Breaking the News

[JULIE BRADY]

Julie was going to be sick. Again. It would be her third time that day alone. At least now she knew why. How could she be so dumb? It said right on the package of her birth control that taking antibiotics would negate the pills! And of course this was the first year in about four that she’d gotten a sinus infection. Someone in the universe had planned this shit, but it certainly wasn’t her. She wasn’t ready for the little person growing inside her and she knew she wasn’t the only one. When Remy found out, he was going to have a heart attack. She was terrified of his reaction. What would he say? What would he do? Would he storm out, cry, scream? She just didn’t know. And what would her mom say? What would his mom say? There were so many difficult conversations in the near future. The thought of them made the bile rise in her throat—literally. She ran to the bathroom in her apartment and emptied what little she had in her stomach into the porcelain bowl. Remy was going to be there any minute and she hoped he wouldn’t hear her retching from outside the door. Her stomach twisted, but no matter how much she heaved, nothing would come up. This baby was going to be the death of her.

But she refused to be the death of her baby. She knew there was one word Remy would definitely bring up: abortion. Julie had agonized over that for hours the night before once she had received the dreaded plus sign on her pee stick. She still had it safely capped and sitting on the counter of her bathroom sink. Looking at it now, she contemplated the future that one simple test had predicted. No matter what that future was, she couldn’t deny that she wanted it. After hours and hours of wondering if she could go through with an abortion, she realized that just wondering that question meant she couldn’t. She couldn’t handle the guilt of killing what might be her only chance at a child. Of course she was young, but who was to say something devastating wouldn’t happen to cause infertility? And she wanted to be a mother. The more she considered her child and what it could become, the stronger the bond built between her and her unborn baby. Running her hand over her flat stomach absentmindedly, she flushed the toilet and stared at the stick on the counter. Positive. She never expected to be having Remy Graham’s baby. What was she going to do?

While she was brushing her teeth, there was knocking at her door. Her stomach lurched again, knowing who it was. She spit and quickly rinsed her mouth before she hustled to answer the door. “Coming!” she called out when the knocking came again more insistently. Swinging the door open, she found her boyfriend standing there with a smirk on his face. She let out a sighing breath and pushed a smile to her own mouth. “Hey, you.” He stepped in with his own greeting and pulled her into his arms, making her giggle before his lips came to hers. She closed the door at her back, their mouths never pulling apart. She wanted to enjoy this brief moment of normalcy before all hell broke loose. Soon her arms were wrapped around his neck as he pulled her closer. As much as she wanted to simply lose herself in him, she forced herself to draw back from his kiss. Opening loving eyes to his, she smiled a little. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked in a coy voice. She had to get him sitting down and focused before she told him anything.

[REMY GRAHAM]

Things with Julie had been going better than Remy had expected. Really, they were starting to become more like they were, only now he got to fuck her more often and they didn't have to sneak around as much. There was no more of the strange taboo feeling, unless they were at work. They still hadn't told his mother, something he was trying to put off as long as humanly possible, but Remy knew Julie wanted to do that, and soon. He did everything in the mean time to distract her when they were together, putting off the subject. Her mom knew, she had told him he told her shortly after they had become official, and he was waiting for her to drop the bomb that they were going over to her house or something. Truth was he didn't want to do that either, but her mom would be much easier to deal with than his own.

Dating was a whole other thing. Remy was slowly beginning to like going on dates. It was an excuse to get good food and go to the movies, and do all the things that couples did that he just didn't do very often, not with women he was on the same terms with as Julie. The nights didn't end up in sloppy, drunk screwing, either. Hell, he wasn't allowed to drink for now, something that was driving him nuts, but he had enough self control to get through the next few months booze free in order to keep his place at the hotel. Never had he allowed his mother to have this much control over him, but the woman finally had something to hold over his head; a shit ton of money and his future. He'd cleaned up his act, though, and things were in some ways looking up. If anything the whole thing with dating Julie was working out for him. Maybe his mother would see it as him making an effort, seeing as he'd become monogamous for a change. Even with her potential praise, he still wanted to keep her out of the loop for now, because there was a good chance of some backlash. They wouldn't be working on the same projects anymore probably, or at least less often, and she would be barging in on them more. It would make work nookie more difficult, which he'd slowly allowed back into their days now that everything had settled. Mother was back twice a week doing light work, and he was taking on the responsibilities he's laid on Julie that were supposed to be his to begin with.

Remy was dressed casually in a deep slate button down which looked almost like denim, and dark, tight designer jeans. Casual for him. They were supposed to go grab some pizza and maybe see a movie, but nothing was set in stone yet. He was considering maybe calling in for some pizza and wings and licking hot sauce off her naked body instead. He liked the idea of that.. It got his engine revving as he made his way up to her door, knocking on it to let hr know he'd finally arrived. He heard her call back to him that she was coming, a phrase that made him giggle like a twelve year old boy looking at his dads stolen playboy stash. How many times could he get her to say that phrase tonight? She opened the door and he smirked at her, receiving the same in return. “Hey, you.” Remy came in with a playful "Hey, beautiful." and pulled her into him by the hips. He'd grown much more comfortable with her again, and it helped that his arm was getting back to normal. He would probably be done physical therapy soon, too.

Remy pressed his lips to Julie's, his dirty thoughts from the hallway getting him a little excited for her touch. He slid his hands to the small of her back, pulling her in as she shut the door behind him, loving the way she was so eager to be with him even though they were dating. Sexually, not much had changed. Remy pulled her tighter against his body when her arms slid around his neck, but all too soon she was pulling away a little, asking if he wanted a drink. Was she serious? Her tone was coy, which told him she could be persuaded to continue. "I was drinking you up." He teased back, nuzzling her face to the side with his nose before pressing his lips to the soft spot below her ear. "If you take your panties off, I might literally drink you up.." He promised into her ear, his fingers tugging playfully at the hem of her pants, not taking them off, but letting her know that he could if she wanted.

[JULIE BRADY]

“I was drinking you up.” Remy nuzzled his nose into Julie’s cheek, encouraging her to lean her head to the side so he could get to her sensitive neck. She let out a sigh, closing her eyes and beginning to give into him. “If you take your panties off, I might literally drink you up…” Immediately her groin began to tingle with excitement, loving the sound of that. She bit her bottom lip as his fingers toyed with the hem of her jeans and panties. No! She had to talk to him! This was serious and she needed to snap out of it! But how could she lure him into the living room without him catching on? She nudged him back so he would look into her face again, the smile on her face coy. “Let’s go into the living room.” With that suggestion, she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his again, one hand grabbing the shirt over his stomach and the other arm wrapping around his shoulders. She giggled as she was forced to walk backward toward the living room, stumbling over his feet some as she went. They kissed until her leg bumped into the coffee table, not hard enough to hurt her, but enough to tell her where the couch was. He tried to push her onto it before her hands came to his face and she pulled back from his lips. God, all she wanted was to indulge her lust before she ruined everything. But she couldn’t be that selfish. Sighing, she opened her eyes to his. “We need to talk about something.” She hated how ominous that sounded.

From the look on Remy’s face, he knew what she had to say was nothing good. She wanted him to look less upset, if only to calm her nerves, but she didn’t want to mislead him. Sitting down on the couch, she pulled Remy down with her. She sat with her body turned slightly to his, keeping his hand in hers. Looking him in the eye, Julie prepared herself. Her heart was racing. This could be the end of them. She hoped it wouldn’t be, but she recognized the possibility. Be prepared. The longer she hesitated, the more nervous she would make Remy, and that was the last thing she wanted to do to him. “Remy, I’m pregnant. It couldn’t be anybody else’s.”

Julie watched the horror wash over Remy’s face. He was pale and his striking blue eyes were wide. Yep, this was going to be bad. Squeezing his hand gently, she leaned in a little closer to him. “I know you’re scared; I am too. When I was taking the antibiotics, it negated the birth control. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know until I called the doctor’s office today.” He wasn’t saying anything and Julie swallowed hard. “Are you okay, baby?”

[REMY GRAHAM]

Julie was nudging him back and he grinned mischievously down at the coy little smile on her face. “Let’s go into the living room.” Remy could get on board with that idea, and with her lips on his she sealed their fate; or so he though. Remy felt the bulge growing in his pants as she tugged him towards the couch, loving when she got like this. It was hot seeing her take control and he was all for it, especially now. When they got to the couch he tried laying her down, desperate to get her clothes off to do to her what he'd just promised, but her hands slipped to his cheeks and pulled him back. “We need to talk about something.” His groan was audible. We need to talk had to be the four unsexiest words in the English language, and he knew she was about to get to something he didn't want to hear just by the way she said it. Plus, she was stopping him mid pounce, which meant she was going to hold it over him. She knew she was more likely to get what she wanted when he was set on ravishing her. Julie sat on the couch and pulled him down, a long heavy sigh slipping through his lips and he slumped onto the couch, looking frustrated and maybe a little impatient. How long would this take? Couldn't he just say yes now and get it over with? “Remy, I’m pregnant. It couldn’t be anybody else’s.”

The world stopped. A strange ringing began in his inner ear and the blood washed from his face as he stared at her in shock. Surely he misheard her, or perhaps she was joking. Julie couldn't be pregnant, she was on birth control. He watched her take the stupid pills all the damn time, there was no way miss perfect would fuck that up. Not something this huge! Not when there was so much on the line! No. No, she couldn't be, she was just wrong.

“I know you’re scared; I am too." Scared? That wasn't the emotion Remy was feeling. Angry maybe, not scared. Furious was more like it. No, he wasn't scared because this wasn't happening. No! They weren't having a baby, not now, maybe not ever! "When I was taking the antibiotics, it negated the birth control. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know until I called the doctor’s office today.” Her words were distant and echoey, the blood pounding in his ears as he contemplated the severity of what she said. Antibiotics negating the pill.. No, it couldn't be! She wasn't!

“Are you okay, baby?” His face turned into a sneering scowl as his eyes narrowed. "Okay?" He asked, sitting up more and ripping his hands from hers. "You just told me you're pregnant with my child, and you want to know if I'm Okay?!" He scoffed, shaking his head. "No. No, this is not okay. I'm not okay, you? You're not having a baby." He gulped, standing up from the couch, looking down at her with a mix of emotions, rage still probably the most intense one. "Are you out of your mind? We cannot have a child. Not now! My mother doesn't even know we're dating and frankly, I'd like to keep it that way! She'd expect this from me, you know.. fucking one of her employees and getting her knocked up. How could you be so stupid, Jules! C'mon! You're one of the smartest women I know, how could you fuck up this badly! How could you do this to me!?" His hands slipped through his dark hair as he glowered at her, now feeling scared as it really sank in. He turned around and slammed his fist against the wall without thinking, crying out as the sharp pain traveled to his bad shoulder, forcing him to hunch over and grip his arm close to his chest, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth as he winced. "GodFuckingDAMMIT!" He yelled before turning and pointing his good hand at her, the bad one still pressed protectively to his torso. "You have to get an abortion! We can't have a baby, Jules!" His tone was more desperate now, pleading. How could this be happening to him?!

[JULIE BRADY]

The look Remy gave her made Julie’s blood turn cold. “Okay?” His hands ripped from hers and she felt herself going pale from her head to her toes. “You just told me you’re pregnant with my child, and you want to know if I’m Okay?!” She hated the anger in his voice. The accusations were coming, she could feel it, but how she wished he wouldn’t… “No. No, this is not okay. I’m not okay, you? You’re not having a baby.” Her brows furrowed, instantly feeling her first surge of maternal protectiveness. She most certainly was having this baby, whether he liked it or not. Remy got to his feet and she watched him with rapt attention, wary of his every move. She still couldn’t tell if this was going to get violent or not. Their eyes met and the wave of intense rage and fear from his gaze washed over her and she braced herself against it. “Are you out of your mind? We cannot have a child. Not now! My mother doesn’t even know we’re dating and frankly, I’d like to keep it that way! She’d expect this from me, you know…fucking one of her employees and getting her knocked up. How could you be so stupid, Jules?! C’mon! You’re one of the smartest women I know, how could you fuck up this badly! How could you do this to me!?” Tears burned in her eyes as she finally looked away from him, the words surging up from her belly choking her. Not only did he want to keep her a secret still, he called her out on her stupidity. She didn’t need to be reminded of all this, not when she was already dealing with the terror she felt at being a mother.

Julie jumped when a loud crashing sound erupted from across the room, and she saw Remy double over, crying out in pain as he clutched his shoulder. The dent in the wall told her he’d punched it and she felt a sick vindication in his pain. It served him right for being so cruel! “GodFuckingDAMMIT!” His bellowing voice rang in her ears before he turned to her once more, pointing an accusing finger. “You have to get an abortion! We can’t have a baby, Jules!” There was a hint of desperation in his voice, but his words caused a surge of that maternal protectiveness to overtake her again. She set her jaw, her big eyes still swimming with tears. “And I can’t have an abortion! I get sick just thinking about it! This is our baby, Remy! It’s not something I can just throw away like old garbage!” The tears dripped onto her cheeks and she didn’t care if they moved him or not. If anything, they would probably make him angrier, and that was fine too. “I didn’t do this on purpose! If I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat! But what’s done is done and I’m going to take on the burden of the consequences with or without you!” It wasn’t the first time it had occurred to her, but the gravity of what she was saying was beginning to sink in. She could be raising a child on her own—exactly what he mother had always wished she wouldn’t have to do. The apple really didn’t fall far from the tree…Thinking on this only brought more tears to her eyes and she looked down at her hands in defeat. “I’m sorry, okay?! I can’t say that enough to make my mistake right and I know that. This is a big fucking mistake and you can’t imagine how much I’ve beat myself up over this for the last twenty-four hours.” She sobbed and looked down at her hands, watching at the hot tears dripped onto them. “But I can’t do it, Remy! I can’t kill this baby! No matter how many times I tried to tell myself that it was the right thing to do for us, I can’t do it! It isn’t right!”

When she looked up at him again, there was more pleading on her face, her anger melting away slowly into terror and pain. “I don’t want to do this alone, but I will if I have to. I can’t kill my baby and I can’t make you stay. Do you know how much that scares me?” More tears washed down her cheeks and she curled her legs into her chest on the couch, hugging them tight. She hid her face in her knees and sobbed, her body beginning to tremble. “I know I’m stupid and I don’t need you to tell me that, okay?” If only she had a time machine or a way to wave a wand and change Remy’s mind…maybe then she could find some sort of peace. As it was, she felt like she was drowning and there was no one there to help her.

[REMY GRAHAM]

“And I can’t have an abortion! I get sick just thinking about it! This is our baby, Remy! It’s not something I can just throw away like old garbage!” He felt his stomach twist with her words. He didn't like thinking of it as a real baby yet. He liked thinking of it as just a tiny sac of cells, but who knew how far along she was? They'd been humping like rabbits for months! What if it was actually..baby like. He knew deep down that an abortion wasn't the answer, he just wished it would disappear somehow! He didn't want the kid, he didn't ask for this, and he'd taken the proper measures to prevent a situation like this from occurring. It just shouldn't be! “I didn’t do this on purpose! If I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat! But what’s done is done and I’m going to take on the burden of the consequences with or without you!” He glowered at the ground, his teeth gritted together. They both knew that he wouldn't let her take the burden completely. The kid would need a dad, not that he'd be much of one, and she would need financial support. either way he was fucked; he could play daddy or he could play dead beat. One or the other, but obviously not both.

“I’m sorry, okay?! I can’t say that enough to make my mistake right and I know that. This is a big fucking mistake and you can’t imagine how much I’ve beat myself up over this for the last twenty-four hours.” She was sobbing now and it didn't do anything to really soften him. He was glad she was sorry, but sorry didn't erase time. Or children. Oh God what if there were more than one in there? Remy felt even more ill.. “But I can’t do it, Remy! I can’t kill this baby! No matter how many times I tried to tell myself that it was the right thing to do for us, I can’t do it! It isn’t right!” He hated the way his thoughts bounced back and forth in his mind. He hated that she was accepting all blame and not fighting with him, that she was pleading and apologizing. It made this far more difficult because he was starting to feel sympathetic. Sympathetic or not, he was pissed. Pissed and freaked out and totally fucked. “I don’t want to do this alone, but I will if I have to. I can’t kill my baby and I can’t make you stay. Do you know how much that scares me?” This was her fault, why was she trying to make him feel guilty? It was the break in all over again! She needed sympathy when he was the victim! Remy reminded himself that she'd been just as much a victim then as she was now. She didn't want this anymore than he did, but she was also unwilling to terminate the pregnancy, something he wasn't even sure he wanted her to do. How he wished there was a chance it just belonged to someone else.. He knew it didn't, there was no way, but God did he wish she'd been as much of a slut as he was.

“I know I’m stupid and I don’t need you to tell me that, okay?” That didn't mean he didn't want to continue berating her, but clearly she was beating herself up enough as it was. He hated that he'd been backed into a corner. What could he possibly do? Nothing. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't breathe.. "I have to go." His voice was hoarse, his throat like sandpaper as he hesitated for a second before storming out of the apartment and slamming the door behind him. The building was stiflingly hot, the oxygen levels low. He needed a drink.. He needed a lot of drinks, and he didn't care about his mothers stupid rules or the rehab program he was in, or any of that other petty bullshit right now. She would probably fire him for having relations with her favorite employee anyway. Leave it to Remy to corrupt young Ms. Brady, pulling her into his fucked up little rabbit hole and trapping her there with his stupidity. Caroline would have a field day with this, there was no doubt about it. She'd blame him of course, call him the imbecile, as if he'd given her fucking medication while she was on birth control. He could hear her now, see the scowl on her face, the lectures, all of them, because one simply wouldn't be enough. Nine months of lectures and then she'd see the child and suddenly soften. She'd love the thing more than him, the little bastard baby he'd accidentally created with Julie. How rich.

Remy didn't try to hide the fact that he was getting slobbering drunk. If his mother happened to catch him so be it. He did some of his best thinking while drunk, and he didn't have time to sit and worry about Julie's mental status, not with how self absorbed he was. He sat at the bar in the Remington, mostly because it was easy, cheap, and there was a bed waiting for him upstairs. He toyed with the idea of calling one of his lady friends to join him, but the fairer sex had lost its appeal all of a sudden. He couldn't risk impregnating someone else, and truth be told he loved Julie and respected her enough not to fuck around under these circumstances. Instead he drank alone, letting his mind go over the prospect of fatherhood and being with Julie long term as his body relaxed and his mind numbed. Finally he reached that blissful level of drunk where everything was either really happy or really sad. Maybe being a father wouldn't be so bad. He didn't have to change diapers, he'd make that bit clear from the get go, but certainly he could look at the child. What did you do with a baby anyway? Julie was maternal. She liked taking care of him, and she could do a good job taking care of his little spawn. He didn't even have to do much, other than be there. She'd probably want to breastfeed which meant he wouldn't need to get up in the middle of the night. It would be like a pet, like a puppy.. Julie wanted it so she could take care of it. He'd just need to buy the diapers, because he knew her salary.. He realized there was a lot of them together in his mind. Should they move in? The thought of living with Julie freaked him out, but drunk Remy thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He'd still have his cozy room there at the hotel that he could retreat to, and maybe it would get his mother off his back if he accepted his fate to some degree. Maybe they'd even consider marriage..

These were the thoughts that lulled him to sleep. When Remy woke in the morning his head was pounding and he felt more sick than usual. He'd been sober for a few months and his tolerance had gone down somewhat quickly. The man groaned as he managed to make his way to the bathroom, drinking three glasses of water before taking the longest piss he could ever remember having. He ordered room service, a large, greasy breakfast with extra coffee. He showered while he waited for breakfast and then ate naked on the bed, slowly chewing his food and staring blankly at the wall. Some of the thoughts from the previous night slipped through his mind, but many had been lost to the alcohol. Still, the general feelings were still there; this wasn't the end of the world. He could work this to his advantage.. It would be a good political move to get a place with Julie and support her and the bastard baby, his bastard baby, and maybe even give her a ring. Show his mom he was serious, even if he wasn't entirely. It would save him on some level.. but he couldn't introduce the idea to Julie like that, she'd never accept. She would want him to do it because he wanted to, not because he felt obligated to or because he needed to save his own selfish image. He had no idea how to propose it in a way that she would want, because clearly he wasn't okay with this pregnancy.

Remy took the morning to himself before texting Jules and asking if he could come over. It took a while for her response but she agreed. He wasn't surprised that her text was short and maybe a little chilly, but what mattered was she agreed. He got himself ready and headed over, this time with food and a slightly more level head. When he arrived he knocked on her door, waiting for her to answer. She seemed hesitant as she opened the door, and he didn't blame her, but he showed her the bag from La Esperanza as if it were a peace offering. He knew how much she liked Mexican, and Julie could pack away tacos better than Remy had ever seen a girl do before, and in a sick way it was sort of sexy. "I think we can talk more rationally today." His voice was more even, but it was clear he wasn't exactly thrilled. "I brought lots of tacos.."

[JULIE BRADY]

“I have to go.” Of course he did. Julie knew she should be understanding. She had just dropped the biggest bomb of Remy’s life—it was only fair that she give him space to reassemble himself. But she couldn’t help being bitter about it. This was the biggest bomb of her life too and again she was left to carry the burden alone. As the door slammed shut, the silence told her she needed to get used to that. In all likelihood, she was in this alone. Remy didn’t want to be a father—Julie had always looked forward to feeling the weight of her child in her arms. Sure, in her dreams it wasn’t a bastard child spawned from a rocky relationship, but she was quickly learning to compromise her dreams. As she cried and rocked herself, she was comforted by the vision of her baby. Black hair and big blue eyes…it would be a beauty. It would be smart—neither of its parents was lacking in brains. Judgment, yes, but not brains.

And it would be loved. Above everything else, it would be loved. It was loved already. She knew her mother wouldn’t be ecstatic when she first heard the news. Cora’s face was falling into one of shock and mild horror when Julie recited her announcement in her head. Luke would look even more shocked, but instead of horror it would be uncertainty written on his face. How long would it take for those looks to transform into the joyful faces of expecting grandparents? Probably longer than when she would tell her dad. She and her dad had a different relationship. He wouldn’t be worried about where the baby came from, just that he was going to be a grandpa. Chris would be thrilled. No, her toughest crowd was going to be Cora and Luke. But when they knew, there would be no yelling, no breaking things. Cora would surely take her in arms and rock her until she stopped crying. It was so hard not to grab her phone and call her mom right now. Cora would be there in a flash, she had no doubt…but Julie didn’t want to tell her that way. Not without knowing what Remy was going to do. So she did the next best thing.

Sophia stayed by Julie’s side through the rest of the night, speaking loving reassurance that it really was going to be okay…and Julie actually started to believe it. After an hour of tears and comfort, the excitement set in for Sophia and it was infectious. They were talking about names and a baby shower, even the latest baby fashions. As Sophia flipped through baby room ideas on Pinterest, Julie knew this wasn’t so bad. If Remy didn’t come through for her and their baby, at least they were far from alone. Julie had loving friends and family who would support her and her baby through thick and thin. She fell asleep certain of that, her swollen eyes less weary than when she had opened them that morning.

The pinging of her phone woke her the next morning. She was surprised to see Remy had texted her that he wanted to come over. That was fast. With resentment still chilling the pit of her stomach, she decided to shower before answering him. Should she punish him and keep him at arm’s length until she was good and ready to deal with his shit? No…she was far too anxious for his answer to do that. Plus, the sooner she knew his decision, the sooner she could ask her mom when they could meet for dinner. At least then she would know if she was towing Remy along or not. Plus, he did have the right to let it all sink in. She had to keep reminding herself of that. So when she was showered and dry, she deigned to respond with a chilly message that he could come over when he wanted. And then she promptly ran back to the bathroom to barf.

She busied herself as she waiting for Remy to appear. It was Saturday and she had plenty of time to clean up her apartment a bit. A look at her wall reminded her that she was going to insist Remy fix the dent he’d put in it the night before. He wouldn’t put up a fight but it gave her satisfaction to know he could at least fix one of his messes. And then she wondered what he had done the night before. Had he fallen off the wagon? Likely. Had he hidden between someone else’s legs? She couldn’t come to a conclusion, though she sincerely hoped he hadn’t. Even he wouldn’t be that trashy, would he? At long last the knock came to her door and she felt her heart jump into her throat. Be accepting, be accepting…it was the mantra she repeated over and over as she walked to the door. Slowly, she opened it and poked her head around, an uncertain and cool frown on her face. He responded by producing a bag of presents. “I think we can talk more rationally today. I brought lots of tacos…” Julie eyed him suspiciously for a moment longer and then she reached out and took the bag from him. Damn him for knowing her weakness for Mexican. “Come in.” She walked away and peeked in the bag, letting Remy close the door behind himself as the beautiful waft of tacos filled her nose and apartment.

As she took a seat and dug into the bag that she sat on the coffee table, she looked up at Remy with continued uncertainty. He had deep bags under his eyes and he looked more weathered. It was a rough night for him. She couldn’t help but feel some sympathy. “How late were you drinking last night?” she asked in a gentler voice, obviously not thrilled with the thought of him drinking again but she wasn’t nagging either. If she could drink, she would have done it too. He gave her a non-specific answer and she nodded slowly. “Sorry I ruined your sobriety.” And she meant that. When he took a seat next to her, she handed him a taco and picked up one for herself. “So…what are we going to do, Remy?” She didn’t want to beat around the bush. She had to know if he would stay by her or not.

[REMY GRAHAM]

Julie looked like she might slam the door shut on him, even though she had agreed to let him come over, but her eyes were lingering on the food. Finally she caved and opened the door more, letting him in with a terse little “Come in.” She took the bag from him as he came in and he went ahead and shut the door behind him, feeling suddenly sick again. He knew he had to handle this situation. That's really all it was at this point; a situation. He didn't like thinking about how is life would be changing in just a few short months. Changing forever, in a way he wasn't prepared for it to change. Ever. It wasn't like he completely hated the idea of settling down, but he would have preferred for it to be on his terms. At least, of all the girls he'd knocked up, of all the people to have been careless, it was Julie. Julie being the dumb one was probably this situations only saving grace.

Julie dug into the paper bag and pulled a taco out, Remy watching her for a moment before taking a seat. “How late were you drinking last night?” He wondered if it was obvious or if she was assuming. No way he could stay sober through new like that. He probably looked like shit, though. A shower could only wash away so much. "Let's not bring up last night." He asked in the same gentle tone she had, making it clear he didn't want to remember what little he actually could. It had been a long night. “Sorry I ruined your sobriety.” He sighed and finally sat down beside her. "I'm sorry you ruined my sobriety too." It was a poor joke, not even a particularly funny one, but he didn't really know what to say to that. It was true. He wished he was ignorant to what was going on with her, but that wouldn't be right or fair. He just wanted this to all go away, to have never happened..

Julie handed him a taco, and though he wasn't particularly hungry, he took it and watched as she took one for herself. “So…what are we going to do, Remy?” It was the question on both their minds. He knew she wanted an answer from him; if she was raising this baby alone or not. Not like he could blame her, he'd want to know if he were in her shoes, but it had been what, twelve hours since he found out? Did he have a choice? He knew he didn't. He knew there was really no choice in the end, and she had to know that too. "We're going to deal with this." His eyes stayed low, away from hers. He couldn't look her in the eye just yet. He knew he needed to try and twist this to it being what he wanted, but he just couldn't yet. "If my mother finds out this was a big accident she's going to make things more difficult, lecture both of us about being careless idiots. So.. let's act like we didn't mean for it to happen, but we're both really excited." He finally looked up, knowing he could only pretend with her so long. "Pretend this was in our near future anyway. It will help us both save face. Not just with Caroline, but with the company, your mom.." He snorted and looked down at his taco, sighing. "Jesus, she probably wants to cut my dick off, doesn't she." He was surprised that she hadn't told her yet. Remy peeled the wrapper from his food, looking down at it but not really interested in it.

"Look, this isn't ideal, and you probably don't want to move things faster because of the baby, but I have a reputation, and honestly so do you. I can pretend to like this.. and as much as I want to tell you that I'm really excited, I'm just not. I had every intention of lying to you about it, but let's face it, I'm not an expert at feigning enthusiasm." Remy gulped and looked up at her. "Let's just come out as a couple, be honest about that. Before this we were doing well anyway so it's not exactly a stretch. I can say we were planning on maybe getting engaged next year anyway, that this just speeds up our plans a little." He shrugged, playing with the food wrapper. "And so you know, I'm not against us having kids, Jules.. I just.. wasn't planning on doing that now. I wasn't planning on settling yet. Not that I'm settling for you, just.. well, you know what I mean. Babies weren't in my five year plan." He ran a hand along the back of his neck, watching her carefully, trying to read her. "You were, though.."

[JULIE BRADY]

“We’re going to deal with this.” Julie eyed Remy suspiciously, not entirely sure what he meant by that yet. Why wasn’t he looking her in the eye? She had already told him there was no way she was having an abortion. “If my mother finds out this was a big accident she’s going to make things more difficult, lecture both of us for being careless idiots.” She could already hear Caroline launching into that lecture now. “So…let’s act like we didn’t mean for it to happen, but we’re both really excited.” His big sea-colored eyes came to hers and her brow furrowed a little more sadly. She wouldn’t have to act so much on that score—she was excited for this baby. Scared, yes, but excited too. She shouldn’t have expected Remy to feel the same, yet she wished he would. “Pretend this was in our future anyway. It will help us both save face. Not just with Caroline, but with the company, your mom…” Julie’s eyes lowered to her half eaten taco, nodding slowly. It was better to accept it than to argue. Remy’s snort drew her eyes back to him. “Jesus, she probably wants to cut my dick off, doesn’t she?” Julie tried to push a small half smile onto her face, but it was a weak one. “I don’t know. I haven’t told her yet. I wanted to wait for your decision first.” He seemed surprised and she couldn’t blame him. Anything else and Julie would have run to her mom at the first instant. It was different this time. She briefly wondered if her baby would have the same relationship with her.

“Look, this isn’t ideal, and you probably don’t want to move things faster because of the baby, but I have a reputation, and honestly so do you. I can pretend to like this…and as much as I want to tell you that I’m really excited, I’m just not. I had every intention of lying to you about it, but let’s face it, I’m not an expert at feigning enthusiasm.” Julie nodded again, suddenly not in the mood for tacos. She felt a huge lump of disappointment in her throat and cramming anything other than that enormous slice of humble pie down her gullet would probably choke her. At least he was being honest with her. That was something she did appreciate, even if it was hard to swallow. “Let’s just come out as a couple, be honest about that. Before this we were doing well anyway so it’s not exactly a stretch. I can say we were planning on maybe getting engaged next year anyway, that this just speeds up our plans a little.” Now her eyes widened a little. Was he really willing to go so far in lying that he would make up engagement plans? Did he have engagement plans? The disappointment in her gut was now turning into butterflies. Was he going to propose to her? “And so you know, I’m not against us having kids, Jules…I just…wasn’t planning on doing that now. I wasn’t planning on settling yet. Not that I’m settling for you, just…well, you know what I mean. Babies weren’t in my five year plan.” He was surprising her more and more with every word and her surprised eyes were glued to his as he watched her carefully. “You were, though…” Now her cheeks began to flush. It was silly to be so flattered by being in his five year plan, but Julie couldn’t help it. Playboy Remy had factored her into his five year plan. He wasn’t opposed to kids with her and was willing to settle down for their child’s sake—with her. From the way he was speaking, it almost sounded like he’d toyed with the idea of settling down with her before this news. She had never expected to have something so permanent with Remy Graham, but now a life together with him was flashing through her mind…and it didn’t frighten her. Actually, it made her feel warmer towards him. It wouldn’t be a perfect life, that was for certain, but for the first time in a couple days she had hope that there was a bright light at the end of this tunnel.

Smiling, Julie reached out her hand and took Remy’s free one gently, hesitantly. This wasn’t a perfect moment yet it felt so very them. Her eyes looked into his and she gave a small smile. “If I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure if you were in my five year plan. I didn’t know if you would stick around that long. But I wanted you to be. I’m really touched to know I was in yours.” Her smile grew into a warm one. Why did she feel like she was going to cry again? Damn hormones. Looking down at their hands, her smile faded some. “I know you weren’t planning on this for a long time. I also know you aren’t thrilled about this at all. I didn’t expect anything else. But I also can’t pretend that I’m not excited at all to be a mother. I’ve wanted this since I was a young girl and I think I’m ready for the challenge. I think that maternal instinct comes a lot more naturally to women in general.” When she looked back up at Remy, she could feel tears burning at the back of her eyes again. She held it together, though. There had been enough tears in the last couple days. “And I can’t pretend that I’m not disappointed you aren’t more excited for this baby, but I don’t blame you at all for that. I’m just thrilled that you want to be a part of its life and that you’re willing to make such a big commitment for mine and the baby’s sake. It really means so much to me.” She smiled again, squeezing his hand gently. “But we don’t have to rush into anything if you don’t want to. I mean…yeah, we’re rushing because there’s a baby on the way and we have to prepare for it. But…I mean…” She blushed, not sure how to proceed with what she wanted to say. Was it forward to talk about an engagement? “If…If you’re planning on an engagement for real, I won’t pressure you any way on that. I don’t have any old-fashioned notions about having babies out of wedlock. I mean, I was born out of wedlock. At least you know my mom won’t be pressuring you to marry me based on that fact.” She gave a breathy laugh, trying to laugh off the awkwardness of even bringing up the possibility of getting engaged. How red was she? She felt like she was burning up! Shaking her head a little, she looked back at Remy with feigned renewed confidence to try and counter her red cheeks. “I think we should just focus on telling our parents. First, I don’t think we should tell them at one big dinner. That would be confusing for your parents and I think my mom would claw your mom’s face off when she heard what Caroline has to say to me.” Cora was incredibly protective of her baby girl, even when Julie was wrong. “I think with your parents meeting in your mom’s office after hours would be best. For mine, I’ll propose dinner at my parents’ house this coming Friday. I think it’s best if we’re both present for both conversations. Then all of the questions and berating that happens can be shared. What do you think?” She bit her lip and gave Remy an uncertain look, hoping he would agree to it. It would suck if she had to go it alone with her parents.

[REMY GRAHAM]

She was smiling, something that surprised him some. He was sure an argument would come of his plans, or at least some kind of disagreement. No way she was completely on board. Julie had something to say about all his plans and they would hash it out as civilly as possible until an actual plan they both sort of agreed on formed. But not now. She was smiling and reaching for his hand, and it made him a little uneasy. “If I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure if you were in my five year plan. I didn’t know if you would stick around that long. But I wanted you to be. I’m really touched to know I was in yours.” Ahh, she was focusing on the last bit. He was suddenly glad he threw her that little bone, and not surprised when she didn't think he'd be in her future. She had no reason to believe she would be considering his past serial hook-ups.

“I know you weren’t planning on this for a long time. I also know you aren’t thrilled about this at all. I didn’t expect anything else. But I also can’t pretend that I’m not excited at all to be a mother. I’ve wanted this since I was a young girl and I think I’m ready for the challenge." That was a nice word for it. Challenge. Remy looked at it as a challenge too, though he was quite certain not in the same way that Julie did. "I think that maternal instinct comes a lot more naturally to women in general.” He had to work not to scoff at her. He supposed if he were the one growing the little life-ruiner in his guy he'd likely feel more attached to it, too. But he wasn't, thank god. He'd hate to be the one carrying that thing around for nearly a year, prohibiting him from drinking his pain at becoming a parent away. “And I can’t pretend that I’m not disappointed you aren’t more excited for this baby, but I don’t blame you at all for that. I’m just thrilled that you want to be a part of its life and that you’re willing to make such a big commitment for mine and the baby’s sake. It really means so much to me.” In Remy's mind he was feeling defiant. That wasn't exactly the case, but she was sort of spot on he supposed. He wasn't exactly willing to be doing anything, he was doing it because in his mind he really couldn't find any other way around it. Caroline would freak more at him denying the child than having it in the first place. Really, this was the only logical choice, but if Julie wanted to believe that he was doing this all for her and the baby, then he wouldn't argue. What was the point of painting a worse picture of himself than necessary?

“But we don’t have to rush into anything if you don’t want to. I mean…yeah, we’re rushing because there’s a baby on the way and we have to prepare for it. But…I mean…” Remy realized immediately she was actually excited at the prospect of tying him down. Part of him felt bitter inside, but more towards her stomach than her. Did she really like him that much? He was sort of a dick to her. He was sort of a dick to everyone.. He would likely cheat on her and she knew it. Hell, she'd given him permission knowing full well he would! What woman wanted that? He supposed if he was going to settle with anyone, someone so easy going would be better considering he didn't need to be a statistic paying out child support, which was still likely to happen in this case whether she agreed now to that or not. He'd definitely need those free passes now with her bordering on hormonal and fat.

“If…If you’re planning on an engagement for real, I won’t pressure you any way on that. I don’t have any old-fashioned notions about having babies out of wedlock. I mean, I was born out of wedlock. At least you know my mom won’t be pressuring you to marry me based on that fact.” Good he thought to himself, not wanting to rush into an engagement. Maybe he would see if Caroline wanted to help pick out a ring. That would be nice for her.. then when he offered Jules something large, tacky and expensive he could blame his mother. It would be a funny joke. He forced a small smile for her sake, not sure how to breach that conversation topic of rings. Not wanting to. “I think we should just focus on telling our parents." Finally something he could get on board with, so he gave a little nod. "First, I don’t think we should tell them at one big dinner. That would be confusing for your parents and I think my mom would claw your mom’s face off when she heard what Caroline has to say to me.” For the first time since they started speaking about this, he gave a genuine smile and soft chuckle. Remy nodded slowly in agreement, finding the imagery in his mind to be quite amusing. “I think with your parents meeting in your mom’s office after hours would be best. For mine, I’ll propose dinner at my parents’ house this coming Friday." His nose wrinkled before he could stop it, playing with the taco in front of him instead of giving any actual answer, though he knew he probably should. "I think it’s best if we’re both present for both conversations. Then all of the questions and berating that happens can be shared. What do you think?” The look in his eyes spoke volumes as he looked at her pathetically, obviously not wanting to do any of the above but he plastered a look resembling a smile onto his handsome face and gave a short nod. "Yeah, we can do that." He offered, pulling his eyes away, unable to look into those crystal blue orbs of her as he answered. The last thing he wanted was to tell either set of parents, but it was sort of his idea and he had to get over it. "Friday sounds good. I'll have my dad come up to the office Monday evening. I'll need to weekend to recuperate." It was true, but somehow breaking the news on a Monday evening sounded like a bad idea, like pushing the work week to be terrible. "Actually, next Friday. We'll do that next Friday." He nodded, figuring his parents could use the following weekend to get over the information, and he could take some time away from his mothers evil glare as she got used to the idea of being Julie's mother-in-law. Actually, he supposed she would be happy about that.. he had the sinking feeling the woman liked her more than Remy anyway, and rightfully so. She was far more eager to listen to the woman and had worked under her for years, never talking back and doing a fine job. She would probably say something along the lines of Well if you were to get anyone pregnant, at least it was someone with a brain. That sounded like Caroline..

"Let's.. wait on the engagement a bit. I still need to swallow all of this. It's a bit.. much. And fast. Let me get comfortable with it all." She would understand. She always did.

[JULIE BRADY]

When Remy plastered the smile onto his face, Julie knew he was forcing nice for her sake. “Yeah, we can do that.” At least he had agreed! A wave of relief washed over her as she knew she wouldn’t have to tell her parents alone. “Friday sounds good. I’ll have my dad come up to the office Monday evening. I’ll need the weekend to recuperate.” Julie gave him a look of uncertainty. Monday? And screw up the rest of the week? “Actually, next Friday. We’ll do that next Friday.” Now she nodded, knowing that was a better plan. Then his parents would have a whole weekend to process the information too. “And then we can use dinner at my parents’ as an excuse to escape if we need to. At least we’ll get it all out of the way in one day.” She was frightened of Caroline’s reaction the most. Her stepdad was a close second. Luke was going to be so disappointed in her. And he was going to tear into Remy. Julie would stop him from going too far, but maybe she would warn Remy before dinner that Luke could lose his temper…

“Let’s…wait on the engagement a bit. I still need to swallow all of this. It’s a bit…much. And fast. Let me get comfortable with it all.” Julie heaved a sigh of relief and sank back into the couch. “Yes, please. Let’s wait on that for a while. I’m having a hard enough time adjusting to the thought of bringing a little person into the world. I don’t need to plan a wedding on top of that.” She cracked a small smile at Remy, her head pushed back into the couch cushions. Looking at his handsome face all weathered with worry now, she felt sorry for dragging him into this whirlwind. It had never been her intention to ruin someone’s plans for the future, especially not Remy’s. She still couldn’t catch her breath at the constant storm their relationship had been up to this point. Maybe it would always be a storm. But she sincerely hoped they could weather it together. It would certainly be a labor of love. Love…she hadn’t even dared to think of that word when it came to Remy. But she knew now that she could love him. Maybe she could finally let herself feel what she’d been longing to feel with him. Sitting up again, she leaned into Remy and planted a kiss on his rough cheek. “Thank you.” It was a whispered sentiment, but something she needed to say. She hovered close until he turned to look at her. He really had the most astonishing blue eyes. Leaning in, her own eyes closed as she kissed his mouth gently. It was the first time she had kissed him in days and she let herself get carried away with it.

The weekend flew by too quickly. Remy stayed with her for most of Saturday, but she let him have Sunday to himself. They were both adjusting. She invested in a couple books on pregnancy and dove into them with gusto. Monday, she started taking prenatal vitamins and by Wednesday she was visiting her OB/GYN to get confirmation on everything. Sure enough, there was a little peanut growing in her belly. Her first sight of her baby brought her emotionally to her knees in the doctor’s office. It was so hard to reign in her emotions these days. She took a picture of the peanut home with her and showed Remy when he came by that night. His only really reaction was to turn as white as a sheet. Maybe she wouldn’t show him anymore pictures until it looked like a baby. When Friday rolled around, Julie spent the day toughing up her nerves. She had to avoid tears as much as she could. There was no way she would get through today without crying, but she would try to minimize it. Dinner with her parents was at 8 and by 6 she and Remy were headed up to Caroline’s office. She looked up at him in the elevator, her big eyes anxious. “Do you want to do most of the talking here and I’ll do most of the talking with my parents?” It seemed like a good plan. As good a plan as any, anyway.

[REMY GRAHAM]

She seemed relieved with what he had to say, and that relieved him as well. At least a little. “Yes, please. Let’s wait on that for a while. I’m having a hard enough time adjusting to the thought of bringing a little person into the world. I don’t need to plan a wedding on top of that.” Ugh, wedding planning. He'd planned enough events at the Remington to know that weddings were a bitch to plan, but he'd planned plenty of events with Julie and knew she would be more than capable of taking the reigns on that project, when they got to it. Julie suddenly leaned into him, and though he wasn't exactly feeling warm towards her, he didn't pull away. She was carrying his spawn and she was also potentially his future wife. Her delicate lips graced his stubbly, swarthy cheek, his head moving to gaze at her as she whispered a gentle “Thank you.” His shoulders relaxed a little, as did his eyes, suddenly seeing that she was as freaked as he was, but also appreciative that he didn't bolt and make this ordeal she dragged him into that much harder to weather. He said nothing in return, just simply sighed as he gazed into her eyes. This sucked.. It could be worse, he knew it could be, but this just wasn't what he expected, or wanted. Julie gazed up at him lovingly and leaned in, her eyes slipping closed as her lips met his. Though Remy still wasn't much in the mood to show affection, he caved on her account. He wasn't one to turn away a beautiful set of lips, even if they belonged to the mother of his child.

The weekend came and went far too quickly, leaving Remy grasping for time. He spent the day with Julie on Saturday, glad she didn't talk about the baby all day, but spent Sunday stewing in his own home, away from Julie, away from the world. He was slowly, very very slowly, coming to terms with this baby situation. Things could be worse, and it wasn't as if he was getting any younger. He didn't want a baby now, but he didn't want to be hauling his kids trunk up ten flights of stairs during Freshman orientation at college because the elevator was out, at sixty-eight either. This way he'd be pushing fifty, which wasn't too bad. He'd have the energy to do all the things with his son that he'd like to, like taking him to baseball games. Remy had decided the baby was a boy. It made things a little easier to digest thinking his boy was baking in there.

The work week began and it was hard for Remy to stay cool in the office. He avoided Julie for the most part, and avoided his mother like she was the damn plague. He'd made arrangements with her via email and called his dad separately to come to the office to meet him for dinner, a lie of course, but it would get his father there unsuspectingly. On Wednesday he went back to Julie's place, knowing she'd seen her doctor and figured he'd better play nice and get the update on what was happening. Mostly he wanted confirmation there was only one in there. There was, and Julie had a picture which freaked him out far more than he expected it to. Actually seeing the little growth inside her, shaped sort of like a kidney bean with a strange line connecting it to the large white circle surrounding it, bothered him. It didn't even look like an alien yet, just a stupid white mass. How was that a baby? His baby.. he was having a baby.. He had a hard time feigning enthusiasm when he was so completely disturbed by it all.

Friday came much sooner than Remy would have liked, and he wanted to try and push this off a little longer. Surely they didn't need to know yet, did they? It didn't even look like anything yet, just a sack of nerves with tiny twitchy appendages. Thing didn't even have eyes yet. But Julie was adamant they needed to do this and he knew she was right. How long could they hid it? “Do you want to do most of the talking here and I’ll do most of the talking with my parents?” His nose wrinkled as he looked down at her. "No." He said bluntly before looking back at the steel doors, trapping him within. "I don't want to do any of the talking, anywhere, but I will." He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled it, looking back at Julie and knowing he should be more reassuring. Knowing and actually doing something about it were two different things, though. After a second he forced himself to lean in and peck her temple. "I'll handle Caroline." He offered more clearly now as the door opened. He allowed Julie to exit before him before following beside her. When he got to his mom's office he took a deep breath. He'd told his dad to wait in there for him since he had to come by to talk to mom anyway, so with any luck he was on time.

Remy rapped on the door and took a deep breath as his mother called him in. In normal fashion his father was sitting in there, glasses on low over her nose, staring at an open paper with his legs crossed. He didn't even bother looking up. "What do you think of this Ebola business? Another nurse in Texas contracted it." The man said before tsking softly, not talking to anyone specifically. Caroline rolled her eyes, looking impatient. "Oh stop it, I don't want to hear anymore about this Ebola nonsense. It's not here in Scriptor Bay, which is all I care about." "But it can come any time." The man finally put his paper down and looked to his wife over his glasses. "Is this a bad time? I can come back." Remy asked sarcastically, glancing between his parents who both looked over at him finally. "Don't be silly, this is a fine time."

Remy took a deep breath and came in completely, Julie following behind him. Mr. Graham looked up, eyeing the pretty young thing walking in behind his son. Caroline watched Julie come in, eyeing her almost suspiciously, waiting to see if she was simply dropping something off or if she was coming in with Remy. When it became clear they were there together, not separately, she looked between them a moment before dramatically rolling her eyes and sighing. "Oh, don't tell me you two are sleeping together." She all but spat in typical Caroline fashion. Remy felt his body tense in annoyance, wishing he could have had the opportunity to actually tell her before she wildly made assumptions. Granted, true ones.. She didn't get to be where she was by being a stupid woman. It was Julie's touch that forced Remy not to storm out, and he bit his tongue as he swallowed the condescending words he had for his mother. His father looked between the couple and his wife before absently asking, "Am I missing something?" Caroline narrowed her eyes, never letting them stray from her son who still hadn't confirmed or denied, though by doing that basically told her what she needed to know. "Yes, this is Julie Brady, my most loyal, trusted, and what I thought most intelligent employee." "What, so sleeping with me makes her an idiot now?" Remy growled, not meaning to be so blunt, but feeling suddenly overprotective, and honestly a little insulted. "Dating." He corrected, shaking his head, hating that he was talking about his sexual conquests with his mother. "You promised you wouldn't sleep with my employees when I hired you, do you remember that Remington? Hm? I told you there could be legal consequences for that sort of behavior given your position!" She chastised, pointing an accusing finger at him, "This is different, we're not just fooling around! We're actually dating." Remy argued, growing red in the face as Caroline huffed and rolled her eyes before letting them land on Julie. "And you." She started, clearly annoyed. "You knew better. You also knew you could do better. I know about the train of women he parades through these halls, and I know you do, too. Honestly.. the two of you. I expected this from him, but you?" Her voice was a mixture of disgust and disappointment that infuriated Remy to no end. He didn't even get to try and spin this in a positive way! This was every bit as awful as he'd expected it to be.

Maybe worse.

[JULIE BRADY]

Remy wrinkled his nose down at Julie. “No.” She lowered her chin and looked up at him beneath her eyebrows to coax a serious answer out of him. “I don’t want to do any of the talking, anywhere, but I will.” Sighing, Julie’s lips pouted out. Why was he being so difficult? Couldn’t he just say okay and be done with it? While she silently began to steam, the fire in her belly was quelled when his lips touched her temple. “I’ll handle Caroline.” That was more like it. Julie gave a small smile, slightly reassured even though she doubted Caroline could be “handled” per se. Still, it was nice to know she wouldn’t have to break this news. Julie stepped off the elevator first, but kept pace so that she could walk beside Remy, not ahead of him. They arrived at Caroline’s office and Julie’s stomach jumped into her throat. Well, this was it!

When Caroline called out at Remy’s quiet rapping, Remy opened the door and remained outside it. There was Mr. Graham sitting in his chair, glasses low on his nose as he read the paper with a contemplative and good-natured frown. Julie had always liked the way Mr. Graham kept a dignified and yet friendly and almost fatherly air about him. She felt a little more at ease knowing he would be there too, possibly to serve as a mediator between mother and son. “What do you think of this Ebola business? Another nurse in Texas contracted it.”[/b] Caroline rolled her eyes and Julie gave a genuinely amused smile in spite of her roiling stomach. She hoped her morning sickness wouldn’t rear its ugly head during this meeting. Why did they call it morning sickness, anyway? It lasted all fucking day. “Oh stop it, I don’t want to hear any more about this Ebola nonsense. It’s not here in Scriptor Bay, which is all I care about.” “But it can come any time.” “Is this a bad time? I can come back.”[/b] Julie was biting back laughter at this family exchange. It was more of a nervous reaction. If she didn’t laugh, she was certain to cry at any second. “Don’t be silly, this is a fine time.” So much for stalling.

Remy stepped in and Julie followed, smiling nervously at Mr. Graham and Caroline. The suspicious way Caroline was eyeing her told Julie that Remy hadn’t told his parents she would be there too. A long silence passed between all of them as she stood by Remy’s side and looked between the eyes on them. Finally she looked up at Remy, her big eyes uncertain and nervous. At Caroline’s sigh, she snapped her gaze back to the woman at the desk in time to catch the dramatic eye roll. “Oh, don’t tell me you two are sleeping together.” The way she spat the words made Julie flinch as she looked down at the carpet in shame. Disappointment was rolling off of Caroline and filling the whole room with its shadow. When she looked up at Remy, she could tell he was already fuming, his jaw set tight. She reached out and touched his wrist, praying he wouldn’t storm out and leave her there to explain all of this. To her relief, he didn’t.

“Am I missing something?”[/b] Julie gave Mr. Graham a nearly pleading look, wishing they didn’t have to spell this out for him beyond what they already had to say. Caroline’s eyes narrowed, but they remained firmly on Remy. “Yes, this is Julie Brady, my most loyal, trusted, and what I thought most intelligent employee.” The sting of those words pierced her gut and her brow furrowed more as she glanced at the desk to avoid eye contact. “What, so sleeping with me makes her an idiot now?” The defensiveness in Remy’s voice was understandable but she knew he was also standing up for her. It was a good feeling to have him be protective of her. “Dating.” Julie’s eyes would have stayed on his face, but she was torn back to Caroline. “You promised you wouldn’t sleep with my employees when I hired you, do you remember that Remington? Hm? I told you there could be legal consequences for that sort of behavior given your position!" She wasn’t wrong, but it hurt that she thought Julie would actually seek legal repercussions after all the years she had worked for them. “This is different, we’re not just fooling around! We’re actually dating.”Julie felt more confidence in Remy’s defiance. When she looked back to Caroline, more surety in her eyes, she found the older woman’s eyes on hers. Her heart jumped.

“And you.” Julie braced herself, standing a little straighter out of habit, never having been on the receiving end of Caroline’s fury before. “You knew better. You also knew you could do better. I know about the train of women he parades through these halls, and I know you do, too. Honestly…the two of you. I expected this from him, but you?” Maybe it was being talked down to that set her off. Maybe it was the sting of Caroline’s reminder of Remy’s sexual past. Mostly, though, it was probably the way Caroline talked about her son that set her off. Julie’s brow lowered and her mouth formed a defiant line. “I thought I knew better too when Remy first started here. I didn’t want him for my boss, not with his history. But you know what? Working beside him showed me a part of him I hadn’t seen before. He’s a hard worker and he’s smart and genuine and much more capable than anyone gives him credit for. Your son is an impressive man, Caroline, even if you can’t see it. His potential is endless.” The more she spoke, the stronger her voice got and the more protective she felt over the man at her side. Her hand laced with his, her cheeks flushed but not with embarrassment. It was the adrenaline pumping through her. “You may think I can do better, but I don’t agree with you. Remy may be flawed, but he’s a good man and he knows how to care for me.” She looked up at him and truly believed all she had said. Even if his own mother couldn’t see all the good in him, she could. And the more she believed it, the more he might believe it too.

[REMY GRAHAM]

Remy was tense, his jaw set as he glared at the rug. Every ounce of him wanted to storm out of there like a little boy, but he knew he'd just have to come back to tell his mother that they were expecting a child together. Maybe he didn't have to tell her.. maybe he could simply let her watch Julie's belly grow and make her own assumptions. Assuming, of course, that they both would be employed there over the next few months. Judging by his mothers disgust of the situation and considering his behavior in months past, he suddenly wasn't entirely sure he would be keeping his role there at the hotel he was named for.

“I thought I knew better too when Remy first started here. I didn’t want him for my boss, not with his history. But you know what? Working beside him showed me a part of him I hadn’t seen before. He’s a hard worker and he’s smart and genuine and much more capable than anyone gives him credit for." Remy, though still frowning, turned his head slightly to watch the girl beside him stand up for him. She certainly didn't need to do that, and part of him didn't want her to. His mother would only use her words as ammunition, and he was plenty capable of fighting with the woman himself. She didn't need to fight his battles for him now that they were officially dating. "Your son is an impressive man, Caroline, even if you can’t see it. His potential is endless.” He wondered if she believed the bullshit she was spouting, or wanted it to be true. Either way his eyes wandered back to his mother who looked almost amused by Julie's outburst. This fight was far from over.

“You may think I can do better, but I don’t agree with you. Remy may be flawed, but he’s a good man and he knows how to care for me.” Julie's fingers slipped through his, and though her words were kind, he felt the overwhelming urge to pull away. He wasn't this person.. he wasn't the type of guy to hold hands with a girl in front of his mother, not romantically. He wasn't the kind of guy to deserve that sort of praise, and he almost felt bad for Julie. Could she really believe the nonsense she said? He knew she deserved better. He knew he would inevitably stray from her. He had her permission to, after all, and he wasn't the type to be content with just one lover even if he had, so far for the last few months, been loyal to only her. It was inevitable. Besides, he wasn't necessarily good at caring for her either. Hadn't he practically put a hole in her wall? Broken her table? Ran off and got slobbering drunk when she told him the news? His features softened as he looked to the ground, feeling sorry for pulling Julie into his world. She didn't deserve what he'd end up doing to her.. she deserved someone who wanted her to be carrying his child, who was avidly scoping out jewelry stores for the perfect ring to slip onto her dainty finger, not him who dreaded the idea of a wedding and a child and everything in between.

"I never questioned my son's intelligence." Caroline said indignantly. "If I thought him incapable of being in his current position I wouldn't have placed him there, so don't you dare lecture me on my son's worth. I've known for years he was capable of one day running this hotel, part of the reason I placed him with you. You, dear girl, would be able to show him the ropes without him feeling inclined to defy you because you're not his mother. I also figured you were sensible enough not to fall prey to his.. charm." He knew she didn't think his charm was so charming by the way she spat it out, though part of him was maybe a little surprised his mother had so much faith in his ability to run the hotel. "Oh, everyone eventually falls prey to my charm." Remy offered, giving his mother a mock smile that she was not amused by. "Everyone but me." Mr. Graham sat there looking between his wife and son before sighing and going back to his paper. This conversation didn't concern him, as he didn't care much to know of his son's sexual conquests and he wasn't entirely sure why it mattered that he chose the girl beside him. "You say that now.." "Is that all?" Caroline snapped impatiently, clearly not amused with the direction Remy was pushing the conversation. "As a matter of fact, it's not." Remy was suddenly feeling more bold, and decided he didn't care what his mother thought. She'd think the worst of them either way. But as the words started forming in his throat, he felt that desire to run again, suddenly feeling as though the room warmed by at least ten degrees. "Well?!" Remy almost jumped at his mother's impatience, his hand clamping tighter around Julie's. "We're planning on getting married." He hadn't expected to throw that part, and a part of him died a little at admitting it out loud, but he knew it might soften the blow of the next part, even though the look on Caroline's face was so startled already. "And.. we're expecting a child."

Caroline's face paled as she stared wide eyed at her son and then Julie, almost as if to ask if it were true, though her eyes quickly moved to the thin, flat belly of Remy's girlfriend clearly trying to determine if what he said was true. Richard Graham lowered his paper and stared at the two dumbfounded as well. Remy never thought he'd see the day he startled both his parents into silence. "What, no congratulations?" He knew he could be kinder with the bomb he'd just dropped, but Caroline simply stood there, sorting it all out in her mind. Finally her eyes lifted to Remy's and narrowed slightly. "When?" "When what? When are we getting married? When are we having a baby?" "Yes." Remy actually didn't have a good answer, turning to Julie himself, Caroline and Richard's eyes following.

[JULIE BRADY]

Looking up at Remy told Julie all she needed to know—he didn’t believe anything she said. His eyes fell to the floor and his hand was limp in hers. What small smile she had on her face faded and disappointment set in. Could he really believe he didn’t deserve her? They had their fair share of fights and she had no doubt there would be plenty more in the future. She’d actually given him permission to cheat on her if he felt the need and she had no idea if he’d acted on it since they’d been together. She didn’t want to know. And yes, he’d fallen apart after surviving the robbery, leaving her to pick up all of the pieces herself. But he cared about her. She had seen the terror in his eyes when the robbers had dragged her away to do God knew what with her. Even now when all of his instincts were begging him to run far away and never come back, he was standing by her. He was willing to change for her—that alone made him worthy of her in her own mind. Would he always be resistant to that idea? How could he be happy with her if he didn’t believe he could make her happy? It was quickly becoming evident she needed to have a very serious talk with Remy about this. But already she felt her argument crumbling in front of Caroline.

“I never questioned my son’s intelligence. If I thought him incapable of being in his current position I wouldn’t have placed him there, so don’t you dare lecture me on my son’s worth. I’ve known for years he was capable of one day running this hotel, part of the reason I placed him with you. You, dear girl, would be able to show him the ropes without him feeling inclined to defy you because you’re not his mother. I also figured you were sensible enough not to fall prey to his…charm.” Well she wasn’t blind. Obviously there was a reason Remy managed to weasel his way into ladies’ hearts and panties so easily. They had both been plenty defiant against each other—she had tried to defy his charm and he had tried to defy her instruction. They both failed, but it had been for the better…she thought. “Oh, everyone eventually falls prey to my charm.” Julie rolled her eyes, not in the mood for Remy’s joking. His mocking words just reminded her that she too had given in—what a disappointment she’d been. “Everyone but me.” “You say that now…” “Is that all?” Nope. The hardest part was yet to come. “As a matter of fact, it’s not.” Julie’s eyes turned up to Remy’s, waiting for the inevitable reveal, the real reason they were here. But it stuck in his mouth and all waited with baited breath for him to just say it. Was she going to have to do this? “Well?!” His mother’s barking voice caused Remy’s hand to tighten around Julie’s, much to her surprise. She couldn’t tell if he was getting strength from her touch or if it was just a reaction to his mother’s sudden voice. A sinking suspicion told her it was the latter. “We’re planning on getting married.” Julie’s eyes widened, not expecting him to start that way. Couldn’t they have waited on that until there was a ring on her finger? “And…we’re expecting a child.” Ah, there it was. Julie couldn’t understand why Remy had led with information that wasn’t set in stone and followed up with the definite. He really was determined to marry her…Julie took that as another sign that he really was willing to change everything for her.

When Julie’s eyes came back to Caroline’s face, the older woman was shocked and pale. Her eyes darted from Remy to Julie and the young woman found herself squirming slightly under to pressure of those eyes. It was made worse by the weight of Richard’s eyes adding to his wife’s. A blush was creeping into her cheeks and she had to avert her gaze. There were lasers going through her belly as if to confirm the existence of the next in line for the Graham dynasty. “What, no congratulations?” Julie was tempted to step on his foot. This wasn’t the time for joking! “When?” “When what? When are we getting married? When are we having a baby?” “Yes.” Suddenly everyone’s eyes were back on her. Did he really not remember when their baby was coming? She’d told him the due date! “April first is the due date for the baby, but the doctor says it’s likely that’ll be pushed back. First time babies rarely come on time. But of course, you both know that.” Shaking her head a little, she glanced up at Remy before pushing forward. “As to the wedding, we don’t really have any dates in mind for that. We figured we’d take one thing at a time and focus on the baby coming for now.” “But the baby will be born out of wedlock.” Somehow Julie knew she should have expected Caroline to harbor old-fashioned notions of how babies should come into the world. Julie nodded, but remained firm. “And so was I. I think I turned out okay.” “You also turned out to get pregnant before you were married too. That doesn’t instill much confidence in me for my grandchild’s future.” The terse way Caroline said that brought Julie’s eyebrows low on her brow. “We all make mistakes. That does not mean our child will make the same ones.” “You certainly repeated your mother’s mistake.” This was getting out of hand. Now it was her turn to squeeze Remy’s hand, this time out of anger and the attempt to keep her rage pushed down. “My mother was sixteen when she gave birth to me and she still achieved every dream she had. She also made sure I had a solid foundation to do the same. This isn’t exactly how I pictured my life going, but it’s close enough for me. Remy and I will provide the same strong foundation for our child, regardless of whether we’re married or not when the baby is born. I’m not going to rush into marriage when I’m already rushing into parenthood. Remy and I will be married on our own terms and in our own time.” There was finality in Julie’s voice, but she knew Caroline would continue to push. It was how she got to the top. This time, however, it wasn’t going to work. Julie could be as stubborn as her if she had her mind set, and this was one thing her mind was set on. No way was she going to let someone else dictate her future for her.