Spark in the Dark

Chapter 132

"It's fine, Shawn," Juice stopped her apologies. "I understand completely, okay? Now, I am trying to see how this guy is about to white wash that brick fireplace."

Shawn couldn't help, but smile and roll her eyes at him. "We don't even have a fireplace."

"Then I guess I'll have to build us a fireplace so I can white wash it."

Shawn really laughed this time and dried the last of her tears. "You're a dork."

The door opened and a nurse came in. She paused as she took in their unusual seating arrangement, but didn't comment on it. She walked passed the curtain and over to Shawn's food tray from dinner.

"Couldn't eat, again?"

"Actually, do you mind leaving it? I'll try to eat something," Shawn told her.

Juice smiled, not that either of them could see.

"Of course," the nurse said, sounding pleased.

"What they give you, anyway?" Juice asked once the nurse left.

"Some kind of breaded chicken," Shawn told him and cut a piece to take a bite. "It's actually not bad."

"Probably healthier than what I ate. All I've been eating is processed shit."

"You need your old lady back to take care of you, huh?"

"You have no idea."

* * *

Gemma walked into Shawn's room early the next morning. She was surprised to see Juice, slumped over in a chair with his hands in his hoodie pocket and the hood up as he slept. On the other side of a curtain, Shawn was sleeping, too. She was on her side facing Juice, just as Juice was leaning in her direction. Gemma smiled and gave a little nod as she stepped back into the hallway and closed the door. As she walked away, she saw Tara approaching.

"They're still asleep," Gemma told her.

"They? Juice stayed the night?"

"Looks that way. Tell her I'll be back to check on her later."

Tara nodded and went into Shawn's room. She passed Juice quietly and lightly touched Shawn's arm to wake her. Shawn opened her eyes and saw Tara.

"Hey," Shawn said and moved to sit up.

"Any soreness?"

"It's a little better. Why are we whispering?"

"Juice is asleep. I thought I'd show you this first before he wakes up," Tara said and held out a piece of paper.

Shawn looked at it for a moment before hesitantly taking it. She skimmed the paper until she saw the word. Negative. It wasn't Brent's baby, which meant...

"It's Juice's?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, thank God," she said and sighed in relief.

"I'll let you get back to sleep. The results were in my email as soon as I got here this morning and I knew you'd want to know as soon as possible."

"Yeah, definitely. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Tara told her and left.

Shawn sat up in bed, facing the curtain. She grabbed it and slowly pulled it back. The sound of the curtain woke Juice and he sat up. For the first time in almost a week, he and Shawn made eye contact.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," Shawn told him. She moved to stand. Juice jumped up out of the chair to help her, but stopped.

"Can I touch you?"

Shawn nodded. Juice gently took her hands and helped her onto her feet. He let go of her hands, not wanting to push her too soon. Shawn surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him. He eagerly hugged her back. Having her back in his arms felt so good.

"Juice?" Shawn asked.

"Yeah?"

Shawn pulled away to look into his eyes and let her hands rest against either side of his neck.

"I'm pregnant," Shawn told him. She watched as a range of emotions crossed his face. Confusion, shock, and back to confusion. Shawn added quickly, "It's your's. Tara did a paternity test."

"She didn't have to do that," Juice said.

"Of course she did. I wanted you to know."

"Shawn, I'm going to love you," Juice began and stepped back to look at her stomach, "both of you no matter what."

"I was just worried if it wasn't your's that it would always remind you of... you know, what happened."

"No. Shawn, I love you. Every piece of you. This baby is a piece of you."

"A piece of us," she corrected.

"Us," Juice repeated and touched her belly. "Holy shit. I'm going to be someone's dad."

"Yeah," Shawn agreed.

Juice knelt in front of her slowly and looked up at her for permission. She nodded and Juice gently kissed her belly. "Hi, baby."

Shawn wiped away at her eyes. Juice looked back up in concern. "It's okay. First time in days I'm not crying for a bad reason."

Juice stood and took her head into his hands. He looked down at her lips and she knew he was about to ask permission to kiss her. She reached up before he could and pressed her lips to his. She pulled away and he let her go.

"That's as much as I can handle for right now."

"That's fine."

"Do you have to go to TM this morning?"

Juice shook his head. "I have no where to be that's more important than being here right now."