Zac, Julie and Shannon
"When exactly are you due anyway?" Zac asked.
"September, October," Julie replied.
The two were chatting on the phone.
"Not sure?"
"Well, it would have been late December, early January that they were conceived, so no."
"Ahh. Cool. Can't believe you're having twins again though."
"Well, y'know. These things happen."
"Have you decided if you're going to do a DNA test yet?"
Julie was silent.
"I'm... I'm not sure... I don't think so. I mean, there are just... there are about five or six different guys the father could be. Heck it was even suggested that the twins could have two different fathers if, y'know, I had sex with both them in a small period of time - which, well, you know me..."
Zac chuckled.
"Fact is... the chances are too... I'm just worried the father might be Dirk. And I just don't want... I don't want that. I couldn't bear looking down at the baby - or babies - knowing he was the father," Julie shuddered.
"Sure, sure," Zac answered. "The last thing anyone wants is to have a child with someone they don't even like. And in this case, utterly loathe."
"Exactly," and Julie sighed. "Well, Meg and Will are going to have their work cut out for them. What with me preggers again, and Rach having her baby the other day. And of course, there's Bek. And Shannon. And who else?"
"Shannon?" Zac repeated. "Isn't she the elf hybrid? She's pregnant?"
"Yeah. I couldn't believe it myself. Didn't think she was that kind. And of course, Sergei's denying it's his, but quite frankly I don't see how it could be anyone else's. After all, Shannon's hardly the sleeping around kind."
"When's she due?"
"August."
Zac was silent, doing some calculating.
"Zac?" Julie asked.
"Huh? Oh sorry. I was just thinking. Well, I ought to go. Tell Shannon I said congratulations. And say hi to B'E and Tom for me okay?"
"Okay sure. See ya later."
"Bye."
Zac hung up, then banged his head against the wall. Not again. Please don't tell him he had done it again!
Meanwhile, Julie sat back down at the table in the caf.
"How's Zac?" asked Rogue.
"Zac is good. Having a good time on the tour. Oh, and he said to say congratulations to you, Shannon, about the baby."
Shannon looked startled.
"He... he knows I am pregnant?" she asked, a faint blush covering her face.
"Yeah. Just told him then. Hope you don't mind."
"Oh, uhh... no... Why would I?"
"No answer to that. Well, uhh, next time you talk to him, say thank you for me."
"Will do."
Inside, however, Shannon was wishing the earth would swallow her up. He knew. And if Julie had told him when she was due he'd figure it out for sure.
She had a lot of explaining to do.
Shannon and Zac
Later that evening, Shannon resorted to sneaky methods, slipped into Julie's room and retrieved Zac's contact details. Then she gave him a call.
"Hello?"
"Hi... Zac?"
"Yes. Who's this?"
"Shannon."
"Ahh, hi Shannon. I had a feeling I'd be hearing from you. Just a sec."
Zac moved onto the hotel balcony, figuring this would be the best place to have a private conversation.
"Okay. So..."
"You found out I am pregnant."
"Yes, yes I did. Is it mine?"
Shannon was silent.
"Yes," she said quietly.
"Didn't feel the need to contact me before hand to tell me?"
"I asked you to do me a favour, that is all. I have to be the one to deal with the consequences. I saw no reason for you to be involved."
"How about... I have a right to know if I'm going to be a dad?"
"I am sorry. I didn't want you to feel like you should be responsible. It was not like you and I were having a relationship or anything."
"Well, I appreciate your consideration, but I would have prefered to have known. I take it no one else does?"
"No one. I did not want to... drag your name throught the mud, so to speak."
"I hardly think one more pregnancy is going to do any more damage to my rep."
"Maybe, maybe not. I did not feel right about telling anyway."
"Fair enough. So I guess the next question is, are you going to let me have a place in your baby's life?"
"I... I... if you want to... But I don't want you to feel responsible for bringing her up. As I said: this is a consequence of a decision I made."
"I helped make it too, might I say."
"This may have happened no matter who I... I..."
"Slept with? Point taken. But you slept with me. It's my child too."
"Please, Zac, just... I do not want for you to feel in any way obligated."
"You want to bring him or her up by yourself?"
"I do not want your help."
"Are you talking in opposites again?"
Shannon laughed.
"I am much better at expressing myself these days, thank you."
"Hmm... Well, do you have any objections to me sending birthday and Christmas presents?"
Shannon smiled.
"No. You can if you want."
"Good. And Shannon? Even though you don't want my help... if you're ever in a jam, please don't hesitate to call me okay? Even if you just want someone to look after him while you're on a pilgrimage or something."
Shannon laughed again.
"I will keep that in mind. And it's a girl."
"A girl? Cool."
They talked a couple of minutes more before hanging up.