My Baby, My Darling.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

We were sitting at a stoplight, waiting for the streetlight in front of us to flick to green. Dexter had sensed that something was wrong from the time he picked me up from my apartment, dressed in a casual white shirt and his hoodie and leather jacket combo, layering against Connecticut's October freeze. During the entire car ride to the club where Gabe was hosting Marc's 'Welcome Home' party, Dexter continuously stole curious glances at me, entirely aware that something was not right.

"I'm fine, Dexter." I sent him a small smile before pulling down the hem of my dress and returning my gaze out the window of his Jeep, submitting to my thoughts once again.

But I wasn't too sure about my state of mind at that moment, to speak honestly. After my encounter with Monica, I stood on edge about whether to share this piece of information with Dexter or not. For one, it wasn't my information to share and the situation had little to do with me. In fact, it had nothing to do with me or my relationship with Dexter. It was a familial dispute that I shouldn't be getting involved in.

On the other hand, withholding this horrendous fact would only blow up on me in the end if Dexter found out that I knew about it and didn't tell him. In the end, I decided to keep the information to myself for now and handle it later on, when appropriate. However, the thought kept creeping back into my mind; how betrayed Dexter would feel, the look in his eyes when he realized that his brother fathered the child of his ex-fiancé.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Dexter furrowed his eyebrows as he helped me out of the passenger seat of the Jeep. "If it's about yesterday-"

"It's not." I shook my head, forcing a grin. "Nothing's wrong, Dex. I'm just a little tired from school today, and this storm is just putting me in a mood..."

"Do you want to just go home, baby?" He said, his hand resting at the small of my back. "If you're too tired, you know? You might be getting sick, there have been a few cases of the flu floating around at the hospital lately and-"

"Dexter, don't doctor me." I smirked, shaking my head. "I feel fine, and we're already here. Let's just have a good time, okay?"

"As long as you feel okay?" His eyes bore into my own, his features only slightly illuminated by the street lights overhead.

"Perfectly fine, Doc." I nodded, intertwining my hand in his as we proceeded to walk along the city sidewalk, towards the crowd formulating outside of the building from which the booming of its bass could be heard from miles away.

After quite a bit of weaving through the crowd, Dexter easily convinced the bouncer to let us in as cold stares from the crowd around us sent daggers into our backs. It amazed me how much of a negotiator Dexter was and how many connections he had. Later on, he explained to me that he'd become quite accommodated with that particular bouncer during his party animal years.

"Finally, you guys made it! I was about to send out a search party." Marc stood up from his seat, beaming widely and slurring his words slightly. Marc and Gabe had spent the whole day together, partaking in their usual shenanigans that they excluded me from during all the years we grew up together. I would have joined in on their adventures today, but I already knew from past experiences that it would just be a third-wheel mission.

I scoffed, "Yeah, right. You were probably too drunk to even notice we weren't here."

"Dexter." Marc smiled widely, pulling him into a bear hug. "I assume that you're taking care of my sister here, tonight? She gets pretty iffy when intoxicated, so I'm putting my faith in you that you'll watch out for her. If anything goes wrong, I will know who to fuck up. If you catch my drift."

His speech to Dexter was cut short when one of his friends from college interrupted and pulled him towards a girl I remember my brother dating during high school.

"He gets feisty when he's drunk." He smirked as I plopped down onto the nearby booth.

I nodded, "It's like all common sense goes out the window. He won't remember what he just said by tomorrow, so don't sweat it."

He looked over me hesitantly. I merely blinked back at him, flashing him a small smile. He knows something is wrong.

"I'm gonna go get us some beers." He smiled lightly, leaning in to peck my lips. "I'll be right back."

I nodded, watching him disappear into the crowd as he moved in the direction towards the bar.

Nicole and Gabe appeared from the stairs that connected to the dance floor. They were sweaty and all over each other like the provocative couples I usually have to brush past in order to get to the bar. It was weird seeing them in that state, together. But at the same time, it wasn't as bad as I'd expected it to be.

Their hands were interlocked as they sat down in the booth beside me. Gabe's arm hung over the back of the booth, in close proximity with her shoulder as he slouched down in exhaustion.

"Hey, nice of you to finally show up!" Nicole laughed leaning forward to pinch my arm across the table. "I was beginning to worry. Where's the beau?"

I smiled, pointing towards the bar. "Getting reinforcements. It's going to be a long night if I have to watch you two all over each other."

Gabe shrugged, laughing lightly. "Didn't I tell you I have a way with the ladies?"

"Oh, please!" Nicole scoffed from beside him, poking his side. "Don't oversell yourself, honey."

"Did you hear that?" His eyes shot open to look at me as he gestured matter-of-factly to Nicole. "She called me honey. I've got your best friend wrapped around my finger." He joked.

"Gabe, she calls everyone Honey. It was also the name of her pet rabbit that died, like five years ago." I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"Aw, babe?" He grinned widely, turning to Nicole. "You named your pet rabbit after me?"

"Get me a beer, dumbass." She rolled her eyes, pushing him out of the booth.

He laughed, swatting her hands away as he stumbled away from the booth and blowing her a kiss before disappearing into the crowd.

"That's going to take some getting used to." I bit my lip, gesturing toward where Gabe had disappeared.

She grinned, eyes not meeting mine as she ignored my last statement. I'd only seen that look on her face two other times. In middle school, when she kissed Jimmy Lofgren in a game of spin the bottle and immediately fell in love with him. But he moved away a month later to some town in Colorado, never to be heard of again. The second time I'd seen her this way was Sophomore year of high school, Alan Jensen, Varsity Baseball short stop. He was her first serious boyfriend, and her first love. But, I never imagined that she'd act this way about Gabe, who she's known the duration of all her boyfriends. This look she had on right now was how I could tell her relationship with Gabe was serious. I knew that Gabe wouldn't be kicked to the curb just like Daryl or Matt or any other guy. And I was happy for her.

I snapped my fingers in front of her face, fighting for her attention. Her eyes shot open to meet mine, as if seeing me for the first time.

"What did you say?" She knitted her eyebrows in confusion.

"That." I pointed between her and where Gabe had walked off to. "It's going to take some getting used to."

"If there's anything to get used to." She rolled her eyes, waving a hand at the bar and smiling lightly as her eyes met mine. Her smile dropped instantly as she scrutinized my facial expression. "What's wrong?"

I quickly averted my eyes, shaking my head. "Nothing's wrong."

"Are you still pissed about me and Gabe?" She bit her lip, sending me a worried look.

"Quite the contrary." I shook my head. "It's weird, yes. But you two look pretty good together. I've learned to stop gagging when I look at you two."

"Then, what's up? I know that look in your eyes and something's wrong."

I wrestled inwardly with myself. I knew I could tell her, I could tell her anything. I finally decided that her input would be great in this situation.

"You remember Dexter's brother, Ben?"

"I've heard about him."

"He's.....he's the father."

"Who's?"

I raise my eyebrow, giving her a few moments to think over what I had just said an connect the dots. I could see her working it out in her mind.

"Holy shit." She muttered, her eyes widening in shock.

I nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"How did you know?"

"Well, for one thing. I saw her. Not only did I see her. I was cradling the child in my arms, for fuck's sake." I held out my palms as if to show her proof. "And at first, I thought it was Dexter's, but he swears and she swears it isn't a possibility. But it looks exactly like him. And since Ben and Dexter look like twins, I connected the dots."

"Shit." She muttered, shaking her head. "That boy really is a walking soap opera."

I nodded, biting my lip. "I wish I could do something to help."

"Maybe you can." She raised an eyebrow suggestively.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head quickly. "He still doesn't know."

"Are you kidding?" She raised an eyebrow, slamming her hands onto the table.

"No." I blinked, licking over my lips. "I'm waiting for the right time."

"If he's that important to you, hon, there shouldn't be a right time. He should know."

And that's when I realized just how many secrets I was keeping from Dexter. This was a dangerous game I was playing in keeping these secrets. I then realized how her statement had applied to both situations.

Nicole and I moved onto other matters, like her birthday coming up in a couple weeks and how Marc and I were going to go down to New York for Christmas with my parents. Ten minutes later, Dexter emerged from the crowd with a beer in each hand.

"Sorry I took so long." Dexter furrowed his eyebrows in frustration as approached our table, handing me my beer. "I guess there was a shortage of bartenders tonight. But, I saw the strangest thing."

"What?" I took a swig of my beer, sending him a curious look as he plopped down beside me onto the booth.

"I think," Dexter furrowed his eyebrows, "I think Gabe's behind the bar, taking orders."

I threw back my head in laughter, pointing at Nicole. "That is all you. Go handle your man."

Nicole groaned, pushing herself up from the booth. "I'll be right back."

"Are you up for dancing tonight?" Dexter sent me a knowing smirk before taking a swig of his beer.

Dexter and I weren't the type of couple to party every night and get drunk together. But we did know how to dance, if you could call it that. It basically consisted of both of us trying to get the other one more hot and bothered before we had to leave. It was a game to us, because we knew each other's weaknesses.

I bit my lip, nodding slightly. "Why the hell not?" I finished off the last drops of my beer and placed the bottle on the table before pushing Dexter out.

He furrowed his eyebrows, surprised by my sudden boost of energy. He meant to ask the question as a joke, and I knew that. He knew that I wouldn't play that game with him unless I were drunk, or towards the end of the night. I don't know why I was so eager to play. Maybe it was because I needed to do something happy. Or maybe I needed to show Dexter that nothing was wrong.

But whatever the reason, that is why I found myself grinding into Dexter's hips as we moved to the blaring music among a crowd of hot bodies.

Dexter chuckled from behind me, shaking his head. "You keep that up, you just might win."

I laughed, grinning lightly as I spun around to face him. "That's the plan, darling."

He smirked, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling our hips together as his lips trailed down my neck. His lips hovered over my sweet spot, his hot breath igniting my skin an sending me into a frenzy.

I shook my head, smiling lightly. I was not going to let him win. I spun back around and felt his arm wrap around my stomach, moving back to trace my hip bone. I bit my lip and pressed my hips against his, grinding against him. I heard him let out a low growl as his fingers trailed up and down my side. My hand traveled behind me, resting on the nape of his neck and rubbing it softly as I ground into his hips once more.

That's when he lost it. He spun me around and interlocked his eyes with my own. His grey eyes, darker than usual and clouded over with lust. His arms hugged me close to him, his breath tickling my lips with its close proximity. He pushed away a strand of my hair with his cold fingertips before meeting my lips with his own, dominating the kiss.

Weakling, I said to myself as my lips moved perfectly in sync with his, cherishing every moment of it. Kissing him was never stale. Somehow, he made it different every time. And it was just what I needed to get my mind off of everything.

When we got back to the my apartment, we were stumbling and laughing about nonsense, traveling on our own high.

I looked around at its emptiness. Marc had been staying with me for the past week, so I was used to his stuff littered about my living room floor. But right now, it was clean, impeccable even. This morning, my brother moved all of his stuff to Gabe's house before they engaged in their usual teenage shenanigans. So, Dexter and I had my apartment all to ourselves for the night.

"Coffee?" Dexter mumbled, kissing my lips.

I nodded, pulling off my coat and watching him make his way into the kitchen. He maneuvered easily through the cupboards, already knowing where everything was located.

"I'm going to take a shower." I called out to him, turning on a few lamps on the way to the bathroom. "I won't be long."

As I was washing out the shampoo in my hair, I heard Dexter's voice muffled by the running water. I stuck my head out of the shower curtain and spotted him leaning against the kitchen sink.

"I spilled some coffee on my shirt by accident." He held up the hem of his shirt to show me the stain, skillfully revealing his flat abs. "Do you mind if I wash up in here?"

I laughed, shrugging lightly. "Go for it, baby."

I pushed back the shower curtain and began to comb conditioner through my hair. I was in the middle of washing it out when I heard the shower curtain being pulled back. I wrung my hair out and opened my eyes, watching as a fully nude Dexter McHale stepped under the steamy shower and connected his lips with mine.