Absolutley shattered, I dragged myself up the stairs to the top floor. As I faced the light blue door in front of me, the number 21 placed near the top, I fumbled in my pocket for my keys. I drew them out and placed the right one in the keyhole. I turned it and the door slowly opened before me. I breathed a huge sigh as I stepped in. I pulled my jacket off and placed the keys down on the sideboard. The clock caught my eye, 2:30. I quietly walked through to the lounge. A girl sat, curled up on the sofa, dressed in a blue silk nightie with a white dressing gown wrapped around her. Some TV show about babies was flickering on the screen. Slowly she turned to me and smiled.
	"Hey baby," she whispered, signalling for me to sit next to her. I did so and pulled her into a soft kiss. "You're home early," she continued, as I pulled her body into mine.
	"I know," I replied softly, "I was tired and missing you." She giggled lightly causing me to break into a small smile.
	"I was missing you too." I sat back and listened to her gentle breathing, mindlessly watching the programme on the TV screen.
	"Babe, I thought you weren't going to watch these programmes anymore." I whispered softly in her ear, nibbling her earlobe slightly. She sighed.
	"I know but it just came on and they're so gorgeous." She kissed my cheek. I let my hand creep up to her hair, and softly ran my fingers through it as I let out a long yawn. "Babe, you should go to bed, these late nights aren't doing you any good." I nodded and stood up, taking her hand in mine.
	"Come with me Emma." I murmered. She nodded and flicked the TV off before pulling herself up and following me through to our bedroom. When we got there she slowly pulled her dressing gown off and crawled under the covers. She propped herself up on her elbow and watched intently as I stripped off down to my boxers. I climbed in beside her and as I did, caught her lips in a deep kiss. She smiled and rested her head on my chest. I reached over and turned out the bedside lamp. "Night Matt," she whispered sweetly.
	"Night babe," I whispered back, slowly stroking her hair as I drifted off to sleep. 

	As I woke the next morning I became aware of the empty space next to me. I stretched out letting out a long yawn. I could hear the radio playing softly in the kitchen and smiled to myself. Slowly, I sat up in the bed and ran a hand through my shortish black hair. With another yawn I rolled from the bed and slowly padded through to the living room. Emma was standing in the kitchen area, quietly humming to herself. I grinned inwardly and crept round the breakfast bar. She was oblivious to my presence. As she hummed, she drummed her nails on the kitchen worksurface. She let out a little shriek as I grabbed her waist, turned her and lifted her onto the work surface. Her arms immediatley hooked round my neck as I stepped in between her legs. 
	"Morning baby," she giggled, wrapping her legs around my waist tightly. I smiled up at her and replied with a kiss.
	"What do you think we should do this morning?" I asked, grinning madly. She smiled. "I don't have to be in at work until 2 so you have me all to yourself." She giggled and bit her lip. Just as she was about to lean in for another kiss, the phone rang, as if on cue. I groaned. "Fuck." Emma looked me in the eye.
	"Can't you just leave it?" she questioned sweetly. I sadly shook my head.
	"It might be important babe, you know that." I reached over and lifted the phone from the hook. I bought it to my ear slowly. "Hello?" I amswered, slightly irately.
	"Ah Matt, Not interrupting anything I hope," came the voice on the other end. I looked at Emma silently.
	"No, not at all." Emma unwrapped her legs from around me and lifted herself down from the worksurface. I watched her sadly as she walked from the room, obviously upset.
	"Good. I have a favour to ask." I heard the shower turn on in another part of the house.
	"Okay, go on." I took at seat at the breakfast bar.
	"I have a new girl starting for me today. It's really important that things go right with her. She's on loan so to speak from a business associate of mine. You know me Matt, don't like to break stuff that doesn't belong to me. I was wondering if you could meet her at the club. Daisy's going to be there, you know, as someone who can give her insider gossip, I just need you to sort out the business side. You up for it?" I smiled to myself. Daisy was his "girlfriend", so to speak. His favourite girl. He knew she hated being called Daisy but still did it nonetheless.
	"Yeah of course I'm up for it."
	"Great, just turn up normal time, 2 o clock. They'll be waiting for you." With that, he hung up. No good-bye. I hung the phone back on the hook just in time to hear the shower turn off again. I slowly turned to the kettle and started to make two mugs of coffee. I needed to tread carefully. I'd already sussed that Emma was going to be pissed off. I carried the mugs carefully through to the bedroom. Emma was sitting at the dressing table, dressed in underwear and dressing gown, drying her hair. Her eyes met mine and she scowled slightly before looking away. I sighed to myself and placed one of the mugs down infront of her. She took one look at it, turned the hairdryer off, stood up and walked over the other side of the room, her back to me.
	"Emma." I moaned, holding one arm out in despair. She refused to look at me. She didn't even acknowledge me. I took a step towards her, only for her to move away again. "Babe, this is stupid." I protested, placing my mug down on the bedside table. Emma looked up and turned, her eyes meeting mine, an angry glint in them. 
	"No Matt, I'll tell you what is fucking stupid, you dropping everything and running around to keep James happy," She shouted. I rolled my eyes. We'd had this argument so many times before.
	"He IS my boss." I explained yet again, incase it still hadn't quite sunk in. "If I didn't do all this stuff then you wouldn't have all of this designer stuff. He pays me really good money..." I got cut off mid flow.
	"I don't give a fuck about the money, It's YOU I'm worried about. I'd walk around in a black plastic sack if it meant I'd have time with you." I giggled, trying to keep a straight face. 
	"Oh I doubt it." She growled with annoyance reminding me to keep my sarcasm out of our serious arguments. "Look, I don't know what I can do to make you happy!" I groaned, sitting on the side of the bed, my back to her.
	"Yes you do!" she retorted. I turned around to face her but she still refused to look at me. 
	"What? Tell me because I'm dying to know." She looked up. I knew she was about to explode. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She'd always been good at the silent crying.
	"A baby, Matt, that is all I want. One thing to make us more together as a couple. One thing to make us a family. But yet again, because it's not what YOU want, I have to suffer." I could tell she was pissed off but I was never one to let things lie when we had arguments.   
	"It's not because of what I want, it's because of what's best for us!" I shouted back, knowing I was going to end up with some serious making up to do. 
	"HOW is it best for us?!" She asked me, picking up clothes from the radiator, her back to me again.
	"Well come on, we keep on arguing, I'm out at work all the time and I don't think that's a good environment for a baby to be in." I explained calmly. 
	"We only argue because you're at work all the time," she replied coldly. I was stuck.
	"Okay, yeah, you're right," I replied quietly, "But would you seriously want me to quit my job? If I did then we wouldn't be able to support a baby anyway." It finally looked like she might be coming round. 
	"Matt, think about it yeah, I'm bored. I'm fed up of sitting at home all day. I've tried getting jobs but nothing suits me. All I want is a baby. Something to keep me occupied. Something for me to love when you're not around. Something to actually need me when it's so blatently obvious you don't." I rolled my eyes. Back to the insults. I just cracked.
	"Just get it into your head Babe. I don't want a baby with you. Not now. Not ever." Her heart looked broken and I knew I'd stepped over the mark. "Shit," I muttered under my breath.
	"FINE!" She yelled, walked towards our ensuite, "IF THAT'S YOUR HONEST FEELINGS THEN DON'T EXPECT ME TO BE SITTING HERE WAITING FOR YOU WHEN WE GET BACK TONIGHT BECAUSE I WON'T BE HERE!" She screamed, flouncing into the bathroom with her clothes and slamming the door behind her.

	3 and a half hours later I was sitting on the floor outside the bathroom still trying to get Emma to come out. I couldn't work out what she was up to in there to keep her occupied for that long. I was now fully dressed, ready to go to work but didn't want to leave knowing she probably hated me. Afterall she'd probably change the locks. 
	"Emma, babe, please come out. I have to go to work really soon and I don't want to go knowing you hate my guts." I pleaded. She still refused to reply. I looked at my watch and sighed. I needed to leave now if I had any chance of getting across London in time for work. "Look, babe, I didn't mean what I said. It just came out all wrong and I'm really sorry. You probably think I'm a right dickhead and you're well within your rights to because, basically, I am. I didn't mean to upset you. I really really didn't. Look anyway, I just want you to know that I really really love you, more than anything. I'm really sorry but I have to go to work now but I'll be back at about 6 or 7. I love you babe." I got up, not expecting a goodbye. I pulled my shoes on and my jacket and made my way down to the car. I pulled out of the parking space and caught a glimpse of Emma in the window. I smiled sadly at her and drove out of the car park and in the direction of the club. The roads were packed. Sods fucking Law. In fact by the time I pulled up at the club, it was closer to 2:30 than 2. I ran inside, through the club and through to my office. I got the shock of my life when my boss looked back at me from my chair. 
	"Oh Matt, nice of you to finally join us." He smiled sarcastically, his blue eyes shining. 
	"I'm so sorry boss." I started to explain, feebly. " Me and Emma had an argument and then the traffic was at a fucking standstill." James stood up and walked round the desk.
	"You and Emma had another argument?" He asked, emphasising the 'another'. I glared at him. He knew all about our problems and loved to use them against us. I'd told him everything when I was pissed. James diverted my attention to two girls sitting in the sofa next to the door. One, I recognised instantly, the other, I didn't. "Matt, this is Clare. She's done this before but she's coming to work for us for a bit." I nodded. He took my hand and dragged me out side. Presumably so the girls couldn't hear. "Look, I owe her real boss money. He's leant her to me to try and make it back. It's really important that she only goes with the better paying customers. We need to make a load of money out of her." I nodded.
	"I'll sort out the paperwork." James smiled and nodded.
	"Good Man!" he grinned. With that, he turned around and left the club altogether. I shook my head smiling and re-entered the room.
	"Hi girls!" I smiled, as I shut the door behind me. Both looked up from their conversation. " Come and have a seat over here." I smiled, signalling to the two chair opposite the desk. Both got up together. Daisy smiling at me. I kissed her cheek. We'd known each other for a long time. She was James' "favourite" so to speak. 
	"This is Clare." Daisy smiled, turning to the girl beside her. I smiled and kissed her cheek as well. The three of us sat downand I slowly rifled through my drawers. James had had some blank contracts drawn up that I just had to fill in when new girls started.	"She's got lots of experience in all of this." Daisy continued. I looked up, smiling and placed the contract on the desk.
	"So tell me abit about yourself." I smiled. She looked me straight back in the eye with a devilish grin. All the girls I'd met had had the same grin on their first day.
	"Well I've been in the business since I was 16, just working for different guys. I just love it. It's fun." I nodded.
	"And, how old are you now?" I asked, jotting some stuff down. She looked at Daisy, smiling, then back at me.
	"I'm 20." She replied. "You?" She asked smugly. I looked up. She was biting her bottom lip as she grinned.
	"I...uh...well......I'm 21" I stuttered, surprised at the question. She raised an eyebrow.
	"21? You could easily pass for younger." Daisy was smirking as well and I could tell they were plotting something.  Clare stood up and walked round to me. "Surely you have girls falling at your feet. They must all love you." I started to move backwards in the chair as she got a little bit too close for my liking.
	"N...Not really." I stammered. She placed her hands calmly on the arm rest, stopping me from moving anywhere. She leant forwards, giving me a view down her top. I overted my eyes.
	"Your not shy are you Matt?" she asked, still blatently calm. I turned my face away, suddenly getting shy for one of the first times, well, ever. "What's up?" She asked, lowering her head to mine slowly. My eyes locked on Daisy's and I gave her a 'Help me' look. She just shrugged and carried on smiling. 
	"Look, please. I have a girlfriend." I eventually managed to tell her, although it came out as more of a whine. I sighed. "I'm in enough shit with her as it is right now without anything else cropping up to make things even worse."
	"Awww come on Matt, it's only a bit of fun." Daisy finally piped up, "Besides, it's not like Emma's stayed 100% faithful to you." She grinned. I glared at her. 
	"That's different and you know it." I replied through gritted teeth. I hated it when the girls got together. They always seemed to turn nasty. I pushed Clare off of me and she stumbled backwards. Her grin fading. She didn't know what we were talking about.  I think she was worried she'd hit a sore spot. Emma had once had a small fling with one of my mates. The mate who introduced us. It was very tiny, I was assured by them both it had been one time, when they'd been drunk. Although it had been tiny, it had still knocked my confidence and to some extent my trust. 
	"Matt?" Came Daisy's voice from what seemed like out of nowhere. I suddenly realised I'd been silent throughout my thoughts. "You okay?" she asked. I brushed off her question and picked up the pen lying across the contract. I handed both to Clare quietly.
	"Just sign on the end and we'll do the rest." I told her. She looked at Daisy, nervously, and did as I said. As she handed it back, I started the process of seeing the out. "It was nice to meet you." I smiled slightly. "I'm sure Daisy will show you to where your gonna live, but I have stuff to get on with." Clare left silently but daisy stood in the doorway. I sat back down in my chair and looked at a picture taken of me and Emma on our first holiday. Everything had been perfect back then. No fights, no baby talk.
	"Look I'll meet you outside." I heard Daisy call to Clare as she stood in the doorway. She re-entered the room and shut the door behind her. I stood up and moved over to the couch, leaning forwards and placing my face in my hands. I felt someone sit down next to me. "Matt, babe, what's up?" Daisy asked softly. I refused to answer. "Is it about what Clare did or what I said?" I simply shrugged and sat up. Leaning so far back I was looking at the ceiling. "Wanna talk?" she asked me, her voice still soft. I shrugged again. "Look, I know Emma. I might be able to help you out a bit." She offered. I turned my face to look at her slightly.
	"I think we're beyond the point of help now. We have to sort this out ourselves." Daisy sighed and moved closer to me.
	"What's happened?" She asked calmly. I looked at her, finally meeting her eye contact.
	"I dunno, everything has just gone wrong. This morning we argued but not just a small argument. A big argument. She started on the whole baby thing again and I just snapped. I told her I didn't want babies with her ever. She took it really badly and wouldn't come out of the bathroom. She could still be in there now for all I know. I feel really bad. I love her so much and I never set out to hurt her. I'm just really worried that she'll want to end things between us. I couldn't cope if she did. She keeps me sane. Now I've just run out of things to say to make her forgive me." Daisy laughed slightly.
	"Look Matt, it's clear to everyone and anyone that you two are crazy about each other. It just sounds to me that you're having a few problems understanding each other. Just go home tonight, talk things over, spoil her rotten and make her feel special. She'll love it. You'll be back on track in no time" I smiled slightly.
	"How can someone so clever do this for a living?" She smirked. 
	"I'm not clever Matt, I just know women seeing as I am one. Just try it out. But don't spoil her before you've talked things through otherwise she'll think you're trying to but her back." I smiled again.
	"Cheers you've been a great help." She shrugged.
	"Anytime. Call me if you need any advice. I'd be happy to help. But for now I better go find Clare, she'll be wondering where I've gotten to." I stood up, and kissed her cheek.
	"Bye." I whispered hoarsly. 
	"See you soon." She grinned as she left the room and shut the door behind her. I smiled. She was right. I had to do some making up, big time. 

	I trailed up the stairs, absolutley worn out. I wasn't planning to go to bed when I got in. I had bigger things to do. I had it all. Her favourite flowers, expensive jewellery, top of the range champagne. I had it all planned to make it special. As I reached the door, I fumbled in my trouser pocket for the key. Eventually I found it scattered amongst the random bits of rubbish. I pulled it out and placed it in the keyhole, turning it slightly and pushing the door open. I pulled the key out, put it back in my pocket and shut the door behind me. The flat was quiet. Something that was very unusual for our flat. I pushed the lounge door open, praying Emma was up and not in bed. Sure enough, there she was. Sitting curled up on the sofa, the tv on very very quietly, reading More magazine. She was wearing a pair of my boxers and one of my Blink 182 T-shirts that nearly drowned her. The outfit she considered as her pyjamas.She looked up at me, made eye contact and quickly looked back down. I sighed and thought how to start my making up. I slowly walked over to the sofa and looked down at my arms. I placed the stuff on the table in front of her, she looked up slowly at the gifts, frowned, and looked back down.
	"You can't buy my forgiveness Matt." She muttered into her magazine. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and sat next to her on the sofa. Rubbing my forehead, begging some clever idea to spring out, I leaned forward.
	"I'm not trying to buy forgiveness. I want you to know I still care." She gave me one of her, 'Yeah, Whatever', faces whilst keeping her eyes firmly attached to the page. I sighed again. Suddenly, I had it. The idea I'd been waiting for all day. It might backfire but it was worth a go. I slowly leant backwards and started to read over her shoulder. The readers most amazing sexual moments. Either she was planning something or was wishing. I smiled to myself. "Do you remember the first time we slept together?" I asked, out of the blue, mainly to get her attention. She stayed looking down. Her hand blocking her face from my view as well as her hair infront of her hand. I heard her sigh.
	"Of course I remember it." She mumbled. I smiled to myself. At least I got a reply, of sorts.
	"You know, that was one of the most amazing nights of my life. You looked so beautiful. I felt like the luckiest man alive that night. Everything just felt perfect. You being there and waking up with me. It was the first time ever that I loved a girl. You bought something out of me that I'd never felt before. It was like the one thing that had been missing all my life was suddenly there. I suddenly found it in you."  Emma looked up and away, signalling to me I'd hit one of her emotions. She hated people seeing her cry. I decided to carry on. "Oh and do you remember that night as well when, you had to...... well ......help me so to speak?" I paused as she nodded slowly and discretley. "That night, you were so lovely to me. Any other girl would have just rolled over in a huff but you actually took time out to make sure I wasn't embarrassed about it. I really appreciated it." I heard her sniff. As far as I could see, the plan was working. "Plus the time you, for some reason, decided to handcuff me to the bed, then lost the key." I heard her giggle slightly. I smiled to myself and felt a tear in my own eye. "Even though I was, admittedley, scared out of my wits, I had such a laugh that night. Just being with you." I paused. "Look I suppose what I'm saying Emma is that, you're always there for me and I've had some amzing times with you. I know I don't repay you enough but you mean the world to me. Without you, I'd be noone and I just couldn't cope alone. I need you in my life to keep me sane and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things between us right again." Emma looked up and looked me straight in the eye. 
	"If you ever, hurt me the way you hurt me today again in your life, we are through Matthew Willis." She paused. "I'll remove any chances of you ever having children so you won't have to worry in the future." I smiled and nodded, pulling her close to me. 
	"I love you so much okay. I don't ever mean to hurt you. I just have to try a bit harder to keep things under control." She nodded.
	"We'll work at it together." And with that, I pulled her face to mine and gave her a deep and loving kiss to seal the promise.  

	Over the month after our argument, me and Emma worked hard to make things between us perfect. I'd turned 22 and had suddenly realised I couldn't carry on the way I was. James agreed to give me a few less hours for the same pay providing I did the extra work at home. It worked really well. After about a month, everything was back to normal and 100% perfect. I lay in bed, late one Friday night, just contemplating my life. How it had changed. How I'd turned something into nothing. How I had a career, a steady relationship and somewhere to live. Money to buy just about whatever I wanted in the whole world. I stared up at the twinkling ceiling. The little lights we'd had installed to make the bedroom ceiling a bit more interesting to look at in the dark. Emma's head was resting lazily on my bare chest, her hand rubbing gently, comforting me slightly. The sheets were draped clumsily over the pair of us. My fingers laced their way through Emma's hair. The room was silent except for the sound of our soft breathing and the sound of the curtains flapping gently in the soft breeze from the open window.
	"Are you okay babe?" Emma asked out of the blue. I jumped slightly, not expecting the question.
	"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I replied in a hushed voice. 
	"You're extraordinarily quiet and you seem tense for some reason." She moved her head from my chest and kissed me gently on the lips. I tucked her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek.
	"I'm fine, I promise." She bit her bottom lip and broke our eye contact before regaining it.
	"You would tell me if something was up, wouldn't you?" She questioned swwetly. I sighed.
	"Of course I would baby." She smiled contently and placed her head gently back on my chest. We lay there in near silence for at least another 5 minutes before the phone rang. I rolled over, slowly, groaning, Emma's head falling from my chest.
	"If that is James, I'm going to be so angry." She moaned. I looked at the clock.  It was 2:07 in the morning, even by James' standards that was a ridiculous time to be ringing. I leant over, flicked the bedside light on and picked the phone off of the cradle.
	"Hello?" I answered sleepily, even though I hadn't been asleep.
	"Matt? It's Clare." Came the shaky voice on the other end. I sat up. Something was wrong.
	"Clare? What's up? You sound upset." I said calmly.
	"I'm sorry it's late, I just didn't know who else to call." She stammered.
	"Hey, It's fine, honestly. Now what's happened? You're scaring me." There was a pause from the other end.
	"I've been raped Matt." She sobbed, down the phone. I sat still as the words hit me. Emma saw the change in my facial expression and sat up. 
	"Shit." I managed to utter.
	"The guy who I went with. I went to his place and he started drinking, then he hit me. I tried to get away but he wouldn't let me go. I refused to sleep with him so he raped me."
	"Where are you now?" I asked urgently.
	"I'm scared Matt." She cried.
	"I know sweetheart but you have to tell me where you are. I can't help you otherwise." I heard her sobbing quietly.
	"I'm at the end of Neal Street. Near Leicester Square." She managed to tell me.
	"Just stay where you are. I'll be as quick as I can."
	"Thank you so much."
	"It's okay. Look, I'm going to put my girlfriend on the phone. Just talk to her until I get to you, okay?"
	"Uh, huh." She mumbled. I took the phone away from my ear and held the mouthpiece so Clare couldn't hear. 
	"It's Clare, One of the girls. Some twat's raped her." I explained. Emma put a hand to her mouth. "I just need you to talk to her. Keep her occupied while I drive to get her, okay?" Emma nodded and took the phone.
	"Hey Clare, It's Emma." She started. I kissed Emma's forehead and slid from the bed. I grabbed a pair of boxers and pulled them on, closely followed by my jeans and a T-Shirt. I grabbed a hoody from the floor and left the room, slipping in my trainers as I passed them and picking up my keys from the side. I slammed the door shut behind me and jogged down the stairs to the car. I drove away quickly and hit the road searching for Clare. With it being so late at night, the roads were emptier meaning I could find her a bit quicker. I pulled up to where Clare and described to me and looked around. I saw her, sitting in a doorway, on her mobile. I pulled the car up and climbed out. She looked a state. Her mascara smeared down her face, her clothes not on properly. I helped her up. She was shaking violently and crying. I took her mobile phone and bought it to my ear.
	"Em, It's me. I've got her okay." I said quietly. 
	"Okay, Look after her. She's really shaken up." I nodded.
	"I will, we'll see you in a minute." I hung up the call and gave Clare her phone back. I helped her back over to the car and let her climb in the passenger side. I walked around the car and climbed in the drivers seat. I sat for a moment - not saying anything. "Look, I'm going to take you back to mine. Get you sorted out. Emma will be there, you know, if you need any female support or anything." I paused. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked. Fresh tears ran down her cheeks. 
	"It was horrible Matt. I went back to his and he just kept drinking and drinking and I told him to stop. He told me to just shut up and do my job then he hit me really hard. The next thing I knew he was raping me." I shut my eyes. "I tried to get him off me but he was stronger than me."
	"I'm so, so, so sorry that this happened." I whispered. I felt incredibly guilty for the first time in my life. "Look, lets just get you back home." I told her, starting the car up again and driving away.

	The whole way home, Clare kept incredibly quiet. I kept glancing over to check she was okay. I couldn't believe this had happened.When we finally pulled up outside of the Apartment Block, I parked and helped Clare out of the car. I put a protective arm around her and led her up the 5 flights of stairs to my front door. Emma threw the door open, now dressed in a black silk nightie. She looked tired yet worried. As soon as she saw Clare, her face said it all. She looked shocked. I smiled at her slightly and took Clare through to the lounge. I sat her on the sofa and sat next to her. Emma shut the front door and followed us. 
	"Clare is there anything I can get you?" Emma asked sweetly. I looked up at her gratefully, glad she was controlling the situation.
	"Uh, no, I don't think so." Clare stuttered.
	"Are you sure you don't want a bath?" She asked again. Clare looked up.
	"Um, yeah I'll have a bath, If you don't mind." Emma smiled.
	"Of course I don't mind." She looked at me. "I'll be right back." Emma left the room, leaving me and Clare alone. I fidgeted abit, unsure of what to say.
	"Look is there anyone you want me to call? Any of the girls or anything?" I asked. She shook her head. 
	"Are you going to call James?" she asked. I sighed.
	"I have to. Sorry." She nodded. 
	"It's okay, I understand." I smiled.
	"You know, you can come to me if you have any problems. I don't mind." She looked up.
	"Thank you." The door opened and Emma came back in.
	"Okay, the bath's running. There are towels in there and a dressing gown if you want it when you finish. I'll try and find you some clothes or something." Clare stood up and smiled gratefully.
	"Thank you so much." Emma quickly showed her to the bathroom and returned. I pulled her into a strong hug.
	"You're a star you know babe." I whispered kissing her forehead. She smiled.
	"Yeah, well, you're a bit of a hero yourself." She kissed me on the lips. I smiled. As we pulled apart, Emma let out a long yawn. 
	"Oh babe, you're tired, maybe you should go back to bed." I whispered. She shook her head.
	"Nah. I'll stay and help you out." I smiled.
	"I appreciate it." We both sat down, curling up next to each other.
	"What are you going to do now?" She asked me. I shrugged.
	"Ring James I suppose. That's all I can do."
	"Well, I have an emergency Pregnancy test. I think she should do it. Just to be on the safe side." I nodded.
	"As long as you don't mind her using it?" She shook her head.
	"I don't care, I'll get another one." I smiled.
	"Maybe you should talk to her about it." She laughed slightly. 
	"Okay then. I'll do it when she's ready." She paused. "What are you going to say to James?" She asked. I shrugged again.
	"Just explain what's happened I suppose. I'm scared though."
	"Scared?" I nodded.
	"Emma. I am human. Even I get scared sometimes." Emma cuddled up closer to me. 
	"I'm scared too baby." She whispered.

	An hour later, Clare finally appeared in the doorway, dressed in the gown, hair damp. Emma got up and smiled. 
	"How are you feeling now?" She asked her quietly. Clare nodded.
	"Better thanks" she whispered hoarsely. 
	"Look why don't you sit down?" Emma suggested to Clare. "We have an idea to run past you." Clare did as she was told and sat on the sofa opposite us. I took a deep breath knowing I had to step in. 
	"Look Clare, me and Emma were having a chat and, well, she has an emergency pregnancy test. We think it'd be a good idea if you use it." She nodded quietly. 
	"Can I do it now to get it out of the way?" She asked quietly. I looked at Emma and she nodded. 
	"Of course you can." She smiled. "Do you want me to come with you?" Clare looked up and nodded happily.
	"Please." Emma stood up and took her back to the bathroom. I stood up and started pacing the floor nervously. James would be angry as it was but if she was pregnant he'd be ready to kill. It was nearing 5 minutes since they'd left the room that Emma appeared in the doorway. She looked down, the white stick in her hand. I already knew the answer from her look.
	"It's positive isn't it." I stated, sitting down on the sofa. Emma simply nodded. "Where's Clare?" I asked, looking straight ahead. Emma sat next to me.
	"She's in the spare room. She's shattered bless her. She saw it was positive and just wanted to go to sleep." Emma lifted my chin and kissed me. "Babe, don't worry. She may decide to get an abortion if it's her job your worried about."
	"How did she take it?"
	"She just nodded. She kinda spaced out." I kissed Emma again, for comfort. 
	"Look, I'm gonna ring James. You can go back to bed if you want." I told her. She nodded.
	"I'm going to go to our room but just to do some stuff. Just come and get me if you need me." She explained. I nodded and pulled her into another kiss. A deeper one this time.
	"Night" I whispered.
	"Night," she replied. She reached the doorway and stopped. Turning back briefly. "And Matt, you'll be fine. Just don't worry." I smiled.
	  "Cheers baby." She blew me another kiss and left the room, leaving me on my own, phone in hand. I rubbed my forehead worriedly and slowly tapped in the number of my boss. I brought the phone to my ear as it rang. After what seemed like an age, the ringing stopped and heavy breathing came on the other end.
	"Hello?" came the breathless voice on the other end. James' breathless voice.
	"Boss, it's Matt." I said in what came out as a whisper.
	"Matt, it's kinda a bad time right now." He replied, sharply.
	"It's important." I told him urgently. He sighed.
	"What's happened?" he asked, in a not caring voice. I took a deep breath.
	"Clare's been raped. She's in a really bad way." James caught his breath.
	"How bad?" he asked quickly.
	"We did a test. She's pregnant."
	"Fuck." James cursed loudly. There was a pause. "I'm on my way okay." He told me. I nodded silently.
	"I'll talk to her. Tell her you're coming."
	"I'll see you in about 10 minutes." He hung up, the dialling tone kicking in on my end of the line. I placed the phone back on the holder and sat back. Eventually I managed to pull myself up and walked through to the bedroom where Emma was sitting on the bed. She looked up and smiled.
	"How'd it go?" she asked sweetly. I smiled slightly.
	"He's coming over. I'm a bit worried what he's going to do." I sighed as I sat on the bed. Emma leant over the bed and pulled me into her arms.
	"It'll be fine. If he gets upset or angry then that's his problem, not yours." She whispered, stroking my back. I relaxed, resting my head near her. She kissed my head lightly and lay down next to me.

	Next thing I knew, someone was hammering on the door. Obviously not caring if they woke up the rest of the apartment block. I jumped up, leaving Emma dozing peacefully on the bed. I went to the door rubbing my eyes. I opened it to see James standing on the other side. A face like thunder.
	"Where is she?" he asked angrily. I sighed.
	"In the bedroom." I told him weakly, showing him through to where Clare was. As I opened the door, Clare sat up. "James is here to see you." I told her. She nodded. James walked in and I shut the door behind us. James sat on the bed.
	"What happened Clare?" He asked in a stern voice. She shrugged.
	"He was drinking then he just raped me." James sighed.
	"I can't believe you did Clare! I thought you'd have had a bit more sense. If he was drunk you should have just left."
	"He wouldn't let me go." She protested.
	"Look, if you gather yourself together. I have to have a word with Matt. I'll take you back to the house. The girls will look after you. Leave Matt and Emma in peace." Clare nodded and started to find her clothes. James stood up and walked out of the room, signalling for me to follow him. He led me into the front room and shut the door.
	"What the fuck happened Matt?" He raged.
	"I don't know. She just called and asked me to get her." 
	"Do you know how much money I'm going to lose over this, and how much shit I'm going to be in. This could ruin me you know." He shouted. I looked down.
	"I'm sorry. I wasn't there though. What the fuck was I supposed to do?" I asked, angry that he was trying to pin the blame on me.
	"She's fucking pregnant Matt. She's no use to me, she's no use to anyone. What is she going to do for 9 months, well even longer."
	"She might have an abortion." I pointed out. He shrugged.
	"And supposing she doesn't. What do I do then?" Now it was my turn to shrug.
	"You owe me big time Matt. You've let me down. If you'd been doing your job properly, none of this would have happened." He paused. "I mean, what were you doing home early?" 
	"I have a relationship to hold down James. I can't spend all my life at the club." I protested.
	"Oh so she must be special if you put her before your work." He smirked. 
	"To me she is, yeah." 
	"Oh so she wouldn't be to me?" He questioned. I looked up.
	"She's my girlfriend and I love her. You can't expect me to spend every living moment down at the club working for you. I have my own life to lead."
	"Touching Matt. Very Touching." He bit is bottom lip. "Maybe me and her should meet up so I can experience how special she is for myself." he suggested. I shook my head.
	"Leave her out of it. This is between me and you. Why should she have to suffer?" 
	"I'm serious Matt. You give me a date with your precious girlfriend and I might be willing to forget your whole part in this." I shook my head.
	"She'll never agree to it." I told him honestly. He walked towards me.
	"Well, make her agree." I was about to protest again when the door opened and Clare poked her head round.
	"I'm ready to go James." She whispered. He smiled.
	"Okay well, we better get going then. Remember my offer Matt." He smiled. I scowled and nodded. James left the room and I followed them to the front door. "Give my love to Emma," He grinned, ushering Clare out of the door.
	"I will." I said through gritted teeth. "Bye Clare." I smiled. She smiled back.
	"Bye. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it." I nodded.
	"It's no problem, honestly."
	"Right, well, I'll see you soon Matt." James butted in. He led Clare down the stairs leaving me on the doorstep alone. I shut the door and let out a huge sigh. Slowly, I flicked the lights off around the house and made my way back to bed. Emma was lying there, still peacefully sleeping, oblivious to all that had just happened. I kissed her forehead, stripped down to my boxers and climb
bed in next to her. Nearly everything was sorted, it just depended on whether she was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for me.

	When I woke the next morning, my body was tangled in the sheets. It was hot outside, making the room slightly muggy. I sat up and looked at the clock. It was 11:30. Not surprising after how late it was before I got back to sleep after the Clare escapade. At least I had the weekend off. That was another part of my deal with James. I pulled myself out of the bed, rubbed my eyes and stumbled towards the lounge. Emma was standing at the breakfast bar, a piece of paper in her hand and a pen. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a baby doll top. A pair of wedge sandals on her feet, her sunglasses perched on the top of her head and her dark blonde hair flowed down to her shoulders. 
	"Where are you going?" I asked, scaring the shit out of her. She turned to look at me.
	"Jesus Matt, I thought you were asleep." She smiled. I walked towards her a wrapped my arms around her.
	"I was, but now I'm awake." She leant up and we kissed softly. "So anyway, where are you going?" I asked again. She smiled.
	"A bit of retail therapy after last night." She giggled.
	"I'm sorry about all of that. That you had to get dragged into it." She smiled.
	"It's okay, glad I could help." I kissed her again. 
	"I'll see you later then, try not to be too late though, I want to spend some time with you." I told her. She nodded.
	"I love you babe." She called as she opened the door.
	"I love you too!" I called back, just intime to hear the door slam behind her. I put my head in my hands and fell down on the sofa. I was never going to pluck up the courage to tell her James' suggestion. She'd never agree to it in a million years. It crossed my mind to ring James and tell him she'd already said no, but he'd want to hear it from her. I felt terrible and I'd only been up for 5 minutes. I sat back on the sofa and flicked the TV on. I went through all of the channels until I found some decent music on one of the music channels. I sat back, flicking my thumbs, not knowing what to do with myself. I hated being alone. It had always been one of my biggest fears as a child, having noone. That's why I'd been so happy when I finally got myself a proper girlfriend. Well, Emma. She was my first girlfriend. Before I'd just been a guy who shagged girls and left the the next morning without a care in the world. When it came to Emma, something felt right, like we clicked. I sat thinking about Emma wanting children, wanting MY children. Then Clare being pregnant with the child of some scum. Nothing seemed right. I needed something to relax me, and as Emma wasn't here there was only one thing I could do............Shower.

	A shortish blonde guy sat beind a table in a dark office, facing two girls. One was looking down, almost ashamed, the other, trying desparately to comfort her. 
	"What do you honestly expect me to do for nine months? I can't make any money from you, your boss will kill me. I can't send you out when you're up the duff." The second girl smiled sympathetically. 
	"He's right you know," she whispered, "Not only is it bad for you, it's bad for the baby." The first girl looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. 
	"Well what am I supposed to do?" she asked in desperation. The guy sighed.
	"There's only one thing you can do." He said softly. She shook her head.
	"I'm not killing my baby, you can't make me." She moaned.
	"Do you really think you'll be able to keep it? And bring it up?" He almost snarled. 
	"I'll get money from the father." She told him, cuttingly. He frowned at her like she was stupid. 
	"You don't even know who the father is!" He laughed. She smirked at him.
	"Oh don't be too sure about that. There's more than one candidate for the role of father, and believe me, all of them, unfortunatley for my child, are complete scum." She snarled, pushing her chair back and storming out of the room.

	After walking around the house in only a towel for most of the remainder of the morning, I finally decided to get dressed into something a little more material. I pulled a t-shirt on with a pair of jeans and made my way back to the sofa. By now it was nearly 5 o clock. Just as I settled down, I heard the door open and Emma bustle in. I smiled to myself.
	"I'm home baby." She called as she let the door slam shut behind her. She walked into the lounge carrying a lot of bags from designer shops. My bank account was going to be slightly damaged. 
	"How are you?" I asked as she leant down and kissed me deeply. She dropped the bags and fell down on my lap, snuggled into my chest. 
	"I'm good." She whispered. I stroked her back softly.
	"What did you buy?" I asked her, kissing her forehead. She looked into my eyes and smiled. She reached over the side of the sofa and picked up an Ann Summers bag. I smiled. 
	"Oh babe, for me? - You shouldn't have!" I laughed. She hit my arm playfully.
	"Good job it's not for you then, it's for me." She giggled, "Besides, I don't think bra and knickers would suit you."
	"Well..." She shushed me.
	"Just NO!" I kissed her softly.
	"Anyway, show me." I whined. She reached in the bag and pulled out a black lacy french knicker and bra set. I grinned. "Very sexy baby." I bit my bottom lip. " Will I be getting my own private fashion show of this?" She titled her head on the side sweetly.
	"Maybe, if you play your cards right." She smirked. She held her hand out and took mine in it. She stood up and pulled me with her. 
	"Where are we going?" I asked, smiling. She turned to face me.
	"Bed." She told me, grinning.
	"Babe, it's not even 6 yet. I'm not even tired." I protested.
	"Who said anything about sleeping?" She asked, a cheeky glint in her eye. I smiled and let her lead the way.

	I lay peacefully in the bed and looked down at Emma's resting form. She caught me looking and gave me a questioning look. After what we'd just done I felt even more guilty about presenting James' suggestion to her. 
	"Tell me." She said simply. She knew me too well. "What's bothering you?" She asked me, sitting up. I sighed.
	"Look, I didn't want to tell you this because I didn't want to upset you." I paused. "Please don't get angry when I tell you." I pleaded. She nodded.
	"Of course I won't." She leant back, interest spread on her face. 
	"Well when James came over the other night to get Clare, he said some stuff to me."
	"Like?" She questioned.
	"Well he told me that I was partly to blame for what happened and if I'd been at work then Clare wouldn't have got hurt. So I was saying that I was here so I could be with you. Anyay he kept talking and now he says he'll forget my part if you sleep with him." I blurted out.
	"WHAT!" She shreiked. "Matt, that's mad!" I nodded.
	"I know babe but for some reason he won't back down. I'm worried he's going to fire me. I'm not saying you should do it because you shouldn't but he's gonna want to hear it from you. I tried to tell him no but he wouldn't take it."
	"So does this mean I have to call him to tell him no myself?" She I asked. I nodded.
	"Fraid so." She smiled.
	"But babe, I don't want you to lose your job." I shook my head.
	"Don't worry about that. Just worry about yourself." She nodded and smiled. 
	"Baby, when have you ever known me to do anything other?" She smirked. I kissed her and pulled her on top of me, happy that the situation was out in the open. 

	When I woke up on Monday morning, Emma was already up and ready. I walked into the lounge slowly, doing up my tie as I did so. I smiled as I saw Emma. She was sitting on the sofa, biting her nails, staring straight into space. I sat next to her.
	"Earth to Emma." I whispered in her ear. She jumped and looked at me. 
	"Sorry, babe. I was miles away." She murmured.
	"What's up?" I asked, pulling her onto my lap. She let her head fall onto my chest, like a baby. She shrugged.
	"I'm meeting an old friend today. I'm really nervous." She told me quietly. I kissed her softly.
	"It'll be fine. I promise." She smiled. 
	"You don't even know them." She giggled. I smiled. 
	"It'll still be fine." I kissed her again. "What time are you coming back?" I asked. She shrugged.
	"It'll hopefully be before you're back. I'll call if I'm going to be majorly late."
	"At the club?" She nodded. She stood up and started stuffing bits in her bag. I checked my watch and stood up from the sofa myself. "I better be off baby." I told her. She turned and nodded. I walked up behind her and kissed her neck. 
	"Have a good day, yeah." She smiled. I nodded. 
	"I'll see you later." I picked up my laptop and jacket and went to the door. "I love you." I called out.
	"I love you too." She replied sweetly. I let the door slam shut and made my way down to the car, leaving on time for work.

	The medium height dark blonde haired girl stood outside of the tall block of apartments. She stared up to where the penthouse was and slowly pulled her mobile from her pocket. She took a deep breath and dialled the number jotted down on her hand. She waited as the phone rang through. She was scared. Eventually the other end picked up.
	"Hello?" came the voice on the other end. 
	"Hi James, it's me." She replied. The voice on the other end cheered up slightly.
	"I thought you were never gonna make it."
	"I got stuck in traffic." She explained.
	"It's okay, Just come up." He hung up and she heard the door to the block click open. She pushed it and made her way to the lift. She pressed the button and waited as the lift took her to the top floor. When it stopped and the doors opened she was faced with a small landing and an open front door opposite her. She walked in the open front door and shut it behind her. 
	"James?" She called out questioningly. 
	"I'm in the main room." came the shouted reply. She followed the corridor along until she came to a large open plan lounge and kitchen. The young guy sat on the sofa wearing trousers and a shirt. He stood up and handed her a glass of wine. "I thought I'd spoil you." He whispered. She smiled shyly and took the wine. "I want it to be special. Something you'll never forget." She nodded shyly and sat on the sofa. James leant over to her and softly kissed her cheek. She flinched, nerves washing over her. He noticed her reaction and smiled. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll be really gentle." She shut her eyes. She had no idea why she was putting herself through this. He kissed her again, this time she kissed him back. He grinned against the kiss. As they pulled apart, he tucked her hair behind her ear. "Are you ready to do this yet?" He asked, taking her hand in his. She nodded slowly, thinking all the time of the guy she loved.   

	I'd been home for 2 hours and Emma still wasn't back. I was sitting on the sofa trying to keep calm. Afterall, It wasn't like I'd never been later than I'd said before. I was sure that she and her mate had just got carried away catching up on things. I felt in my pocket and held the small velvet box in my hand. I was absolutley dying for her to turn up soon. I picked up my mobile and strted to text her. babe wer r u? I'm wrried abt u. TB. Love u, Mattxx. I sighed and threw the phone down on the table. I was out of my mind with worry. Especially as she hadn't called. I looked at the clock, it was 9.00. I was hungry and tired and scared. I couldn't believ she'd done this to me. My nerves were already a wreck. Then it struck me. The last time she'd been this late was when she'd cheated on me with my so called mate. I panicked. What if it had happened again? What if she was out there now with him? His hands all over her, his tongue in her mouth. I heaved as I thought of it. I pulled the small box from my pocket and flicked it open. I pulled the small platinum ring out and held it in front of me. I looked at it and sighed. Carefully, I placed it back in the box and shut it again. I made my way into the bedroom and opened my bed side drawer. I held the box tightly before dropping it in and shutting the drawer again. I made my way back to the lounge and sat on a stool at the breakfast bar. I grabbed the ashtray and pulled a packet of cigarettes from my back pocket. I grabbed a lighter and lit it, inhaling deeply. I threw the lighter down and brought my free hand to my head, resting the elbow on the table. I took another drag and flicked some excess ash into the tray. It was quiet in the house. Too quiet. I got up to find the TV remote and flicked the TV on. I needed some background noise. I walked back to my stool, my eyes falling to a bottle of Vodka in the cupboard in the kitchen. I got up and grabbed the bottle before returning to my seat. I slowly I unscrewed the lid and took a long swig. It was comforting. It helped all the pain go away. Smoke rose from the cigarette, swirling above my head. I head the familiar sound of the door opening and took another drag on the cigarette, followed by a long swig of vodka. "Sorry I'm late." I heard her call. The door to the lounge opened and Emma walked in. I looked up at her and then back down. She walked over. "What are you doing?" She asked quietly. I smiled.
	"Drowning my sorrows" I told her. She frowned.
	"But why?" She asked again. I shrugged.
	"Dunno, suppose it puts my mind at ease. Especially after I've been going out of my mind with worry since I got home 2 hours ago." I told her calmly. She sighed.
	"I said I was sorry." She explained.
	"Where were you then?" I asked, still staring ahead at the bottle. She sat on the stool next to mine.
	"I was with my mate like I said, we just got carried away talking. She invited me back to hers to see her place and I went. I lost track of time."
	"Doesn't she have a phone in her house then? Is there nowhere where you could get a signal on your mobile or something? You said you were going to be back before I was. Why didn't you call to tell me you were going to be late?" I asked through gritted teeth."Like I said, I lost track of time. I didn't realise it was late." She told me. I snorted.
	"Oh so the dark sky outside didn't signal it was late?" I asked sarcastically. She shook her head.
	"Come on babe, you're just being silly now." I thought to myself. There had to be some way I could confirm my suspiscions. I sat up and turned to her, a slight smile on my face. 
	"Yeah, I suppose you're right." I sighed. "Sorry babe, I'm just a bit het up at the moment." She nodded. I placed the cigarette in the ashtray and held my arms out. Emma smiled and stood up, hugging me tightly. That's when she gave herself away. "Oh I fucking knew it." I moaned, shoving her away. She frowned.
	"Matt what the fuck are you talking about?" She questioned. I laughed to myself and turned, bringing the cigarette back to my lips.
	"Nice aftershave," I told her cattily. "Shame it isn't mine." I looked back into the bottle and took another swig. 
	"What are you suggesting?" she asked me quietly. I could tell her tears were building up but I was so angry I didn't give a damn.	
 	"You know what I'm suggesting. Who is he this time then? Another one of my mates? Or the same one." I asked angrily.
	"Matt..." She protested.
	"Was he good? Better than me?" I asked scowling. Now I was pissed off. "Do you like the feeling of other men all over your body? Does it give you some sort of kick?" She let her tears fall down her cheeks. 
	"Matt stop it." She cried out. "I haven't done anything!" She shouted. I rolled my eyes.
	"I seem to remember you said that last time." I paused. "Surely after your track record, you'll forgive me if I don't believe you."
	"Matt I thought that was in the past."
	"It was, until you come home stinking of another man. You're just a fucking slag. I'm just poor sad Matt, oblivious to what's going on around him. Here I was tonight, coming home, ready to fucking propose to you." She gasped. "I don't think I'll fucking bother now though. Seeing as this relationship obviously means Jack shit to you." I got up and walked out of the room, Emma close behind me.
	"Where are you going?" She wailed. I went to the cupboard and pulled out the blanket and spare pillows. "You're not sleeping on the sofa are you?" She asked innocently. I shook my head, smiling to myself.
	"No babe, YOU ARE." I shoved the blanket and pillows in her hands and darted into the bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I could hear Emma sobbing outside the door. I lifted up her pillow and grabbed her pyjamas. I screwed them up in my hand and then opened the door again. Emma, who was now sitting on the floor, looked up at me.
	"Ma...." She started to protest.
	"You might need these." I told her bluntly, throwing them on top of her. I shut the door again and locked it behind me, then fell on the bed and cried myself to sleep.

	I woke up the next morning, my head hurt and my eyes were sore. Last night had been tough. It felt weird being alone in the bed. I pulled myself up and grabbed a shirt and some trousers. I felt bad. Something was telling me Emma was innocent but I just couldn't tell. I didn't know what to think anymore. I felt guilty that I hadn't let her talk it through properly with me. I grabbed a tie and threw it round my neck before walking through to the lounge. My shoes, socks and jacket were all still next to the stool I was on last night. As I walked into the lounge I noticed Emma still fast asleep on the sofa, It looked like she had been crying as well. I sighed to myself and softy kissed her forehead as she slept on, oblivious to my presence. I picked up my stuff and left the room, pulling them on quickly in the hallway. I legged it down to the car and quickly drove myself to work. When I got there, James was waiting for me outside of my office. 
	"We have a meeting with Clare at 12. We need to discuss the baby." I nodded and tried to dart into my office. James stopped me again. "Matt smile, for god sake. You look like your worlds about to end." I shut my eyes.
	"I had an argument with my girlfriend last night, okay, I'm not in a happy mood." James just shrugged.
	"Not my problem. I'm in a good mood today though so please try not to ruin it for me." I slammed the door shut, went to my desk and threw my stuff down. I was fed up to the back teeth. For some reason when things were just getting good between us, things went wrong again. It was like someone or something was trying to tell me to give up hope. I didn't want to. I loved Emma and I was almost certain I'd never find another girl who understood me the way she did. Sure, we argued but the good times outweighed the bad.

	When 12 came around, James called me into his office. I made my way in, slowly. I didn't want to go. All it would be was James telling Clare to have an abortion and me having to agree with him. Not really being a massive fan of kids myself it felt weird that I wanted her to keep the baby. It wasn't that I hated kids, I'd just not had much experience with the them. No one close to me had had children so I hadn't ever been able to do any babysitting or playing with children as such. I wanted to though, I was just scared of having my own. My own responsibilities. I opened the door to James' office muttering a "sorry I'm late", under my breath. I sat next to James, Clare on the other side of the table. She was holding her stomach protectively. James sighed and leant forwards, ready to begin. 
	"Right Clare. I don't want to sit here forcing you into an abortion, but is a baby really a good idea for you?" He asked. Clare shrugged. She looked scared. "If you want to still be a stripper then you're going to have to be out for at least 9 months. You have to look after it after it's born, get back into shape, then have someone to look after it when you're out. It just won't work."
	"Well, maybe I'll have to give up stripping then." She replied, matter of factly. I smiled to myself. She wasn't going to give up easily. James shook his head.
	"You'd be really stupid if you did, you're really talented. Do you realise how much hard work a baby would be? Clare shrugged again.
	"I'm sure I'd manage. Lots of first time single mothers get through it. Why would I be any different? Because I'm some whore and therefore supposed to be some airhead bimbo? I don't think so." Suddenly, the phone on James' desk started ringing. He signalled for me to answer it. 
	"Hello?" I said cautiously.
	"Hey babe, it's me. We need to talk." It was Emma. I put a hand to my forehead.
	"I'm kinda busy at the moment. Can't it wait? I'm in a meeting."
	"Matt, If this relationship meant anything to you, you'd stuff your fucking meeting and come and talk to me. I'm outside in my car. If I don't hear anything from you within 5 minutes then I guess I know what you think." The line went dead. I sighed and hung up.
	"James, something really important's come up, I need to go for a bit. I'll be back though." He nodded and waved his hand as if he was shooing me away. I stood up, winked at Clare and left the room, making my way out of the front door. I saw Emma's Silver 4x4 parked in a layby across the road and walked over. She smiled gratefully as she saw me. I climbed in the passenger seat and shut the door behind me. Neither of us spoke for a minute.
	"What happened last night Matt? You went absolutley crazy. Yeah, I was late but you didn't even give me a chance to explain. I know I cheated on you before but you can't just accuse me when I'm late. You can't stay suspicious forever." I sighed.
	"I know, and I'm sorry. I just hate to think I'm not good enough for you and that you're going to want to find another guy to keep you occupied." Emma smiled and turned my face towards her.
	"There's only one guy I want, Mr. Willis, and that's you." I smiled as she leant in and kissed me. Softly to begin with but slowly getting more intense. As we pulled apart, I grinned.
	"I love you so much." She smiled.
	"I love you too."

	"Why are you being so bloody difficult about this?" The guy growled leaning forwards.
	"Me difficult? What about you?!" The girl replied, looking him straight in the eye.
	"I don't even know why I'm trying to help you. This baby isn't my problem." The guy replied. The girl rolled her eyes.
	"IT'S YOUR FUCKING BABY" The girl yelled back. "You took me to your house, got me pissed and then as good as raped me. This baby is OUR problem." The guy sat back.
	"Don't flatter yourself thinking I got you pissed with the aim of sleeping with you. I don't care about you, or the baby. If I did care do you think I'd have been fucking Matt's girlfriend last night?" The girl sat back shocked.
	"You're fucking lying to me." He shook his head.
	"I don't lie. She was loving every minute of it. She was better than you were. Anything's better than you, you fucking whore."

	I pulled apart from Emma, out of breath. She smiled as I kissed her softly. I looked at my watch.
	"Shit. You better drive me back. I said I'd only be a couple of minutes."
	"How long have you been gone for?" She giggled, looking up at me. 
	"Forty-Five minutes." Emma had driven us to a place about 10 minutes away from where a worked. A secluded area just off the main road, surrounded by trees. You couldn't see it from the road and people hardly ever went there. Perfect for making out on the back seat, so that's exactly what we did. For about half an hour. 
	"I don't want you to go," Emma moaned, her finger slowly wrapping itself in my tie.
	"I don't want to go." I replied, leaning down and kissing her again. "I promise we'll make up properly tonight." She grinned.
	"Okay, I'll take you back. But you have to keep your promise." We climbed out of the back seat and back into the front.
	"I always keep my promises." I smirked, as Emma pulled the car away from the secluded layby and back onto the road. When we arrived back at work, I gave Emma a soft kiss, leaped out of the car and ran back to the door, pushing it open quietly. It was silent. It freaked me out. I walked in slowly until I came to James' office. The door was wide open and neither James nor Clare were anywhere to be seen. I shrugged to myself and walked to the end of the corridor, as I passed the door to the toilets, I heard sobbing. It sounded familiar. I stopped and listend for a few seconds, trying to work out where I recognised it from. Suddenly my mind flashed back to that night. I knew who it was. I pushed the door open and went in. I pushed open the first two cubicles, both were empty. I stood infront of the third and knocked gently.
	"Clare, is that you?" I asked quietly. The sobbing stopped and turned into sniffing.
	"Yeah," The voice replied extremely quietly.
	"What's up?" I asked, leaning against the door. 
	"Nothing," She sniffed.
	"Doesn't sound like nothing to me." I paused. "Look, I'll be in my office. When you're ready we can chat okay, just us two." I heard her sob a rely and left the loos, making my way to my office. I sat there, wondering how long it would take Clare to arrive. It was quicker than expected. She appeared in the doorway after about 2 minutes, looking down. I got up and guided her to the sofa and sat next to her. 
	"Cheers Matt." She whispered. I smiled to myself. 
	"It's cool, honestly. Now do you fancy telling me what happened when I was out?" I asked, lifting her chin. She looked down again.
	"The baby...." She paused, trying to find the words.
	"What about the baby?" I asked. "Is everything okay with it?" She nodded.
	"The baby's fine, it's just the father."
	"The father? I thought it was that......" I trailed off as I saw her shaking her head.
	"The father is James. We slept together pretty soon after I got here. He doesn't want anything to do with me or the baby. Says he's got better things to be going. Prettier girls to be sleeping with." I looked away.
	"I had no idea. I'm sorry." She shrugged.
	"It's not your fault." She looked down at her watch. "I better go in a minute. I have a doctors appointment."
	"I could drop you off if you want?" I offered. She shook her head.
	"Nah, it's okay. I need to do some thinking, I'll walk." She stood up and then stopped. I stood up next to her and looked her in the eye.
	"What's up?" I asked. She sighed.
	"There's something I think you should know"
	"What?" She took a deep breath.
	"Hesleptwithyourgirlfriend." She mumbled.
	"What?" I asked again.
	"He slept with your girlfriend." She repeated, more slowly this time. I frowned.
	"Who's he?" I asked, my voice slightly shaky. She paused and looked me in the eye sincerely.
	"James." I shut my eyes. Suddenly, the realisation of what happened last night hit home. I paniked.
	"Uh, did he say when? What else did he say?" I asked in a rush. She shrugged.
	"He didn't say anything. Sorry. Maybe he's lying?" I shook my head
	"Unfortunately not." An awkward silence followed. "Look cheers for your help but I'm going to go home. I have something to sort out." Clare nodded.
	"Thanks for your help as well." She walked out of the door and I shut it behind us as I followed her out. I gave her a kiss on her cheek and quickly ran to my car. I had some serious sorting out to do.               

	When I pulled up outside the flats, I parked the car quickly and ran inside, pulling my key from my pocket as I climbed the stairs two at a time. I was desparate to get in as soon as possible. I opened the door and burst in letting it slam shut noisily behind me. I walked quickly to the lounge and nearly bumped into Emma standing in the doorway.	
	"Matt, you scared the crap outta me." She started, taking a deep breath. I held her arms and moved her back into the lounge sitting her on the sofa. "Babe, what are you doing?" She asked me, fear coming through in her voice. I stood infront of her and took a deep breath.
	"I know where you were last night and I know who you were with." I told her calmly. She looked at me, confusion setting in. 
	"Babe, What do you mean?" I took another breath.
	"Last night, I know you were with James and I know you slept with him." She shut her eyes.
	"I didn't want you to find out like this." She sighed. I sat next to her. She turned to me. "I did it for you." I nodded.
	"I know sweetie, and I love you so much for doing it. You didn't have to though. You should have spoken to me about it." She nodded.
	"I thought he'd leave you alone though." I kissed her forehead.
	"I'm sorry you had to get dragged into this." I whispered. She smiled.
	"It's okay." I paused
	"Please tell me you used protection." She rolled her eyes and smirked.
	"Matt, I'm not that stupid. Of course I did." I smiled and kissed her gently.
	"I love you so much." She smiled.
	"I love you too." I took her hand in mine and stood up. I pulled her up next to me. I pulled her hand to mine and kissed it before dragging her off in the direction of our bedroom.

	I lay back an hour later, wrapped in the sheets, Emma's head resting on my chest, rising and falling with my breathing. She looked so peaceful and innocent. She was only 19 and already I'd put her through so much. I was planning something special for her 20th birthday, taking place in a matter of days. I stroked her hair softly. She lifted her head and looked into my eyes. She leant down and kissed me softly. Slowly the kiss became deeper. As we broke apart, I smiled.
	"Babe, I'm sorry about all that stuff I said to you last night" She brought her index finger to my lips and hushed me.
	"It's all in the past okay. Lets just move on." I nodded. 
	"I want to do something, to make everything alright." I told her. She tutted gently.
	"Everything is alright stupid." She told me, kissing me again. I sighed. I was unsettled. Suddenly it hit me what I needed to do to sort my mind out once and for all. I sat up. Emma looked at me. "Babe?" She questioned.
	"I have to go somewhere." I told her simply, getting out of bed and pulling jeans and a t-shirt on.
	"Where?" She asked, sitting up and pulling the sheets around her. I sighed.
	"I have to go and see James." She started to protest but I butted in before she had a chance. "Babe, I just want to put things to rest once and for all. I have to do this for myself. I'll be back soon, I promise." I kissed her forehead.
	"Be careful babe." She whispered sweetly. I smiled as I pulled a jacket on.
	"I will be." I kissed her again and made my way down to the car. As I sat in the drivers seat, I quickly thought over what I was planning on doing.

	As I pulled up outside the tall gates outside the apartment block and gulped. I wasn't so sure of myself anymore. I wanted to do this for myself but I was scared it would go badly. I found the code for the gates written on a scrap of paper in my wallet. I drove in and parked the car in a spare space, then climbed out. I locked the door with one zap of my keyring and walked over to the intercom. I tapped in James' flat number and waited for him to reply. 
	"Hello?" Came his voice from the small silver box on the wall.
	"Hey James, it's me, Matt." I replied, almost through gritted teeth. "I need a word with you." There was a pause from his end.
	"Oh, sure, come on up." I heard the door buzz and gently pushed it open. I made my way to the lift and pressed the button for the top floor. As the lift rose I was silent. I was still nervous. As the lift shuddered to a halt and the doors slid open I gulped again. The door opposite was open and I walked in shutting it behind me. James walked out of the living room and smiled. "Hey, This is kinda unexpected." He led me back into the living room. I looked down, hands in pockets, biting my bottom lip. "So what can I do for you?" He asked, looking straight at me. Something inside of me exploded and my fist clenched in my pocket. I suddenly had the confidence to do what I'd come here especially to do. I pulled my fist from my pocket and brought it crashing into his nose. It seemed to happen in slow motion.  James fell backwards in pain, clutching his nose which was now oozing with blood. I jumped into life and walked forwards. He was curled up on the floor. I grabbed him and pulled him up. 
	"You fucking make me sick you little piece of shit." I growled. For the first time in his life he actually looked scared. I lifted his head up and crashed it down into the floor. "I know everything that you've fucking done and how you've been screwing me over." I crashed his head down again. "Why the fuck did you have to drag my girlfriend into this?" I shouted at him. I clenched a fist again and punched him hard around the face. "If you come anywhere near me or Emma again I swear I will fucking kill you. Okay?" I stood up and looked down on him.
	"Emma fucking loved every minute." He murmered. I kicked him hard in the side.
	"Just stay away from the pair of us, okay?" I walked out of the room. "Oh and you can stuff your fucking poncey job as well." I shouted.
	"You'll fucking regret this Matt." James replied feebly.
	"Oh I fucking doubt it." I replied, before leaving the flat and making my way back to my car, happy to have it all off of my chest. I pulled my phone from my pocket and called home.
	"Hello?" Came Emma's worried voice from the other end.
	"Hey babe. It's me."
	"Matt, I was so fucking worried about you."
	"I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about. I want you to get ready. Not too posh, not too casual. I'm taking you out somewhere. I'll be there in about half an hour to get you."
	"Matt...."
	"Just do it." I told her.
	"Okay. I'll be ready."
	"Good. I'll see you soon." I hung up and drove back in the direction of the flat. Despite sorting out my differences with James, I still had some other things I needed to get off my chest. 

	When I pulled up outside the block of flats, Emma was waiting outside the gate. She climbed in the car, dressed in jeans, heels and a white top with a low cut neck line. I leant in to kiss her but she turned away. I sighed and pulled the car away again. 
	"Why don't you just tell me what this is about?" She asked. She sounded pissed off. 
	"I will. But I want to get it all out in one go so I'm taking you somewhere quiet where we could talk."
	"Couldn't we just stay at home." I shrugged. We drove in near silence for the rest of the journey. I pulled up on the top of a hill. It was quiet. We used to go up there together when we first got together. I parked the car, turned the headlights off and turned the inside lights on. "Right, you better start explaining." Emma told me. She looked down and grabbed my hand. "What the fuck is that?" She asked, looking at my knuckles. I looked at them myself and groaned. They were covered in dried blood. "What have you been doing?" She asked quickly. She took a deep breath. "What did you do to James?" I sighed.
	"Nothing," I insisted.
	"It doesn't look like nothing."
	"I hit him a few times, that's all. I promise. I wanted to show him he couldn't mess with me." She put her face in her hands. 
	"I can't believe this. What else did you do to him?" She asked.
	"Why do you care so much about him?" I asked through gritted teeth.
	"I don't. I just don't want you to get in trouble. What if he calls the police? Presses charges?" I shrugged. I hadn't thought of that but I was sure, if James was going to take revenge, the last place he'd go was the police. He was on the wrong side of the law as it was.
	"I don't think he would. He's hardly innocent of breaking the law anyway." She sighed. "Babe, I quit my job." I told her quietly. She turned.
	"What? Why?" I shrugged.
	"I couldn't work with him knowing what he'd done to you."
	"But you love that job. You get amazing pay. You'd be stupid to let it go to waste."
	"I don't love that job. I've been unhappy with it for a long time. I've been trying to find an excuse to leave and now I have. It means I have more time with you."
	"But what are we going to do for income?"
	"I have a mate who owns a completely above board club. He's looking for a manager. It's a slight pay cut but it'll be okay. I've told him I'm interested and he said the jobs as good as mine if I let him know soon. I'll have more time off. I'll have all day. I'll just be out at night and it won't even be every night." She smiled.
	"Are you sure?" She asked. I nodded.
	"Plus because I'll have extra time with you, maybe, in a year or so, we could properly consider having a baby? If you want of course?" I smirked, knowing she'd be happy. She broke into a grin and pulled me into a kiss.
	"You know I want that."
	"Well then. Are we sorted?" I asked her. She nodded happily. "So where to now?" She leant back in her seat.
	"Home, to bed." She told me, followed closely by a suggestive wink.

	About a week later, I stood in the kitchen, trying to follow some stupid recipe my mum had given me to make a cake. She seemed to have ignored the fact I'd asked for something easy. I threw the burnt mixture in the bin, grabbed my coat, keys and wallet and made my way down the corner shop to buy something special. As I neared the corner shop, I saw two familiar girls standing there. They smiled as they saw me.
	"Daisy, Clare, what are you two doing here?" I asked, as I stepped onto the curb. Daisy smiled.
	"Clare has an appointment at the clinic." I smiled.
	"How are things going?" I asked her, her stomach was already slightly swollen. She smiled.
	"It's great. I'm happy." 
	"I might have one of my own in the not too distant future." I told them quietly.
	"Is Emma pregnant?" Daisy asked. I shook my head.
	"Nah, but we're working on it. Maybe in the next year or so."
	"Aww, Matt that's great news." Daisy grinned. I nodded.
	"How are things at the club?" I asked. Daisy smiled.
	"They're okay. James is doing his nut. Clare's not there now and he has some dumb ass guy who can't do anything. He looks a state. You fucked him up quite badly."
	"Awww, bless." I smirked. Daisy looked at her watch.
	"Oh shit, we better go Clare." She told her. Clare nodded.
	"You go to the car. I need to have a quick word with Matt." Daisy nodded and left, leaving me slightly confused. Clare grabbed my arm and pulled me down the street slightly away from the door of the shop. 
	"What's up?" I asked, almost nervous.
	"I hate it there Matt. Things aren't the same now you're not around." I sighed.
	"Oh, that's sweet of you, but you do realise I couldn't have stayed." She nodded.
	"I know. But you were the one I came to when I needed help and support. You were my sanity and now you're gone everything just seems pointless." I sighed.
	"I'm sorry, really I am." I pulled some paper and a pen from my pocket and jotted some stuff down. "Look, here's my address, my mobile number and my home number. Keep in touch with me, okay. I want to know about the baby." She smiled as she took the paper.
	"You sure?" She asked me. I nodded. 
	"Use it whenever you need to chat okay." She nodded.
	"Cheers Matt." She pulled me into a hug. I kissed her cheek.
	"I miss you, and Daisy." She smiled as we pulled apart.
	"We miss you too." With that she ran over to Daisy's car, leaving me to go into the shop slightly dazed.

	When I arrived home, Emma was there waiting for me on a kitchen stool. I smiled and placed the cake down on the kitchen counter before walking over to her. I smiled and stood in front of her, kissing her deeply.
	"Happy birthday babe," I whispered. She smiled.
	"Thank you."
	"So you're finally the big 2 - 0" I smiled. "You're getting old."
	"Oi you!" She laughed, hitting me hard in the arm. "I'm still younger than you." I stuck my tongue out.
	"But being 22 is better than being 20. It means I'm older and therefore in charge so you have to do as I say."
	"And what do you say?" She asked. I smiled and kissed her again.
	"I say you should wait here while I go and get you your presents." I left the room and went to the bedroom. I opened our big wardrobe and pulled out the pile of presents I'd carefully wrapped the night before. I grabbed the card from the drawer and went back to Emma. She smiled as she saw the pile.
	"Babe, you didn't have to buy me that much!" She grinned as I placed them down in front of her. I handed her the card.
	"Sshhhhh, it's your birthday. I'm allowed to spoil you." I kissed her and sat on the stool next to her as she opened the card. She smiled and placed it on the counter. 
	"Where were you earlier?" She asked as she started opening the presents.
	"I went to get you a cake. I bumped into a couple of the girls from James'. I had a quick chat." I told her as she pulled a Tiffany ring from the wrapping paper. She smiled at it.
	"It's gorgeous babe!" She grinned slipping it onto her finger. She started on the next present. "So what did they have to say to you?" She asked. I shrugged.
	"Not much. Apparently James is doing his nut. It was quite weird though. One of the girls, Clare, she seemed really upset that I'd gone."
	"Aww, that's sweet." Emma pulled the expensive Matthew Williamson dress that she'd been after from the wrapping paper.She grinned at me. "Babe. This is amazing." I smiled.
	"I knew you'd like it." She kissed me softly.
	"Anyway what happened with Clare?"
	"I gave her our address and my number so she could call or visit if she was feeling down."  
	"Awww, that's cool. As long as she doesn't turn into a stalker." I smiled.
	"She won't." Eventually Emma sat, surrounded by bits of wrapping paper and presents. I kissed her deeply. 
	"What are we going to do today?" Emma asked as she gathered up her new stuff and took it through to the bedroom. I shrugged and followed her. She sat on the bed and sighed. I sat next to her. 
	"Tonight I'll take you out for a meal and we can celebrate." I suggested. "You can wear your new outfit." Emma smiled. 
	"That'd be great." I kissed her. I paused. 
	"Are you sure you're okay baby?" I asked, concerned. She nodded.
	"Yeah, yeah, I'm great honestly." I kissed her forehead.
	"Good. I'm not having anything bothering my girlfriend on her birthday." She leant into me and I hugged her tightly. "Everything between us is going to be okay from now on. I promise you. And I promise you won't have any more problems with James. That part of our lives is history. Now we have to start afresh and I promise I'll make it work." She smiled and kissed me.
	"I'm glad to hear it." She whispered, smirking.

	The blonde haired boy sat in his office twiddling his fingers as he waited. She told him she'd be back by now and she was 20 minutes late. He heard a soft knock on his door and called for them to come in. The girl, looking tired and upset walked in. 
	"Did you get it?" he asked her. She nodded wearily and handed over the small scrap of paper. He grabbed it from her and held it, grinning to himself.
	"So are you going to keep your side of the deal?" She asked him, sitting in a chair. He held the paper down and looked at her.
	"I always keep my side of deals. I'll give you the fucking money." The girl shook her head.
	"I don't care about the money. I just want you to love your child." He shrugged.
	"Yeah whatever. I'll do that as well." The girl sighed in desperation.
	"Oh fuck you. You do what you fucking want." She raged at him, going to storm out of the room. He grabbed her wrist.
	"Look I'll love this baby if you do one last thing for me." She looked down then looked up at him.
	"Why should I?" She asked. He shrugged.
	"So your baby has a proper father." The boy smiled. She sighed and met his eyes.
	"What do you want me to do?"

	The next day, I pulled my car up outside of the girls house and walked over. Clare had called me, wanting to talk. I rang the doorbell and waited on the doorstep. I hadn't been to this house for ages. I was a bit worried about what Clare wanted. The door opened and Clare stood there, looking sheepish.
	"Hey." I smiled.
	"Hey." She replied quietly. She opened the door wide and I walked in.
	"Where is everyone?" I asked as I kicked my shoes off.
	"Uh, they all went shopping." She paused. "Sorry if I called you at a bad time or something last night, I just needed to call." I smiled at sat next to her on the sofa.
	"It's okay. Anyway what's bothering you?" I asked. She sighed.
	"Just the baby." 
	"What about it?" I asked, confused.
	"I don't know if I want it anymore. This is going to be so hard. I don't know if I can cope."
	"You'll be fine. It's going to be an absolutely gorgeous baby." She giggled.
	"You reckon?" I smiled.
	"I know it will be." I paused. "If it takes after it's mum it will be." She grinned. 
	"I'm two months gone already."
	"Oh wow!" I smiled. "You do know that me and Emma will help if you ever need it. We'll be more than willing to babysit." 
	"Awww thanks. I really appreciate it." She stood up and walked to the kitchen. "Do you want a drink?" She called back.
	"No I'm okay cheers." She reentered the room holding a glass of water. She sat back next to me again.
	"So tell me about your baby plans then." She grinned. I laughed.
	"Well, We're not decided on when yet. It won't be too long though."
	"I thought you were really opposed to babies." I shook my head.
	"Not really. I think they're great. I just didn't want to have one in the state I was in. My job wasn't exactly ideal and Emma has only just turned 20. I'm still only 22 but we've been together for 3 years and I think now is the right time." 
	"I think you'd be a great dad." I smiled.
	"Cheers." She grinned and looked me straight in the eye. I paused as I saw something in her gaze change. I could almost predict what was coming next and I didn't try to stop it. Something drew me in. She leant in slowly, her lips brushing on mine. I placed my hand on the back on her neck and pulled her in deeper. Even though I was concious of how wrong it was, I wanted more and the lust that had taken over my body told me I was going to get it.

	The young girl sat quietly in the large flat alone. The large flat screen TV mounted on the wall was playing some daytime talk show. The topic being 'Partners That Cheat'. She smiled to herself as yet another couple had a blazing row in the middle of the studio. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the front door. Groaning to herself as she realised her boyfriend must have forgotten his keys, she pulled herself from the sofa and went to answer her door. 
	"Forgotton your keys again?" She giggled as she pulled the door back. She stopped dead as she saw who was standing infront of her. He smiled one of those evil smiles that she thought only possible on the trashy TV soaps. 
	"Hey Emma." He grinned pushing her back into the flat and slamming the door behind the pair of them. She went to shout but he placed a hand firmly over her mouth and pushed her against the wall. "Don't even bother screaming." He whispered, pulling her into him and pushing her towards the living room. He threw her down on the sofa and switched the TV off. Pausing for a second, he turned back to her. "I thought me and you needed to have a little one on one chat." He grinned. 
	"If you don't get out of my house within 2 minutes, I'm calling the police." She stuttered at him. He laughed.
	"Why would you want to do that?" He asked her, light-heartedly.
	"I mean it James." She replied. She looked at his face. He'd been beaten up pretty badly. He had a black eye and a spilt lip, various over wounds covered his face as well. He slowly walked over to the wall and pulled the phone lead out.
	"Babe. You're not calling anyone." He paused and leant in to her face. "There's no need." He sauntered over to the dining table and grabbed one of the chairs. She looked nervously at the phone. He swung the chair round and placed it infront of her. "So. I think you better tell me what you've been telling your lover boy about me." He paused. "It seems he thinks I mistreated you." She looked away, "You know full well I didn't though, Don't you."

	I lay in the small bed, Clares head rested on my chest. I brought a hand to my forehead and groaned. I'd never meant to cheat and suddenly realised I'd got myself in a deeper mess than I was in before. Clare sat up and wiped her eyes. I knew she was wiping away tears. 
	"Hey, don't cry." I told her, sitting up and placing a hand on her back. She looked at me.
	"I'm sorry Matt." She whispered, more tears falling down her cheeks. 
	"It's not your fault. I should have known better. Please don't feel guilty." She wiped her eyes.
	"It's not that." She told me quietly. 
	"Than what is it?" I asked, worried. She sniffed.
	"You shouldn't be here," She murmered.  She composed herself. "I don't want you to hate me I just have to tell you."
	"Tell me what?" She sighed.
	"You shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have asked you. James told me to." She mumbled.
	"James?" I questioned. She nodded. "Tell me what he said to you." She took a deep breath.
	"He said if I did as he said he'd love my baby." I shut my eyes. "He's at yours, with Emma. I don't know what he's going to do to her." I groaned.
	"I have to go. I'll talk to you when it's all sorted okay. Don't feel bad. It's not your fault. I'm just sorry you got dragged into it." I decided it would make things worse if I kissed her cheek so instead, climbed out of bed, pulled my clothes on and ran out of the house.  I climbed in the car and without a second thought pulled away from the curb and drove back in the direction of the flat.

	The blonde boy stood up from the chair and grabbed the girl roughly. He saw a pile of dirty washing and grabbed some ties from the top. He clenched them in his fist and shoved the girl down on the chair. Slowly he tied her wrists to the chair back and her ankles to the chair legs. He stood back and smiled.
	"I don't want you trying to do anything stupid mid conversation." He smiled and sat down on the sofa facing her. "So. Why did you feel the need to lie to Matt?" He asked. She looked away.
	"I didn't lie. I told him what happened." She sniffed. 
	"Well if you told him what happened, why did he turn up at mine the other night and beat the shit out of me?!" He growled angrily. She bit her lip.
	"Why do you think? He beat the shit out of you because I had sex with you. You took advantage of me. You knew I didn't want it. I may have been the one who cheated but you're the one who took advantage of his mates girlfriend." He paused as he thought about what she had just shouted at him.
	"What do you mean you didn't want it?" He smirked. "If you hadn't wanted it, it wouldn't have been so fucking easy. You wouldn't have been gagging for us to do it a second time." She looked down. 
	"Look, the first time I did it for Matt. I did it so you'd leave him alone. The second time I was confused. I wanted to keep you happy. I was scared of what you'd do if I tried to leave. You kept kissing me, telling me how amazing I was, I was so scared I couldn't say no. I didn't want it. It was a mistake. I felt so dirty afterwards. Not only did I let Matt down that night, I let myself down. I only went in the first place because I stupidly thought you'd keep your side of the bargain." She stuttered.
	"What about our chat afterwards. I do't know about you but I actually really enjoyed it. It was the first time I felt able to talk to someone openly." She snorted.
	"Don't you get it. That night I felt so nervous I couldn't even pluck up the courage to ask to go to the toilet. I sat there and spoke to you because I didn't want to say I wanted to go home."
	"You mean you actually thought I was going to hurt you?" He asked, he looked hurt. She nodded. He looked away. "I wasn't going to hurt you." He paused. "I like you." She looked him in the eye. He looked incredibly sincere.
	"What do you mean you like me?" She asked nervously. He sat on the sofa.
	"For gods sake. I love you. I have done from the first time Matt introduced me to you. You're gorgeous, you're lovely, you're smart and you're funny. If you want the truth, I'm so jealous of Matt because he has someone like you. Someone to love him, someone to care for him, someone to come home to. I can never have that and all because of the job that I do. People seem to think that because I'm a fucking pimp, I'm a pervert and I'm going to hurt them. I don't want to hurt you. I think too highly of you to do it on purpose." Suddenly the sound of footsteps bounding up the stairs could be heard. Quickly he pulled his tie from around his neck.
	"EMMA!" came the distinctive sound of Matt's voice. 
	"Don't fucking say a word." James commanded as he tied his tie firmly around Emma's mouth, preventing her from making any noise. She looked at him, fear in her eyes. He leant in, kissed her forehead and leant into her ear. "Don't forget, I love you." He reached down to his belt and pulled out a gun. Emma yelped. He turned to her. "I said don't say anything!". He bellowed, causing tears to fall rapidly down the cheeks. She heard the front door opening and closing and shut her eyes. 

	I walked into the flat and slammed the door behind me. There was silence but I could just sense something was wrong. Slowly I walked towards the living room door. I opened it slowly and was shocked at the sight in front of me. Emma looked helpless, tied to one of the dining table chairs. James stood behind her, pointing a gun straight at me. I froze. James smiled deviously.
	"Ah Matt, nice of you to join us." He smirked. Why don't you take a seat on the sofa. I did so slowly. He walked over.
	"James why don't you just put the gun down okay?" I suggested. "If you want to hurt me, use fists." He shrugged and nodded, dropping the gun to the floor. Then he stepped forwards and punched me hard around the face. As I fell backwards into the sofa, I heard Emma's muffled yelps. I clutched my nose which was now seeping with blood.
	"Call that pay back for what you did to me the other night." I looked up at him.
	"Okay, maybe I deserved that." I sat up. "Look. Please, let Emma go. You're problems with me. Not her." I begged.
	"She's not going anywhere okay." James turned to look at Emma. "She's as involved in this as you and me." I frowned.
	"How can she be? She's done nothing wrong. You're angry at me. You're angry that I left the club and beat you up." James shook his head slowly.
	"That's where you're wrong Matt. I'm angry that you beat me up, yes. I'm even more angry that your girlfriend slept with me then made me out to be the bad guy when she was just as up for it as I was. I'm FED UP of being the bad guy in every situation. It's okay for you. Everyone loves you. They go to you when I'm nasty because they know you'll tell them not to worry and be all nicey nicey. I'm fed up of everyone hating me just because I'm me." He raged. I paused.
	"What do you mean Emma was as up for it as you were?" I asked, confused. James smiled, walked over to Emma and pulled the bit of material from around her mouth.
	"Are you going to tell him or am I?" He whispered in her ear.
	"Tell me what?" I asked. Emma looked down, then up at me, tears in her eyes. 
	"When I went to James'. We did it two times." She stuttered. I shut my eyes. "I swear I didn't go out of my way to hurt you. I was so confused about what I'd just done. I felt so dirty. I wasn't even thinking straight. I didn't even think about it properly until afterwards."
	"Oh Emma," I whispered under my breath, purely out of pity.
	"I'm so sorry babe. I really am. I never meant to hurt you. Can't you see what he's trying to do though?!" She sobbed. "He's trying to split us up. Trying to ruin what we have together. We're even now. I slept with James, You slept with Clare." My head shot up. How did she know?
	"Who told you?" I asked, knowing there was no real way anyone could have told her in the shirt space of time since it happened.
	"It's pretty obvious. I can tell a mile off." I looked down. The lipstick on my shirt collar gave me away in a classic style. "I don't wear lipstick." She told me calmly. I looked her in the eyes. 
	"I'm sorry." She nodded.
	"Me too." James frowned.
	"You mean you're just going to forgive her? Just like that?" He asked angrily. I nodded.
	"What do I have to hold against her? She was honest. She told me the truth. She doesn't have anything to hide now and neither do I. Like she said, we're evens." I paused. "Why should it matter to you anyway? Why are you so intent on tearing the two of us apart?" I asked curiously, standing up. James walked closer to me. 
	"Go on James. Will you tell him or shall I?" She asked. James looked me straight in the eye.
	"If you want the truth. It's because I love Emma." He said bluntly. I frowned.
	"What?" I clenched my fist to punch him. Emma noticed.
	"Matt. No fists. Just let the guy talk. It might shine some light on a few things." I nodded and sat back on the sofa.
	"Okay, so explain." I demanded. James looked down silently for a few seconds. 
	"Look. First time you introduced me to Emma, I fell for her. I mean who wouldn't. She's lovely. Good personality, good sense of humour. I was jealous that you had someone that loved you so much. No one could ever love me. I'm a pimp. It feels like I'm not able to love women back. I can't offer them anything but sex." It looked like he was going to cry, see sense, then let us go. I actually started to worry about him for the first time in my life. "Then the jealously started to increase. Why should you be allowed a girlfriend if I can't have one? I mean, you've always had the girls Matt. It seems they think you're perfect. You have girlfriends, all the girls down at the club adore you and think I'm a twat for letting you go. I'm fed up of trying to compete with you." He walked over to the balcony doors. 
	"James, someone does love you and you keep pushing them away." I told him bluntly. He turned back to face me and sniggered.
	"Who?" I frowned at him.
	"For god's sake. Clare you moron. She's having your baby. Is that not enough love for you? It's ridiculous James, you can't even promise you'll love your own child. She's distraught."
	"Oh well I bet you cheered her up." He snapped.
	"This isn't about me." I told him standing up, "It's about you and Clare. Why can't you stop thinking about yourself for once and put someone else first. There's going to be a kid out there soon who's going to have a father that wants nothing to do with it unless you do something now. Don't you realise. Clare can't cope. She's trying to act strong so you don't notice she's hurting. Everyone else can see it. The only person who can help her James and make her happy again is you." He stood silently staring at me. "Look James, why don't you just go and see her? Talk to her? It would make her so happy and we'll forget any of this ridiculous stuff happened." I tried to compromise. He looked from me to Emma and back again. Slowly he started to nod.
	"I'm sorry." He whispered. I shook my head.
	"Don't start apologising, you'll be here forever." I walked over to Emma and started to untie her wrists and ankles. James picked up his gun and slotted it back in it's holster. "Oh and James." I started, as I untied the last of Emma's restraints. He looked at me. "Don't think this means you're forgiven." He nodded and made his way out of the flat. As the door slammed shut, I pulled Emma tightly into my arms.
	"I'm so sorry." She whispered, tears running down her cheeks. I shushed her.
	"No I'm sorry, sorry that I got you into this thing in the first place. Times like these make me wish I'd picked a normal job." I wiped away her tears and she smiled.
	"I love you." She whispered softly. I smiled.
	"I love you too." I replied, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

	We sat together later that night, snuggled up on the sofa together. It seemed like eveything was finally over and there was a chapter of our lives we could finally close.I was laying along the sofa, Emma slumped between my legs. I kissed the back of her head and slid my hands down to rest lightly on her stomach. Suddenly she started fidgeting.
	"Babe, what's up?" I asked, moving my hands away leaving her free to fidget. She turned her head sharply to look at me.
	"Nothing, nothings the matter." she mumbled. I frowned as she stood up and left the room. I followed, only to see her disappear into the bathroom. 
	"Babe. Tell me what's the matter." I called through the door.
	"Matt it's nothing. Honestly, I'm okay," she called back through the door. I shook my head slowly and returned to the living room where I fell back on the sofa. After about 5 minutes I heard the loo flush and the door open. Emma returned to the room and sat in the armchair alone.
	"Something is up with you, I can tell." I told her bluntly. "Have I done something?" I asked her. She shook her head.
	"I'm fine Matt. Honestly," She replied. I sighed.
	"Look please babe. Just tell me." I shouted. She looked at me. Her eyes looking deep into mine.
	"You really want to know?" She asked. I nodded.
	"Yes." I managed to utter. She took a deep breath.
	"I'm pregnant." She replied, her eyes filling with tears. She looked down giving me time to take in what she'd told me.
	"But when?" I managed to mumble, still shocked. She looked up slightly.
	"Babe, we've had enough sex for it to have happened." She replied.
	"But we always used protection." I retorted. She nodded.
	"I know. You're a clever boy though Matt, you know protectection doesn't always stop accidents happening." I looked down silently.
	"Soo, what are we going to do?" I asked quietly. She shrugged. 
	"I'll have an abortion." She told me frankly. My head shot up.
	"An abortion?" I questioned. She nodded.
	"I know you don't want kids yet. It wouldn't be fair on you or the baby." I shut my eyes painfully. Slowly, I stood up and walked over to her. I crouched in front of her and kissed her softly.
	"I love you. It hurts me to know that you'd give up the baby that you want so much just to keep me happy. It makes me feel so insignificant to know that you'd make such a sacrifice for me." I whispered.
	"I love you Matt. You're all I've got." She replied equally as quietly. I thought for a second.
	"I don't want you to get rid of the baby." I told her. "Infact nothing would make me happier than having a baby with you."
   	"But you said........" She started to stutter. I shushed her by placing my finger tip to her lips.
	"Forget what I said. I talk bollocks." I smiled. Suddenly she burst into a grin. I stood up straight and Emma stood up quickly, hooking her arms around my neck. I smiled happily inside as we stood there kissing deeply in the middle of the empty living room, happy that we had each other and happy that we had our baby on the way.

*****************************************************************************

	I reentered the flat carrying the emergency shopping Emma had demanded. As I walked into the living room, I smiled at the small group of people already inside. The three girls gathered around the table, fussing, while two young girls sat on the sofa, watching cartoons intently. Emma turned and smiled, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek. I greeted the others girls who'd obviously arrived in my absence and made my way over to the girls on the sofa. I sat next to the smaller of the two girls. Her wavy  golden hair shone and fell down to her shoulders. Her deep blue eyes sparkled as she watched the flat plasma screen. She turned to me, a cheeky grin on her face.
	"Alright birthday girl?" I smiled. She giggled and clambered on my lap. 
	"Daddy, when do I get to see my nursery friends?" She asked, snuggling into my chest and pulling at my black shirt. I wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.
	"When they get here. The party starts in 2 hours okay." I explained to her. She nodded.
	"Daddy, now I'm four, will I still be your little princess?" She asked sweetly. I smiled.
	"No you're my BIG princess now." I told her, tickling her tummy. She giggled, causing me to grin widely. Her companion, Clare's daughter Promise, turned to the pair of us.
	"I'm still bigger than Madison aren't I? " She asked. I smiled and nodded. 
	"You're 3 and a half months older than Maddie but you'll still be in the same year when you go to school." Madison Layla Willis was born on the 15th of August whilst Promise Bourne had been born on the 1st of May. Both of them had been gorgeous babies. Madison looked very much like Emma had at that age whilst Promise had taken after James. James had definatley changed alot. I'd decided to buy the club and turn it into a legitimate nightclub. James worked for me and I'd given Clare and Daisy jobs behind the bar. Emma babysat Madison and Promise while Me and Clare were at work. Everything had been perfect. Emma had become really close friends with the girls and Clare and James were taking things slowly as a couple. I perched Madison on my hip as I walked over to Emma, Clare and Daisy gathered around the table. Madison gasped as she saw everything laid out.
	"Mummy it looks gorgeous." She smiled.
	"I'm glad you like it babe." Maddie leant in and kissed Emma lovingly. I smiled. 
	"Babe, can you go to mummy for a minute while I go and get something?" Emma took Madison from me and I went to the bedroom. I fiddled about in my top drawer, stuffed my findings in my pocket, and returned to the lounge. Maddie was running back to the sofa. 
	"Okay?" Emma asked as I returned. I nodded.
	"Maddie, Promise, come over here for a minute." I called. They both jumped up and skipped over. I looked at Clare and Daisy and they nodded, their eyes urging me on.
	"What you doing?" Emma asked, looking me in the eye. I reached into my pocket and grabbed the small velvet box. I looked in Emma's eyes and slowly held her hands.
	"Today is such a special day. It's 4 years exactly since you bought our gorgeous daughter into the world. I've been flapping over doing this for weeks and I suddenly decided that if today was a special day for one reason within our family, it might as well be special for two reasons." I took a deep breath and slowly went down on one knee. Emma looked down at me, realisation hitting her as to what I was about to do. She put her hand slowly to her mouth. "You've made me such a happy man already. I was wondering if you'd make me even happier by becoming my wife?" I asked, biting my bottom lip. She smiled, tears trickling from her eyes. Slowly she nodded.
	"Of course I will." I grinned and stood up, hugging her tightly. I lifted her up and spun her around. I went to the already open box and pulled out the expensive engagement ring. Slowly I took her left hand and slid the ring along her fourth finger. She looked at it closely then pulled me into a deep kiss.
	"Congratulations guys!" Clare grinned. Slowly the congratulatory hugging started. I knealt down to Madisons level when I reached her. She giggled and hugged me tightly.
	"See missy. I told you you'd be good at keeping secrets." I winked. She attempted to wink back but failed miserably. I giggled and hugged her tightly kissing her forehead.
	"I love you Madison." I whispered.
	"I love you too daddy." She replied happily. I stood up and went back to Emma. I hugged her tightly. She smiled.
	"Think of all the people a couple of years back who thought we were over." She giggled. "Even we did." I smiled and kissed her. 
	"Nah Babe, we were never over." I told her happily, "We're just starting out."