End

Mike looked around. "Where are we?" he asked. "They were standing outside a gas station. Across the street was a row of small houses with metal fences surrounding them.

"Across town," Peter replied. He pointed off past the houses. "Bus station's over there, I think."

"Good idea," Mike stated. Peter stuffed the stone in his pocket as the two headed out. They took a bus to within two blocks of the Pad and walked the rest of the way.

Mike tried the door, but found it locked. Since he was without his key, he was required to knock. The door opened a moment later, Thomas standing on the doorstep.

"Hey Uncle Mike," Thomas greeted, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey Tom, hey y'all," Mike replied as he entered the Pad, waving towards Davy, Micky, and Joanne, who were entering from the kitchen. Joanne hugged Mike around the legs until she spotted Peter, who was behind Mike.

"Daddy!" she cheered, moving on to him.

"You're home!" Thomas added as they both wrapped their arms around Peter.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Joanne confessed.

"Well, don't worry, I'm back now," Peter replied, hugging both of them back.

"Sorry, you're stuck with us a little longer," Mike commented as he flopped down into a couch.

"Where were you guys?" Micky asked.

"Alaska," Mike replied as he pulled his feet out of his shoes.

"Alaska?" Davy repeated. "You must be joking!"

"Nope," Peter replied as he headed towards the kitchen.

"How?" Davy asked.

"Long story," Mike replied as he explained how they had gotten to the cold state and back.

"That's amazing," Micky commented. "I didn't know Fiona could do any of that stuff."

Peter returned from the kitchen. "She's full of surprises," he commented as he began to search through the pile of luggage still in the living room.

"Petah - what are you doing?" Davy asked. Peter lifted his duffel bag out of the mess. Peter held out the keys.

"Going next door," he replied, showing Davy the keys as proof. "I live over there, remember?"

"You can't," Davy blurted before he could stop the words.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "I can't? Why not?" he challenged.

"Mom's not over there," Joanne piped up.

"So?" Peter asked, failing to see the connection.

"Where is she?" Mike interrupted.

"Hospital," Thomas replied before Davy or Micky could stop him.

"Hospital??" Mike and Peter asked in unison.

"Um...yep," Micky replied.

Mike glared at Davy. "Why?" he asked.

"Um...long story?" Micky stammered.

Peter tried a different tactic. "Why is she in the hospital?" he asked in as calm a voice as he could muster.

"She's - Joanne began.

"She'll want to tell you that 'erself," Davy cut her off with a grin and a wink. "Let's go down there."

Nicole was relaxing in bed, reading a magazine. She was involved in the article and didn't look up when the door opened.

Peter didn't say anything at first, he just stared. By this time Nicole was VERY pregnant, and he could see right away why she was in the hospital. Peter was in a state of shock. He just stared, unable to speak a word or move an inch.

Nicole became aware of someone watching her and looked up from the magazine. Peter was standing there, frozen in place. The shocked expression on his face alarmed her.

"Peter, are you okay?" she asked, forgetting to be excited about his return. Peter managed to nod slightly. He stumbled to the chair next to the bed and managed to sit down. She was very concerned.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Nicole asked again. Peter nodded again and cleared his throat.

"Y-You-you're-," he stammered. He paused and took a deep breath. "You're p-p-p...you're p-p-pre-preg-pregnant?" he finally managed to get out.

Nicole nodded even though it wasn't really a question. She was obviously pregnant. "Yes," she replied slowly, trying to keep Peter from getting to excited.

"It-I mean -is it- uh..."

"Yes, they're yours," she replied with a smile.

At first Nicole thought Peter was going to faint. But he didn't. He just stood there in shock. 'I think I have the cure for that,' she thought to herself. She sat up and leaned forward, placing a kiss on his lips.

It was a light kiss, hardly spectacular, but it was enough to drag Peter out of his trance. He blinked a few times, then grabbed her forcibly in his arms and kissed her hard and long, with intensity and longing showing through.

'Almost five months and now news like this? he thought to himself. A baby. My very own baby. No - wait - Did she say they?

Peter broke off the kiss suddenly . "They?" He asked.

Confused for a moment, Nicole nodded. "Yep," she replied. "They."

Peter really did faint then.

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