrong. I actually have good news. Really good news." Matt paused, grinning. "Me and Allie are having a baby."

@ paradigm;

"Sounds good to me, love." Zack smiled and kissed her cheek. "As for dinner tonight, do you want to just order out or did you feel like cooking?" He asked her.

--

Allie smiled as she heard Brian's excitement on the other end. Matt ended up having to put his phone on speaker so Brian wouldn't yell his ear off. "Dude that's great! Always knew you'd be a dad before the rest of us." Brian chuckled. Allie giggled, he wasn't lying.

"I can cook," Chelsea said. "I've been craving some chicken parmesan, so I'll make that. And you can toss together a salad, if you want?" Chelsea gave Zacky a kiss on the cheek before she got to her feet, deciding to go ahead and start on the food now. She was hungry and she hoped a little comfort food would make her feel better.

---

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Matt asked, laughing at Brian. "Anyway, just uh, don't tell anybody else. Especially Zack." He hung up the phone with Brian and dialed Jimmy's number, putting him on speaker just like he had with Brian. "What's up, man?" Matt said. "So, I've got some news. Me and Allie are having a baby."

@ paradigm;

"Sure baby." Zacky said. He got up to go use the bathroom and once he was done, he washed his hands before heading back into the kitchen to start making a salad. "I'm so excited for tomorrow." He told Chelsea. They both needed this.

--

"You're lying." Jimmy said. "Nope, being honest." Allie said. "Shit...Chelsea is going to be so pissed. You guys gonna tell'em?" Jimmy asked. Allie sighed. "We need too, as much as we don't want too." She sighed. She knew Chelsea would be upset and might not even speak to her for a while, she hoped she wouldn't though.

The first thing that Chelsea did was get the chicken breasts out of the fridge. She pounded them flat and had just put them into a pan of olive oil to cook when Zacky came into the kitchen. "I'm excited, too," she said. "It's going to be so much fun to have a little time away from everything." Once the chicken was cooked, Chelsea put it into a baking dish with marinara sauce and cheese before sliding it into the oven.

---

"Why the hell would we lie about something like that?" Matt laughed. He frowned when Jimmy asked if they were going to tell Zacky and Chelsea. He knew that he and Allie had to be careful how they delivered the news to their friends and he was sympathetic to their plight, but he didn't like how he felt guilty for being happy that he and Allie were having a baby. It wasn't their fault that Chelsea couldn't get pregnant.