I Am Not Afraid to Keep on Living ~Private~

Dawson knew it took more then love to bring home the bread for the family. He was prepared for very tough hardships. He wasn't going to walk out at first arguement. He would argue till they made up. He was prepared to go through hell with guns ablaze. He was that kind of man. He knew what he was going against and he wanted her and the baby and thats what made it worthwhile.

Ruby sighed softly and got up. They'd had enough of downtime. Now they needed to face the music. "Ready?" she asked softly, offering him her hand. They needed to be willing to do this together, hand in hand. They wouldn't get anywhere with this if they kept it secret forever (which wasn't even possible.)

(Be her dad?)

" Lets do this thing." He said lacing his fingers with hers and held her hand tightly. Walking downstairs he heard her mom cooking and the clang of pans and the chang of cups clashing.

" Ah here she is. Jet lag over?" her father smiled brightly up at his daughter. " Oh I'm sorry, you must be Dawson. Who else right?" he stood up and shook Dawson's hand. " I'm Richard."

" Nice to meet you sir." he smiled.

" Just call me Richy." he smiled warmly at Dawson. He noticed how proper he was and polite. " I finally get to meet the famous Dawson."


Dawson blushed. " I'm sorry I did not meet you and your wife sooner."

" Oh you two were busy in Africa. " Richy smiled.


Dawson could've sworn the man knew. " Oh yes, making sure everyone is taken care of.."


" So thoughtful." Richy smiled. " So, What are you two up to today"

Her father always did have the best diction. "Oh not much Dad." she stammered, squeezing Dawson's hand a bit tighter as she grew more nervous. "We just, uh, need to talk about something..." she stuttered. Her mother looked up from this and then looked over at her husband thoughtfully. Turning off the stove so that the food wouldn't burn she sat down at the table to hear what her daughter her to say.

" Oh? Well we're all ears" he said folding his paper.


Dawson squeezed her hand.

(Not it. You're doing it, buddy boy.)
Ruby bit her lip as she felt him hold on tightly to her hand, seeing now that he was just as afraid as she was. Where could they begin? Where? 'Oh, Daddy and Momsy, while we were in Africa, like dad said, we got busy. Just in more than one way!' Impossible.

( Oh you're cruel)

Dawson wanted to grumble. Why did he have to tell HER parents. "...." he gulped. " well... um... we're... expecting.."

He had to tell HER parents because as the man he was supposed to protect her from stress. Not to mention that it was his sperm. When Ruby's mother heard the news her eyes widened and she looked over at Richy with disbelief. "R-richy..." she just didn't know how to react to it. How could anyone?

(No I'm not. I always have to do it.)

Richy was just as flabbergasted. " Well isn't that a supprise. The lion sure did sleep that night didn't he?"


Dawson wanted to laugh but he was trying to show he was serious and very supportive of Ruby. " We have been talking and we are going t keep it. I'm already working on getting stuff planned out. I'm going to be looking for a job and a place to settle down in. I do plan on marrying your daughter." he said gently " I am going to struggle to make sure that she and the baby will have the best. I take full responsibility."

Jean could barely recognize her voice as she spoke. "I know that this isn't really a prefered situation..." she squeaked, hardly able to look up at her father. "But I promise you on my word that we're going to be responsible about this." It was hard for her to say but it was how she felt- it was the truth, too.

Her father was very silent. He rubbed his temples quietly. " We just met him.....and yet... we have to accept him as the father of our first grandchild?...........hm" he sighed. he looked at his wife gently. He couldn't get mad. That was not the best thing to do. " I'm not happy about the choice you made but it was tghe heat of of the moment no doubt. And you are taking responsiblity for the child which is the best thing to do. Because now it is no longer about YOU or HIM. Its about the baby. So. What is the game plan and how can we help." he folded his hands. her father wasn't the kind of man to yell or bellow. He was rational. Getting mad would only chase them away and he didn't want to chase his daughter away. He wanted to be apart of the baby's life. He wanted grandkids its just he didn't think it would be soon and if Dawson had the balls to tell him that he got his daughter pregnant and was going to stay and be a man about it well.. He liked Dawson.

" Dawson, for you to have the balls to tell me this and to stay with her. well you're a big man. A man stands up for himself but a bigger man stands up for the people who need him the most. ": He pointed to Ruby then at him. " You have my blessing and I acknowlege you and her's relationship and the hoping of the union in marriage." he said.

It was her dad's way of saying, I respect you now fucking make her an honest woman. Meaning marry her.


" Yes sir. We were going to marry before the child was born..." he said gently.

Ruby didn't appreciate her father assuming that her and Dawson's consumating their relationship had been in the heat of the moment, mostly because he was basically saying that at their age and state in their relationship there was no possible way that they could have come to the rational decision on their own. Secondly she didn't like the thought of being forced to marry over a baby and it made it seem more like a shotgun wedding than an actual sign of Dawson's love to her. But she kept quiet and only nodded her head.

" Now I'm not trying to say this is a shotgun wedding sort of thing. I'm sure you had intentions before I said anything." her father said. " I am just worried about my daughter's well being. I've seen too many girls on that tv get pregnant and the man runs off never to be seen again. I want some sort of tie so if you run, I can kick your ass." he looked at Dawson with a piercnig glare. " So, have you gone to the doctors yet" he said sitting down and the room suddenly returned to normal morning atmosphere.



Dawson had high respect for that man who didn't get mad but was only caring and loving towards his pregnant daughter and threatened him not her.

"Back in Africa we spoke with the nurse there, though she wasn't really a specialist on pregnancy. We've just gotten back from Africa yesterday, so no we haven't seen a doctor just yet. I was planning on making an appointment after this talk." She was trying to be more relaxed about it but she was still on edge.

" Well I'll have my insurance cover some of the costs and I'll help with the more expensive things but the rest is you two's. And you can stay here for as long as you need but the exception is that he has to be working and I want him to look into a community tech college. I'll help by the means of giving him a roof over his head and I'll help with textbooks. And eventually I will send you to college next. " he pointed to her.

Now things were far too much for Ruby to bear. While she understood that her father was only trying to help whether he had meant to or not he had went over the line. "I was already planning on going to college. Never once did this baby make me change my mind on that. I have my own money and I have plenty of scholarships to get in anywhere I want."

" Can you manage a baby and homework at the same time? Don't you want to wait till you get the baby situation set?" he asked.

"I know that I can handle it." she answered, fuming a bit. "It's ridiculous to think that just because I'm having a baby I have to forgot about my own educational future. I'm not buying that BS, sorry Dad. I care about this baby but I also care about myself and I want to go to college."

"Ok ok." He muttered. He flipped opened the paper. That was that. He wasn't going to lecture her. She will do things her own way.

Ruby didn't like being told what to do especially when she wasn't a child anymore, not to mention she was carrying a baby of her own. Sighing softly she excused herself from the living room and went back upstairs. She felt bad for exploding on her father but she couldn't help but also be proud of herself for standing up for what she believed was right.

Dawson blinked and hurried after her after excusing himself.

In some ways it felt sexist that her father assumed that she was just going to stay home with the baby for the rest of her life, letting her years pass her by. While she would love this baby with all of her heart she wanted to be able to teach a lesson of her own, that above all education was important and that if she needed to fight for it be prepared to go in with fists clutched and possibly a shovel as well.

Maybe dads were sexist. He was only trying to protect his daughter.

That was twisting her words around. She wasn't even saying that her dad was sexist- just that one idea of his. People in general could have sexist or prejudiced opinions without even realizing it, perfectly well rounded people. Looking back over at Dawson she sighed and asked him, "What do you think I should do about my schooling, Dawson?"

" Well... I say don't try to be wonder woman. Do things that you know you can manage. Stress isn't great for the baby." he said.