Never Give Up

After the differently timed arrivals as well as dinner everyone had gathered and comfortably sat in the well furnished living room. Jacob Defray had just come out of the kitchen holding a tray of freshly baked cookies and hot chocolate and set them on the coffee table.

“Dad don’t you think we’re too old for this?” Alec had asked his father as he watched Vince immediately grab the plate of cookies.

“Your brother obviously thinks not, and your mother would be very disappointed if she heard you speaking that way.” Jacob answered as he settled himself into his recliner chair.

“Mom always was a firm believer in never breaking tradition.” Jason spoke in a matter of fact tone.

“Wouldn’t that mean that everyone gets a cookie?” Nadine asked as she watched Vince shove the last of the cookies into his mouth. Everyone turned to look at him and all he could do was smile which only made his cheeks look like those of a squirrel storing food in its mouth.

“I’d like to think so, I would’ve liked to at least have a cookie. Honestly Vince did you have to shove all those cookies down your throat?” Tina asked in a rather disgusted tone.

“His eating habits don’t disturb me any more, if anything I’m just surprised to see myself eating as much if not more than he does.”Ali spoke absentmindedly. Everyone turned to look at her, save Vince for he was still trying to chew on the cookies. When it came to eating the most Vince was the always in the top five while Ali was always took last place so of course everyone was confused by what she just said.

“Does that mean what I think it does?” Sarah asked in delight. Ali shyly nodded as she blushed deeply.

“I didn’t mean for it to slip up.” Having it confirmed Tina, Brenda and Sarah squealed in joy as they gathered Ali in their arms for a group hug.

Nadine sat back in her seat as she laughed at the bewildered looks her four brothers had on their faces, for they weren’t able to put two and two together. By then Jacob had then stood up and gathered Ali in his arms for a fatherly hug, as he whispered congratulations to her.

“What the hell are we missing here? So what she eats as much as Vince, so can Deens.” Tony asked very confused. The four excited women all paused to roll their eyes at the other men.

“Come on Tony, you can’t be that slow, even Deens figured it out!” Tina exclaimed.

At that statement her brothers turned to her for help, after she had calmed down she sighed and shook her head at them.

“I have always been able to eat as much as you guys. Have you actually seen how much Ali eats? She eats can barely finish what we eat for a light snack.” Nadine explained seeing if they could figure it out on their own, but that had been unsuccessful. “Ali’s pregnant.” Before anyone reacted chewed up cookies went flying onto the coffee table. Making everyone laugh hysterically at the look on Vince’s face. He looked as though he were about to be thrown into a cage match with Chuck Lidell.

He then turned to look at Ali who only avoided his gaze. How could he not figure it out, he did notice her eating habits change drastically. Not only on the amount of her in-take but as well her choice of food, but he had just thought that she was hungry. But that wasn’t the case she was eating for two, herself and his child. He was going to be a father, he was going to have a family with the woman he loved. He smiled as he began to imagine the woman of his dreams taking care of his child. The thought of her rocking the baby in her arms and singing softly to it. His smile only grew at the very thought of her holding his offspring but as it entered his mind he immediately frowned. Coming out of his reverie he looked adoringly at Ali. Who was now looking scared for he hadn’t immediately responded. He cleared his throat as he tried to find the right words.

“How far?”The room had soon fell silent after his words were spoken.

“Three months, I had a check-up last week.” she spoke quietly looking anywhere but at him.

“So by June you’ll give birth?” he asked after doing the math in his head.

“Around that time, yeah.” Everyone focused intently on the only couple who spoke, for they didn’t know what exactly to expect. After a moments wait Vince spoke.

“I want you to know that if you give birth to my child, I can’t have you as my girlfriend.” At that Ali did look at him, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. He held her gaze for a minute and he walked out of the room through the door leading to the kitchen. As she watched his retreating back Ali did begin to cry, and the woman around her immediately comforted her, Jacob had soon suggested that the woman come into the kitchen with him, for privacy as well as access to comfort food.

Not knowing what to do the men sat still, leaving the room silent, until Nadine growled and hopped over the couch to give her brother a piece of her mind. But she was stopped as Tony ran and gathered her into his arms, she began to fight him nearly getting out of his hold, but stopped moving when he began to speak to her in low voice.

“Give him a day to sort things out. And if by morning he’s still being stupid, then you can do whatever the hell you like. Okay?” a grunt was his response. He tightened his grip knowing very well that as soon as it was loosened she would shoot out and hunt down their brother. “Nadine promise me you’ll leave him alone.” But before she could answer Vince had walked back into the room through the hallway. He cleared his throat to gather everyone’s attention. He looked at his little sister in a rather confused matter but flinched when she lunged at him but was again held back.

“What I do?” he asked surprised by his sisters actions. Her eyes widened as she growled and broke through Tony’s hold she then flew across the room to strangle her brother, everyone was on their feet when she was easily caught by Jason who then had her in a head lock, with her back against his chest, he then gathered her wrists into one hand and led her to the couch Vince was standing behind. He then made her kneel on it as he put one leg across the back of her knees he held her in three tight holds and she knew fighting was futile so she just began to yell at Vince from her entrapment on the couch.

“You’re lucky I can’t move, because by now you would’ve been dismembered. It’s a damn good thing you already have something cooking. Just don’t be too sure you’ll get to make more.”

“What? I didn’t do anything.” Vince held his hands up in defense. Nadine was about to tell him off when Jason tightened his hold around her neck causing her to gasp for breath.
“Calm down baby girl, you’re not making things any better. Just let him say what he has to say and if it’s one of his stupid-ass comments then I promise to let go.” He spoke knowing her nick name would calm her down, he then loosened his grip so she was able to breath comfortably. She nodded in the hold letting everyone know she would hear what he had to say. They all turned to look at Vince waiting for a response.

“Deens why are you acting like this? It’s not like I left her or anything.” he spoke as he looked around the now half empty room, at this he realized his wrong doing. “Is that what everyone thought?” but he spoke before anyone answered: “I only left to get this.” he then held up the box that was holding the engagement ring he bought months ago. “ I was planning on giving it to her on Christmas day but I thought since she spilled her big news I might as well too.”

Everyone in the room visibly relaxed and Nadine was set free, she gathered her brother in a hug over the couch but then smack him upside the head as she let him go. He smiled and kissed her on the top of the head.

“In a way I’m glad you nearly killed me, it just shows how much you want to protect her.”

“Those girls in there are the only thing that keeps you guys remotely sane, of course I would have to kill you if you screwed it up.” she spoke in a joking matter.

“Only because they have sex with us.”

Nadine cringed at the thought.

“You better go propose to her before the women talk her into packing up and leaving without you.” Alec suggested as he pointed to the kitchen. Vince nodded.

As he entered the kitchen he saw that the women were seated at the breakfast table while his dad was taking care of the fresh batch of cookies at the island, looking up to see his son walk in he waved his spatula toward the girls. Vince walked up to the island avoiding everyone’s gaze as he grabbed a muffin then left the room.

He stood in the living room with his siblings surrounding him, irritation written all over their faces, he waved them away so they all walked into the kitchen. When he walked back in he noticed that Nadine was the only one comforting Ali as the men had taken their significant other to the island. He avoided the gazes of the women and walked toward Ali, muffin in hand. Nadine had stood up and sat down on the counter watching with everyone else.

Vince placed the muffin on the table as he sat down and gathered Ali’s hands in his. “I think you misunderstood what I meant.” Ali only sniffled. “When the baby’s born I couldn’t live with myself if it’s parents were separated.” fresh tears were produced. “Here eat the muffin, it always calms you down.” he handed her the muffin with bated breath, as she began to eat the muffin in her usual matter she ripped off the top but was shocked when it lifted easily. But was soon elated when she saw the diamond ring nestled in it. Tears of joy replaced tears of sadness as she looked up at Vince. “I don’t want to have this baby if I don’t know that you’ll marry me.”

“I guess that means you won’t wait six months for my answer.” she asked seriously.

“Do really need that much time?” he asked in confusion.

Ali laughed as she hugged him. “No you buffoon, because I already know I want to marry you.”

Vince smiled into her neck as he hugged her tightly to his chest. He then pulled back to give her a kiss, as their lips met cheering was heard through the room. Ali laughed as Vince hid his face in her neck and he groaned. But before anyone could congratulate them he had her in his arms and bounded up the stairs to their bedroom.

“It was about damn time that boy grew enough balls to ask her to marry him.” Jacob spoke.

Everyone agreed as they began to disperse throughout the house. As Nadine began to walk to the basement the doorbell rang. Knowing someone would get it she began to descend the stairs when her name was called. She sighed as she walked back up and toward the front of the house. As she walked through the hall she saw Alec standing there, she looked over his shoulder and groaned.

She stood beside her brother with her hands on her hips. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I thought I was going to meet your family tonight.” Nadine gaped at him.

“I thought so too, but you know since you were too busy fucking some whore on your bathroom sink I figured you changed your mind.”

“Come on Nadine you know that meant nothing to me,” he paused as he was about to place a hand on her shoulder but was stopped when a hand latched onto his wrist. He looked at the owner of the hand and was met with a scowling Alec.

“Don’t lay your fucking filthy hand on my sister.” Alec spoke in a dangerously low tone.

“Alec,” Nadine pleaded softly, his eyes grew soft as he looked at his sister.

“Five minutes or we’re all out here.” he tightened his grip enough to bruise then let him go and walked into the house.

Nadine stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind her.

“Thanks for that, I think he might have fractured something.” he spoke as he gingerly rubbed his wrist. He was too busy to tend to himself when Nadine’s foot connected with the side of his head, he had lost his balance and fell onto the front lawn. Nadine stepped off the porch and placed her foot onto his sore wrist.

“What the hell Nadine?! I come here to apologize and this is how you treat me?”

She put more weight on his wrist as she spoke. “Listen to me you piece of shit, you can take your damn apology and shove it up your ass. I gave you a chance to fucking walk away without any hassle, but here you come begging me to take you back. I gave you more credit of being a man than I should have. Now get the hell off my property and stay the hell away from me and my family.” She placed all her weight on his wrist spun on it as she walked toward the house.

xXxXx
a/n Disclaimer Chuck Lidell is a a ufc fighter and does not belong to me.