�Of course not,� Dakota replied and Nickolas sighed. Dakota looked at him and grinned. �You hold onto that.�
�I want you to have it,� Nickolas stated. �I got it for you.�
�Well I don�t want it,� Dakota rebutted and Nickolas shook his head. He put his arms around her neck and put the ring on her necklace. She looked at him then at the ring.
�Whatever you decide,� Nickolas began, �I just want you to remember how much I love you.� She looked at him and nodded. He wiped the tear from her eye and hugged her. She hugged him in return and MyKenna and Aaron just looked at them.
�I love you, Nicky,� Dakota whispered in his ear just so he could hear.
�I love you too, Shorty,� Nickolas whispered in return. They held each other a couple minutes then Dakota left him go. She looked at him a second then looked at MyKenna and Aaron.
�So what�s up with you two?� Dakota questioned and they looked at each other.
�Nothing,� Aaron said.
�Right,� Nickolas said raising an eyebrow knowing full well something was going on.
�Did you two talk?� Dakota asked.
�Yeah,� MyKenna replied. �We agreed to give it another shot and see what happens.�
�Did you apologize for the name calling, Aaron?� Dakota wanted to know.
�Yes I did,� Aaron said. �And I didn�t mean the name calling anyway.�
�Of course not,� Dakota said.
�What about you two?� MyKenna asked. �Is everything cool?�
�Yeah,� Nickolas and Dakota said simultaneously.
�Good,� MyKenna said. �Are you going to give it another shot?�
�Um�� Dakota began.
�Just friends,� Nickolas stated. �For now.� Dakota looked at him. �It�s what Shorty wants and I�m going to respect that.� Dakota grinned. �And I deserve the whole friend�s thing after what I did to hurt her.�
�Maybe you boys should talk now,� Dakota suggested getting off the bed.
�We already did,� Aaron stated. �When I came in to check on him.�
�Oh,� Dakota said.
�Did you two talk?� Aaron asked and Dakota and MyKenna looked at each other.
�More or less,� MyKenna replied. �I guess there are still a few things to work out yet.� The guys nodded. �But hopefully we can work them out.�
�Hopefully,� Dakota agreed.
�I need to talk to you a second,� Aaron said leading MyKenna to the door.
Dakota and Nickolas looked at them and Nickolas said, �There�s something going on with those two.�
�What are you talking about?� Dakota asked.
�I know there�s something going on. I can tell just by the way they�re acting.�
�What is that medicine doing to your brain?� He looked at her. �I don�t sense anything unusual.�
�Aaron�s my brother so I know this stuff.�
�Whatever.� Nickolas smiled and then got serious again. �What is it?�
�Nothing; I just feel so sick.�
�Then lay back down.� She helped him lay down again and covered him up. �Maybe next time you�ll learn your lesson.�
�Yeah.�
�Guys,� MyKenna said and they looked. �We have something to tell you.�
�Told you something was going on,� Nickolas said and Dakota looked at him.
�What is it?� Dakota asked. �Seems serious.�
�Very serious,� Aaron stated and they just looked at them.
�How serious?� Nickolas asked and they all looked at each other.
�This is going to change our lives dramatically,� MyKenna replied. �Aaron and mine�s more than anyone�s.� Dakota sat on the bed and sighed.
�I think I have a pretty good idea of what they�re about to tell us,� Dakota said looking at them. �I said that same thing to Aaron�well almost the same thing. I could be wrong though.� They looked at her. �But I highly doubt I am.�
�Don�t say anything and just listen,� Aaron said. �Please.� Nickolas and Dakota nodded. �This is really important.�
�So go on then,� Nickolas said. �I�m not feeling very well here.� They laughed.
�Um�Aaron and I are going to have a baby,� MyKenna blurted out and Nickolas and Dakota looked at them.
�Say that again,� Nickolas requested. �I could�ve sworn you just said you two are going to have a baby.�
�That�s because she did,� Dakota said.
�Now I�m going to vomit,� Nickolas complained curling up in a ball and moaning. Dakota looked at him and rubbed his back.
�I don�t know what to say,� Dakota said.
�Just say that you�re happy for is and you�ll support us,� Aaron said. �That�s all we ask.�
�But you�re so young,� Dakota reminded them. �You shouldn�t even be having sex.� They grinned.
�Mom and Dad are going to kill you,� Nickolas said. �And I ain�t going to be there to see it either.�
�Can�t you just be happy?� MyKenna asked.
�Be happy that my little brother�s going to be a daddy at 18?� Nickolas said. �No.�
�Nick, I know you�re upset,� Aaron began, �but once the baby�s here you�ll feel a lot better.�
�I don�t think so,� Nickolas said. �I�m going to throw up here.�
�Oh you�ll be fine in the morning,� Dakota replied.
�No I�m really going to throw up,� Nickolas said getting up and they watched him go into the restroom.
�He�ll be cool once he sleeps on it,� Dakota stated and they nodded. �Just like me.� She grinned. �And plus he poisoned himself, ya know.�
�I know this is hard,� MyKenna began, �but we�re going to prove to everyone that we can do this. It�s our responsibility and we have to learn. Yes we have to grow up quicker, but I think in the end it�ll be worth it.� Aaron nodded in agreement. �We�re going to have a baby to reconnect us.�
�And you feel the same way, Aaron?� Dakota asked.
�Yeah,� Aaron said smiling. �I�ve always wanted a family of my own, but I just didn�t think it�d be so soon. I couldn�t be happier though.�
�That�s great,� Dakota said forcing a smile, as MyKenna and Aaron smiled. �I couldn�t be happier for you.�
�Don�t encourage them,� Nickolas said walking from the restroom and they looked at him. �You�re just telling them that it�s ok to be young parents. This is the 21st century and not the ice age.� He laid back down and looked at Dakota, as she looked at him. �They shouldn�t even be having sex.�
�We�re teenagers with hormones,� MyKenna pointed out. �What do you expect?�
�My brother doesn�t have hormones,� Nickolas stated. �And I expect that you�re smarter than the average teen or at least use protection.�
�Look who�s talking,� Aaron said.
�We�re adults,� Nickolas reminded him.
�And do you see any kids?� Dakota questioned and they just looked at her. �Exactly. There�s no reason to compare us to you two.�
�Uh, ok,� Aaron said.
�Excuse me,� Dakota said getting up and walking out of the room.
They looked at each other a moment then Nickolas said, �So how are you going to tell the folks?�
�Together of course,� MyKenna answered. �We haven�t talked about it really. I just told Aaron,�
�Right,� Nickolas said. �Are you going to get married?�
�We agreed we�re too young,� Aaron said.
�Good,� Nickolas said relieved and they laughed at him. �You should finish school first and then talk marriage�if you plan on it of course.�
�Maybe one day,� Aaron said. �If it works out with us.� Nickolas nodded. �We�re going to concentrate on the baby right now.�
�Ya should,� Nickolas encouraged. �The baby should come before anything. Ya wouldn�t want to make the same mistakes I did and put the baby after everything else. Look where that got me and DJ.� They just looked at him, but didn�t say anything. �No kid and no longer together. I really screwed up.�
�Why don�t you get some rest for the night and we�ll visit ya in the morning,� Aaron suggested. �You could use it after all.�
�Only if you send DJ back in,� Nickolas replied. �I need to talk to her.�
�You need to rest,� Dakota said and they looked. �We can talk in the morning.�
�We need to talk now,� Nickolas said.
�I ain�t going anywhere, Nick, so it can wait,� Dakota stated. �James gave me a couple days.� She grinned. �Just get some rest and I�ll see ya in the morning.� He watched her walk out and sighed.
�She is so stubborn,� Nickolas said.
�She�s just scared of getting hurt again,� Aaron said. �Ya have to work with her and respect her choices.� Nickolas sighed again.
�Just get some sleep, feel better, and you can talk to DJ in the morning,� MyKenna said. �I don�t think she�s going to be leaving this hospital as long as you�re here or at least for the night anyway.�
�I think she�ll be back to check up on ya,� Aaron stated. �We�ll see ya in the morning.�
�Yeah, good night,� Nickolas said.
�Night,� Aaron and MyKenna said in unison and Nickolas watched them walk out of the room.
CHAPTER 39