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Still the One-Chapter 22

By: Lisa Marie

~A Week and a Half later~

Lis walked out of the dressing room in her wedding dress. She sighed looking at the reflection in the mirror, the funny feeling in her stomach coming back.

Shan stepped up behind her. "I just want to know how you could have gone down a dress size in four weeks?"

Lis shrugged, remembering the last time she had lost that much weight that quickly. "I guess its good they could take it in so quickly." Lis replied, avoiding looking at her friend.

"Very good, you wouldn't want to marry Bri with your dress falling off." Shan said heading back to the chairs.

Lis stood in front of the mirror, smoothing her hands over her stomach and sighed deeply. There had to be a reasonable explanation she thought to herself, had to be.

Nick stopped the stroller in front of the bridal shop and looked through the window seeing Lis standing there. E looked at him then at the woman through the window. "I don't think I can go to that wedding E."

"You're going and that's final Nick."

"Why?"

"First of all you all ready promised her you'd hold Michael during the ceremony, second you never know what could happen."

"I all ready know what's going to happen, I'm going to lose her again tomorrow for good."

Lis checked to make sure everyone was downstairs doing last minute things before the wedding the next day. She locked the door to her bathroom and stared at the set of bags on the floor. After moving several of them aside she found the one from the pharmacy and picked it up, taking the contents out of the bag. Her eyes stared at the pregnancy test in her hand. "Please not again," she whispered to herself.

Nick set Michael down in his playpen and watched everyone mill around them. Alec and Jenn were busy going over lists and Han was dragging suitcases to the door. "Crazy huh Michael?" he asked, sitting down beside his son's playpen. He looked up to see Shan beside him.

"You seen Lis?" Shan asked, smiling down at the little boy.

"Not in the last fifteen minutes." Nick answered. "Maybe she took off."

"Nick, she made her choice and as hard as it is we've got to live with it." Shan said sadly, wishing that it was her Brian was marrying the next day. She smiled thinking about B.

"Live with it...how am I supposed to do that when the thought of him touching her makes me sick to my stomach? When I see them together I have to force myself not to go over and tell him to leave my wife alone...And tomorrow, that's going to be the hardest of all." he said sadly.

"I know Nick...but we've all gotta move past it." She told him then walked away, leaving him alone with his son.

Lis sat on the floor staring at the pregnancy test in her hands, she leaned her head back against the cold wall and started to cry. A couple minutes later she heard someone knocking on the door. Quickly she wiped her tears away and hid the test behind her shopping bags. "Yeah?" she asked, her hand on the door.

Nick sighed. "Lis, Michael wants his mommy." He watched the door open and gave her a surprised look. "Babe you look like hell what's wrong?"

"Just emotional, weddings always get to me." she said taking Michael in her arms. Her eyes stopped on his outfit, the little football jersey and track pants. She smiled softly and kissed her son's forehead.

Nick walked into the bathroom behind her, shutting the door. He watched the way she moved, he could swear he'd seen her look that way before. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong." she said not looking at him. Lis held Michael close to her, he wasn't even six months and now here she was pregnant.

Nick leaned against the counter. "I'm not buying that Lis, remember I know you."

"Not anymore you don't." she said a sob catching in her throat. "I'm going to the nursery."

He watched her go and shook his head, something was wrong he could feel it in his gut. His eyes stopped on the bags in the corner so he knelt down and went through them. Mostly things for the honeymoon then he saw a box jammed down between the bags. He pulled it out and fell back on the floor.

Alec walked into the nursery seeing Lis changing Michael. "Hey, where'd you disappear to?" Alec asked, sitting down on the window seat.

"Just needed a few minutes alone...it's pretty chaotic down there you know." Lis stated.

"True, maybe you should lay down you look tired."

"I'm okay...I still have to pack and everything."

"Looking forward to the honeymoon?"

Lis set Michael down. "Yeah, it'll be nice just the two of us...I think we were smart to wait." she said softly, if they hadn't she wouldn't have known who the baby's father was.

Nick froze in the hallway, listening to the conversation. He tucked the box and the test into the cargo pocket on his pants and walked into the nursery. "Hey ladies, Lis can we chat?"

Alec stood up. "I'll be heading home. See you tomorrow." she smiled and left the room.

"What Nick?" Lis asked distracted. She still needed to pack and shower before she could start to get ready for bed.

Nick watched her for a minute, then pulled her to him. She looked up at him shocked but he silenced her by kissing her softly. His hands slid to her shirt and started unbuttoning it.

"Nick, what do you think you're doing?" she whispered breathlessly as she pulled away from him.

He sunk to his knees and looked up at her. "Look in my eyes and tell me you're not carrying my baby."

"I'm not..." she said quickly, looking out the window.

Nick pulled her down to him, leaning her against his chest. "Lissy, you're pregnant and I overhead you with Alec, I'm the only man you've slept with..." he rested his hands on her stomach, "this baby, Michael's sibling is mine."

Lis' shoulders started shaking. "No Nicky...please...I can't...I have to marry Brian..."

"Why?" he turned her head to look at him. "Michael has a father honey, me...I want to be there for him...and I'm rather in love with his mommy... Lis there's a reason you're pregnant."

"I was drunk." she answered adamantly, wishing it was true.

"No because we, us," he kissed her forehead, "are meant to be...don't you see it? It's a sign, the only man you should be marrying tomorrow is me."

"Nick if things were different...but everything's still the same."

"Really? It is?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

She nodded sadly.

"One way to tell." he stood up and helped her up, wrapping her arms around his neck and his around her waist. "Shhh." he said seeing she was about to speak. Softly he started singing:

Dancing in the dark
Middle of the night
taking your heart
and holding it tight

emotional touch
touching my skin
and asking you to what you've been doing all over again
oh it's a beautiful thing
don't think i can keep it all in
i just gotta let you know
what it is that won't let me go

it's your love
it just does something to me
sends a shock right through me
I can't get enough
and if you wonder
about the spell I'm under
oh it's your love

better than i was
more than i am
and all of this happened
by taking your hand
and who i am now
is who i wanted to be
and now that we're together
I'm stronger then ever
I'm happy and free

oh it's a beautiful thing
don't think i can keep it all in
and if you ask me while i changed
all i gotta do is say your sweet name

it's your love
it just does something to me
sends a shock right through me
I can't get enough
and if you wonder
about the spell I'm under
oh it's your love

oh baby
oh oh oh

oh it's a beautiful thing
don't think i can keep it all in
i just gotta let you know
what it is that won't let me go
it's your love
it just does something to me
sends a shock right through me
i can't get enough
and if you wonder
about the spell I'm under
it's your love
it's your love
it's your love

His blue eyes looked directly in hers and he saw she was crying. He moved one hand up and wiped away her tears. "See..."

"No...it's just one more of your plans to get me back...and we don't even know for sure I'm pregnant..." she said taking a step away from him.

"You know it for sure don't you? You feel it..."

Lis sighed and nodded slowly, looking out the window. She felt his breath on her neck. "I'm so scared Nick...I mean...I'm marrying B tomorrow and he's gonna know this baby isn't his...and if I lose him," she started shaking, "I can't lose someone else Nick, I'm not strong enough." her voice broke as she started to cry.

Nick slid his hands around her waist and pulled her against him. "Shhhh, it's okay."

"It's not, can't you see it I keep screwing things up." she turned to face him. "Everyone would be better off without me."

"No we wouldn't." he rested his head on hers. "Look you're getting hysterical, you go lay down and I'll tell everyone to go home."

Nick tucked her into their bed and watched as she looked up at him, she looked so lost she almost broke his heart. "I'll be right back." he promised as he reluctantly stood up and left the room, meeting up with Han and AC in the hallway.

"Well?" Han asked, trying to see her sister through the partially open door.

Nick sighed, "She isn't feeling well...too much stress. Can you get everyone to clear out of here? I'm gonna stay down in the guest room, I don't want her to be alone."

Han looked at him skeptically. "Nick she's marrying B tomorrow just let up...she doesn't need this right now."

"I'm not doing anything Han, I think I know her best and right now she needs to sleep and I'm just going to sleep in AC's old room to make sure Michael doesn't disturb her."

Han sighed, "Okay," she said reluctantly. "Let's clear this place out."

Nick walked into the bedroom holding Michael in his arms. Carefully he sat down on the bed and looked down at a sleeping Lis. "We deserve one night together don't we Michael? Just you and me and your mommy." he leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes.

The sound of her stereo turning on woke Lis up. She picked the remote off from the nightstand and clicked it off before it started to play. She laid there staring at the clock for a minute before she rolled over and found Nick asleep with Michael on his chest. She smiled sadly and kissed Michael's forehead, "It's just not the way things were supposed to work out." she whispered

Nick heard her voice but he kept his eyes shut so he wouldn't startle her. The sad thing was he'd come to accept what was happening, although the fact she was carrying his baby again made him want to change everything.

Shan rolled over in bed and came face to face with Brian. "Morning sweetheart." he whispered as he pulled her closer.

"Morning." she smiled up at him. "I can't believe you're getting married today." she said sadly.

He put his finger under his chin and lifted her head so he could look into her eyes. "Trust me, I know what's going on today and it isn't going to happen." he smiled softly.

"Are you sure?" she asked worriedly.

"As sure as I am about how much I love you." he whispered. "Now come on, you've got a bride to help get ready."

Lis slid her shorts and a tank top on and glanced back at the bed. She noticed Nick was starting to wake up. "I was uh just going to leave you a note." she whispered.

Nick moved Michael off his chest and onto the bed beside him. "So I guess the next time I see you you'll be coming down the aisle."

"Should be." she felt tears sting her eyes and she turned away so he wouldn't see them.

"Are you feeling okay? I mean with the pregnancy?"

"Just a little morning sickness, no one's picking up on anything yet." she fiddled with her cosmetics bag, "Damn it!" she cursed as the zipper jammed.

Nick stood behind her and turned her around. There was so much he wanted to say and he couldn't. "I..."

She reached up and touched his lips with her fingertips. "I know Nicky..."

He sighed. It was his turn to go on autopilot. "Good luck, and uhm take care of yourself...have a good flight..."

Lis nodded, hating this was what their relationship had come to. "I gotta go, I was supposed to be at the hotel fifteen minutes ago." She felt tears sting her eyes. "Michael be good for your daddy..." she kissed her son's forehead and grabbed her bag, leaving the room before she could change her mind.

Nick heard the front door close behind her and felt the tears fall down his face. "She's gone Michael...I just lost your mommy." he said as Michael started to cry.

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