"What are you doing?" John asked as he watched Darlene rummage around the back of the wardrobe. She pulled a skirt out and threw it on top of an evergrowing pile of clothes on the bed.

She turned to him, rolling her eyes. "Don't you recognise my maternity clothes? I'm sorting them out for Lottie, she'll be needing them before much longer."

"Are you sure she's pregnant?" he asked doubtfully. "I thought the doctor said it couldn't happen?"

"No, he didn't exactly say that. He said she had trauma from the fall and there's some kind of issue with her womb that means she's at risk of early miscarriage."

"Right," he said, still disbelieving. "But she didn't look pregnant at the christening."

Darlene let out an excited laugh. "And when she was pregnant last time she didn't start showing until she was five or six months along."

He sat down on the bed, picking up a dress and folding it into a pile. "Has she told Louis yet?"

"No, not yet, she's only just had it confirmed by the doctor."

Okay, so she was definitely pregnant, what a mess.

"And it is his baby?"

"Of course," she said the smile falling from her face. "Why would you even ask that?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, I guess it could be an immaculate conception." He tried not to snicker but God sure was working in mysterious ways.

"Johnny will you keep your dumbass jokes to yourself," Darlene said giving him a hard look. "Lottie and Jamie will be here soon, and if she hears us mocking her-"

"I'm not mocking her." If anyone could see the irony in the situation it would be Charlotte.

"I hope not." Darlene threw a dress in his direction, making sure it landed on his head. "She's going to need our support. I think she'll have to keep working so I could help look after the baby, and I expect her bitch mom will help. Even though she's a bitch."

His eyebrows knitted together. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself." In principle, he had no problem with her supporting Charlotte, and if she wanted to look after the baby then that was her decision. However, the way she was throwing herself into the whole thing, almost like she was the one having the baby, was a little disturbing. "Darlene, be careful you don't take over."

"I'm not trying to take over," she said pouting. "I'm looking for practical ways I can help. She's really going to struggle if Louis doesn't support her."

"So at least wait until he finds out." He folded another dress, almost certain that Darlene had never even worn it. "I can't see him bailing on her though."

"No, I don't think he will," she said her voice softening. "A few months ago, I didn't know what to make of him but Lottie seems to have turned him back into a normal human being."

"Then let's hope she reaps the benefit of that and not some other woman," he said looking at his watch. "What time's she getting over here?"

"Any minute now."

"Okay, I'll go put the kettle on." He wasn't entirely surprised she'd invited Charlotte and her son to stay the night but he was surprised that Charlotte had accepted. He assumed she was struggling to adjust to living alone, albeit with her child and Darlene was probably desperate to pump her for information. Although it was a little annoying, at least it kept her off his back. There were only so many times they could talk about Rosalind without serious repercussions.

~~~

"I think they've settled down now," Charlotte said taking a seat next to John on the sofa. "I left them playing with Junior's trainset."

"That boy loves his trains," John said stretching out. "And having Jamie over, I think he's kinda jealous of the baby."

"He's still only little."

"I know but he's such a momma's boy," he said hoping that Junior would eventually grow out of it. "It's not easy for Darlene when she's tending to Daniel and he's making demands on her."

"No I daresay it isn't," Charlotte said her mouth turning down.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything." Note to self, keep your foot out of your mouth.

"It's fine," Charlotte said her face expressionless. "Do you think Darlene wants a hand in the kitchen?"

"No, too many cooks and all that."

"Okay." She settled back into the sofa, letting out a sigh. "I think this is the most comfortable I've gotten all week. Just between us, I took the first furnished apartment that was halfway suitable but the sofa is backbreaking." She winced for good measure.

John cleared his throat. "Maybe in your condition?"

She spluttered. "You can say it, I won't be offended."

He held up his hands. "I'm not taking any chances, I remember the pregnancy hormones." Charlotte rolled her eyes and he decided to risk being serious. "So when are you going to tell Louis?"

"I don't know how I can."

"How can you not?" 

She chewed her lip for a moment. "It doesn't seem fair on him."

"He'd want to know, and you can't hide it forever." He scrutinised her appearance more closely; her figure was a little fuller, her clothes looser, it would be obvious before much longer. "It'll be better if he hears it from you."

"But once I tell him that's it. The genie's out the bottle." Her face clouded over. "John, I can't let another man get the upper hand with me, surely you understand why."

He nodded, no more words were needed. There was a bond between them, something he couldn't explain but they both understood it. "I don't think Louis would try to get the upper hand over you," he said carefully. "But just say he did, he'd have me to answer to."

She laughed, lightening the atmosphere. "What would I do without you? But you, what's going on with you and Darlene?"

Nice deflection.

"What do you mean?" he asked with a small shrug pretending he didn't know what she was alluding to.

"At the christening, Darlene told me you'd been rowing." The corners of her mouth twitched imperceptibly. "She said Rosalind was the scab you guys couldn't stop scratching?"

He groaned, letting some of his frustration out. "Darlene won't let up about her, even after all this time. I don't know what to do to put things right between us."

"I don't think there's anything you can do," she said in a hushed voice. "I think she's worried you still have feelings for Ros."

John looked towards the door making sure it was closed. "She's got a point," he admitted lowering his voice. "I care about Ros but I'm with Darlene." He let out a deep breath, feeling somewhat relieved to get it off his chest.

Charlotte tilted her head to one side, her gaze penetrating. "Can I be frank?" He nodded. "You, Ros and Darlene, this love triangle's been going on since junior high. Whichever one of them you're with, you're mooning over the other. You have to make a choice."

"I did, I choose Darlene."

Charlotte shook her head. "No, she chose you."

"You're wrong," he said before hesitating. "I told Darlene I was having an affair because I wanted to do the right thing after I found out she was pregnant. I wanted to be with her."

"I don't think that's what happened." She gave him a stern look. "You told Darlene and put the ball in her court. If she'd dumped you, you'd have gone to Rosalind and begged her to leave Dale for you. And if she had, that would have been Ros's decision not yours."

His mouth dropped open. "When you put it like that..."

She let out a rueful laugh. "Oh John, you're just the ball in their game of ping pong."

He laughed despite himself. "And to think you're worried about Louis getting the upper hand over you. There'll be snow on the hills of hell before that happens."

"We were talking about you and your ladies," she said raising her eyebrows.

"Hey, I was complimenting you." He rubbed his temples, releasing some pent up tension. "And you're right, I should at least be clear in my own mind who I want to be with."

Charlotte nodded. "Yes, you should. And if the one you want wants you then great, but if she doesn't don't try and salvage something with the other one."

"Is that what you think I'm doing with Darlene?"

"Only you can answer that," she said quietly. "But don't let her feel like she's your Plan B."

"Is that how you saw things with Louis?" he asked keen to move the conversation on.

"No of course not, but it didn't work with him because there were too many complications."

"And half of them were in your head," he risked saying.

She pursed her lips and he waited for her to tear a strip off him. "You're probably right, I've made a real mess of things," she said looking at him despondently. "I don't know what to do."

"I could talk to him," he suggested.

"No, I'll have to tell him myself." She twisted her fingers together until her knuckles turned white. "I keep picking up the phone and then putting it down again."

"You should meet up in person, it'll be easier." Don't get involved, John. "I'll arrange it for you."

"Would you," she said brightening up. "It probably would be best to talk in person."

"No problem."

I Just hope this doesn't blow up in her face...

~~~

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