CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

"Nyx, you've been pacing around the room for the last five minutes now." Stefan says as he watches her. "You're starting to scare me."

They got back to Mystic Falls yesterday, and now she's trying to find a way to tell him that she's pregnant. They're currently in his bedroom at the Boarding House, and he has no idea what's going on.

"Yeah, well, I'm panicking." She says, and he walks over and makes her stop.

"Maybe if you tell me why, I can help." He says, and she sighs as she looks up at him.

"You had Jo run all those tests at the hospital." She says, and he nods. "Well, she got the results, and me and Elena are fine — from a medical stand point anyway. My concussion's gone, and we're both perfectly healthy."

"That's good." He says, and she nods.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. But...there was something that caused me to get nauseous and dizzy. You were right." She takes a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, Stefan. I'm a little over a month along now."

"You're..."

"Yeah."

"So, I'm... I'm gonna be a father?" He asks, and she nods.

"Yeah."

He nods. "I know there's a lot of reasons that this isn't the best timing, and you're clearly thinking that." He says, and she nods.

"Very much so, yes."

"But, uh... Can I just be happy about this for a while?" He asks, and she smiles.

"Of course." She nods, her expression a lot less panicked now.

Stefan leans down and kisses her, resting his hands on either side of her face. "Timing be damned. This is good news." He says, and she smiles as she looks up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Hell yeah."

Stefan leans down and wraps his arms around her torso. She laughs as he picks her up and walks over to his bed. He then lays her down on the mattress and crawls over her. Her smile widens as he leans down and presses his lips to hers. Her fingers tangle in his hair as she kisses him.

—

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Jess asks as she walks over to Nyx in the kitchen.

"Yeah." The brunette nods. "Want some ice cream?" She holds the small carton out toward her.

"Uh, no." She shakes her head.

"Are you alright?"

"Not really. I'm kinda afraid that you're gonna hate me." She says, and Nyx's eyebrows furrow.

"Well, I don't see how that could ever happen." She tells her.

"Do you remember how when we got back from the prison world, you spent the day in the boys' dorm with the twins?" Jess asks, and she nods. "Well, I ran into Tyler after his classes, and we went out. We were talking, and... I don't know how it happened."

"Jess? What's the matter?"

"I slept with him." She says, and Nyx's eyes widen. "Yeah."

"Oh, wow." She says. "The day after we got out of the prison world? Damn, girl."

"I know. I'm the worst friend ever."

"What?" She shakes her head. "Jess, Tyler and I broke up when we were sixteen. And, yes, I loved him once, but that was so long ago. You didn't do anything wrong."

"You're not mad?" She asks, surprised.

"No, of course not." Nyx tells her. "That was almost four months ago. Please tell me that you haven't been afraid that I'd hate you all this time."

"I mean, kinda." Jess nods. "Why do you think Vicki and I spent so much time going out? I felt awful."

"Oh, Jess." She walks over and hugs her. "I don't hate you. I could never."

"I was content to silently hate myself forever, but I kinda couldn't keep it from you anymore."

"Why's that?" Nyx asks, confused.

"I... Well, I, um..." She takes a deep breath as she looks at her. "I'm pregnant." Jess says, and her eyes widen again as she smiles.

"Oh my God." She starts laughing. "Can you keep a secret?"

"I mean, I've been keeping the whole me and Tyler thing secret all this time, so..."

"I'm pregnant too." Nyx whispers, and her jaw drops. "Yeah, me and Stefan."

"Oh my God. Does he know?" Jess asks, and she nods.

"I told him this morning." She says. "Wait, does Tyler know?"

"Yeah, I told him a few weeks ago. He's been completely freaking out about it. And, I mean, so have I." She says, and Nyx nods.

"Yeah. Yeah, me too."

"Stefan?"

"Happy. Like, really happy." She smiles. "He always wanted a family and kids, but he couldn't have it because he was a vampire."

"But now he's human, and this is so cute." Jess says, and they both laugh.

Dean walks in then, and they both stop laughing, trying to hide their smiles with their hands, and he stops in the doorway as he looks at them. "You two are weird when you're together." He says, and they start laughing again. "I'm getting coffee." He moves past them.

"Does he know?" Jess mouths, and Nyx shakes her head. "Yikes."

"Shut up." She whispers as she smacks her arm, causing Jess to laugh again.

"What are you two doing?" Dean looks at them, and they stop as they turn to him.

"Nothing." Nyx says, and Jess smirks.

"How are you feeling?" The blonde asks, and he shrugs.

"Better, I guess." He says, and she nods.

"Well, I have to go. I have a doctor's appointment." She tells them. "I'll see you guys later."

"Hey." Nyx gets her attention. "So, I mean, are you guys, like... Are you together, or..."

"You're annoying."

"I'm asking a serious question. I need to know so I can give him the talk."

"The talk?" She questions.

"Yeah. You know, how I'll kill him if he ever hurts you. How he better treat you right, be present." She smiles. "I mean, the other talk is a little late for you two, no?"

"You—" She picks up a plastic cup and throws it at her.

"Hey! No violence!" She scolds, and they both laugh. "No, but, seriously. Are you?"

"No. I mean... That was...that. It was almost four months ago, and I've been a paranoid wreck ever since. Now, we're just..." She shrugs. "I don't know. I mean, I hardly know him."

"But you like him." She smiles.

"He's cute. And he's really sweet." She smiles. "He calls and texts ever since I told him. And he's really trying to be here for me."

"You guys are adorable." Nyx teases, and she starts laughing when she sees the pink tint to Jess' cheeks. "But if my blessing is what you were looking for... Well, first it was misguided because you're both adults, and again we were sixteen... But I say go for it. Especially with...you know."

"You can tell him." Jess motions to Dean. "I mean, he's gotta be confused by this point."

"Honestly, I stopped listening." He says, and she nods.

"Right." She says, and Nyx just chuckles. "But thanks, Nyx, for being so cool about this."

"What did you think was gonna happen? I was gonna be mad at you guys and never speak to you again?" Nyx shakes her head. "I love you both, and you deserve to be happy. If you can find that together, who am I to get in the way? An ex from high school. Please."

"I love you." Jess runs over and hugs her, making her laugh. "You're the best."

"Oh, I know." She smiles, and Jess leaves soon after.

"Nice breakfast." Dean says as Nyx goes back to her ice cream.

"It's noon." She argues as she looks at him.

"So, Jess and Tyler, I take it?" He asks, and she nods.

"Yeah. She was just telling me that they slept together when she and I got back from the prison world. I guess it's been bugging her, but she finally had to fess up 'cause she's pregnant." She tells him, and his eyes widen. "Yeah. There's a little Lockwood on the way."

"Oh, hell." He mutters, and she chuckles. "So, while we're on the topic of your exes."

"Dean—"

"Look, I know I screwed up. And I want to make it up to you, however I can." He says as he walks over to her. "I can do better. I can be better. Just give me the chance." He brushes her hair back and then rests his hand on the side of her face as he looks down at her.

"I'm with Stefan." She tells him, and he nods; he already knew that. "I don't know where my relationship with him is gonna go, but I wanna find out. He's a really good guy, and I'm happy."

"Happier than when you were with me?"

"I don't know. We haven't been together for that long." She says. "A lot of things are still really new. But he does make me happy — I know that much. And I really like him, Dean. I know that that's not what you want to hear, and I'm​ sorry if that hurts you, but it's true."

"Maybe." He nods. "But I love you, and I'm always gonna love you. I'm not giving up on that, and I'm not giving up on us. Not today, not ever. You are everything to me, Nyx." He says and then he backs away from her, taking his coffee and leaving the kitchen.

She sighs as she looks down, not exactly knowing how to react to that. She tosses her spoon into the sink and closes the ice cream.