Chapter 35
Lucy took Luke’s advice. The next day, she called Dr. Newman, and was relieved to find out the doctor had another office on the other side of town. The last place she wanted to go was GH.

This was NOT something she wanted on the grapevine until she decided what she was going to do. Sure enough, she was pregnant. Dr. Newman got her started on all the normal prenatal vitamins and something for the morning sickness. Lucy didn’t offer any information about the father, and getting the hint, Dr. Newman didn’t ask.

The doctor did tell Lucy some things that Lucy was already aware of.

Avoiding stress was important, and, given her medical history with pregnancies, she wanted to see Lucy every two weeks.

When she arrived home, she tried to make at least one decision concerning the baby. Telling Victor was going to be the first thing she did. A decision made, she headed upstairs to change her clothes before going to see him.

A knock on the door stopped her.

When she opened it, she was beyond shocked to see Kevin standing there.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in for a minute?"

Without saying anything, she stepped back so he could walk past her.

"It’s been over a month. I’ve been waiting to hear from you. I wanted to know how you are."

Standing a few feet away from him, she stared at him. "Better. How did you find me?"

"Small town. Asked around." The way she was standing a distance from him, and the way she was staring at him told him she wasn’t convinced who he was. That hurt.

"Lucy, how can I convince you I’m Kevin?"

She shrugged. "I’m not sure you can. To be honest, I’m not sure it matters. Good twin, bad twin.

You both took your turn at me. Who hurt me worst? One of you may want me dead. The other one sure as hell made me wish I were. You both took my feelings, what was going on in my head, and used it against me. You both hurt me where you both knew I was the most vulnerable."

Lucy knew right then that he was Kevin, and she’d hurt him more than she’d ever thought she was capable. The pain on his face made her realize it. Comparing him to Ryan on that level was absolute worst thing she could do to him. But she didn’t say anything.

It was the truth.

When he finally spoke, his voice was strained. "I was worried about you.

I didn’t come here to upset you."

"And just what did you think seeing either one of you would do to me?"

At that moment, she wanted him to leave. Because what she really wanted to do was tell him she was pregnant, and that she wished it was his. The only thing that stopped her was the fact that it wouldn’t accomplish anything.

He knew where the attack on him was coming from, but it didn’t stop him from feeling like she was ripping his heart out. The last thing he’d ever wanted was for her to hate him. Much less think he was the same to her as Ryan.

"I guess I’ll go. I’m sorry. I didn’t come here to hurt you."

After his car backed out of the driveway, Lucy sat on the stairs and put her face in her hands.

Eventually, she’d have to tell him she was pregnant. But then, he was a bright man sooner or later, he could just figure it out for himself.
 

Chapter 36
When Victor opened the door, he was obviously delighted to see Lucy.

"How are you?"

"Confused."

"I have to tell you, that was Kevin at your house earlier. He called here quite upset after he left you."

"I know. Well I didn’t, but I figured it out. I know I said some horrible things to him."

Leading her into the living room, Victor shook his head. "It’s about time you give him what he’s had coming for a long time for the way he’s treated you."

"Lucy!" Mary saw her from the door to the kitchen. "We’re going to have dinner in a few minutes. Are you hungry?"

She was starving, but she didn’t want to intrude. "I should have called.

That’s always been a problem with me. Ask Kev-" Stopping herself, she shook her head.

"I’m not Kevin, and I don’t care if you show up at 3AM without calling.

You want to see us, you come over. Got it?" When she smiled and nodded, he continued. "Now, are you hungry?"

"I am starving." She paused before continuing. "Actually, I came over here because I wanted to tell you something."

"Well?" Victor looked at her.

Lucy glanced at Mary, who stepped towards the kitchen. "I’ll leave the two of you alone."

"Actually, no." Lucy was surprised by the fact that she wanted to tell Mary. "I’m kind of glad you’re both here. I mean, I’ve been wanting to tell someone, but I’ve been afraid. I mean afraid to find out, not afraid to tell anyone. As soon as I found out, you two were the first people I wanted to tell. I just need to figure out what I’m going to do. I mean, I know what I’m going to do, but there’s some things I need to figure out before I-"

"Good lord, girl. You’re making me dizzy. Take a deep breath, and just say it. It can’t be that bad." Mary walked to them and smiled.

"It’s not. Well, in a way it is, I mean-"

"Lucy! I’m an old man, I’m not going to live forever."

She smiled at him. "I’m pregnant."

Mary grinned and put her arms around Lucy’s neck, but Victor stared at her. "There’s more to this, right?"

In that instant, Lucy went from hugging Mary to crying on her shoulder.

"It’s Ryan’s!"

"Honey, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to have a baby, that’s what matters." Mary sat with her on the sofa, handing her a tissue.

"It does if Ryan finds out." Victor sat on the other side of her.

"That’s what you’re afraid of, right?"

Nodding, Lucy wiped her eyes. "All I’ve ever wanted was a baby. I’m going to make sure nothing threatens this pregnancy. But I wanted to tell you that you’re going to be a grandfather. I know how much you looked forward to it. I also know this isn’t exactly how you thought it would happen."

"I agree that Ryan finding out would be the worst possible scenario.

What are you doing to protect yourself?"

"Not telling many people about the baby right now. I’ll figure out something before everyone figures it out."

Mary, always being the nurse, took Lucy’s hand. "You need to not worry about Ryan to the point it stresses you too much. It’s not good for the baby. Now, what are you doing? Vitamins? Exercise?"

The confused look Lucy gave her made Victor laugh. "Mary likes to mother people. You’ll get used to it."

The thought of being mothered both fascinated and terrified Lucy. Either way, it would be a new experience.

When they sat down at the table, Mary put an extra helping of vegetables on Lucy’s plate. "One for you and one for the baby."

One again, the totally speechless look on Lucy’s face made Victor laugh.

Through dinner, Lucy kept looking at Mary like she was going to bite.

Victor was highly amused, and kept laughing to himself. The upcoming months were going to be amusing.
 

Chapter 37
After dinner, the three of them sat in the living room. Mary had realized she was actually scaring Lucy, and backed off a bit.

Putting her head back, Lucy found herself completely relaxing for the first time in ages. Victor looked at her. "You look like you’re about to fall over, Lucy."

"I feel like it. I’m exhausted."

"You’re welcome to-" A knock on the door interrupted Victor.

Opening the door, Victor was shocked, and not entirely happy, to see Kevin. Oblivious to Victor’s expression, Kevin walked past him rambling. "I had to get out of the house. I can’t get what she said to-" His voice died out when he saw Lucy staring at him.

Kevin sighed. "Okay, this wasn’t a good idea either." He started to leave.

"Kevin, wait." Lucy stood and walked to him. "I guess I took everything out on you today. I’m just trying to decide what…. Who…. I’ve got a lot on my mind. And you really caught me at a moment I just couldn’t take one more thing."

"I wanted to help you. Not hurt you."

"I know. I just couldn’t find a way… I almost told you…" Looking at Victor, Lucy went on a total rant. "I should tell him, right? I mean, family and all that.

He’s… he’s a part of this too. To a point, I mean, not in the sense that… I guess I’ll tell him. He’d figure it out, anyway, right? Then he’d want to know why I didn’t tell him. But I don’t know why I didn’t. I almost did."

"Lucy!" Kevin’s voice came out sharper than he intended, and, when she looked at him, he finished, quieter. "Whatever it is, just tell me. I did something? You want me to stay away from you? What is it?"

"I’m pregnant!" Once again, Mary was holding Lucy while she cried.

A completely speechless Kevin stared from Lucy and Mary to Victor.

"She’s…"

Victor nodded.

"It’s…."

"Ryan’s." Victor’s voice was quiet.

The implications of the situation hit Kevin, and he sat down. By then, Mary had calmed Lucy to the point she could look at Kevin.

"You know Ryan can NEVER find out."

"Gee, Doc, you’re quick."

Once again, he’d said the wrong thing. "Are you okay? Have you seen a doctor?"

"Yes. And yes. The only thing I’m worried about is Ryan. I’m not telling many people about this until I figure out what I’m going to say about the father. But, this baby is Victor’s grandchild, and your nephew. So... here I am." She looked at her watch. "And I need to go. I’m tired. Kevin, I won’t be so mean to you next time. Victor, Mary, thank you for dinner.

It was great."

Victor hugged her again before she left.
 

Chapter 38
Scott was in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. He heard Serena scream Lucy’s name, and he ran into the living room.

On her knees at the door, Lucy was holding Serena, trying not to let the child see how hard she was crying.

"Why haven’t you come to see me?"

"Honey, it’s so complicated. I don’t know how to tell you."

"One of those adult things, right?"

"Yep! You are so smart!" Lucy looked up. "Scott."

He didn’t answer. Serena was so happy to see Lucy. She didn’t really understand why Lucy had moved out of the firehouse, but not seeing her had made her so sad.

"Guess what? I have a new house. And I want my favorite pumpkin to come see me."

"Really? When?" Serena’s eyes lit up.

"Soon. Okay? I really need to talk to your daddy for a minute, okay? I’ll come up and say goodbye before I leave."

After Serena was gone, Scott glared at Lucy. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?"

"Scott, we are going to talk about this. I hurt you. I’m sorry. But I’ve been punished enough. I want to see her. I want her to come see my house."

"Your house with Kevin? Quite frankly, I don’t want to hear about it. So go say goodbye to Serena, and get out of here."

"No! When are you going to let me see her again?"

"I don’t know." Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to the stairs. "You’re lucky I’m letting you see her now."

"Stop it! Scott talk to me!"

"I don’t want to talk to you, Lucy. I want you to get out of here!" He got a little rougher with her and she started to pull away from him. "Let go of me!"

"I’m going to drag you up those stairs, then I’m going to throw you out.

The next time you want to see Serena, you call first. Got it?!"

Feeling Scott drag her up the stairs, she had a sudden flashback of another staircase. Scott. And a baby. A baby she lost when she fell down the stairs. "Scott! Let go! No!"

When she shrieked, Scott let go of her and backed away. The sound of panic in her voice was something he couldn’t mistake. "What?"

"I’m pregnant." Her voice was quiet, and Scott backed away from her, suddenly feeling guilty for grabbing her.

"That was quick."

"You don’t know the half of it." Suddenly she was crying again.

Really not wanting to buy into this, but unable to turn her away, Scott stared at her. "Let me guess, Kevin’s not ready to start a family this soon?"

Crying harder, she walked away from him.

"Lucy, this is not the sound of a happy woman, who has everything she wanted."

"Scott, you’ll probably get a laugh out of this. At least an I told you so. Again." Sitting down, she told him the whole story.

For a few minutes after she finished, Scott said nothing. It took a while for everything she’d told him to sink in. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. "The baby is Ryan’s, right?"

She nodded.

Pushing a piece of hair off her face, Scott looked at her. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Shoot me and put me out of my misery?"

"You know, it was bad enough you left me for the shrink. I mean, taking the back seat to the love of your life was hard enough. But for a real nut-case? Lucy, that’s a little hard for me to swallow."

When she started to cry, he stepped closer to her. "I’m kidding. Bad joke. I’m sorry." Pulling her to the sofa, he sat next to her. "Okay, I’m going to tell you something.

You killed something in me when you left. But you didn’t kill the fact that we’ve been friends for more years than I’m willing to count. What are you going to do?"

"Well, for starters, I moved into Brenda’s cottage. I waited to decorate one of the rooms until Serena could pick out what she wanted. I want her to come stay with me sometimes."

"I guess I can live with that." Scott sighed. God, her smile was beautiful. "What else do you need? Bodyguards? What are you doing to make sure he doesn’t find out about this?"

"I haven’t decided yet. I’m not that far along, yet. Once I get past the first trimester, I’ll have to think about something."

"Let me know if I can do anything."

"Just don’t hate me. That’s all I want from you. I know you have every reason to. I would hate me, if I were you."

Scott finally really laughed. "If you were me, you’d hate you, and if I were you, I’d hate me."

After taking a few seconds to think about it, she laughed. "You know I love you. You’re my pal."

"If this is how you treat you pals, please, do me a favor. Hate me."

 When she answered the phone, the silence on the other end made her actually stop breathing.

"Lucy."

The way he said it, she wasn't sure. "Yes?"

"Had a hell of a time getting your new phone number. Wanted you to know I was still out here."

Lucy began to tremble. "Ryan."

"Still out here. Still thinking of you. Do you think about me?"

"Well, I'm not having nightmares anymore. It's a start." The anger she was feeling surprised her. Not thinking about it, she put her hand over the baby and sat down.

"You know, I started this to get to Kevin. To give him everything he deserved."

"I guess what you did to me was just a bonus point."

Ryan was quiet for a moment. "What I did to you… I guess he came running to your rescue."

After debating for a moment, she decided it was better for her if he thought someone had come running to her rescue. So she said nothing.

"You know, Lucy, you're definitely interesting. I haven't met very many people that interested me before. One minute I wanted to kill you, and the next, I wanted to marry you myself."

She shivered, but still said nothing.

Ryan was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his tone was so soft that Lucy had to strain to hear him. "Did he finally notice how much you love him?"

Suddenly she was afraid to answer him. His tone puzzled her, and she couldn't figure out what answer he was looking for.

"Come on, Lucy. You can tell me. Does he want you, now that I've had you? Did he make it all better?"

Her skin was crawling, and her eyes filled with tears, but she still didn't answer him.

It didn't matter. He went on as if he didn't realize he was carrying on a conversation alone. "Did you always love him like that? I mean, my God, you are so…." His tone grew louder. "Pathetic about him. He's not worth it, you know. I know he likes to pretend, and he wants everyone to think he is so much better than anyone else, but… See, I know better. And I thought you would, too. Now. I mean, before I thought you were this total airhead with a killer body."

"What changed?"

Ryan realized he'd said more than he intended to. "Nothing, really. You do have a body. I know that better now. You're a little smarter than I thought you were."

Now she was confused. "I'm smarter than a lot of people think I am. Maybe I don't want people to know how smart I am." She wanted to know what he was thinking.

"Nah. You still have a thing for Kevin. You lose IQ credit for that."

"Ryan, you can't objectively judge who you love. I mean-"

"You have no idea how right you are, Lucy." His tone was quiet, almost thoughtful again. Then he seemed to recover. "Well, that's all for now. Just wanted you to know I was thinking about you. Don't bother tracing. I'm calling on your cell. Good-bye."

After he hung up, Lucy took a minute to breathe. When she finally stopped shaking, she called the first person that came to mind. Victor.
 

Ryan sat on the chair, staring at the phone. She would have it disconnected now. Why had he called her? Simple. He called her because he couldn't get her out of his mind. He hadn't felt this way about a woman since Felicia. He'd seen Felicia a few times while he was watching Lucy. She was still the woman of his dreams. But, if that were true, why couldn't he stop thinking about Lucy?

No matter how hard he tried not to, he knew that sooner or later, he would have to see her again.

Chapter 40
It was almost a week after Ryan's call, and Lucy was still finding herself in a panic when the phone rang or someone knocked on the door. And this time was no different. Approaching the door slowly, she tried to see out the window without moving the curtain. Kevin's car was in the driveway. He looked like he was about to give up when she finally opened the door.

"Did I disturb you?"

Shaking her head, she stepped back so he could come inside. The look she was giving him wasn't the warmest, but at least this time Kevin was sure she knew it was him.

Not sure where to start, he walked around the living room. "You've done a great job with this place."

"Thanks. I like it. And I'd like to think Brenda would have liked it, too."

"I'm sure she would have. I hadn't thought about her living here. Are you okay with that?"

Nodding, Lucy sat down. "I feel closer to her. I mean, she was trying to get her life together here. And she succeeded. If only her mother…." Lucy couldn't finish that thought and shook her head. "I feel like I'm in the same position she was. I mean, after Sonny left her at the altar, and she tried not to run back to Jax," It hit too close to home, so she stopped. "I just thought this house did so much for her, maybe it would help me, too."

Sitting in a chair, keeping a little distance between them, Kevin looked at her. "I'm not sure where to start. I was wondering if you've decided what you're going to do?"

"No. I've tried to not let it stress me out too much. It's not good for the baby. And, to be honest with you, the baby is all that matters. I have a few things to consider."

"Like?"

"Kevin, what do you want? Stop acting like you're just curious. You've got something on your mind, say it."

"I've been thinking about this almost constantly since you told me. And I keep coming back to the same answer. It's really the most logical thing to do. Yes, the baby is the most important thing here, but keeping Ryan from finding out is just as important."

Lucy put her hand up to stop him. "Kevin! What are you trying, and obviously not succeeding to tell me?"

"I think my name should be on your baby's birth certificate."

Stunned, Lucy stared at him.

"It makes sense. No one would doubt that we actually did-"

"Why do men keep saying that? Am I that bad, that everyone in Port Charles would believe I slept with anybody?"

Her tone sounded so offended, Kevin didn't know what to say. "Who else…?"

His expression was priceless. "You're the second man to make that offer. And telling me that everyone would believe I slept with either of you is not a way to butter me up for it, you know what I mean?" Finally she smiled. "Probably true, but not the most tactful way to say it, you know?"

"This other man, does he know what he's volunteering to step in the middle of?"

"That depends. Are you talking about me, or Ryan?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. She didn't know which he was talking about, and wasn't sure she wanted to know. "He's not in it to be a Daddy. He's offered me a name and a certain degree of protection from Ryan. As far as the baby goes, I'm on my own."

"So that's it? You're just going to raise this child without a father?"

His tone was so condescending that it made her furious. Staring him in the eyes, she snapped at him. "Father's are overrated. That much I know from experience."

Now Kevin was getting angry. "You told me what not knowing who your father was did to you. And that you would never raise a child that way. I'm not offering you a name. I'm offering to be the father of my brother's baby. To protect you and the baby from him. To be a Daddy. The whole thing."

"Why? Why would you want that? Because you feel guilty? Because you think it's your responsibility? It's not, Kevin. That's the beauty of this day and age. It's not like when I was a child. I can have my baby, I can raise my baby, and I don't NEED a father! So thank you for coming, but you're off the hook and you can go." By now she was almost screaming at him.

"What's in this for Scott, Lucy? Would he really make that much better a father than I would?"

She opened her mouth to yell at him, then stopped when she realized what he'd said. "SCOTT? What does he have to do with this?"

"It's not Scott?" Kevin's voice was quiet, obviously shocked.

"No. Scott wants nothing to do with any of it. He really doesn't want much to do with me, period, right now. I saw Serena for the first time last week since…" Tears came to her eyes and she stopped.

"He took Serena away from you again."

"I hurt him. And when Scott's hurt, he strikes back. I mean now he knows the whole story, but all that really matters to him is that I left him…. For you." She wiped her eyes. "He's better now than he was, he's going to let me see her. He needed time."

Once again, Kevin thought about everything she'd given up for him. Only to be hurt. The fact that she was still dealing with it told him she was nothing short of amazing. No wonder she wanted very little to do with him.

Before his imagination could run away again, Lucy looked at him. "The other man is Luke. He offered to put his name on the birth certificate. And to deal with Ryan if he ever came near me or the baby." She wasn't sure how to finish. "Kevin, he pretty much told me he would kill Ryan if he tried anything. I thought you should know."

Kevin thought about what she'd said for almost a full minute. "Good." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I know the only way you and the baby will ever really be safe will be if Ryan is dead. The fact that he called you means that he's not going to just disappear. And, to be honest, I couldn't do it myself. Even after everything he's done, I still can't bring myself to wish him dead. It's probably good for you that someone can."

Lucy shrugged. "Right now, Ryan rates right up with the Cassadines and Frank Smith as far as Luke's concerned. And you know what happened to them. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You have to protect yourself and your baby. So Luke offered you his name. What do you want?"

"I don't know. It's still so confusing. I mean, Luke is my friend, a good friend, but that's it. I don't want to tell this baby that his or her father didn't want them. But that would be better than the truth. This isn't something that will blow over. Whatever I decide will determine this child's whole entire life. And that kind of overwhelms me sometimes."

In that few seconds while she was speaking, Lucy went from looking like a very strong, determined woman to looking like a lost child herself.

Kevin moved to the sofa next to her. "Part of this is because I feel like I should do this. But that baby is my niece or nephew. They are part of my family. Victor is the grandfather, and I am the uncle. I want to be more. As the uncle, I can only watch for Ryan. As the father, I can stand between the baby and Ryan. You know that."

"And if Ryan finds out, he'll try to kill you."

"Exactly. Me. He'll blame me for taking his child. I believe I would be his first target if he found out. If I give the baby my name."

Lucy thought about what he was saying. It made sense. If Kevin had a death wish. Then something else occurred to her. "What does Eve think about this? She can't possibly be happy about it."

He looked away. "I haven't really discussed this with her."

"Haven't really discussed this. As in, she knows you're contemplating it, or she'll only know if I say yes?"

"As in I've made my decision. Whatever your decision is, I'll go from there."

Lucy stared at him for a long moment. "You, Mr. I can't live with you because you lie, is going to lie for the rest of his life?"

His reaction told her she'd struck a nerve, but she didn't care. "I'm telling you, Kevin, this is forever. A few years down the road, if Ryan does get killed, I can't run the risk of you changing your mind and deciding that you can't live a lie."

"Does this mean you're at least contemplating the idea?"

"I'm contemplating every option right now."

"Lucy, what if the baby looks just like me? Or you find out you're going to have twins? You don't think people would suspect me anyway? The genetic bond would be there. You don't think I could love your baby?"

His choice of words startled her. ‘Your baby.' She wondered if he'd realized what he'd said. "Not just mine, Kevin. Ryan's. I know, you know that, but are you sure you could live with it? What about if you and Eve have a baby that is really yours? What happens then? You can't play Daddy until you're tired of it, or your situation changes."

"All I can say is I wouldn't do that to a baby. Or you. I can't make you believe me. I guess that's why Luke's offer sounds so nice. No risk. Outside the obvious. You don't have to trust Luke. He's not making any promises."

"You made me an offer. I'll think about it, okay? If you're sticking around to upset me, don't bother." Standing, she walked toward the kitchen.

Kevin looked at her. The change was very slight, but if you were looking, you could see she was pregnant. It hit him again that there was a baby inside of her, and how right it felt to be the father. Even if he wasn't.

"What does Dr. Newman say?"

Stopping, she looked at him. "Avoid stress. That's a laugh, huh." She shrugged. "Right now, everything's fine. Whoever invented the term morning sickness never met me. Morning, noon, and night is more like it. It should get better soon. As soon as I'm through the first trimester. I get my first sonogram next week. Probably still won't know if it's a boy or girl, but I don't care."

Putting her hands over the baby, she was absolutely glowing. Kevin smiled. "Can I come?"

Her smile faltered. "Why?"

"Because I care. If you want the company."

"Victor's coming." A look of hurt flashed across his face. "Maybe the next one. I need time to think about what you said. I'm not saying no. I'm just not sure what I want. You're a part of the baby's life. I'm not saying you're not. But being an uncle is a lot less hassle than being a daddy. Ryan not withstanding. But you have to realize that I'm part of this deal. You will have to deal with me, and that's not something I think you want to do. Or Eve will want you to do. I mean, are you going to agree to me having sole custody? I'm not going to fight you for my baby."

"You know, Lucy, trust is a two way street-"

"Don't you even go there with me! I don't want to spend the rest of my life hearing how you can't trust me. You're NOT going to use that to get to me! And don't think you can throw that at me every time I don't just follow your oh-so-wise advice the way you want me to!"

Kevin honestly had no idea where that outburst had come from. "I'm not throwing anything in your face! I'm just pointing out that you could change your mind as easily as I could. If I get attached to this baby, and I love him or her, and you find someone and decide to marry them, what happens to me?"

Forcing herself to calm down, she looked at him. "I need to think about it. So do you. Give me a little time."

"Not meaning anything by this but the literal meaning." He crossed the room to her and put his hand on her stomach. "You're going to run out of time very shortly. I can tell, it won't be long before everyone else can. I want this, Lucy. I want to give this baby everything it deserves."

"Parents who can't get along? A father who can't stand it's mother? Well, I guess that's half of America, so..." His hand on her, on the baby, felt so right, it terrified her.

"Stop. We can get along. It's just been so long since we've tried that we've forgotten how. And as much as we both try not to, we do care about each other. All I know is that this baby is important to me. And being the father feels right to me. Think about it."

Without another word, he left. Staring at the closed door behind him, Lucy whispered to herself. "The baby is important to you. Why can't I be?"

Suddenly she wondered if the emotional price for her was too high to consider his offer. Could she live with Kevin loving her baby and not her? Or was she being selfish? He would be a wonderful father. What he said suddenly occurred to her. ‘Would Scott really make that much better a father then him.' Maybe he really wanted this. Confused, tired, and slightly sick to her stomach, she went in search of a cracker before she went to lay down.

I still can remember

Last time I cried

I was holding you and loving you

Knowing it would end

I never felt so good, yet felt so bad

You're the one I love

And what makes it sad

Is you don't belong to me

I can still remember

Last time I lied

I was holding you and telling you

We could still be friends

Tried to let you go, but I can't you know

Cause even though I'm not with you

I need you so

But you don't belong to me.

Kevin was almost oblivious to the road in front of him. He had pictured Lucy having his child a million times since the first time she'd told him she was pregnant. That time it had been his child. Would it make that much of a difference that it was Ryan's? At that moment, he didn't think so. Except the fact that he'd have more to worry about as far as protecting the baby. And Lucy. She was a big part of this, too. He couldn't protect her from Ryan before. Now that he had to, he would make damn sure he could. He got the distinct impression that if Ryan found out, he wouldn't just lie to Lucy this time. He would kill her. And Kevin was not going to let that happen.

Coming in and out of your life

Isn't easy

I don't need to touch you

To feel you

It's real with you

I can't get you out of my mind

Coming in and out of your life

Will never free me

Cause there's so many nights

I can't hold you

And I told you

These feelings are so hard to fight

Standing in the kitchen, Lucy kept thinking about his hand on her. Putting her hand over the baby, she spoke to the small life inside her. "He would be the best Daddy I could ever want for you. I wish he really were."

I still can remember

Last time we tried

Each needing more then we could give

And knowing all the time

A stronger love just can't be found

Even though at times this crazy world

It turning upside down

You'll always belong to me
 

Eve was standing on the stairs in a sheer blue nightgown when Kevin walked through the door. Before he could say a word, she kissed him. Taking her hand, he followed her up the stairs. They still hadn't exchanged a word when Eve pulled him gently onto the bed with her. As Kevin made love to her, Lucy's words went through his head. "What if you and Eve have a baby that is really yours? What then?"

Eve didn't want children. As much as Kevin tried to convince her that she would be a good mother, she didn't want to hear the arguments. Maybe it was time to leave it alone. Being the father of Lucy's baby would be enough for him. At that moment, he realized that somehow, he would convince Lucy to allow him to raise the baby with her.

Coming in and out of your life

Isn't easy

I don't need to touch you

To feel you

It's so real with you

I can't get you out of my mind.

Coming in and out of your life

Will never free me

Cause there's so many nights

I can't hold you

And I told you

These feeling are so hard to fight
 

I still can remember…..
 

Song credit- "Coming In And Out Of Your Life"- Barbra Streisand

Chapter 41
Kevin opened the door to the lighthouse and could tell by the look on Eve's face something was wrong.

"This came for you by messenger." She handed a package to him.

The return address on it was Dr. Newman's. As he opened it, Eve stared at him. Inside was a video tape and a copy of the report from Lucy's appointment. With a small note enclosed telling him that Lucy had requested she send him a copy.

He didn't hear Eve the first time she spoke to him.

"Kevin!"

Looking up from the report, he finally answered her. "I'm sorry. Go ahead."

"What's going on? Why are you getting a report from an OB/GYN?"

Not really sure how to tell her, he sighed and sat at the table. "It's complicated."

"It's…" The shock was all over her face. "Oh, my god, it's Lucy's, isn't it."

He really didn't want to answer her.

"Kevin, she's pregnant?"

"Yes." He almost smiled. "And from the looks of this report, she's going to have twins."

"Why is she sending you a copy of the report? Twins?" Not wanting to think what she was thinking, she asked him. "The father is Ryan, right?"

Her tone told Kevin there was more to that question than the obvious. "What does that mean?"

"It means just what I said. She knows the father is Ryan, right?"

Kevin stared at her. "That sounded almost like an accusation. Are you asking me if there's a chance… You think I might be…?"

Feeling guilty, Eve looked away. But she still had to hear him say it. "I have a right to ask you."

"You have the right, but why would you suspect?" It was time to tell her everything. "Look, this is not going to turn into a fight between us. This is also not going to turn into a attack Lucy session for you. But there are a few things I need to tell you. Lucy is pregnant by Ryan. I resent you asking me if I was even a candidate. For obvious reasons, Ryan can never, and I mean this, Eve, NEVER find out he is the real father."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm not their father, but I'm going to…." This was ten times harder than he thought it would be. "If she is going to have twins, everyone would…. I…"

He stopped, not knowing how to continue.

"You're going to tell everyone they are yours, aren't you?"

"Yes." His voice was quiet.

"Why? Why would you do this? To save her reputation? That's a laugh. I-"

"This isn't about Lucy-"

"It will be. I know her. It will end up being about her. With Lucy, it always ends up being about her. She'll make sure of it." Eve was too furious and shocked to listen to him.

"No it's not! This isn't about her, me, or you. This is about those babies. And what Ryan would do if he found out they were his."

"And what do you think he'd do?"

"Take them. And kill Lucy if she tried to stop him."

"What about you? Would he kill you if you tried to stop him?"

"This was about me! That's the point you're missing. He went after Lucy because of me. He wants to get to me."

Eve thought she saw the point. And it sent her into a rage. "So you have to get there first, right? Is that really what this is all about? Is this some sort of sick game you're going to play with your brother? You're going to win, no matter what? Who gets Lucy and her babies?"

"This isn't a game, Eve. You have no idea what we're dealing with. Ryan is dangerous to anyone that he thinks is important to me!" That she thought that this was a competition between him and Ryan made him furious. "Lucy's going to have twins. That would be enough to convince anyone they were mine. Or if Ryan found out, he would be convinced they were his. I know at some point, he's going to find out she's pregnant. He's not going to leave her alone. So I have to convince everyone, including him, that they are mine."

"I bet Lucy's really unhappy to have you stand up and take responsibility for your brother's children."

Kevin couldn't miss the sarcasm in Eve's voice. "Actually, she's not really thrilled about the idea. She hadn't made up her mind the last time I spoke to her. I have a feeling that this is what may finally make her decide."

"Oh, right, Kevin. She probably wants you to talk her into it."

"Eve, you still don't get it. Ryan used her, lied to her, and hurt her so badly, that she can barely stand to look at me right now. All I do is remind her of what he did to her. I've only seen her a few times since this happened."

"She hates you so much, she's going to give you her babies? Come on, Kevin! You're not that stupid, even when it comes to her!"

"Why can't you understand what's going on? I'm going to say this one more time. This is not about Lucy. This is about protecting those babies from Ryan."

"At what expense, Kevin? Maybe you're willing to let everyone in Port Charles think you'd cheat on me, but maybe I'm not. Maybe I don't want everyone asking me why I would stay with you after you slept with Lucy, and publicly accept her children as yours."

That was one aspect of this that Kevin hadn't considered, and his reaction told her that. "Did how I would feel about this even cross your mind?"

"I thought you would understand that the baby's life was in danger, and that I had to do something. I did think it would be easy to convince everyone I did sleep with her. It didn't cross my mind what people would think of you for seeming to accept it. I'm sorry." She started to walk away, but he took her arms and looked at her. "I am sorry."

"But it doesn't change anything."

He stared at her for a moment. "No. We're adults. Rumors and gossip won't physically hurt us. But those babies would be physically hurt if the truth ever came out."

"What would you do if I told you I can't live that way?"

"This isn't a choice, Eve. Don't make it one. I love you. But I have to do this."

"I need to think about this, Kevin. Give me a chance. You've obviously been thinking about this for a while. I've got to tell you I don't like the thought of you raising a baby with her. This isn't something that will blow over, this is for the rest of our lives. This will tie you to her forever. And I don't know if I can live with that."

Before he could answer, she walked away.

Chapter 42
"I noticed you told Dr. Newman to send a copy of your sonogram and report to Kevin. Does that mean you've made up your mind?" Victor sat on the sofa next to her.

"I don't know. I'm not sure I can handle it. That sounds selfish, doesn't it."

"I know you still have feelings for him. It won't be easy, raising children with him."

"Children. I still can't get over that." Her eyes filled with tears again. When Dr. Newman had told her she was carrying twins, she spent the next ten minutes alternating between laughing and crying. Every time she thought about it, her reaction started all over again. "I bet Kevin got a kick out of it. You know, he mentioned it, when he was making a case for me to give them his name. He said if I had twins that everyone would suspect him, anyway." Sighing, she wiped her eyes and put her head back. "He's right, you know."

Someone knocked on the door and Victor opened it to reveal Luke.

"Hi, got your message on the machine, but I was close by, so I thought I'd take a chance." Kissing her forehead, he sat next to her. "What's up?"

Taking his hand, Lucy stared at him. "I've been thinking about your offer."

"It still stands." Luke's eyes went from her to Victor.

"Lucy has told me what's going on. And your offer. There aren't many men who would willingly jump into a situation such as this." Victor smiled.

"I'd do just about anything for Luce."

She leaned against him. "I know. And I appreciate it, Luke, I really do."

"But…"

"But, I found out something that could pretty much make everyone point fingers no matter what I say." She smiled and began to cry again. "I'm going to have twins."

Laughing, Luke put his arms around her. "Keep acting like that and I won't know whether to say congrats or I'm sorry."

"I know. I can't stop. Every time I think about it, I get like this."

"You're entitled. I guess this helped make up your mind?"

Finally getting herself under control, she looked at him. "Come on, Luke. I have twins, and no one would believe Kevin wasn't the father no matter how much we both said you were."

"Besides, from what you've told me, he wants to do the whole ‘daddy' thing. That would probably be better for the kids. If he sticks with it." Luke shot a look at Victor.

"I don't agree with what Kevin has done to Lucy in the past. But I do know that if he were to be named the babies' father, he would do his best to take care of them." Victor met Luke's eyes. "Not that I blame you for having doubts. I know as well as you do what he's done to her."

"Okay, he gets to play the proud Daddy, what about you, Luce? What do you want?"

She just looked at him.

"That's what I'm talking about. You want the whole thing, don't you? The family thing."

Standing, she walked toward the kitchen. "It doesn't matter what I want. These children deserve a better father than I offered them biologically. He would be a good father, Luke. Even if he doesn't want me, he'll take care of the babies."

After she was gone, Luke looked at Victor. "I know that look in her eye. She wants the whole fairytale."

"I know."

"She's going to get hurt again, and I'm not going to be happy with either of your sons."

"Believe me, Luke, I'm very unhappy with one, and not to thrilled with the other at the moment myself where she's concerned."

"Victor!" Lucy's voice called from the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"When did the pharmacy say my ‘scrip would be ready?"

Victor headed for the kitchen. "In a few minutes. Are you sick again?"

Luke followed, and they found her leaning on the counter. "I'm going to be, and these crackers aren't helping."

Touching her head, Victor looked at Luke. "I'll run to the drugstore, if you can handle her here."

Nodding, he reached for Lucy. "In this condition, I think I can handle her. She can't bite." She smacked him. "Ow."

"Don't bet on it."

After Victor left, Luke took her arm. "Okay, now what?"

"The sofa." He started to help her, but she laughed. "Luke, I can walk. I just feel sick."

About half way through the kitchen, she ran to the bathroom.

He'd been waiting for her to come out for a couple minutes when someone knocked at the door.

Mary looked at him when he opened it. "Hello, Luke, I haven't seen you in ages. I think the last time was at the Recovery Room."

"Mary Sca- Collins. Sorry."

"Can't get used to that myself, sometimes. How is she? I didn't want to wait to see Victor to hear how her appointment went."

"At the moment…" Luke pointed to the bathroom door.

"She sick?"

Nodding, he followed Mary into the living room. "Victor went to pick up something the doctor gave her for it."

"Well, how long has she been in there?" Immediately, she began to question Luke.

"A few minutes. I'm not exactly timing her."

Mary went to the door and knocked softly. "Lucy? It's Mary. You okay, honey?"

"I can't stop throwing up." Lucy sounded like she was crying.

Glaring at Luke, she opened the door and went inside.

Luke was a split second from yelling his goodbye through the door when Mary reappeared, holding Lucy's arm to steady her. Lucy was white as a sheet, and soaked from sweat.

"You're not gonna pass out on us here, are ya, Luce?" His was teasing, but both women could tell he was worried.

Shaking her head, Lucy reached for his arm. "You don't look like you could handle it."

Slowly, they helped her to the sofa, where she laid back, but not down. "Dr. Newman promised this would stop soon. I can't do this for the next 5 months."

Mary disappeared for a minute, and returned with her arms full. "You can, and you will, if that's what you have to do for the baby. Now, relax. That's the most important thing." Wiping Lucy's face with a damp cloth, she handed her a glass of water and a couple crackers. "These should help until Victor gets back."

Lucy recognized the ‘mothering' tone in Mary's voice, and the look on her face made Luke laugh. Leaning on the back of the sofa, his face near Lucy's, he looked at Mary. "You'll have to excuse her. She's better at taking care of the wounded than being the wounded."

"Shut up! If I ever get up off this sofa again, you'll be the wounded."

"I think I'm safe, babe." He looked at Mary. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes, she'll be fine." Mary smiled. "She needs to take her meds and get some food in her."

"And you'll make sure she does, right?" Luke was thoroughly enjoying this. He was about to make another smart remark when Lucy's hand came out of nowhere and almost collided with his nose. "Sorry! Just teasing." He kissed her hand. "It's about time someone takes care of you. I have to go. I've got nine million things to do and a few hours to do them in. I'll drop by the end of the week and see how you're doing."

Her voice stopped him as he reached for the door. When he turned back, she was staring at him. "Thank you. For coming, for offering,…" She was about to start crying again.

"It's okay. You need something, call. Now I'm going to leave before the waterworks start again." Smiling, he left.

"Victor tells me you have a very good friend in him."

"He's the best." Lucy sounded as tired as she looked.

Wiping her face again, Mary looked at her. "I came by to find out how your appointment went."

As tired as she was, Lucy grinned and told Mary, in great detail, about the appointment. As soon as she said the word ‘twins', Mary stopped her. "Twins! Oh, I bet you're thrilled."

"Thrilled, scared, happy, paranoid, the list goes on."

"And the lucky father…."

"I'm going to talk to Kevin soon. I just hope he hasn't changed his mind."

"No. He was over a couple nights ago, asking Victor to talk to you about it." She handed Lucy the water. "You look like you could use some."

After drinking some of the water, she leaned back and closed her eyes. "I wish Victor would hurry up. I don't want to get sick again. My stomach hurts, my throat hurts, my back hurts… I'm getting whiny." She also broke out in another sweat.

"Well, we'll just have to send Victor back out to the store to pick up some cheese. You already have crackers for the whine." Mary smiled. "You need to lay back. Not down, but enough to put your feet up. You need to relax."

The cool cloth felt good on her face. She realized she was actually getting used to this ‘mothering' thing. It definitely had it's nice points.
 

Chapter 43
Serena knocked on Lucy's door and jumped through it when Lucy opened it.

Leaning over, Lucy held Serena and looked at Scott. "I've missed you so much, pumpkin."

"Daddy said I could spend the night with you if you said it was okay."

Tears came to Lucy's eyes and she held Serena tighter. "Of course it is. Come on, lets go see the rest of the house. Scott, do you want to come in?"

"Lucy, are you getting fat?" Serena put her hands on the babies and looked up at Lucy.

"No, guess what! I'm going to have a baby!"

Scott finally looked down at her, and decided to mess with her. "Damn, woman, you sure you're only having one?"

Laughing, Lucy shook her head. "Actually, I'm sure I'm not having one. Twins."

"Wow! You're going to have two babies? Will I get to play with them this time?"

It was an innocent question, and Serena had no way of understanding the effect it had on Lucy. But Scott did, and he pulled Serena inside. "Let's check out the rest of this place. I bet if you go ahead, you can guess which room is yours!"

After Serena ran up the stairs, Scott turned to Lucy, who'd turned white and was shaking. "Calm down. This isn't like last time."

"Or the time before that, or the time before that, right? You don't think that goes through my mind every single day?"

"What else did Dr. Newman say?"

"She said everything's fine right now. I'm seeing her every two weeks because of..." She couldn't finish.

"Stop. Look, if you're not up to Serena tonight, I'll-"

"Don't you even think of taking her home. I've been dying to see her. I miss her so much." She took his hand for a moment. "And I know this is hard for you." Not wanting to make it worse, she let go of him and went to the sofa. "I do find I'm more tired this time."

"Twins?"

"That, or my age. But Dr. Newman said it's normal."

Serena came back downstairs. "I know which room is mine! It doesn't have any furniture in it, yet. When can we go get some?"

Patting the sofa for her to sit, Lucy hugged her. "I don't know, honey. How about you just sleep with me tonight?"

"Okay! Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Serena stared at her for a moment. "Daddy won't tell me. Why did you move out?"

Lucy's eyes met Scott's and she took a deep breath. "It's not easy to explain. I love you, and I love your daddy very much. But it's not.... it's not like... to get married, you know? It's more like.... well, your daddy is the best friend I've ever had."

"Grown up stuff, right?"

"Yes. You know, you're growing up more and more every day."

"Is Daddy going to be you babies daddy, too."

Neither adult could help it. They both laughed. "No, he's not." Lucy waited for the next question, wondering if she was ready to start living the lie.

"So who is?"

Lucy looked at Scott when she answered. "Kevin."

The confusion on Scott's face made Lucy continue. "You know, Kevin had a twin brother, right?"

"Yes. But he died."

"Well, twins run in families. So, it makes sense that I would have twins with Kevin." Her eyes searched Scott's face for understanding. "Serena, would you go in the kitchen and get me a glass of water, please?"

As soon as Serena left the room, Scott sat next to her. "I take it he feels responsible."

"Yes. He also wants to protect them." She put her hands on the babies. "You know what would happen if.." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Ryan ever found out."

"So you raise children of the brother you hate with the one you love while he lives with someone else? Good God, Lucy, how in the hell did you get yourself into this?"

Serena came back, and Lucy looked at Scott. "I didn't plan everything in advance, I'll tell you that."

Chapter 44
Serena opened the door the next morning, and smiled when she saw Kevin. "Hi!"

Picking her up, Kevin hugged her. "I haven't seen you in so long? How are you?"

"Fine. You're here to see Lucy, right?"

"Gee, you're smart."

Lucy came down the stairs and stopped when she saw Kevin. He saw the uncertainty cross her face. "I came to see what your package day before yesterday meant."

Visibly relaxing, she went to the sofa. Kevin couldn't believe how much she'd changed since he'd seen her last. She was showing twice as much as she had been.

Still carrying Serena, Kevin crossed the room.

"Lucy told me you and her are going to have two babies!"

Unable to answer, his eyes locked with Lucy's and he nodded.

"Serena spent the night with me last night. We stayed up and watched old comedies. Hey, Pumpkin, I'm really tired, do you think you can forge for yourself in the kitchen?"

Kevin realized she really did look exhausted. "I can help her, if it's okay with you."

"You mind?"

"No, I'm sure the two of us can find something for her to eat. How about you?"

Actually turning slightly green, Lucy shook her head. "No, I don't do food in the morning anymore. There is a ‘script bottle in the top cabinet over the coffee maker. Would you?"

A few minutes later, Kevin appeared with a glass of water, and Lucy's ‘scrip bottle. "I was hoping the report from Dr. Newman meant that you'd made up your mind."

"Kevin, who would believe I would have twins and they weren't yours? I don't call that a decision. It's more like backed into a corner." Immediately, she shook her head. "I didn't meant it that way. I'm tired, I'm queasy, and..." She shrugged. "I'm scared. So many things can go wrong, here. From Ryan right down to my medical history."

"Stop. Don't make things worse. Dr. Newman is very happy with your condition right now. She's going to see you every two weeks. And she knows your medical history. If she sees something she doesn't like, she'll see it early and deal with it. Unless you have a problem with it, I would like to go next time."

"Well, since you're taking the blame...." He shook his head and she smiled. "I'm kidding. You're going to be their father. I'm hoping you understand what that means. If you want to go, that's fine with me. I haven't said anything to Dr. Newman, but, considering the obvious," She put her hands on her stomach. "I don't think she'll be suprised."

Before Serena came back, Lucy had to ask him something. "How is Eve taking this?"

It was obviously a question Kevin didn't want to answer. "If I told you she was thrilled, would you believe me?"

"If you can't do this, I would understand." She wasn't about to let him see how much it would affect her.

"I'm going to do this. I made that clear to Eve. Those babies are all that matter right now. More than you, or me, or even Eve at this point. Making sure Ryan doesn't find out they're his. When he called you, what did you say to him?"

"I called him ‘daddy'. What the hell do you think I said? Nothing. He thinks you came running to my rescue. He asked me if you wanted me now that he'd…" Shaking her head, she took few deep breaths and wiped her eyes. "I didn't tell him if you did or didn't. I think he assumed you did."

"Good. I hope we can-" He realized she wasn't listening to him. "Lucy, did you ever… talk to anyone about what happened?"

"You're still in the habit of deflecting the conversation. I asked you about Eve. What are you going to do?"

Before he could tell her she was the one deflecting the conversation, Serena reappeared. "I put my dish in the dishwasher, and put the milk away."

"Thank you, sweetie. Maybe next time, we can go shopping for the furniture for your room. That sound good?"

"Yes. But I liked sleeping in the big bed with you, too." She grinned. "Think you'll ever get all the crumbs out of the blanket?"

"Popcorn in bed is out next time, kiddo." But Lucy was smiling, and Serena knew she was kidding.

"Can you paint my nails?"

"Sure. Go pick a color."

Watching her run up the stairs, Kevin turned to Lucy. "How is she adjusting to the fact that you don't live with her and Scott anymore?"

"Actually, pretty well. I'm kind of suprised. She seems to accept it. Maybe. I guess time will tell."

"The important thing is that she knows how much you love her. I think she'll be fine."

"She doesn't understand why. And I can't explain it to her." She sighed.

"How is Scott?"

"How do you think? He's torn between wanting to never speak to me again and not wanting to lose his best friend. Which brings me back to the original question. How bad will this be on you and Eve?"

"It's not going to be easy. You're on Eve's list of favorite people right about the same place she is on yours. But she understands what it's about. I think once we make some decisions concerning the way we're going to handle this she'll be all right."

Any reply Lucy was going to make was interrupted by Serena running back down with a bottle of bright blue nail polish. Shaking the bottle, Lucy opened it. Before she could even start to paint the child's nails, the smell of the polish hit her. "Honey, this isn't going to work." Jumping up, she ran into the bathroom.

Serena looked at Kevin. "Is Lucy okay?"

"The smell of the polish made her sick. She'll be fine." Kevin hoped he was telling Serena the truth.

Closing the bottle, Serena stared at it. "It never made her sick before."

"It's only because she's pregnant. Come on, let's go get your stuff packed. When's you dad coming?" Kevin did not want to run into Scott.

"Not until later. Can you paint my nails?"

Kevin laughed. "I might paint your fingers more than you nails. I don't paint nails very often." The look on her face made him reconsider. "Let's go outside. So we don't make her sick again."

"Okay!"

Serena ran out the front door, Kevin knocked on the bathroom door. "Lucy? You okay?"

"Yes. I'll be out in a minute."

When she came out, she looked around for them. Through the window, she saw Kevin trying, and from the looks on their faces, not succeeding, to paint Serena's nails. Once again it hit her how good a father Kevin was going to be. How good a father he would have been if... The tears that always followed thoughts about their baby didn't fail her. Wiping her eyes, Lucy stood there, watching them. This would be the second time Kevin accepted her children by another man. Of course, this was different. He felt responsible this time. But it didn't mean he would love them any less.
 

Chapter 45
Ryan couldn't figure out why he'd ended up back in Port Charles. Why he couldn't get Lucy out of his mind. Driving up the street to her house, he drove past it and stopped a few houses down. Getting out of the car, he walked back towards her house. The darkness would hide him from anyone who would be looking. The risk was stupid to take, and he knew he could be caught, but he couldn't resist. As he approached the back of her house, he saw her standing in the kitchen. When she turned around, his breath caught in his throat. She was pregnant. His first thought was that the baby was his.

Getting closer, he watched her fix herself something to eat. It was impossible, but Ryan could smell traces of her perfume as he watched her.

After almost an hour, Ryan decided he was pushing his luck too far. Going back to his car, he drove away from the house and decided he was going to stick around Port Charles for a while. The thought that Lucy might be pregnant with his child brought out feelings he never knew he was capable of having. A baby. It scared him at first, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea intrigued him. The fact that she was living alone told him a lot. Maybe Kevin hadn't come running to her rescue, after all. So, apparently she was planning on having the baby by herself. He had to know if her baby was his.
 

For the next several days, Ryan followed Lucy from a discreet distance. Victor and Mary had been by to see her, but no one else. Ryan had begun to believe that she was on her own when Kevin came to see her. He couldn't tell what they were saying, but they stayed a distance apart. That told Ryan a lot. She got in his car and they left.

Taking the chance, he slipped into her house. The house was definitely her. He searched for some clue to her life. No trace of a man anywhere. Nothing in the bathroom, or the bedroom. She was alone. Why that made him happy, he had no idea. A few toys, but not baby toys, she must have the kid visiting her.

It suprised him there were very few baby things. He would have expected Lucy to start shopping for baby things the instant she found out she was pregnant.

When he got to the kitchen, he found numerous bottles of prenatal vitamins and prescriptions. Some were normal for pregnant women, but there were far too many prescriptions for a normal pregnancy. He wondered what was wrong, the concern he felt surprising him.

The front door opened, and he panicked. He hadn't heard the car pull into the driveway. As he stepped out the back door, Kevin and Lucy came through the front door. As they walked into the kitchen, Ryan couldn't help himself. He stayed right outside the door to hear what they were saying.

"Are you going to stop being so paranoid now? Dr. Newman is very happy with the way you're going." Kevin smiled at her.

"I can't help being paranoid. You should be able to understand that." Lucy opened the refrigerator and surveyed the contents.

Standing behind her, Kevin looked in the refrigerator. "Looks like you need to get to the store."

"I know. I haven't really felt up to it. Mary said she'd come by later today and maybe we'll go."

"Victor and Mary have taken this grandparent thing to the extreme. I'm supposed to call him and tell him everything when I get home."

"I know." Lucy laughed. "Mary has decided it's about time someone mothered me. It's almost a little too strange for me."

"I haven't had the pleasure, but it's okay. I'll take your word for it."

Shutting the refrigerator, she leaned back and put her hands on her back. "I need to sit down. My back is killing me."

Ryan watched Kevin put his hands on her lower back and massage her. He found himself losing his temper as she smiled and sighed.

"That feels great. I laid on my back too long for the exam." She winced slightly. "I don't think they liked it, either."

"Why?" Kevin's face showed concern.

"They're really moving."

"Really?" He put his arms around her.

Taking his hands, she laughed. "You can't feel them yet, it will probably be another month before you can."

"What does it feel like?"

Ryan held his breath. He was as intrigued as Kevin. It would have sent him into an uncontrollable rage if he'd known they had the same expression on their faces.

"Like.... little.... I don't know. Twitches, maybe? It's inside me, but it's not me." She shook her head. "I don't know how else to explain it."

"That's amazing." Kevin's voice was low.

"Definitely amazing. But wait until YOU feel them move." Facing him, she stared into his eyes. "I want these babies to have everything I didn't." She smiled. "That sounds like a line in a bad movie. But that's how I feel. I want them to know how loved they are. I don't want them to ever wonder about who they are. I want them to know their mother AND father wanted them."

"They will. I promise." Kevin touched her cheek briefly. "Come on. Mommy needs to lie down, and Daddy needs to get home."

As soon as they were out of the kitchen, Ryan ran to his car. He was almost screaming at himself in a rage. "Twins? She's going to have his twins? What is it with women? Why can't they care about a man that would stand by them and take care of them and their children? She's no better than Felicia. He came to her rescue, all right. Saves her from me, then leaves her with two babies and keeps his little Evie. Some knight in shining armor, Kevin." He didn't know what made him angrier. The fact that Kevin apparently suffered no consequences of his plan, or the fact that he'd stepped in, and ‘helped' Lucy by getting her pregnant, and leaving her.

For the first time, Ryan considered the thought that he would be better for Lucy then Kevin.
 

Chapter 46
"Penny for your thoughts? You're a million miles away." Kevin smiled at Eve over the table.

"I'm actually thinking of your ‘arrangement' with Lucy."

His smile faded. "We're not going to fight again, are we? We planned this night for two weeks, I really don't want to spend it fighting."

Now she smiled. "No. We're not. I'm actually suprised."

"At...?"

"I thought it would turn into Lucy calling you every minute of every day, ‘can you?' ‘would you?' ‘I need you'. You haven't let her, and I appreciate that."

Kevin sighed. "I don't have a lot to do with this. Lucy's pretty intent on being on her own right now. I'm not saying I would let her, if she tried. But she hasn't. Contrary to everyone's belief, even hers, I think she's actually enjoying being on her own. Besides, she has Victor and Mary doing the grandparent thing. They can't wait until they get to babysit."

"I didn't realize how close Victor and Lucy were until this started."

"Victor cares about you, too."

Shaking her head, Eve tried to explain. "I know. I just never thought about how you're breaking up with Lucy affected Victor. He really loves her."

"To be honest, she's the reason he's here. He knows that. I told you all about it. I believe I also told you that they could get into trouble when they were left to amuse themselves." He laughed. "But I have to admit, they're crazy about each other."

"And I'm crazy about you, you know that?" Holding his hand, she kissed him.

"Are you sure you want to stay here and eat?"

"Can we take it home?" She stood.

"If we can't, we can get take out somewhere else." Kevin signaled the waiter.

Chapter 47
"Hey, babe. Whoa, big babe!" Luke kissed Lucy and put his hand on the babies. "Giving Mommy hell, I hope!"

"You don't know the half of it."

"No, YOU don't know the half of it. Wait until they're teenagers."

"Gee, Luke, I hadn't thought of that. Thank you for pointing it out."

Leaning down a bit, Luke spoke to them. "Just make sure you take after your mommy and Uncle Luke."

"Actually, saying that and teenagers in the same sentence made me remember something. I need to call my Aunt Charlene and apologize."

Putting his arm around her, he whispered in her ear. "I wish I'd known you when you were a teenager."

"I bet you do." She licked her lips and they both laughed.

"Let me guess. You need food."

"When don't I?" They sat at a table and Luke yelled at Clyde to get Lucy a salad.

Before it arrived, Lucy excused herself and stood. Before she got to her feet, a strange look crossed her face and she sat back down.

"What's wrong?" Walking around the table, Luke kneeled beside her.

A look of total panic crossed her face. "I don't know. But I don't think it's good."

Trying not to panic himself, Luke took her hand. "Are you in pain?"

"Not really. A little. I just don't feel right. I'm dizzy." She started to cry. "This isn't happening. Luke, please tell me this isn't happening."

"Calm down. That's the first thing I'm going to tell you." Pulling a chair next to her, he put his hand on the back of her head gently. "Listen to me, babe. You got to not panic, here. I'm going to get you up, and take you to GH, okay?"

She nodded and let him lead her out the door. The fact that she said nothing told Luke how terrified she was.

It was almost midnight when Kevin's phone rang, and for a brief moment, he almost didn't answer it. But Eve's shift was almost over at the hospital, and Lucy could need something.

"Hey Kevin, it's Luke."

His voice sounded strange. "Luke? Is something wrong?"

"It's Lucy."

"What? The babies? What's wrong with her? Luke! She can't go through this again. What's wrong?"

"Kevin! Now you need to calm down. You sound just like her. She's fine. Except for the fact that she won't calm down. We're at GH. The doctor thinks she's going to be okay, but she needs to calm down. And, of course, she won't. So I thought you might be able to help."

"I'm on my way." Kevin thought about writing Eve a note, but she should still be at the hospital when he got there, and he needed to get to Lucy.

When he got there, he saw Dr. Newman in the hallway. He forgot all about finding Eve when the doctor started speaking.

"Kevin, the babies are fine. You need to stay calm, because she needs you to calm her down. She's understandably afraid. But the thing to remember here is that everything is fine."

"If everything is fine, why is she here?"

"She's anemic, which is not completely unusual for pregnancy, and more so for twins. We can treat that very easily. What I'm worried about now is her blood pressure. It wouldn't be too high if she'd calm down. I'd really like to give her something to calm her down and send her home. Keeping her here is probably making the problem worse. She's afraid there's something I'm not telling her."

Nodding, Kevin entered her room.

When she saw him, she sat up, despite Luke's protest. "Why are you here?"

Luke waved his hand. "I called him."

"Why?"

"Because I was going to knock you out myself if you didn't calm down. Maybe he can get through to you." He looked at Kevin.

Sitting on the bed next to her, Kevin took her hand. "Luke's right."

That statement alone had the desired effect. Lucy stopped and stared at him.

"That had to hurt." Luke laughed.

"You have no idea." Kevin smiled and squeezed her hand. "There is nothing wrong with the babies. They're fine. You need to watch your diet a little more."

"I've done everything Dr. Newman told me to-"

"It's not anything you did. You're anemic. I'm sure she told you."

Luke watched Kevin touch her face gently, wondering what was going on in his mind.

Lucy started to say something, but Kevin shook his head. "Listen to me, okay? I'm telling you everything. Your blood pressure is high. You have to calm down. That's the way to lower it without drugs. Dr. Newman will release you if your pressure drops a little. So if you calm down, you can go home. Okay?"

Nodding, she looked at both of them. "I was just scared."

"I know. You have every reason to be. But nothing's wrong. Do-" He shook his head. He'd been about to ask her if she trusted him. Until he remembered the tirade the word trust had started with her before. Then another memory hit him. The last time she'd been pregnant, they'd been in GH. Her in the bed, him beside her, holding her hand almost exactly like he was now. He'd asked her if she trusted him right before they'd confirmed Lucy's miscarriage.

"Doc?" Worry crossed her face. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Nothing. Come here." Sliding up the bed, he wrapped his arms around her. "You're fine, the babies are fine."

He sounded almost like he was trying to convince himself. Lucy had no idea where that had come from, but she didn't care. She'd always felt safe in his arms, and that moment was no different.

Luke watched their faces with interest. He'd always known how Lucy felt about Kevin, but he found himself wondering exactly what was happening in Kevin's heart where she was concerned.

"Hey, I've got a club to close. You okay with her here?"

Nodding, Kevin pulled away from her and looked at him. "Thanks for calling me."

Luke hugged her. "You need me, call, okay?"

"Thanks, Luke." She squeezed his hand.

After Luke was gone, Kevin held her face in his hand. "You need to stay calm, okay? I'm going to leave you for a minute, but I'll be right back."

She nodded.

He went to look for Eve, but she'd already gone. Taking out his phone to call her, Dr. Newman's voice distracted him. "Kevin, we just checked her pressure again. If you're ready to take her home, I'll sign her out. I gave her a list of instructions, and I gave her a prescription for something to help keep her calm. Nothing that will effect the baby, but it should help."

"Thanks. I'll go get her."
 

When they reached Lucy's house, Kevin got her something to drink while she went upstairs and got into bed.

As he climbed the stairs, he heard her crying. "Lucy?"

She was lying down on her side, her back to the door.

Reaching out to stroke her hair, he sat next to her on the bed. "You're okay. I promise."

"I know. I don't know why I can't stop crying. I'm sorry."

Leaning against the headboard, he put his arm over her shoulder. "You don't have any reason to be sorry."

"If you want to go home, you can."

"I want to help you."

Slowly, with a little help from Kevin, she rolled over and looked at him. "You are. And I do appreciate it. You're putting yourself in a position that-"

"Don't. I understand the position. And you're right. I put myself here. I did it because I want to. Come here." Putting his arms around her, he held her against him. "You're not alone in this, Lucy. I'll do anything I can to help you."

For the first time all night, Lucy relaxed. Knowing she was exhausted, Kevin held her protectively and stroked her hair. It was only a matter of minutes before she fell asleep. Only intending to stay with her for a while, Kevin leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes

Chapter 49
The sun coming through the bedroom window woke Kevin. Opening his eyes, he squinted for a moment before looking at her. When he tried to move, she looked at him.

"What time is it?"

Looking over her shoulder, Kevin stared at the clock. "Later than you think."

She smiled at him. "Late enough that you're going to be in trouble, right?"

Wincing, he put his head back. "I never called her!"

Slowly, she sat up and looked at him. "You spent the night with me and you never even called Eve to tell her what was going on? Forget trouble, she's going to kill you!"

"She's not like that, Lucy. I'll explain what happened."

Lucy laughed. "Oh, yeah, falling asleep in my bed will go over real well."

"It's not funny." He almost smiled at her. "I don't think I'll say it like that."

"Smart man." She started to laugh harder, then stopped. Jumping out of bed, Lucy ran into the bathroom.

Kevin sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her to come out. "You all right?"

"It's not a day in my life if I don't throw up. Every day since I got pregnant." She smiled. "I'm fine. Dr. Newman isn't worried about it. As long as I keep a certain amount of food down every day. And whatever it is she gave me, it helps." Turning, she went downstairs.

In the kitchen, she looked at him. "You need to go home and dig yourself out."

"I want to be sure you're-"

"Okay. I know. And I do appreciate, it. Last night really scared me. But I'm calm, and I know what I'm supposed to do. You can go. Really." His expression still showed doubt. "Kevin, I need to do this on my own. I admit, I lost it last night. But I'm fine now. I cantairs.

In the kitchen, she looked at him. "You need to go home and dig yourself out."

"I want to be sure you're-"

"Okay. I know. And I do appreciate, it. Last night really scared me. But I'm calm, and I know what I'm supposed to do. You can go. Really." His expression still showed doubt. "Kevin, I need to do this on my own. I admit, I lost it last night. But I'm fine now. I cantairs.

In the kitchen, she looked at him. "You need to go home and dig yourself out."

"I want to be sure you're-"

m not making sense, am I."

"Actually, you are. I guess I can't get used to you being so independent. That's my problem, not yours." He squeezed her hand for a moment. "You're right. I need to go. I have a lot of explaining to do." Kissing her cheek, he left.