"I hope you brought a lot of money, Pace." Joey said wryly, cuddling Victoria to her chest as they walked towards The Baby Warehouse. "Just because it’s wholesale doesn’t make it cheap."

"I’ve been saving for a boat," he replied evenly. "If this kid costs more than a thirty-six foot pleasure boat, than she’s not worth it." He held the door open for Joey.

"A boat? Really?" She arched an eyebrow thoughtfully. "I guess I should have expected that. You were never happy unless the floor was moving beneath you."

He shrugged, "The best memories of my life were made on the water."

She smiled, "Must have been one hell of a summer you had this year."

"Who said anything about this year?" He winked at her with a grin and grabbed one of the huge carts. He took Victoria from Joey and settled her into the baby seat attached at the front, locking her in with the straps. "Okay, Potter, where do we start?"

She scanned the entrance of the huge store, more of a warehouse than anything else. "This place is huge," she said, a touch of awe in her voice. "I guess, let’s just start with aisle one and work our way around. The only place you’ll have to go after this is probably the grocery store for food. Otherwise, once we’re done here, you’ll be set."

He groaned, "Once we’re done here, she’ll be old enough to go to college."

"Quit your whining. The sooner we get started the sooner we finish, Pace." She grinned down at Victoria and tickled her tummy. "And the sooner Daddy will get you home, huh, sweetheart?"

"I wish you wouldn’t say that," he grumbled, pushing the car towards the first aisle.

"The D-word?" She asked with a smirk.

"Yes."

She sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear, "You know, Pace. It really isn’t as bad as you want to believe."

"You’re kidding, right?" He arched an eyebrow. "I’m twenty-years-old, working a full time job, no foreseeable future, no relationship. Is that the kind of father you want Victoria to have?"

"No. I want her to have a kind, responsible, loving, funny, sweet man for her father. And, wow, Pace. You are all of those things and more."

"But I’m not a father. I don’t know the least thing about raising a kid."

"We’ll help you," she promised.

"Doesn’t matter, she’s only staying with me until her grandparents come home." He insisted. "Now quit arguing with me, or I’ll leave ya here." He shot her a teasing smirk.

"I should add stubborn to the list," she smiled. "It’s a good quality for a father, that means she wont get her way constantly and grow up to be spoiled."

He chuckled, "You never give up, do you?"

"Nope," she grinned. "Now, first stop. Bath supplies."

Pacey scanned the row of bath tubs. "Oh lord, I am so in over my head." He watched as Joey considered each one, the size, the cost and the design.

"This one," she pointed to the last one, a pale pink one that was molded to fit a baby and had a no slip padding in the bottom.

"Whatever you say." He grabbed one of the boxes and stuck it in the bottom of the cart. "We’re gonna need a bigger cart, Jo."

"Let’s just work on one at a time. Once they realize you’re going to be spending big bucks here, they’ll be more than willing to hold your purchases until we’re done." She moved a little further down, "Okay, we need soft towels, washcloths, soap and shampoo…" As she listed each item she grabbed one of each.

"Ohh, look how cute these are," she showed him the ducky washcloth that was worn over his hand like a puppet. "And look, there’s a matching hooded towel." She grinned add them to the cart.

"You’re enjoying this far too much." He shook his head and reached out, grabbing a rubber ducky and giving it a squeeze. "Can’t forget this, Potter." He threw it into the cart.

"Now, is that for you, or her?" she teased.

He batted his eyes innocently and grabbed a second one, tossing it in as Joey laughed. Picking up on the good humor, Victoria gurgled and waved her arms. Pacey held out his finger and she latched on, drawing it to her mouth to suck on, "Hey, kid. That’s mine." He gave in and let her have it for the time being as he followed Joey down the aisle, well aware she was smiling to herself.

"Next, and probably the most important," she informed him, "Is the car seat."

"Yes, Miss. Baby Expert."

"Hey," she poked him in the chest, "I’m the best you got, mister."

"I know, it’s a sad, sad day," he teased. She scowled at him, "Okay, okay, lecture away. I’m listening."

"Humph. Well, the main decision is going to be whether you want a car seat by itself, or a car seat slash stroller."

"The car seat slash stroller will save me some dough, wont it?"

"Probably." She nodded, pointing at the ones on display. "This one’s the cheapest. And it’ll last you until she’s three."

"Are you sure $130 is the cheapest? And I’m not keeping her that long." He frowned.

"I told you this wouldn’t be cheap, Pacey. The car seats run at the cheapest for her size $70, and then the strollers are $80 to $200."

"$130 it is." He said, hefting the heavy box into the cart. "We need another cart, Potter."

She nodded her agreement, and led him towards a sales person. "Excuse me," she smiled brightly, "We’re going to be here for a while, is there some place we could store this until we’re done shopping?"

The middle-aged black woman eyed the two teenagers and the baby, whatever comment was on the tip of her tongue she kept to herself. "Right this way," she led them to the front and then to an area that was roped off. "Can I get your last name?"

"It’s Witter, two T’s." Pacey answered as she wrote the name on a tag and attached it to the handles of the cart.

"It’ll be waiting for you right here, feel free to leave any other carts here as well while you’re shopping."

Joey nodded, as she lifted Victoria from her seat and put her in another. "Thank you."

Pacey leaned into Joey as the sales associate walked away, "Did you see the look she gave us?"

"You come from small town Capeside and you’re concerned with what a sales woman thinks about us having a baby?" She arched an eyebrow as she pushed the cart into another aisle.

"Good point, but still…even she knows I’m too young to have a daughter."

"If you were too young to have a daughter, than you’re too young to be having sex." She replied simply.

Choked laugher bubbled forth, "You’re kidding me right. You’re saying you’re ready to have daughter?"

"No," she shook her head, pushing the cart ahead of her to a display of cribs. "But I am saying, if by some chance I had ended up pregnant by you, I’d have accepted the responsibility. Wouldn’t you have?" She bit the inside of her cheek, not wanting him to realize how important his answer was to her.

"Of course," he replied with out pause. "But that’s different, our baby would have been conceived out of love, not…"

"Lust?" She filled in for him.

"Right."

"Okay, but is it Victoria’s fault that she wasn’t our baby?" She asked, "She very easily could have been. Should you love her any less because she was Melanie’s baby instead of mine?"

He ran a hand down his face, "If she were our baby, I wouldn’t be doing this alone. If we were together and had a baby, I could handle it."

She smiled faintly, "That’s good to know, but Pace, you aren’t alone here. You’ve not only got me to help, but all the rest of your friends."

"The fact remains, I’m not cut out to be a father. I don’t want to be, and I wont keep her. Not when she’s got grandparents that want her."

"Pacey," she shook her head, "You don’t know that. You’re only assuming that once they see her they’ll want to keep her."

"I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it." He said insistently. "Let’s just focus on the here and now and spending my hard earned money."

"Whatever you say, Pace." She sighed, looking down into Victoria’s startling blue eyes. Joey hoped that for her sake, Pacey would wizen up and learn to love his daughter.

Joey loaded first one cart, and then another, and then a third with everything from a car seat to a stroller. A porta-crib to a play pen. Some strappy thing that looked incredibly complex that he was supposed to strap to his chest like a backwards backpack to carry her in. One entire cart was filled with diapers and changing supplies. A second contained only bottles, formula and baby dishes. And the clothes…oh God, the clothes. Everything she found was ‘too cute’ or a ‘must have’. By the time they were done, Pacey figured that Victoria would have more clothes than he did. By the time they reached the last two aisles, he’d guessed they’d spent roughly seven hundred dollars…and that was without a changing table, without a full blown crib, without the high chair, and without the baby dresser Joey had wanted, but Pacey had finally put his foot down on.

They arrived in the toy aisle and Joey rushed them through, "This is all for older kids." She stopped towards the end. "Here we go. I’m going to go get them started on the rest of the stuff. Meet me at check out when you’re done." She hurried away before he could protest at being left alone.

Victoria had been perfectly well behaved through the entire ordeal, even falling a sleep for about an hour before waking up demanding a bottle. Pacey eyed the little vixen for a moment, "Okay, kiddo. Let’s grab you a teddy bear and vamoose. I’ve gotta get to work."

"Hmm," he surveyed the toys, finding stuffed animals were only the beginning. "Well, no kid can go without Pooh Bear, right?" He picked out a stuffed yellow bear that was almost as big as Victoria.

"What do you think, munchkin?" He held it out to her and she grabbed it by the head and inserted the ear into her mouth. He smirked, "It’s as good as bought now. No complaining when you get home that it’s doesn’t match the sleeper Joey got you, Missy."

He turned back to the aisle, "What else?" He picked up a box that had a colorful mat pictured on it with a plastic arch going over it, several different toes hanging from it. He shrugged, "If it keeps her occupied…" he added it to the cart.

"This might come in handy," he picked up a combination teething ring slash toy. "When are your teeth coming in, little girl?" He wondered, removing Pooh from her mouth and taking a look. "That doesn’t help me, munchkin," he said surveying her bare gums. "Oh well, we’ll get one just in case."

"See, now this is the best part of shopping," He started looking over the toys once again.

"Every store should have a toy section. I guarantee, more men would enjoy it." He picked out a plush butterfly mirror thing that was supposed to hang in her crib, a pink cloth doll, a stuffed lady bug, a plush sun that giggled when squeezed and had pullable arms and legs, a lullaby singing turtle and was contemplating a rattling worm when Joey returned.

"Don’t you think you’re overdoing it on the toys, Pacey?" She asked with a grin.

"Are you kidding me? The toys are the best part. Look at this," he handed her the sun which made different sounds depending on which extremity was pulled.

She giggled, "Are you sure these are for her and not you?"

"Watch it, Potter. I might just leave you hear yet." He warned, adding the worm to the cart. "I think we’re done, now. Wouldn’t you say, munchkin?"

"Gah!" She cried in agreement, dropping her Pooh bear in the process.

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