17 Nights

Telling Ava's friends, her agent, the rest of Marc's brothers and friends were the easiest people to tell. Telling the media was a whole other story. They decided to tell the media that they had been dating for longer than they actually had to avoid too much questions and that the pregnancy was a very welcomed surprise.

It wasn't the first time Ava lied to the media. She lied before about Chris' death, telling them that she wasn't the one that had provided the drugs. She lied about a couple of her relationships, often telling magazines and interviews that they were just friends. Ava had been in the business for a long time to know how everything worked. How to play with the media and how to manipulate them

They decided to keep their relationship quiet, in which Ava wouldn't talk about their relationship in great detail or Marc. She didn't want to be as open as she was with her previous relationships because she wanted to keep some privacy to herself. She learned long ago that the media's constant presence and limited privacy often strained a relationship. Often, her boyfriends would say that there were three people in their relationship. Her, him and the media.

Ava was in the limo waiting for the driver to open her door. She was at the London premier of 17 Nights and was expected to do some promoting all over Europe before she could go back home to New York. It was hard for Ava to go through this promotional tour since she had to leave Marc for almost a month and she had to completely rework her dresses that she had planned due to her pregnancy.

She decided to get more loose fitting dress and more comfortable shoes, at the request of Marc, since she was going to be on her feet all day. At three months she was already showing more than an average three month pregnant woman. The doctors, though, had reassured her that the baby was okay and that the only reason she was already showing a lot was because most of what Ava ate was going to the baby.

She placed a controlled smile on her face as soon as flashes started erupting in front of her face. She could hear everyone calling her name, no doubt wanting to be the first person to ask her about her baby's daddy and her pregnancy more than her movie.

"Ava, how are you? You look beautiful," a woman gushed as Ava approached her.

"Thank you. I'm good," she replied to the journalist.

"Now, you announced your pregnancy with your boyfriend. How far along are you? And how excited are you?"

"A little over three months now and Marc and I are ecstatic. We've already started picking out names and figuring out how we're going to design the nursery. It's just an amazing time for the both of us," she said, for once, genuinely. It seemed like whenever the baby was mentioned.

"Have you found out yet if it's a boy of a girl?" the journalist pressed on, shoving the microphone closer to Ava's face.

Ava stepped back a bit from the eager woman to avoid being hit by the mic in case she decided to shove it closer to her. "I went to the doctors before I left, but the baby was face an angle where the doctor couldn't see, so in a few days I'm flying back to get another check up if the baby's moved yet."

"Now I know that you had a strict catholic upbringing, how has your father and mother taken the news?"

For once, Ava lost face and looked at the journalist in shock. She wasn't expecting that question and had no answer for it. She couldn't very well lie and say that her parents were happy, or at least say it for her father since her mother called her the next day to say her congratulations and that she was excited.

She felt a little saddened knowing that her father was still didn't accept the fact that she was pregnant. She was already pregnant there was nothing more she could do. She was disappointed in herself as well, but she couldn't change the fact that she was already pregnant.

"We're excited and happy that she's pregnant," she heard someone say from behind her.

Ava quickly turned around and saw her father. A wide and genuine grin spread across her face when she saw him smiling proudly at her. She wrapped her arms around her father, beyond happy that he had come to terms about her pregnancy.

"It was a surprise, but a nice one none the less," he continued.

"Well, thank you for letting me interview you," the journalist said and allowed the father and daughter to leave.

"Thank you for that," Ava whispered has she hugged her father again.

"I'm sorry for what I said back at the restaurant. I just want what's best for you and I was scared that you're growing up and have your own kid. I mean, I already missed your childhood," he confessed.

Ava just shook her head and kissed him on the cheek. "You were just busy," she replied simply.

*

"I'm glad that you and your dad worked things out. I told you that things were going to get better."

Ava smiled, hearing her boyfriend's voice. He was right, things got better, if not better than before. Her father and her truly bonded, taking her around London, shopping for the baby and insisting that he pay for everything. They talked about the baby, about Marc and about everything he missed while she was growing up.

Ava never really resented her parents for never being there when she was growing up, how could she? They were important people and to her, there were more people that needed them than she did. She still had her grandparents to help raise her and her nanny. Sure it bothered her once in a while, but they were always there for important events and holidays.

Without them working hard, she most likely wouldn't have the life she had, but now that she has the life, Ava promised herself that she wouldn't leave her baby to grow up the way she did. She told herself that she wouldn't take as many movies as she did in her youth and that she would occasionally meet up with Marc whenever he was on the road.

Marc couldn't give up his career. Not since he had worked his life for it, and Ava couldn't ask him to. So she decided that she would sacrifice her own acting career to stay in New York and raise their baby. She had been acting her whole life and it wasn't like she was going to completely give it up, it was just going to take a backseat to her family.

"Yeah, but miss you already. When do you head for LA? Have you started packing?"

"I leave in two days and yes mom, I've already packed," he joked. The last time Marc had gone on one of his road games, he for got to pack and was rushing last minute to get everything packed. Needless to say, he forgot his suit and shoes, which Ava had to fly to Colorado to give it to him.

Ava yawned and stretched. "Well, I'm tired and baby needs to eat. Whatever gender the baby is, he or she is for sure your baby. He or she eats just as much as you," she teased.

Marc laughed. "I'll call you tomorrow," he informed her. "Goodnight."