**/Dressed Up As Life\**

[<~~Christian Price~~>]

Christian looked at his phone, making sure this was where she had said to met though he was a bit curious as to why she had wanted to meet up with him. After all he was the guy who had gotten her pregnant on a whim and had a awkward moment in the book store. No matter the case though, Christian was a compassionate person and he felt for her after all she had been threw quite a bit. So here he was, in the park with coffee and dressed in a all black suit, his original plan was to go into the office but he really did not mind being a bit late for it. He was going to help a friend or...something like that he had no idea what he was to her but it did not matter, if someone needed him he would be there, that was just who he was.

Ever sense his mother had told him to care for people everywhere, no matter what kind of person they put themselves off to be and at this moment all he wanted was to honor that memory. Plus he wanted to do it for his child...even if he might never meet them, he wanted to be a good person so that he could feel something. So if his kid heard about him, they would know what kind of person he was even if it meant them never knowing he was there true father, he could deal with that. Leaning back in the park bench gently he yawned and took another sip of his coffee as he sat there awaiting Ivy's arrival.

It was curious that he felt as though she had wanted nothing to do with him yet the other day he had picked up his phone and one of the few people he would guessed were on the other line. She sounded distressed which worried him slightly, he really hated seeing people unhappy it often lead to terrible things for them. He was mostly doing this because he wanted to make sure that she was okay, that she had not gotten herself into some huge mess, the city was a fickle place. He knew it from experience so he was hoping that Ivy had not had such a wonderful experience as his was, though he knew that her boyfriend would probably protect her. Maybe it was more trouble with the boyfriend, she had mentioned it at the book store so could that be part of the problem; he was not sure but he awaited her arrival. [/size]

[IVORYmercedesSMITHSONIAN]

I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day
And ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way
BUT MY SILENT TEARS HAVE GRIPPED ME!!

Long before I reach the phone, long before my tongue has tripped me
MUST I ALWAYS BE ALONE??

outfit

Ivy seemed to dress better in the face of chaos. Either that or she wanted to wear her clothes while they still it. She wasn't sure why she called him. But somehow, she had to see him. Maybe it was because the last time it had been him she'd called--he had a right to know then, it was his child. And she was pregnant again, but not with him, but somehow she had to tell him that she was keepign her kid this time, and hopefully he wouldn't be mad that she hadn't done it last time. But she'd been 17 then, and she was a week away from 20. Things were different now. and she loved the baby's father.

"Hey Chris." She called with a wave as she got closer. "Sorry to drag you around like this, but I just.... I just suddenly felt like I had to talk to you."

[<~~Christian Price~~>]

Hearing his name he raised his head and gave her a light smile as he took a sip of his coffee, she seemed okay but from what he could tell she was good at hiding that sort of stuff. "Well hello Ivy" he said giving his usual charming smile that painted his face a good number of the times. "It is alright after all you are getting me out of some boring paper work" Chris said, he would much rather talk to her then be stuck in some stuffy office trying to sort threw up and coming artists. Sitting there he looked at her for a moment and nodded "have a seat if you would like" Chris said nodding a bit over to the empty seat next to him on the park bench. "Now what did you want to talk to me about Ivy?" Christian said taking another sip of his coffee as he looked at her, it was nice to see someone he knew...actually truly knew you could sort of say, he hardly talked to many people in this bustling city. [/size]

[IVORYmercedesSMITHSONIAN]

I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day
And ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way
BUT MY SILENT TEARS HAVE GRIPPED ME!!

Long before I reach the phone, long before my tongue has tripped me
MUST I ALWAYS BE ALONE??

outfit

Ivy smiled, she was sort of happier to see him than she'd expected to be. But now that she was hear, she didn't know what to say. She laughed when he said he was glad to be out of paperwork, but it sounded a little empty to her.

Now she was worried.

Would he really care about her personal life? He wasn't a part of i/t. He wasn't a shrink or a best friend. he was a fling from two years ago. Maybe he'd wish she hadn't told him. But Ivy hadn't even told her parents yet. Only she and Robbie knew.

Ivy sat down as indicated and clasped her hands a little nervously. "I realize I'm not sure what I want you to say or why I'm even telling you. But... well, I'm pregnant again. Obviously not with yours." She let out a little laugh, lips turning up into a smile. "I love my boyfriend, but.... I don't know if he's going to stay. He's so scared of commitment, and he told me flat out he wasn't sure he could stick around.... But I told him I'm keeping it, because I could never do what I did before again."

[<~~Christian Price~~>]

Christian was glad to see her, after all like he had said this was better then the office Ivy was better then dealing with any of the people he had to at the office. Some of them were okay but they seemed so soul less, as if nothing really mattered and they just sort of went threw the day as they could. He sort of felt that way sometimes though, as if he was just going threw the day and not bothering to once just take a break and breath. Just take a few minutes and see what the world is, to appreciate it for everything it is, perfection and imperfections. He liked to think of the world as a happy place, even threw everything it had put him threw and the people around him.

Watching her hands she appeared nervous, she had no idea why she was telling him and he had to admit that years ago he would of thought her as the most unlikely person to be sitting and talking in the park with. Listening to what she was saying he smiled "I don't mind you talking to me, makes me feel a bit more human" he said in all honesty. People really did not talk to him, so he always felt as though he came off like a snob or a jerk...whatever he was not sure but he just knew it was not a good vibe. Hearing she was pregnant he nodded "congratulations I think" he said after all she seemed happy but not so happy at the same time about the baby. It was good to hear that she was keeping it, that brought a smile to his face...this kid would have a home and in a way that helped mend a small part of him.

"Well..." he rested his elbows on his knees for a few moments as he thought about what to say "I am proud of you, as weird as that may sound" he said with a nervous laugh. "You have come along way and you want to take care of this baby regardless of what happens" he said nodding at her and taking a sip of his coffee. "If the worse case scenario happens" he said stretching a bit as he sat there "I'll help you in any way I can". After all Christian felt bad for abandoning her the last time "I feel bad about the last time, I want to apologize for the trouble I've caused you". He was trying to be a good guy, because being a jerk to her was the last thing she needed.[/size]

[IVORYmercedesSMITHSONIAN]

I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day
And ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way
BUT MY SILENT TEARS HAVE GRIPPED ME!!

Long before I reach the phone, long before my tongue has tripped me
MUST I ALWAYS BE ALONE??

He took it surprisingly well. Some how she expected something different, but this was good. "Yeah. I... it really killed me to give our daughter away, but I was so young... even more irresponsible and there was no way I could have really been a mother then. And now, I'm older and, no offense or anything, but I actually love the kids father..." They'd been a fling, he knew that, it sounded mean to say. he really was a nice guy.

"Robbie's staying for now, but... I'm worried this is going to split us apart. We really are good together, we're alike. And we sort of get the best out of each other. If he leaves, i think I'm going to need a lot of help. And I thank you for the offer. And, it wasn't your fault, it wasn't an issue of fault. I never blamed you for what happened." She was the one who forced it on him. Chris was a quite guy, a good guy. She was the one to blame.

[<~~Christian Price~~>]

Christian was a expert at keeping himself under control and plus he really had no reason to be mad at her for keeping this child and not the one they had but he would not deny he wondered sometimes. "Don't let it get to you to much" he said very gently, as it was a sensitive subject for her he guessed and he could not see he was that keen about screaming it out to the world. "I know I don't know if I would of been any good at being a dad either at the time" he said shrugging his shoulders, in all honesty it was true. He nodded his head, it was not as if he had fallen into some deep love with Ivy so it did not bother him to much he knew what had happened with them was far from them caring about each other. He had let himself get out of control on one night and she had been the one to help him become the person he was not.

"I just want to make sure a good person like you does not end up getting hurt", though he knew if that guy left then she would probably be broken up. From what he could tell she did love him so he hoped and prayed that if the guy did...ya she would be a strong person and hold on. Course he thought of her as a strong person so he really did not expect anything less then that from her, she was going to be able to take care of this kid threw everything. The other one though he was wondering if maybe...it might of been crazy but one day he wanted to go and actually meet her... He thought it sounded crazy "what if you could meet your first daugther?" he said in a soft whisper as he looked over at her, he had money and in a way he wanted to meet her, maybe he could...it was crazy but something in him wanted it. [/size]

[IVORYmercedesSMITHSONIAN]

"I don't think I.... I don't want to see her, not now. I can't have her back, and one kid will be hard enough, and if you ever go back to California, I'll either lose her to you or ahve to keep her..." Another kid would seal the deal on Robbie leaving. "You can see her. But me.. it hurts too much." Not a lie, just not her only reason.

Would he be a good father? Probably better than Robbie, and her immidiate response would be 'yes'. However, he was so quiet, never took a chance. Could he put so many things up in the air to make sure his kid was safe? And it would be hard for Robbie, hard for her, Two lives, two kids, two fathers..... She wouldn't be able to handle that.

[<~~Christian Price~~>]

He nodded as he understood after all, he could see how seeing her would cause her pain and he would rather not cause her any so he did not want to push it. One day though he would of liked to meet her, she had been raised by other people for a while he would feel sort of bad taking her away. Christian could live with her being happy if it meant that he never got to be her father, because at the end of this all he wanted was for the kid to be happy. He thought of being a father as something different, it did not matter how you were in real life it boiled down to how you were around the kid. Remembering something he perked up and reached into his pocket, holding out a case with a bow on it, it appeared to be a jewelry box.

"I remembered your birthday was coming up pretty soon" he said smiling lightly as he ran a hand threw his hair and rested his elbows on his knees. It was a necklace, it was a flower made of diamonds and sapphire he had it specially made, guilt really got to the guy huh? "I thought you might like it" Christian said as he set the empty coffee cup next to him taking it all in about how he never expected to be here. Sitting with the girl he had let for one night have total control over him, he regretted it though due to her feeling so weird about everything he sort of wished she felt better around him. After all being uncomfortable around each other totally sucked especially all alone in the park he thought to himself.

[IVORYmercedesSMITHSONIAN]

Ivy's eyes lit up. "You got me a gift?" How had he remembered her birthday after all these years? It was truly amazing and he was a good guy.... Ivy leaned over and gave him a big hug and a light kiss on the cheek. It was so weird to be touching him, even in such a harmless way. "Thank you." For a fling, he really was being so serious and on some level, she appreciated that. he was sweet and responsible. It was obvious and endearing and....

Ivy held the little box, wondering what was inside, she figured that she had to wait to open it. Some girl was going to be so lucky to have Chris.

[<~~Christian Price~~>]

"Yea I got it a couple of day ago" Christian said smiling lightly, he seemed to have the memory for just about anything you could throw at him even if it was years back. He was just trying to do what he thought was right and it was not like you turned twenty everyday so he wanted her to remember it. Not in a bad way though, he sort of wanted her to look back at it as a good day one that she would want to remember. Not one that she would sit and regret everything about her life on, that hardly seemed like a birthday in his eyes. Plus he knew having people around on your birthday helped, that was how he had gotten threw so many at least when he had someone to be with him.

Surprised that she gave him a hug and a bit taken back by the kiss he blinked, his eyes had widened a bit when she had done it after all girls never exactly touched him. Well they did but hardly ever, he was not someone people felt like they needed to touch or he just had a strict code against he. Christian nodded when she told him thank you "it was no problem after all you don't turn twenty everyday I just hope its a good one threw everything you have gone threw". He had never really thought about when a girl would actually catch him per say, it was not a thought that crossed his mind plus there were just so many out there and finding the right one was complicated. "You can opened it now if you want" he said glancing over at her "after all I am sure that the rules for birthday gifts don't have to apply all the time" he said smirking a bit. [/size]

[IVORYmercedesSMITHSONIAN]

Ivy smiled at him and opened the box. Oh my god. It had to have cost a fortune. Robbie would get all jealous and annoyed when he saw it. A gift from the father of her first child... and Robbie didn't even have money to pay for dinner. She almost felt like she was stealing from Chris. "Its beautiful... must have cost and arm and a leg..." She breathed, picking up the necklace carefully.

She really hoped he hadn't gone out of the way to get this for her, hoped he hadn't blown his savings. His father was rich, she thought so anyway, but even so...

[<~~Christian Price~~>]

Smiling as she opened it he was glad she liked it "I am happy you like it, I had it custom made" he said as he looked at her, after all no one made something like that any more really, it was rare to see. "Eh a bit of money taken out for a friend won't hurt my father" he said winking and giving a small laugh after all it was worth it to see her face brighten up a bit more after everything that had happened. "It was worth it to see your face brighten up for a bit" he said with a light smile after all she looked like someone who could use a bit of cheering up, after all she was going threw with her boyfriend and everything. He had come out of his shell a little bit more sense he had met her which I guess was what he was thanking her for to, even if it was hard to notice him coming out of his shell. "My fathers particular about his money but he throws it in every which direction which I think is rather senseless but it aloud me to make a purchase like that" he said shrugging his shoulders, not to say that he spent the money on himself a lot in fact most of the time it was for other people. [/size]

[IVORYmercedesSMITHSONIAN]

"Well, its amazing and very, very thoughtful of you Chris. Especially since I was kind of a bitch to you back in California." Was that really more than two years ago? Time flew. And she was such a different person now. Chris could really be her friend now.

His father was really that rich? Oh right, he was on the East coast to head up his dad's business. Poor guy. he really didn't seem the type. She wasn't sure what type he seemed like, but certainly not a CEO or anything. Wasn't Chris ever going to go for his dream?

[<~~Christian Price~~>]

"It was no problem, you should remember your twentieth birthday after all isn't it sort of momentous?" he said shrugging his shoulders lightly. He shook his head "it's in the past, whoever that was I met years ago is not the girl I'm sitting next to right now" after all he saw a friend in this one. She was a sweet girl, she got herself a bit mixed up in somethings but who did not get themselves a bit mixed? It was the circle of life, mistakes were meant to be made threw out your life and you just had to learn from them. Christian wanted to do what he wanted to and everyday he was closer to doing it, one day he would get that shove and he would start pursuing acting at least he hoped it would be that way.