Chances Pt. 02

"Are you okay?" Shoshana asked, her back still to Asher.

"I don't know. I'm just floored," Asher answered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I did not think Jessi had it in her to cheat," he added. Shoshana swallowed said a prayer in her head and turned around. Asher's eyes widened when they landed on her rounded abdomen. "What the ... when did that happen?" Asher stammered. "I did not even know you were dating someone!" he added.

"I'm not," Shoshana murmured.

"He just left you? Pregnant and alone!?" Asher shouted. Shoshana winced at the volume and took a step back. "Who is he? I'm going to rip him a new one!" Asher exclaimed.

Shoshana sighed and reached for Asher's hand and led him over to the full length mirror, and once Asher was standing right in the center of the mirror Shoshana took a deep breath and said, "He's standing right here."

"What?" Asher asked, confused.

"I lied when I told you that I wasn't pregnant. The baby is yours," Shoshana said.

"What? Why would you do that?" Asher demanded to know as he spun around to face Shoshana.

"You seemed like you were in love with Jessi, and I did not want to mess that up. I make enough money to support the baby on my own, so I figured this would be easier for you," Shoshana murmured. She took a step back when she saw the look of anger on Asher's face.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" he asked finally.

"You believe me?" Shoshana asked in surprise.

"Why shouldn't I believe you? You're obviously very far along and the timing is right." Asher could not keep the anger out of his voice Asher could not keep the anger out of his voice, but tried to soften it when he saw the nervousness on Shoshana's face. "You should have told me," Asher scolded.

"I wanted to, and I thought about it so many times, but then you said Jessi was pregnant and you were getting married. I couldn't ruin your life by adding a complication to it," Shoshana whispered.

"I would never consider our baby a complication," Asher reprimanded.

Shoshana gave a bitter laugh. "Did you know Jessi warned me away from you?" Shoshana asked bitterly.

"What?" Asher asked in surprise.

"A few weeks after we got home, I felt so guilty about lying about the baby that I stopped by your apartment. Jessi was there and she told me that you had told her we had to pretend that we were married. You even told her we had slept together. Jessi told me that she couldn't blame me for falling in love with you, but told me that if I came near you again outside of work, if I even so much as touched you that she would have me fired," Shoshana admitted.

"Damn her!" Asher swore. Shoshana took a shaky step back. "She had no right!" he shouted.

"Please don't yell!"" Shoshana pleaded.

"I'm sorry," Asher apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you. Let's go into the living room and I'll make some tea. I think we need to talk about this," he added. Shoshana nodded and followed Asher out of her bedroom and into the living room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How long have you known?" Asher asked as he sat down next to Jake at the table.

"About Shoshana and the baby? Since I got home," Jake answered and passed his friend a beer.

"Why didn't you say something?" Asher wanted to know.

"I promised I wouldn't," Jake said. Asher shook his head and took a sip of the beer. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I should have," Jake added.

"No, you did the right thing. Sho needed a friend, and she had you. I'm glad for that," Asher sighed.

"What are you going to do?" Jake asked, taking a sip of his beer.

"I don't know." Asher drained the rest of his beer and leaned back in his chair. "This is so fucked up," he groaned.

"You're telling me," Jake agreed.

"I don't know how I should feel ... I mean, what happened between Sho and I in Iraq was special, but so much has happened since then," Asher motioned for the waitress to bring him another beer.

"Shoshana has loved you since college," Jake reminded his friend.

"And I have cared about her, but that does not change the fact that not only is it against company policy for a relationship between Shoshana and I to even happen, and I just ended an engagement with someone I have been with for five years," Asher said bitterly.

"Screw company policy! You're having a baby with your best friend, and you can't tell me that you don't love her," Jake exclaimed. He lowered his voice when people turned and looked at them. Asher said nothing, he just drained the second beer. "Just don't hurt Sho anymore than she has already been hurt," Jake advised, and with that, he stood up and left the bar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sho, we need to talk," Asher said quietly.

"Yes, we do, but not here," Shoshana agreed. She rubbed her back a little and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Come to dinner tonight. Six thirty," Shoshana instructed.

"Okay," Asher agreed easily. He hesitated then reached for her hand and held it for a minute. "How are you doing?" Asher asked.

"I'm doing okay. I'm tired and my back is killing me, but I'm okay," Shoshana answered.

"Can I - do you need anything?" Asher wanted to know.

"Just support," Shoshana said, her voice so quiet Asher could hardly hear her. "I'm having this baby Ash, and I'm keeping it, even if ..." Asher glanced around quickly then kissed Shoshana gently, ending the torrent of words.

"I'm here for you, for both of you," Asher promised. "I'll be at your apartment at six-thirty," he added. Asher gave Shoshana's hand one last squeeze and walked away.

Shoshana smoothed a wrinkle in her skirt and opened the door to let Asher in. "I brought dessert," Asher said. "Since you can't drink, I figured this would be the best thing," he added. Shoshana smiled as she closed the door behind him. "Thanks. Do you want a beer?" Shoshana asked.

"I'd love one," Asher answered. He followed Shoshana into the kitchen and set the pie on the counter then took the opened bottle from Shoshana. "Dinner smells good," Asher said.

"Thanks. Why don't you go sit down, and I'll bring dinner to the table," Shoshana suggested.

"Do you need help?" Asher asked.

"No, go sit down," Shoshana said. Asher did what he was told and a few moments later, Shoshana walked into the dining room carrying two plates heaped full of spaghetti and garlic bread. Asher reached out and took a plate from Shoshana and set it in front of him as she set a plate down across the table from where he sat before Shoshana walked into the kitchen, grabbed the bowls of broccoli and a bottle of water. "This all looks amazing," Asher told Shoshana as she sat down. Shoshana said nothing, but she smiled before taking a bite of broccoli. Neither said much during dinner, and the silence became uncomfortable, and finally, Asher couldn't take it anymore. "I think we should move in together," Asher said.

"What?" Shoshana asked in surprise.

"You're pregnant, and living alone. What are you going to do when you go into labor?" Asher asked.

"I'll call Jake and he will take me to the hospital," Shoshana answered.

"No, you'll call me," Asher said firmly.

"What? Why you?" Shoshana wanted to know.

"Because the baby is mine, not Jake's," Asher pointed out.

"Ash, you've known about the baby for a whole twenty four hours. I'm not asking you for anything," Shoshana reminded him.

"I know that. I want to help," Asher said. He took a sip of his beer, stood up and knelt down in front of Shoshana. "You don't have to do this alone," he promised.

"Ash, I'm quite capable of doing this without you," Shoshana reminded him.

"Are you seriously going to keep the baby from me?" Asher asked.

"No Ash, of course not! I just don't want you to feel obligated to be involved," Shoshana answered.

"Damn it Shoshana, I'm the father of this baby, and I want to be involved!" Asher exclaimed.

"I care too much about you to let you do this alone!" he added.

"I'm not alone!" Shoshana shouted back.

"Jake doesn't count. He's a good friend, but he is not the father," Asher reminded her.

"I want you to go," Shoshana said. She stood up and headed for the door.

"We need to work this out," Asher argued.

"Ash, I'm tired, and you're upset, please just leave," Shoshana pleaded.

"I don't want to argue, or to upset you Sho, but please, don't shut me out. Let me help you. Let me be a part of your life, of the baby's life," Asher murmured.

"Ash, I'm not going to keep you out of the baby's life, but right now, I think you should go," Shoshana whispered. Before Asher could say anything else, Shoshana turned back to the table, picked up the plates and headed into the kitchen. As Asher reached for the door knob, he heard a crash. "Sho, are you okay?" Asher asked. When Shoshana didn't answer, he turned around and walked into the kitchen. "Sho?" Asher asked.

"I'm fine Ash, I just dropped a glass," Shoshana said wearily.

"Let me help you," Asher offered. Before Shoshana could protest, Asher swept the glass up into the dust pan and dropped them into a paper bag that Shoshana had placed some glass milk jugs in. "You cut your foot. Come into the living room and I'll look at it," Asher offered.

"I can put a bandaid on my foot," Shoshana said.

"Let me help you," Asher said as he escorted Shoshana out of the kitchen and to the couch. He walked quickly down the hall to the bathroom and returned a few minutes later with a box of bandaids and a clean, damp wash cloth. Without a word, Asher quickly wiped the blood away from Shoshana's foot and put the bandaid on the small cut.

"Thank you," Shoshana murmured.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you. I did not mean to hurt you, scare you or upset you. I just want to be your friend again. To help you with the baby that we made," Asher said softly. He touched her cheek gently and tilted her face towards his. "I do care about you, Sho," he added. "Let's call a truce and be friends. That's all I'm asking for," Asher pleaded. Shoshana studied Asher's face and nodded. Asher breathed a sigh of relief and pressed a gentle kiss to Shoshana's lips.

"I'll leave if you want me to, or, if you'd like, we can have some of that pie," Asher offered.

"What kind of pie?" Shoshana asked.

"Dutch Apple," Asher answered.

"Pie, and a movie," Shoshana agreed. Asher laughed.

"Deal. I'll get the pie, you get the movie," Asher told her. She straightened up to his full height and walked into the kitchen.