"Before I fall too fast
Kiss me quick but make it last
So I can see how badly this will hurt me when you
say goodbye"

Catch me, Demi Lovato

"Say goodbye, never say goodbye
Holdin' on - we got to try
Holdin' on to never say goodbye"

Never say goodbye, Jon Bon Jovi

A special point-of-view - Stacie Kepler and Luca Bianchi

They stood inside the doctor's cabin, staring silently at the two files in front of them. Case I, read the handwritten name on the first file. Case I- Neil Sachdev. Inside lay another report, with just Case I written in it.

Next to this lay another file, with Case II - Luca Bianchi written on it, and inside lay just the report, with Case II in it.

Case II is excluded as the biological father (0%), read the second file

Case I is not excluded as the biological father (99.9%), read the first.

Stacie felt her vision blur as her heart-rate shot up. She wanted to look at Luca's face, but she didn't have the courage to even lift her eyes from those cursed files. It was over. It was all over for her. No partner, no baby. Nothing.

How could she bring up the child all alone? She was a full-time corporate lawyer, an associate lawyer at that. It would be a couple of years before she became a contender for partner, and those two years had to be packed full with work for that to happen.

What was going to happen to her career?

Her vision swam, and although seated on the chair, she felt faint, and grabbed onto the armrest wildly.

Her life was unraveling right in front of her.

A warm hand ensconced her cold palm, and squeezed it once. Warm. Hard. Reassuring. Swallowing, she mustered enough courage to finally look up, only to see Luca staring at the files. Still.

There was no sign of the doctor.

At this point, she would have given anything to read what was going on in his mind. The child wasn't his, and although he had known that she was seeing someone else, he would never be cool with it. Which man would be? And Luca Bianchi was no ordinary man anyway. His parents owned massive winery and cheese businesses. An heir in his own right, in an open relationship with a struggling corporate lawyer. A lawyer pregnant with another man's child.

She was going to die alone, wasn't she?

She looked at her hand, the hand that was covered by his. How long would that stay? What was she going to tell Neil? Her parents? Her friends? What in the goddamned world was she going to do?

"Are you going to keep it?"

Her eyes focused on him on hearing his voice. Fear took hold in her heart as she tried to interpret his intention.

"I...I don't know" she whispered back as honestly as she could. "I mean, what am I going to do? I...don't know..."

"Would you keep it if I asked you to?" his voice was softer, almost like a caress.

"Wh..at?" her own sounded strangled. Her mind was blank, that is, as blank as it could be in the face of a disaster as huge as this.

"Well...will you?" he asked again, his voice tender. He squeezed her hand again in reassurance. "Will you keep the child if I asked you to?"

"Wh...why are you asking me this?" she asked, her voice faltering.

"Yes or no, Stace?" he took in a breath, "If I asked you to keep the child, will you do it?"

"I can't do it alone, Luc, you know that" her voice developed a pleading quality to it, something she hated.

"Who said anything about alone?" his brows furrowed.

"I can't expect Neil to pitch in, not after I rejected him like that! Besides, he is getting-"

Luca cut her off by placing a finger on her mouth, quietening her as if she was but a child, not a to-be mother.

"Just tell me" he breathed.

"I will consider it" she answered, trying her hardest to read what was going on in his head.

He looked her in the eye, as if checking if she meant it. She looked back, desperate, scared and vulnerable.

Silently, he turned and took hold of the files. Before she could say anything else, he swapped the reports in the files and shut them both.

"Luca, what-"

"No" he said stubbornly as he pushed Neil's file into her hands, and took his own, "Nobody needs to know, it's our business, and no one else's."

"Luca, you can't do that!" she almost stood up, scared out of her mind.

"I can, and I will." he said heatedly, pulling her back onto the chair, "I was the one who wanted that child, not that wimpy idiot. And I am ready to give the child a name and a father, something he would never want to. Does it really matter then, whose sperm was faster?"

Stacie sat there, stunned, her mind not really ready to comprehend what was happening.

"You...you can't...you can't..." her vision blurred again, this time with tears as she understood the import of his words.

"Babe" he held her face in his palms, "I want to. And it is going to take care of everything in this. The kid is going to get a father. Neil is going to get his wife. And we can all move on, right?"

"Is that it?" Stacie's voice was barely audible, "the math...is that it?"

"Sometimes, logic works out best." Luca smiled weakly, "I would propose, but then, you hate rings."

She burst out laughing at his words. "Maybe I'll surprise you one day" she whispered, "You know, get over my aversion, grow a pair and buy you a ring."

"That would be awesome" he smiled, "Till then, we take care of the baby. And by the way, I think it's time to get Neil out of the picture. For good."

Stacie hesitated as she reached for her phone. One last time, she thought, it would be good if she confirmed it one more time.

"Sure, right?" she asked.

"Can we name him Alessandro if it's a boy?" he asked in reply, hope evident in his voice.

"Are you for real?" she laughed at him.

"Si, cara mia" he smiled softly, "Us, this...This is for real."

**

Alright, I know the actions might get some serious comments on morality, but then again, it depends from person to person, does it not? Sometimes God helps, sometimes fellow humans do!

Shoutout to VaradaPhadkay for the idea!

Till the next one, I rest, Ellanie:)