In that moment, I had a million questions. The news was unexpected.

"How long have you known?" I said, staring at her.

She let out a soft breath and smiled at me, reaching forward to place her soft palm against my cheek.

"I found out the day you surprised me by coming by my house... The same day you told me you were going to leave the south side. I wanted to tell you, but I got nervous. I also felt like that was the last thing you needed to hear when you were about to go see Cayden," she whispered, concern filling her eyes.

I watched her for a moment. My mind was racing.

"How far along with you?" I asked, reaching forward to place a hand on her stomach.

"Not very long... Maybe eight weeks," she whispered, moving to place her hand on top of mine.

I smiled. My heart rate increased as I felt uneasiness overcome me.

What if I wasn't ready to be a father? I didn't know anything about raising kids. I mean I had a shitty teacher.

I kept my hand on her stomach for a while.

This was my baby. She had my child growing inside her.

"Have you told anyone other than me?" I asked as I removed my hand.

She shook her head and her blonde hair bounced around her face as she did.

"Not really. I told Cam. I didn't really mean too, but when he showed up that night to tell me you had made it back... He told me you were in bad shape and I got upset. It just came out of me. He was happy for us, Spencer. He promised me that you would be okay. He also said he thought we would be great parents," she said, smiling brightly up at me.

I chuckled.

"That must be what he meant by you need me now more than ever," I said, leaning forward to give her a soft kiss on the lips.

I heard a loud laugh and glanced out to see the family on the ice. The little girl was giggling uncontrollably at her father who had fallen down on his ass. The mom skated over to assist, offering him her hands to help pull him up. Adrienne must have noticed it too because she started to talk.

"That could be us one day," she said, turning her body to place her hands in her lap.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, it is possible. Except I won't be on my ass like that guy," I said, laughing.

Adrienne rolled her eyes and pushed my shoulder.

"You don't know that. With all your injuries by the time you're 30 you might not be able to walk straight," she responded.

I nodded my head.

She had a point.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked me after a minute, deciding to break the silence.

Definitely a boy. I didn't want to have to worry about my baby girl dating wanting to date. I'd have to constantly be scaring little boys away. But then again, girls are usually easier to handle than boys. They listened better. Definitely a girl. Hell, it didn't matter. It was going to be my child.

I clasped my hands in front of me and glanced at her with a smile on my face.

"Either would be fine," I said.

She smiled at me and scooted closer to me on the bench. She placed her head on my shoulder.

"Which would you rather have?" I asked, glancing at her.

"One day, I want a boy and a girl, but for now I want a son. I want a perfect little mini Spence," she said, looping her arm through mine.

She snuggled in my side as my eyes scanned out across the frozen lake again.

"Do you really want that though? I mean, look at me, I am a literal definition of a mess. Just a handful to deal with," I stated.

She rolled her eyes and squeezed my arm tighter.

"But you're a good person, Spencer. It might have taken some time for you to figure it out... but you eventually did," she said, leaning her face against my arm again.

She always made me feel better about myself. I just couldn't imagine life without her.

"Thanks baby girl," I said, as the silence fell over us again.

After a moment, another question came into my head.

"Have you told your aunt and uncle?" I asked.

Adrienne shook her head. She pulled her head back and looked at me.

"No..." she trailed off and let out a deep breath before finishing," I thought it would be a good idea to tell them together."

I froze. My body tensed up as I thought about having to stand in front of Jeff and tell him.

"Yeah, that probably is a good idea..." I said, mumbling off towards the end.

She turned her body to face me and hit my shoulder.

"Spencer."

I turned my head instinctively as she called my name.

"What?"

"It'll be fine. I promise," she whispered, wanting to comfort me.

  I felt my palms grow sweaty and I let out a deep breath.

"I know. I'm just nervous. I have never had to do anything like this before," I whispered, reaching up to run a hand through my dark hair.

  She nodded and stood up off the bench, moving in front of me. She placed her hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look up at her.

"I haven't either, but I know together we are strong enough to do it," she breathed.

  "You always seem to know what to say," I said, smiling up at her.

"God blessed me. What can I say?" she said, running her fingers through my hair.

I leaned forward to kiss her stomach through her shirt before grinning up at her.

"I think I am the blessed one."

She rolled her eyes and stepped back, holding her hand out to me.

"Ready to go spread the news?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I nodded my head and stand up, taking her hand. We interlaced our fingers as we walked, making our way back through the tree-line headed in the direction of her house. My heart was threatening to beat out of my chest as we walked.

What if they got pissed? What if they said they never wanted her to see me again? I mean, I am sure Jeff could find some reason to arrest me.   

All to soon, we had reached the steps to her apartment. We started the ascent to the top and were met by Joe and Antho.

Joe raised an eyebrow.

"Ahh. You brought the white boy back huh?" he asked a wide smile on his face.

Antho beat his hand on the railing as he laughed.

"We were starting to like that black guy," Antho added.

Adrienne rolled her eyes and headed over by the door.

"They are talking about Cam. He would walk me home in the afternoon after I came to visit you," she stated.

I glanced over at them.

"Thanks, guys. It's nice to see you again too," I said through gritted teeth.

Adrienne unlocked the door to her apartment and pushed it open. I stepped inside behind her and let out another soft breath as I took in the familiar surroundings. The only difference in her apartment was a big Christmas tree that now sat in front of the window. It reached all the way to the ceiling and was decked with twinkling lights and ornaments. My father and I never decorated for Christmas. We didn't even spend time together on Christmas.

"Aunt Trisha!" she called out, causing me to glance towards the kitchen.

Her aunt's little blonde head appeared over the bar as she worked away in the kitchen.

"Hey, darling. You are home early today. Is everything okay?" she called out in her high-pitched voice.

"Yes, auntie. Everything is fantastic. I have some surprises for you and uncle Jeff," she responded, glancing up at me.

I stood beside her, still holding her hand. I smiled down at her before leaning down to kiss her forehead. My lips lingered against her skin for a minute.

"I love surprises. Let me put this food in the oven and I will be right there!" she yelled.

There were some loud noises in the kitchen and then she rounded the bar. Her mouth falling open. She flung her arms open and ran over toward us.

"Spencer. Oh my gosh. I am so happy to see you. It has been so long. You look so skinny. They must not have fed you while you were busy working," she said, pulling me into a hug.

I laughed and hugged her back, trying my best to fight the small pain it caused me. My burns on my body had healed, but they were still tender in certain places. I had a feeling they would be like that for a while.

"I am happy to see you too. I don't know what I would do without you feeding me," I said, as her hand rubbed my arm.

She smiled up at me causing her dimples to appear.

"I know Adrienne has missed you," she said, glancing over at her.

Adrienne had a flush of red flood her cheeks.

"Aunt Trisha... Enough." She complained.

She glanced around and then back to her aunt.

"Where is uncle Jeff?" she asked.

"Oh. He is in the shower. He needed some time to relax. He came home early because it was a rough day in the office. Something about a murder on the south side of the city. He apparently knew the guy from his high school days. Dwight something or other..." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Oh. Fuck. Dwight. That is who was talking to the police after the undercover cop caught Rodney in the alley. Cayden wasn't going to let it go.

Adrienne glanced up at me. I tightened my grip on her hand to let her know it was okay. That's when Jeff appeared from the hallway in a red collared shirt and some jeans. His dark eyes met mine.

"It is good to see you again, Spencer," he said, making his way over beside us.

He held his hand out and I placed mine in it. He squeezed it.

"It is good to see you again too, sir. Mrs. Trisha was just telling us that you had a rough day at work today. I am sorry to hear about your friend," I said as he released my hand.

"Thank you. I knew one day I would see him again... I just didn't expect it to be this way," he said, letting out a deep breath.

Trisha moved to console him, rubbing his shoulder. Adrienne pulled my hand and lead me over to the couch. She sat down and patted the spot beside her. I fell down beside her and my eyes ran back over to them.

You could see pain on his face. Cayden had gotten what he wanted.

I growled.

I didn't want Cayden to win. He was a monster.

Adrienne's voice broke my train of thought.

"We have something we need to tell you," she said, patting my thigh.

Her aunt and uncle turned towards us, looking concerned. Her aunt moved to sit in the empty seat on the couch beside Adrienne while her uncle sat in the recliner a few feet away.

"What is it?" he aunt whispered, reaching forward to rub Adrienne's arm.

Adrienne glanced up to meet for support. I sucked in a deep breath and I felt my palms grow sweaty again. It was silent.

I had been in the middle of drug deals, tortured, arrested... This should be easy for me. I was going to do it.

"Adrienne is pregnant," I managed to say.

The silence fell on the room. I could only hear my breathing. I glanced at Adrienne who was shuffling her eyes between them all the while gripping the shit out of my hand. The information had time to sink in before Adrienne spoke.

"I'm not sure how far along I am. I was going to tell you guys sooner, but I wanted to wait for Spencer to return," she said.

Her aunt Trisha leaned forward and pulled Adrienne into a hug.

"Sweetie, I am so happy for you. My sister always told me you wanted to be a mother... She said that is all you used to talk about before the incident," she said, her eyes filling with tears.

I glanced at Jeff who was still silent in his chair. He had his fingers to his lips as his dark eyes locked on me.

"Are you sure you are ready for this responsibility?" he asked, his voice deep.

I nodded my head as I stared him down.

"First of all, I don't think we have much of a choice at this point in time, but to answer your question, yes. I promise you I can take care of her and our child. I have two more online classes and then I am done with school. I can take that degree and find a job. Trust me," I said.

He looked over at Adrienne.

"I believe you, Spencer. I just want the best for her," he said.

His voice was soft and sincere.

"We all do," her aunt Trisha added, her sweet voice seeming to ease the tension in the room.

"I am going to call the doctor. We need to get you in for a visit today," she said, standing up from her spot on the couch and heading off to search for her phone.

Adrienne rubbed my hand and leaned over toward me.

"See, it wasn't as bad as we thought," she whispered in my ear.

"So says you. I still feel like your uncle is giving me the death glare," I breath back tilting my head to kiss her cheek.

Her eyes roam over to him, but her aunt returned and she smiled down at Adrienne.

"If we go right now, they can fit you in."

I glanced at Adrienne who stood up off the couch and threw her arms around her aunt.

"Thank you so much..." she whispered.

Her aunt had tears welling up in her emerald green eyes, threatening to breech and roll down her cheeks.

"You're welcome, darling. We love you with all our hearts," she sobbed.

Damn. I felt a twinge of hurt inside my chest. This moment made me remember my mother. She would always tuck me in at night and tell me she loved me... and then one night she didn't show up. My father had pushed her away with all his drinking.

I clenched my fist, but was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard her aunt's voice.

"Spencer, are you coming with us?" she asked, glancing down at me from my position on the couch.

They had both turned to look at me.

I wanted too, but I knew I had time to make up at the north side. I owed Cam; therefore, I decided this first visit would be the one I could miss.

"No, I think you guys can handle this one without me. But I promise to be at the next one," I said, standing.

Adrienne stepped forward to hug me, throwing her arms around my neck.

"Please be careful," she whispered in her ear.

I hugged her back, snaking my arms around her waist.

"Always. I promise I will be with you next time," I said, kissing her cheek.

She unwillingly released me and stepped back beside her aunt who had gone to retrieve her purse and a jacket for Adrienne.

"Here, it's cold outside... and we have a little one to protect," she whispered, patting Adrienne's stomach.

Adrienne laughed, and I smiled at her.

    All I wanted was her happiness.

Her laugh melted my heart. She took the jacket and shrugged it on. Her aunt walked over to kiss Jeff who had remained silent in his seat during the entire exchange. Adrienne headed to the door and I followed along behind her. We stepped out onto the porch and were surprised to find that we were alone. The two vultures who were usually present had disappeared for the time being.

"I'll miss you,"she whispered as she turned to face me.

Her aunt Trisha hurried past me and down the stairs.

"I'll start the car,"she called, her small body seeming to leap down the steps.

"I'll miss you too, baby girl. I can't wait to hear all about it later." I said, my eyes flashing back to her.

She smiled and released my hand to follow in her aunt's path down the steps. I watched her go and then heard the door slam shut behind me, feeling a large muscular hand grip my shoulder. I tensed up.

"I need to have a few words with you, young man," Jeff said.

Shit. I should have known. He was too quiet.

"Yes sir?" I asked, turning to face him.

His dark eyes looked distant.

He knew something.

"Show me your left arm,"he commanded.

Fuck.

I rolled my jacket sleeve up slowly. The cut Cam had made into my skin had healed nicely, fading into only a pink line. My eyes flashed from it to him.

He gripped my arm tightly as he investigated it.

"A fresh blood,"he said, shaking his head.

"I didn't want to lie to you, sir. Adrienne was worried that you wouldn't allow her to see me... but the blood is better than the south. I'm done with that part of my life,"I pleaded.

He released my arm stepping back to rub his forehead with his hand.

"I told you the first day we met, Spencer. I didn't want her involved in gangs. Now, as you have said the north has stronger leadership and at least he tries to get these kids off the street. I can see that. The police force can see it... it's still illegal activity. As for Cayden, I know he's on the south side of town. I want to try and bring him down,"he said, staring past me to the street.

I raised an eyebrow.

I was confused. Was he trying to arrest me for being apart of the blood or was he trying to use me in a plan to take down the south?

He spoke again.

"I am going to let you go, Spencer. For the sake of my niece, I am going to break my laws. I am going to keep my mouth shut and not tell the force you are with the blood... but you have to promise me one thing,"he said, his dark eyes focusing on me as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Yes sir."

"You have to promise me as soon as you can, you'll get out. Get out of the gangs all together. I can see you are already making steps in the right direction, so it shouldn't be too difficult,"he said.

I nodded my head slowly.

"I can promise you that, sir. I really do want what is best for Adrienne and I and our child," I responded.

He let out a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling.

"Now, I will give you ten seconds to get off my porch before I change my mind,"he said, his tone sounding threatening but playful all in one.

I turned my back on him and started off down the steps.

"Thank you,"I called out over my shoulder as I trekked across the street.

I shoved my hands into my pockets as I crossed the park. The sky had became dark, thick black clouds rolling in to block the sun. The wind blew with force, bending the trees as it ripped through the park.

Today, was one of the best days of my life. I found out the love of my life is carrying my child. We get to welcome a little life into this world together. We get raise him or her and watch them grow. We get to teach and laugh with him or her. I remembered watching little Sofia with her parents in the park earlier. That was where my life was headed after today. I also got to be honest and upfront with her uncle. I had no more secrets I had to hide.

As I made it to the dark alley, I was met by Cam who was flanked by two other guys. They were dressed from head-to-toe in black. Cam had a mask with the outline of a skeleton that covered his entire face except his chocolate eyes. They met mine filled with concern. He motioned for the other two to lower their guns and he grabbed my shoulder.

"Spencer."

I looked at him, raising my eyebrow.

"What's up bro? You good?"I asked, slightly confused.

He shook his head and from his grip on my shoulder I could tell his whole body was tensed.

"There's a traitor in the blood. The south. Man, they know you're alive."