One More Night

Pregnant. The word bounced around inside of Marc’s head, shocking him every single time he tried to understand it. They’d been careful, always used protection – that he could remember, anyway. Guilt also pooled in his stomach, because Bree had so many plans and things she wanted to do, and now she was having his baby. And she didn’t want him to know about it.

That had hurt Marc just as badly as when Viktor’s fist had connected with his face. He understood, in a way, because he’d lied and hurt her, but for it to be so painful to not even tell him about his child spoke volumes to Marc. It was like someone had driven a knife into his stomach and was slowly twisting it. He wanted to call her, to tell her everything, but he knew she wouldn’t pick up the phone. Bree wouldn’t hear him out, because she’d already made up her mind that she didn’t want Marc involved in her life at all.

Viktor had told him quite a bit, which Marc was incredibly grateful for. Bree was nearly six months pregnant, and so far the baby was strong and healthy, and she hadn’t found out the sex. Her brother had even gone so far as to show Marc a picture of the sonogram that Bree had texted to him, and Marc had had to leave the room for a few minutes. Behind the closed door of his bedroom the tears fell, leaving Marc feeling exhausted on top of everything else.

Viktor had been in New York only that one full day; going back to Toronto late afternoon the second day. He told Marc that he wouldn’t say a word to Bree about Marc’s knowledge of the pregnancy, instead placing it on Marc. He could either man up and contact her – apologizing for everything, and hoping she’d tell him about the baby – or keep to himself and leave her alone. If she didn’t, Marc wasn’t sure what he was going to do. The thought of telling her that he already knew was a little painful, because he didn’t want her to feel betrayed by her brother, not when she’d been betrayed by him already.

Four times already this morning he’d picked up his phone, dialed her number, and then hung up. He just couldn’t do it, but he wanted to. In such a terrible way he wanted to hear her voice again, even if she was going to say things he didn’t want to hear.

“Just do it Marc; you won’t settle down until you call her,” Dan sighed as he got up from the couch. The two had been watching Sportscenter together, and Marc’s movements hadn’t gone unnoticed by the older defenseman. The whole mess that Marc had got himself into was beyond Dan’s comprehension – that and he just didn’t want to know anymore – but it was hard to watch his teammate and friend struggle so much. Marc was a very open and caring person, which made it so hard for anybody to believe that he’d done something like this in the first place.

“I just… I don’t know if I can handle it if she just tells me to get lost, you know?” was his feeble response. Marc knew how it sounded – weak and ridiculous – but his fear of being completely and totally rejected by her was incredible.

“But you have to try Marc – you owe it to that kid and you sure as hell owe it to her,” Marc nodded and got up to go to his bedroom, determined this time to follow through with and make this call. He knew that if his parents were mad now, they would be livid when they found out not only had Marc been with Bree for almost the entirety of the summer but he’d also got her pregnant. They’d never had a problem with people Marc or his brothers knew that had become pregnant out of marriage, but the brothers knew damn well that it was more than expected that they never get themselves in that situation.

Hands shaking with trepidation, Marc dialed Bree’s number; the digits were still burned into his brain from how often he’d used it over the summer. When it rang the first time he jumped, before swallowing hard and sitting down on his bed, trying to calm himself down. It was more than likely that she would hang up on him anyway, but he had to try.

So imagine the fear in his heart when she actually picked up.

“H-Hello?”

“Bree?” her name was out of his mouth before he could stop himself, the sound of her voice like a blanket being draped over him, relaxing his muscles as the sound washed over him.

“Marc,” he winced when she spoke, sounding like she was fighting off tears, his name sounding foreign on her lips.

“I need to talk to you Bree, there’s so much I… I have to explain and apologize and—”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she cut off his rambling, bringing his nerves back full force.

“I know about the baby, Bree,” he whispered, and heard dead silence on the other end. He wasn’t sure if she’d hung up or not, he could only pray she wouldn’t.

“W-what?”

“I know. I know that you’re having my baby… Bree you have no idea…”

He heard a sniff on the other line, feeling himself breaking down as he listened to her struggling not to do the same. “How? Did Anna tell you?”

“No, your brother. Right after he punched me in the face,” Marc answered, and heard her huff.

“Of course he would. Look, Marc, I don’t want anything from you, so don’t even—”

“I know Bree, but I want to be part of my baby’s life. I want to be part of yours,” he blurted, kicking himself when he heard her sob. That wasn’t the right way or time to say it, as true as it may be. Bree consumed his thoughts, and since Viktor had told Marc about his baby four days ago all Marc could think about was his future with the two of them in it.

“Marc I can’t… you lied to me, you’re married! Married Marc!” she cried, and he let the tears fall.
“I’m so sorry Bree – I never had any intentions of being anything more than friends with you than we met… and then we started talking and… and you made me feel like I mattered, Bree. You have no idea how that felt for me; and I need to explain this to you, face to face,” he insisted, trying not to focus on her crying so he could say what he wanted to say.

“I’m not flying out to wherever the hell you’re gonna be,” she immediately told him.

“I’m not asking you to Bree; I’m just asking you to let me explain and talk to you – I’ll fly out to Thunder Bay whenever it works for you, everything can be on your terms,” he insisted, and was met again with a lengthy silence. He didn’t want to push, he didn’t want to make this any more difficult than it had to be.

“Okay, we can talk,”

Better words he’d never heard spoken.