Big Daddy

Disclaimer: I still don’t own them

“I’m pregnant,” Lillie said, in answer to Rachel’s question.

“Oh, sweetie, why didn’t you tell someone?” Rachel cried, hugging the girl.

“I don’t know,” Lillie sighed, looking down. “I just, I don’t know how Joey’s going to feel. I mean, there’s no way he’s gonna want a baby, is there?”

Rachel looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. He was really happy when Pheebs got pregnant with Cougar.”

“But there’s such a big age difference, Rach,” Lillie protested. “I mean, I’m twenty-two – and he’s thirty-five.” She paused. “I mean, I know that, like, it can work, there are people doing it, hell, Mom said that she had a relationship with this guy who was a friend of her parents’, and that’s what Joey is to me, but Mom and Richard, they broke up because he didn’t want kids, and what if Joey’s like that, Rach? I don’t want to be a single mom.” She paused.

“Lillie, you love each other, don’t you?” Rachel asked.

“I love him,” Lillie replied, simply. “But, I don’t know, I think I come second with him. Or, no, third. Phoebe and Cougar were first. They were his life.”

“Lila, that’s in the past, right?” Rachel said, sternly. “Joey loves you now. Sure, he might have loved Pheebs in the past – who didn’t? – but you are, well, I know he loves you, Lillie.”

“Yeah, he does, doesn’t he?” Lillie said, softly. “And we’re so happy. I love him more than anything.”

“Then you’ll be fine,” Rachel prophesised. “It might change things a bit, but it will just be even better than before, I promise.”

“I hope so,” Lillie said, fervently.

“But you have to tell him now,” Rachel insisted. She paused. “Right, now let’s go and see those cute little sisters of yours.” With that, she steered Lillie firmly out of the bathroom, towards the room where Monica had given birth.

“You okay, Lillie?” Monica asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I, uh, just felt sorta sick,” Lillie replied. “I’m fine, though.” She sighed, wistfully, as she saw Joey cuddle tiny Aurora. He would make an excellent father.

* * *

Back at their apartment, Lillie turned to Joey.

“Um, Joey, I need to tell you something,” she said, softly.

“Uh huh,” Joey replied, engrossed in making himself a sandwich.

“I’m pregnant,” Lillie blurted out. Joey dropped the peanut-butter covered spoon, and Lillie gave a wild protest. She was just like her mother in terms of tidiness.

“What?” Joey stammered, not listening to Lillie’s yells about the peanut butter. “You’re pregnant?”

Lillie paled. “Yup.” She was terrified of what Joey might say or do. He had grown up a little recently, probably due to the fact that all of his friends had had children, and the fact that his girlfriend was now living with him. But what would he say to a baby?

“A-as in, like, having a baby?” Joey said, wildly hoping for some way out.

“Uh huh. I’m about nine weeks gone,” Lillie confessed.

“Nine weeks and you didn’t tell me?”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d react,” she murmured.

“How I’d react?” Joey repeated. Suddenly, his face broke into a smile. “I’m gonna be a Daddy!”

“So you, you’re okay with it?” Lillie faltered.

“Yeah, baby!” Joey cried. He thought for a moment. “Hey, that was kinda funny, like ‘baby’ as in what I say, right? And then ‘baby’, cos, well, you’re pregnant.”

Lillie nodded. This was typical Joey, over-reacting about a joke, and she was thrilled. He was okay with the baby! “We’re gonna have a baby!” she shrieked, hugging him.

“Hey, y’know,” Joey began. “My nickname used to be Big Daddy. I guess I could use that again!”

“Yeah, maybe you should consider all the options about that, Joe,” Lillie warned him.

Joey paused. “So, how long have you known?” he asked.

“Uh, a couple days for certain,” she avoided the question.

“Before that?” Joey probed.

“I went to the doctor last week, and she rang me with the results the day before yesterday,” Lillie elaborated. “I’ve guessed for, well, about a month. Ever since I moved in here, actually.”

“Are you happy?”

“Thrilled.” She smiled. “I mean, why not? I enjoyed the making of it, and I’m gonna enjoy the rest of it for a long time.”

“You enjoyed the making, huh?” Joey asked, seductively. He paused. “Wait, you do mean the sex, right?”

“Yeah,” Lillie said, giggling.

“Oh, good. So, ya wanna have a repeat of that?” was the next question.

“Of course.”

Over an hour later, they were lying in bed, Joey’s hand on Lillie’s stomach. “Wow… there’s a little life in there.”

“I know!” Lillie had picked up many of her mannerisms from her mother.

“Half me, and half you,” Joey continued. “Y’know, there isn’t a single woman that I’d rather do this with.”

“What, the sex?” Lillie quipped.

“No, the baby.”

Lillie paused, trying to work out how to phrase this next question. “N-not even Pheebs?”

Joey pondered for a moment. “No.” At Lillie’s questioning look, he carried on. “Phoebe was my past. I had three great months with her, and nine years before that. You, you and this baby, you are my present, my future, and my life.” He took a deep breath. “Sure, I loved Phoebe. But before I loved her, I loved Rachel. And before that, it was this hot – and I mean really hot – dancer girl from Australia, she used to be my roommate. And before I was in love with her, I was in love with this…”

“I get the picture,” Lillie interrupted.

“So what I’m trying to say, is that, well, just because I might have loved someone in the past, doesn’t mean that I still love them now. And I do still love Phoebe, it’s a different love than I have for, say, Ross, but it’s not like the love I have for you, Lillie. I love Phoebe as a friend, as an ex-lover, as the mother of my child, for however short a time that was. I love you as a lover, as a man loves a woman. Now, Ross, I love him like a friend, kinda like a brother…” Joey had a tendency to make his explanations too long.

“That’s all I need to know,” Lillie murmured, silencing him with a kiss.

Sorry, it was very sappy and pointless, but I needed it as a sort of stepping stone. Please review