FicWad

Pete held Casey’s hand tightly as they walked to the back entrance into the book store, where the dragon lay, er, Dolly was working. Casey couldn’t help but grin slightly at the scared shitless expression on her fiance’s face, but at the same time she felt bad for him since she herself knew what he was probably going through. She was this scared with telling his family, his Father, about their engagement and the newest addition that was on the way, so she could only imagine.

She walked into the book store and waved at Sara, who smiled wide and ran over, embracing her in a hug that tore her away from Pete’s hold. “CASEY!” Sara cried out, hugging her tightly, “You’re back! Thank God!” She smiled bigger as she pulled away, and then her smile faded as she realized Pete was standing off to the side of them. “You...”

“Sara, don’t kill him,” Casey said with a smile as she made her friend look at her. “I need him alive.”

“But,” Sara pouted, “why? Dolly and I can always find you someone better.”

Casey moved to Pete and slid an arm around him, smiling at Sara as she did so. “I love Pete,” she said, “and no one else could ever fill his shoes.”

“I dunno, his feet look kind of small. Then again, he’s small, height wise... Maybe else where...” Sara lifted a brow and glanced down for a moment before narrowing a cold stare in Pete’s direction. “I really don’t like you,” she said before she looked at Casey, “but for you hon, I’ll let him live,” she smiled.

“Sara... Be nice to him...” She said as she lightly patted Pete’s chest, conveniently with the hand that her engagement ring was on. “He means a lot to me and I mean it when I say I don’t want anyone else,” she smiled as she finished her words, and Sara’s eyes grew wide.

“Oh no... Casey, tell me you’re not...”

“We are, I’m sorry,” Casey giggled before she was ripped from Pete into another tight hug from Sara. “But why?? Why are you getting married? Think of all the fun you’re missing out of!”

“Chris...”

Sara opened her mouth to say something, but shut it quickly and just as quickly pivoted on her hell and marched the other way. And Pete could have sworn he was imaging things, but was the fierce Sara, blushing? And smiling like a fool? Joe slipped some pot resin in his food this morning, he had to have. Pete shook his head and looked down at Casey, who smiled up at him.

“Sorry about her hon,” Casey said as she rubbed a circle on the confused Pete’s chest. “Well, that was one of the two people... Too bad she ran off before we could tell her about our newest addition... Pete, are you okay?” She asked, frowning when she noticed the bead of sweat on his forehead and the way he had tensed up. She looked where he was looking and smiled big when she saw Dolly.

Pete watched as Casey ran over to Dolly and was pulled into a big bear hug that threatened to squish all life from Casey and the baby growing inside of her. He trembled with fear at the glare sent his way over Casey’s shoulder. The ice in Dolly’s ice made Heaven, Hell, and Earth all freeze over simultaneously, crashing the world into the newest Ice Age. Or was it just him? He made his mouth form a smile, that wasn’t returned, and quickly died.

Casey pulled away from Dolly and smiled up at her. “Hey, can we go to the office? I need to talk to you about something work related...”

Dolly looked at Casey with her big smile. “Does the brat have to come to?” When Casey nodded, Dolly rolled her eyes and walked towards her office with Casey in tow. She was looking straight ahead so she was oblivious to the fact that Casey had to grab Pete by the arm and make him follow after her. When they were in the office, Dolly shut the door and sat behind the desk, with Pete and Casey sitting in the two chairs across from her. “I hope that guy of yours hasn’t convinced you to quit and become dependant on him,” Dolly said with a scowl at Pete before directing a concerned look at Casey.

Pete frowned a little, a slight bit annoyed that she was talking about him like he wasn’t there. He could handle the attitude, but talking about him like he wasn’t there, not acceptable. He hated that.

Casey shook her head and smiled at Pete before she looked at Dolly. “He couldn’t convince me of that if he tried to Dolly, but I am going to need some time off... Not anytime soon mind you, but um,” she looked at Pete, who was looking at Dolly, a muscle flexing in his jaw. The sight caught her off guard slightly, but she figured it to be from fear. She looked back to Dolly. “I’d say in about seven, maybe eight months I’m going to need a couple of months off...”

Dolly leaned on her desk, eyeing Casey suspiciously. “You mean a couple of weeks off, right?” When Casey shook her head, Dolly frowned. “You mean to tell me that dumb ass knocked you up?”

“That dumb ass didn’t knock her up,” Pete said, his voice tense as he gave a hard look to Dolly. “He and his fiancé are going to be having a child together, something far different from a child of inconvenience. And by the way, that dumb ass would appreciate if you could quit talking about him like he isn’t here.”

Dolly looked from Casey to Pete, staring cooly for a moment before a slow smile spread on her face. “About damn time you started showing some fucking back bone you schmuck,” she said. “Now if you would have done this from the beginning you wouldn’t have had this problem.” She looked at Casey. “So, fiancé huh?”

Casey smiled slightly as she slid her hand into Pete’s hand and gave it a small squeeze as she lifted her free hand and showed Dolly the ring he gave her when he proposed. “We haven’t decided a wedding date, or really anything about it yet, but I couldn’t tell him no,” she said as she looked at Pete, smiling.

Pete still stared at Dolly, confused as Hell. “So wait a minute, you were testing me?”

Dolly looked at Pete and laughed for a moment before she gave a laughing sigh and looked at him. “I had to make sure you had some kind of back bone,” she said, and held up her hand to cut off Pete when he opened his mouth to speak, looking pissed. “Listen kid, nothing against Casey, but I know she ain’t a fighter. She wouldn’t last a second on the streets I came from. I’m like family to her, and in my family we all look out for each other. I had to test you to make sure you could step up when it was needed.”

Pete listened, actually listened, and nodded, sighing softly. “I guess I understand... Even though we don’t get along I would do the same for my sister...”

“Good,” Dolly said before she looked at Casey, who was silently watching the two, a small smile playing on her lips. “Obviously you don’t know what you’re having yet, but as soon as you find out, I want to hear, you understand that?”

“Yes Dolly,” Casey said with a smile. “Trust me, you’ll be in the top of the list of people who find out first.”

“Alright then,” Dolly said before she looked at Pete, who was looking at Casey, grinning slightly. “As for you,” she said, her voice making him look at her. “You need to take good care of her. She’s like a daughter to me and I don’t even need to finish that sentence for you to get my point. Right?”

“Right. Well, I hate to cut this, but Casey and I are out house hunting,” Pete said as he and Casey stood up together. He watched as Dolly came out from behind the desk and pulled Casey into her arms for a big hug. He ws caught off guard when Dolly let go of her and kissed her forehead, and then moved to him and pulled him into the same hug she had given him, minus the forehead kiss.

Casey watched with a smile as the two people she cared about as they hugged each other and pulled away. She let Pete lead her from the office and out of the store. She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face as they walked towards his car, and when they got to the car, she pulled him close and kissed him deeply.