Young and Pregnant

Alec was pacing his apartment when Jackson walked in. Alec paused and stared up at his friend, meeting that look of all-knowing that his friend gave him. "Sit down", Jackson demanded, pointing at the couch.

Alec obliged his friend and just watched as he grabbed two beers out of the fridge and thrust one into his hand. "Drinking again?" Alec had never been into drinking. He avoided those types of parties, and his friend knew that, so why was he handing him beers all of a sudden?

"Trust me, it'll take your mind off things." Alec nodded and popped the top off, gulping down one big drink. "So what's on your mind to begin with? I know there's something. I'm surprised you didn't rub a bare spot in the carpet pacing like that."

"It's Cass. The baby isn't growing like it's supposed to be", he rushed off in one breath. Alec just stared at the carpet. He couldn't believe the turn of events. "Plus, I feel really guilty about leaving. Not just because of the baby and Cass, but because of Anthony."

"Ahh", breathed Jackson. "He's always admired his big brother that's for sure. I remember the first time I met that kid. I swear he couldn't of tried any harder to be just like you."

Jackson's words made Alec cringe. He knew exactly what he meant. Anthony looked up to Alec. That's why he had called to know how Alec was going to handle being a father; he wanted to learn from, in his opinion, the best. "I feel like shit."

"Take another drink", Jackson told him as he leaned back onto the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table, taking another drink of his own beer. "You know what I think? I think that you need to leave."

Alec nearly jumped off the couch. He stared incredulously at his friend. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"No, no, I don't mean the way you think. I think that leaving will show you just how much you have here. It'll be good for you too. You can clear your head while you're gone. Go away to basic training and come back a father." Jackson just shrugged. "Yeah, it'll be hard, but man, you've got to figure this stuff out. I mean, do you want to marry Cass? Your brother will miss you, but maybe with him seeing you grow up and doing your own thing, he'll start to grow up and be his own person."

Alec knew what Jackson was saying. It was going to be hard for him to leave, but maybe he was right. Maybe it would be good for him to leave for awhile and come back. He would be a changed man, but maybe it would be for the better. Alec just wondered how Cass was going to cope.

Just as Alec began to think of Cass his phone rang. He checked the caller ID to see it was her. He didn't hesitate to answer. "Hey Cass."

"Alec", Cass said. Her voice was panicked.

"What's wrong?" He felt himself begin to panic as well. He sat the beer down and stood up, walking to his bedroom. He began pulling on his shoes before she could answer.

"I'm sorry", Cass began to blubber. He could hear her crying and he wondered what had happened. He had grabbed his keys now and started to head toward the door.

"Cass, tell me what's wrong. Why are you sorry?"

"No, nothing", she sobbed, "I just feel so bad for getting pregnant and being such a mean girlfriend to you."

Alec stopped in his tracks. "Nothing was wrong?", he thought.

"It's okay Cass, we've been over this. It wasn't just your fault." He sat back down on the couch, calmed that she was just upset.

"Just the baby isn't growing right and I haven't been feeling good and I'm sorry."

Alec could barely make out her words as she spluttered and continued to sob. He stood back up knowing he was going to have to go anyways. He couldn't stand to hear her cry. "I'm on my way okay?"

"Okay", she sniffled.

He clicked the phone shut and closed his eyes. For a minute he was somewhere else, until he opened them and realized that nothing had changed. So it wasn't a dream.

"I'm going over to Cass's", Alec told Jackson.

"Alright. Well I'm off to a party. Why don't you bring her here to stay the night?" Jackson jumped up from the couch and went to the door ahead of Alec.

"You mean it?" Alec had never had Cass over to the apartment to spend the night. They had hung out there and he had spent the night at Cass's house. "i]That one fateful night", he thought.

"Sure. It'll be good for you." Jackson stepped over the threshold, saluted Alec and closed the door behind him.

Before Alec left he thought it best to tidy up a bit and began throwing away beer bottles and stashing away playboy magazines. He ran to his bed and began changing the sheets. He threw his dirty clothes into the closet. Checking the fridge he cursed. He would just have to order pizza. Cass had begun to have a larger appetite and the few packages of Ramen Noodles wouldn't suffice. Maybe for him and Jackson they could live on bowls of cereal and noodles, but Cass had started having much larger and more random tastes.

He hopped into his car and drove off to Cass's while his brain began to flit from one trouble to the next. "Alec, I'm pregnant." He could hear Cass as clear as day in his mind. She had been such a mess that day. "A beautiful mess", he thought as he pulled into her driveway.

He barely had to knock on the door and Cass was there with tears rolling down her face. Alec pulled her into his chest and caressed her hair as she cried into him. "Shh", he pleaded with her as he stroked her. She was so fragile. Then it hit him; her hormones were messing with her.

He sighed at this thought and was thankful that was all. She was just a pregnant girl who had somehow upset herself and was now blubbering to him about how terrible she was. He pulled her into the living room and sat her on the couch. "Cass, you are a wonderful girlfriend."

She sniffled and just looked into his eyes for a moment. "You mean it?"

How could he say no. "Yes. As a matter-of-fact...", Alec paused. He wondered if he should really invite her to stay the night. What would this mean about their relationship. All it took was one look at Cass and he knew. "Would you like to come spend the night with me?"

Cass's eyes grew wide. "Really?" He could hear the excitement rising in her voice. "I'd love to!" In an instant her tears had vanished and her mouth had began to smile. "I'll go pack my things."

With that she left him to sit on the couch for a moment, unsure of how to take this. What had he just done to himself.

But Cass was down in a few moments with a hot pink duffle bag and slid her hand into Alec's. "I'm ready when you are."

"Okay." Alec grinned the entire way to the apartment. He could feel himself slowly beginning to think, "I love her." Whether he did or he didn't that was how he felt, and he knew that he cared. There was no denying that he cared.

Cass grabbed his hand as they walked into the apartment and held onto it as he led herto his room. She dropped her duffle bag on the floor next to his dresser and hugged him fiercely. "I love you."

"I love you too", he murmured into her hair. He could feel her stomach slightly bulged and touching his. "Are you okay with pizza?"

"Most defnitely." Alec chuckled at her and grabbed his phone, dialing away.

They ate their pizza with a small bit of conversation. Cass had gotten a pizza to herself because of her new found love for jalapeños. Alec hated them and stuck to a meat lovers and watched as Cass scarfed down half of hers.

After their meal they snuggled up on the couch to watch a movie together and before Alec knew it Cass had fallen asleep against his shoulder. Her expression was soft in the light from the tv.

He stared at her, remembering why he had fallen for her in the first place. She was a gorgeous girl who was spoiled but brilliant. Cassandra definitely had a bright future in front of her when he met her. She had a laugh that brought a smile to his face and eyes that made him melt. She was caring, although mostly for animals. She wanted to be a journalist, or so she had told him at some point.

Alec missed the auburn haired girl he had first met. "That's why we had made love", he thought to himself. He had missed the girl that he had fallen for. He had hoped that maybe she would come back to him. Now looking at her sleep, he only saw that girl.

He slipped his arm out from under her and clicked the tv off. He carefully slid his arms underneath of her and began carrying her to his room. He set her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her, tucking her in. He pulled off his shirt and pants and slid under the covers next to her. He lay, watching her breath. She was so peaceful that way. He only wished he could see her so calm more often. It had seemed that lately, all they ever were was upset about something.

Drifting off to sleep Alec was happy.

***

Cass awoke to find herself in bed and couldn't quite remember how she had gotten there. She rolled over and found Alec asleep next to her. She smiled and then her grin turned into a frown. She felt sick suddenly and lurched up from the bed, rushing to the bathroom.

She began to throw up into the toilet all the contents from the night before. She brushed her hair from her face as her stomach emptied itself. Sweat formed on her forehead as she finished and groaned. She wiped her mouth off on towel and then went to her bag to get her toothbrush. Morning sickness was a bitch.

Alec stirred slightly and opened his eyes with a smile. "Good morning sunshine." He sat up in bed and looked at her. Cass couldn't quite convince herself to smile. It wasn't that cheery of a morning for her.

He had noticed her rummaging. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just some morning sickness." Cass had retrieved her toothbrush and returned to the sink to scrub the disgusting taste from her mouth.

Alec popped his head into the bathroom. "I'm sorry. Anything I can do?"

Cass just shook her head, spitting out the paste. "Thanks though." Suddenly, Alec kissed the top of her forehead then left for the kitchen.

Cass began to feel an ache in her chest. Alec loved her. He truely cared and loved her. With a sigh she stashed away her toothbrush and walked into the kitchen to find Alec. "Hey Alec."

"Yeah Cass?", he asked, turning from the coffee pot to look at her.

"What's going to happen to us?" She sat down at the table, bracing herself for what he might say.

"What do you mean?" The puzzled look on his face was even more adorable when matched with his bedhead.

"Will we stay together I mean."

Alec sat down across from her and grabbed her hand. The silence seemed to stretch on as they held hands and looked at each other. Cass hadn't wanted to stay with Alec before, but that was before she had been to the doctor. The baby wasn't growing right. What if something happened to her baby? She would want Alec to be there for her. She would want someone that she could lean on and have make it all better. Cass knew that the only one to do that was Alec. Especially after the past 24 hours. The question she was waiting for him to answer would be if he wanted to be that guy.

"I think so."

Cass let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. That was just part of what she wanted to know. "You know what that doctor asked us about being married?"

Alec just nodded, his eyes growing darker as she spoke. "Umm, well, what do you think we should do?"

"Honestly? I have no clue what we're going to do Alec. I want to get married and yet I don't. I don't know if we're good for each other."

Alec stood up and went back to the coffee pot. He didn't look at Cass. He just stood with his back to her. Cass just stared at him afraid of what he could say to her. Maybe mentioning marriage was a bad idea.

"We'll see."