and far weaker than he'd have liked.
Nonetheless, his visitor must have heard him, because the door opened and Jessie stepped into the room. "Hey. Can I come in?"
Parker nodded. "Sure."
He liked Jessie. The man had a quiet strength that reminded Parker a bit of Jensen. "What's up?"
"Dad told me about what happened," Jessie said as he carefully approached. "I hope you don't mind. He was concerned, and he wondered if you'd like to speak to someone you see as closer to your age."
It was a peculiar phrasing, but Parker decided he was better off not knowing. It wouldn't hurt to have someone who could listen to him. "I'm... I feel lost. I'm just a regular guy. I never would have dreamed werewolves existed, let alone that I'd end up expecting a child from one of them."
Jessie nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I can understand that." He laughed lightly. "For most of my life, I thought I was human and then it turned out that I wasn't. Shook me quite a bit. But... You're not me. Do you regret it? Do you regret being with Finn?" His expression sobered. "You don't have to keep the baby, you know. No one would blame you if you decided against it."
Parker blinked at the other man. He hadn't expected Jessie to say something like that, and if he wanted to be perfectly honest, he hadn't even considered abortion as an option. It wasn't that he didn't want the baby. That wasn't it all. Now that he took that idea into account, he realized how hard it would be for him.
Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around his belly. "I don't regret any of it," he told Jessie, "at least not in the way you might think. Finn... It's going to sound crazy, but I fell in love with him the day we met. And this baby is part of both of us. I grew up in an orphanage, Jessie. I don't think I could ever abandon it or hurt it in any way."
"Fair enough. For the record, I don't think Finn would understand any choice you made. He and I don't know each other very well, but he's a good man, and I think he'll take good care of you. Besides, in the long run, it's worth it."
For the first time, Parker realized Jessie had put on quite a lot of weight since they'd met. "You're pregnant too," he said in a daze.
Jessie chuckled. "You just noticed now? I must be better at hiding it than I thought. Although I suppose I'll have to seclude myself in my room soon. Wouldn't want Kyle or Jack to ask any questions."
Yeah, that wouldn't go over well. Saul had repeatedly emphasized the necessity of keeping Finn's werewolf nature a secret. Under different circumstances, Parker would have been thrilled to spend time with the boys, but with everything that had happened, he hadn't been able to focus on them much.
"I spoke with Alicia," he told Jessie. "She's still recovering, but she'll probably want them back in a few weeks."
"I'm sure everything will be okay when it comes to the boys," Jessie replied, not unkindly, "but that wasn't really what we were discussing. " He reached for Parker's hand and squeezed it. "He'll wake up, Parker. You'll see. And until he does, you have us for anything you need."
Parker knew he shouldn't allow himself to fall onto the comfort of a man who had his own concerns. Nonetheless, he squeezed Jessie's palm back, one brief moment, before releasing it and facing Finn once more.
Finn hadn't stirred, but Parker suddenly couldn't bear not touching him anymore. He slid out of the chair and onto the bed, curling by Finn's side while being extra careful not to accidentally jostle Finn. He took Finn's hand and pressed it to his belly. "Wake up," he whispered to Finn's slack features.
He heard the door open and close, and guessed Jessie must have left. Closing his eyes, he settled in to wait and hope.
****
A few weeks later
"So you'll be staying here, Parker?"
Parker scanned Alicia's face and forced a slight smile. "For now, yes. I took time off. A lot of unexpected things happened... But I can't go."
Alicia sighed and stared over Parker's
Nonetheless, his visitor must have heard him, because the door opened and Jessie stepped into the room. "Hey. Can I come in?"
Parker nodded. "Sure."
He liked Jessie. The man had a quiet strength that reminded Parker a bit of Jensen. "What's up?"
"Dad told me about what happened," Jessie said as he carefully approached. "I hope you don't mind. He was concerned, and he wondered if you'd like to speak to someone you see as closer to your age."
It was a peculiar phrasing, but Parker decided he was better off not knowing. It wouldn't hurt to have someone who could listen to him. "I'm... I feel lost. I'm just a regular guy. I never would have dreamed werewolves existed, let alone that I'd end up expecting a child from one of them."
Jessie nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I can understand that." He laughed lightly. "For most of my life, I thought I was human and then it turned out that I wasn't. Shook me quite a bit. But... You're not me. Do you regret it? Do you regret being with Finn?" His expression sobered. "You don't have to keep the baby, you know. No one would blame you if you decided against it."
Parker blinked at the other man. He hadn't expected Jessie to say something like that, and if he wanted to be perfectly honest, he hadn't even considered abortion as an option. It wasn't that he didn't want the baby. That wasn't it all. Now that he took that idea into account, he realized how hard it would be for him.
Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around his belly. "I don't regret any of it," he told Jessie, "at least not in the way you might think. Finn... It's going to sound crazy, but I fell in love with him the day we met. And this baby is part of both of us. I grew up in an orphanage, Jessie. I don't think I could ever abandon it or hurt it in any way."
"Fair enough. For the record, I don't think Finn would understand any choice you made. He and I don't know each other very well, but he's a good man, and I think he'll take good care of you. Besides, in the long run, it's worth it."
For the first time, Parker realized Jessie had put on quite a lot of weight since they'd met. "You're pregnant too," he said in a daze.
Jessie chuckled. "You just noticed now? I must be better at hiding it than I thought. Although I suppose I'll have to seclude myself in my room soon. Wouldn't want Kyle or Jack to ask any questions."
Yeah, that wouldn't go over well. Saul had repeatedly emphasized the necessity of keeping Finn's werewolf nature a secret. Under different circumstances, Parker would have been thrilled to spend time with the boys, but with everything that had happened, he hadn't been able to focus on them much.
"I spoke with Alicia," he told Jessie. "She's still recovering, but she'll probably want them back in a few weeks."
"I'm sure everything will be okay when it comes to the boys," Jessie replied, not unkindly, "but that wasn't really what we were discussing. " He reached for Parker's hand and squeezed it. "He'll wake up, Parker. You'll see. And until he does, you have us for anything you need."
Parker knew he shouldn't allow himself to fall onto the comfort of a man who had his own concerns. Nonetheless, he squeezed Jessie's palm back, one brief moment, before releasing it and facing Finn once more.
Finn hadn't stirred, but Parker suddenly couldn't bear not touching him anymore. He slid out of the chair and onto the bed, curling by Finn's side while being extra careful not to accidentally jostle Finn. He took Finn's hand and pressed it to his belly. "Wake up," he whispered to Finn's slack features.
He heard the door open and close, and guessed Jessie must have left. Closing his eyes, he settled in to wait and hope.
****
A few weeks later
"So you'll be staying here, Parker?"
Parker scanned Alicia's face and forced a slight smile. "For now, yes. I took time off. A lot of unexpected things happened... But I can't go."
Alicia sighed and stared over Parker's
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