Five Times a Charm

"Is she here yet, Paula?" Jenna asks.

"I don't know. Chel is her own person. I don't even know if she decided to show up for Christmas." Paula replied.

"She's been in the news a lot. Maybe, her laying low is what's best. If I just broke up with a Bachelor contestant, I wouldn't leave the house." Carol said.

Cheyenne walked through the door of the coffee shop with her daughter, Natia, wrapped in a baby sling.

"What's going on, ladies?" Chey asked.

"Paula's little sister's s'posed to be comin' for Christmas." Jenna said.

"I see. How're you feeling, Paula?" Chey asked.

"Nervous. I'm old enough to be her mama. I don't know how to relate to anything she's goin through."

"It's gonna be okay, Sissy. I made it." Chel said walking into the cafe.

Paula ran to hug her sister, noticing a tiny bump.

"You're pregnant, Chel?"

"Yeah, that no good, rotten douche left me when he heard. Makes sense why he was the runner up. Emphasis on Run."

The ladies chuckled. A dark haired man entered the cafe.

"Hello, Gian. What can I get you?" Carol asks.

"Triple espresso, Carolina. I have a dual shift this evening. Three women are due tonight."

Chel watched the handsome doctor grab his coffee, throw a tip in the jar, smile and turn to leave. He made eye contact with Chel.

"Buongiorno, Signorina."

He smiled and walked out of the café.

"Well, that was..." Jenna said.

"Don't go getting ideas about Doctor Giasone. he's a sweet man who's had his heart broken." Paula said.

"I wouldn't dream of anything unkind." Chel said.

"Good."

Two officers came into the cafe next.

"Jake, Ravi, long night at the precinct?" Jenna asks.

"Yeah. Would you believe some asshole tried to break into the church the night before Christmas and steal the presents for the orphans? What kind of creep does that?"

"The Grinch." Chel said.

Everyone looked at Chel and laughed. Ravi notices her smile.

"Hey, I think I know you from somewhere,"

"No, No, you don't."

He looks down at her bump.

"My sister watches Hollywood Insider. I think I recognize you.."

"No, trust me, you don't."

Jake pulls Ravi away.

"Leave her alone, Bro. She's obviously not who you think she is."

Jake walks up to Chel.

"I'm really sorry about Ravi. He gets a thought in his head and all of a sudden he can't let go for anything. I'm Jake Ament. I'm an officer of the law here in Springs Creek. I hope I see you around, Miss.."

"Chel, Chelandria Michaels."

"Chelandria.. pretty name for a pretty girl," Jake says.

"Dude, that's so.." Ravi says.

Jake looks at him with storm blue eyes.

"Enough, Ravi."

"Okay, fine."

"We're gonna go. Looks like CJ has a line." Jake says.

"Thanks for comin in, Guys, Merry Christmas!"

Another man comes to the counter.

"Hi, I'll take a Peppermint Mocha and Matcha Latte to go."

"Hiya John! Akamu sent you on a coffee run, huh?"

"Hey Chey, yeah. Akamu is working on prosecuting the hell out of the guy who stalked Jenna. Seriously, this case is giving us all the stress lines."

"I can tell. Here, I got it."

"You know Akamu's gonna have a fit." John says.

"Why? It's coming from the same account." Chey says.

"True."

"Tell Akamu we'll see him when he gets home."

"I'll do that." John says as he exits the cafe.

"I wish they'd stop coming for five minutes. This backroom is a disaster." Carol says.

"I'll be back next week, CJ." Chey says.

"Good, I need you!" CJ replies.

A dark haired man in ray-bans and a beard enters the cafe. Chel looks a bit annoyed.

"Does your wife know you're here, Derek?"

"I left her, Baby. I wanna be with you."

"Likely story, Asshole." Chel says.

"I mean it. I want you. You're beautiful..."

He looks down at her bump.

"You're pregnant? I didn't know.."

"I told you before you did the fifty yard dash out the front door."

"Who's this, Chel?" Paula asked.

"This..."

Chel looks Derek up and down once.

"... Male is Derek Harris, my sperm donor."

The women all look at him. Carol looks him over, jabbing a finger into his chest.

"You have some nerve showing up in my place, let alone this town you misogynistic piece of crap! Give me a good reason why I shouldn't have you thrown out of here on your ass."

"I came to ask Chel to marry me."

The crowd looked perplexed. Chel spoke.

"You're already married and pardon me if I think bigamy is a crime."

"I'm separated."

Carol spoke.

"Separated is still married, you twatwaffle!" Chel yelled.

Paula went to Chel's side, as she crumpled to the ground. Chey was calling the police. Carol was calling Giasone.

"This is Giasone Carlucci."

"Gian, this is Carol Jean. I have a situation at the cafe. I think Paula's sister is in labor."

"I'll be there shortly."

"Thanks."

Chey contacted the police station.

"Springs Creek Police Department, Dottie speaking."

"Hi Dottie, this is Cheyenne Leota. I'm at CJ's I need a squad to arrest a piece of crap human being harassing a customer."

"I'll send someone in a hummingbird heartbeat, Chey."

"Thank you, Dottie."

"It hurts, Paula. Is it supposed to hurt?" Chel asks.

"Marry me, Chel! I wanna make this legit!" Derek yells.

"Haven't you done enough, you piece of crap?" CJ asks.

"She's my child's mother! I want to make this right!" Derek says.

"You can't make this right, Derek. Go home!"

"Marry Me! I'm not asking." Derek says.

"NO!" Chel yells through her pain.

Cheyenne hands her baby to Jenna. Then rushes to Chel.

"Did the doctor tell you how far you are?"

"I was at eight months." Chel says.

"I think someone miscalculated. You're in labor, Chel."

"No! I can't be! This is a mess!" Chel says, crying.

"Babies come when they wanna come, Chel. Doctors can tell you when they think it's gonna happen but it's an estimate. I'm here, Paula's here. We're gonna get you help."

As if on cue, Giasone, Jake and Ravi enter at the same time.

"Dottie says there's a person harassing a patron," Ravi says.

"Yeah, right here." Paula says pointing to Derek.

"I KNEW IT!" Ravi says excitedly. "You're that washout from the Bachelorette! Runner up.." Ravi says yanking Derek by his arm.

Jake on one side of Chel, Paula on the other, as Giasone rushes to her.

"I hear Signorina's in labor. Congratulations. Now, let's see what's happening here."

Carol brings Giasone a tablecloth, some washcloths and whatever else he needs.

"Well?" Paula asks.

"Your doctor miscalculated, Signorina. You're having your baby on the floor of this coffee shop."

"I had a plan!" Chel yelled.

Jake smiled.

"We all have plans. I planned on playing Joseph in the Christmas play tonight. Turns out, I'm doing in real life now. Didn't think you'd be playing Mary, huh?" Jake says.

"No."

"Hey, would it help if I asked ya to marry me, Chel?" Jake asks.

"You'd marry a stranger?"

"You're cute, that's all I need."

Chel sniffled.

"Hey, hey, hey! Can we focus back on the problem at hand here?"

"Thanks for putting ice water on this sweet moment, Pauls."

"Anytime."

Giasone looked under the cloth and told Chel to push.

"I need one more push then this little angel is here, piccola mamma."

Chel pushed one more time.

"Congratulations, Piccola! It's a healthy boy." Giasone says.

Chel started to cry along with Paula. Giasone looked into Chel's eyes. He whispered sweetly.

"Sposami."

"What?"

"Marry me,"

"That's four proposals in one three hour period. I also had a baby. I don't know what to do.." Chel says.

"Hey, sis, I coulda asked." Paula says.

"Yeah, why don't you? Round it out to five in three hours."

"Okay, you little brat. How about you marry me?" Paula laughs.

"I don't think that's legal." Carol says.

Everyone laughs as Jake and Giasone load Chel and the newborn into the Giasone's car. Hours after arriving at the hospital, a nurse appears with papers.

"What would you like to name your son, Miss Michaels?"

Chel looks at the nurse.

"Giasone Jacob after the two men who stole my heart."

In the following year; Chel, Giasone and Jake grew to be a family alongside their son, Gian.

Derek, meanwhile, showed up on yet another reality show.

"NEXT TIME ON DIVORCE COURT... Bachelor runner up Derek and his wife Jennifer settle their matters in front of Judge Lynn Toler..."