Trent's Baby?!
written by Julia Wright, ssworldfan@aol.com

Scene 1: The Lane Household
All is quiet until there is a knock on the door.  Trent, since there is no 
one else home, eventually rises from his slumber on the couch to 
answer it.  He opens the door to see a girl that looked vaguely familiar.  
He remembered meeting her at a party that he had gotten wasted at.  
He didn't remember much after meeting her, except waking up on a bed.  
He didn't even remember her name.
"Trent?" the girl asked.  It looked like she didn't remember him that much 
either.  Anyway, he nodded.  "Here.  Could you take your baby for a 
week?  That's all I ask.  A week."  Trent didn't understand.  His baby?  
What did she mean?
"What do you mean, my baby?" Trent finally managed to sputter.  
He couldn't believe it.
"Your baby.  Your child.  Remember that party we met at?  Well, we...
um....got me pregnant."  Trent stared at her.  He couldn't remember 
any of it.  He had done someone and not even remembered it!  
"What am I supposed to do?  I don't know how to take care of a 
baby!"
"Just get a girl to come over and help you.  You can figure it out"  
She thrust the baby at him, and he limply took the baby in his arms. 
 He looked down at her and stared, not believing that it was part of
 him.  "Her name is Melanie," the Laura said.  "Well, I better go.  I 
have exams to study for. Good luck."  Laura bent over and put a 
kiss on Melanie's forehead.  "Bye, baby."

Scene 2: Trent's Room In the Basement
Trent: (thinking) What am I going to do?  I've never taken care of 
a baby!  No one else is home, either.  Jane and Mom went on some 
mother- daughter thing and Dad is on a business trip.  What am I 
going to do?"
Melanie just stared at him, as though she knew everything that 
he was saying.  Not once did she cry.  Eventually, he got her to 
sleep, and he decided that it was time for him to call someone 
and get help.  
"Hello, is Daria there?  Hi, Daria.  Um, could you come over here 
for a little bit?  I have a problem that could use your help.  Thank 
you so much."

Scene 3: The Morgendorffer Home
Daria: (to herself) "Hum, Trent has a problem that needs my help. 
 No one else is home, either." a slow smile spreads across her 
face.  "This could be interesting."
Daria finishes getting ready, and heads outside.  
Before she leaves, she yells to her parents to tell them where she
 is going.  "Don't be too late, dear," Daria's mother says.
"It feels weird walking to Jane's.  I'm used to Trent picking me 
up."  Visions of Trent begin to fill her head.  Pictures of Trent playing 
guitar, sleeping, and driving her to places with Jane.  
Daria: (thinking) "I guess this is what love feels like."
The walk to the Lane's was not that long.  It only took a few minutes.  
The weather outside was warm and clear, like most days in Lawndale.
Daria arrived at the Lane's and knocked on the door.  Trent answered 
and ushered her in.  When she entered the house, she heard a noise 
that she couldn't identify.  "What the h*ll was that?" she asked Trent.
"That,"  he said, "is my problem."  He took her down to the basement, 
and showed her what his problem was.  A little baby lay on the bed. 
 She was awake and staring straight at them.  She had dark hair and 
eyes like Trent.  "This is my problem," said Trent.  "A woman dropped
 her off here and said she was my baby.  I have to take care of her for 
the week, and I know nothing about babies.  I was wondering if you 
could help me."  Trent gave her this pleading look.  "No one else is 
here and they won't be until after the baby is gone.  I need help, and 
you are the only person I can turn to.  I have no one else that I can 
ask.  None of my friends would ever know anything about babies. 
 I'm the only one with any siblings.  Please?  Will you help me?"  
Trent gave her such a cute look that she could not disagree.  Daria 
made a look and reluctantly agreed to help him.  "Thank you, Daria.  
Thank you so much.  I owe you big time."  You sure do, Daria thought.  

Scene 4: The Lane Kitchen.  Daria is on the phone with her mother.
Daria: "Mom, can I spend the night at Jane's?"
Mrs. M:  If it's not any trouble to her parents."
Daria: "It's not.  Okay.  I'll see you sometime."
Mrs. M:  "Wait, Daria, didn't you say that Jane was out of........."
Daria quickly hung up the phone before she could here the rest of 
what her mother said.  Her mom knew that Jane was out of town, 
and she would never let Daria spend the night someplace with just 
a guy.  And as long as Daria didn't here it, then it would be all right.
Daria: "All right, Trent.  I can stay.  I hope you appreciate this."
Trent: "I do, Daria.  Thank you."
Daria: "You're welcome."
Daria and Trent took the baby to the store, because her mother had 
not left anything with her except a few diapers.  Daria picked up 
Melanie and carried her through the store.  People were looking 
at them, and assumed that they were a family.  They picked up
 some diapers, formula, and a bottle.  As they were checking out, 
the cashier asked Daria what her daughter's name was.  "Um, 
Melanie."  After that, Daria wanted to get out of there as 
quickly as possible.  She had never thought of herself as a 
mother, and it made her uncomfortable.  

Scene 5: The Lane House
Daria and Trent had just managed to give the baby a bath and put 
her to bed, after feeding her a very messy dinner.  Trent sat down 
on the couch and starting shuffling through things on the table.  He 
found a package of cigarettes and lit one up.  He took a few quick 
drags, then motioned for Daria to have some.
Trent: You want?
Daria was about to say no, but a baby wail interrupted her.  
Daria: Sure, why the h*ll not?
She took a long drag and let it out.  Then, she went to the other 
room to pick up the baby and check on her.
After a successful attempt to settle Melanie, Daria returned to 
the family room.  Trent had just put out one cigarette and was 
lighting another.  When he saw Daria, he handed her the 
cigarette and let her take a few puffs.  She handed it back to 
Trent, who also took a few puffs.
Trent: Daria, I didn't know that you smoked.
Daria: I don't.  I started tonight.
Trent: I could see how taking care of a baby that's not yours 
could do that to you.
Daria: I didn't know that you smoked, either, Trent.
Trent: Only when I'm nervous.
Daria: I guess this would constitute for being nervous.  I sure 
know I am.
Trent: Yeah.  Me, too.  Geez, I'm tired.  Taking care of a baby 
wears you out.
Daria: Yeah. (yawns) I guess it's time for bed.
Trent: You wanna watch TV or something?
Daria: Uh, sure.  
She gets up and sits on the floor in front of the TV because she 
can't see from the chair she is sitting in.
Trent: You can sit up here, Daria.  There's plenty of room.
Daria: Uh, okay.
She sits on the couch, but there isn't as much room as Trent made 
it out to be.  They were sitting right next to each other.  Trent 
finds a movie to watch, and both of them settle in.  It wasn't long 
before Daria had fallen asleep on Trent's shoulder.  Trent looked 
down at her and smiled.  It would be wonderful to have a child 
with her, he thought..........
Trent awoke to see that Daria had shifted during the night, and 
now her head was in his lap.  She was slightly smiling in her 
sleep, and Trent thought she looked beautiful.
Trent: (whispering quietly to himself) These pants are tight. 
 I think I need to get some new ones.
Daria: Huh?  
She notices how she is lying and quickly sits up.
Daria: Sorry, Trent.
Trent: That's okay.
All of a sudden, a baby shrieks.  Trent and Daria both jump up 
and run to the other room.  Daria gets stuck changing a diaper, 
while Trent fixes a bottle for the baby.  After feeding the baby, 
Trent and Daria sit down with the baby to watch TV, but there 
is nothing on.  They finally decide to take Melanie to the park.

Scene 6: The Lawndale Park
Daria: (quietly, but out loud) Gosh, I love Trent!
The baby looked up at her and smiled as if to say, I love my daddy, 
too.  Daria smiled down at her and gave her a hug.  Daria sat there 
on the bench with Melanie in her arms and talking softly to her.  
There were many people at the park, but not any that Daria knew. 
 It looked as though Trent had found someone he knew, because 
he was talking to a guy that looked about his age over at the snack 
bar.  Trent had gone to get them all soda, but had been side-tracked 
by someone.
Person: Trent, what are you doing here at the park?
Trent: I'm here with someone. 
He points over at Daria, who is hugging Melanie.
Person: Geez!  You're dating someone with a kid?
Trent: Paul, she is helping me baby-sit.
Paul: Your baby-sitting?
Trent: It's a long story.
Daria and Melanie are watching the joggers go by as Trent was 
talking to Paul.  One jogger stopped to talk to Daria.
Jogger: You must be very lucky to have such a beautiful daughter.  
Is the father around?
Daria: Yes, he is over there.  
Daria pointed Trent out to the woman, who said congratulations 
and left.
Daria: (to herself)  I hope someday that I have a child with Trent 
that is as beautiful as Melanie.  That would be absolutely wonderful.  
Even though she couldn't imagine Trent as a father, it would be great. 
 Wait a minute, she told herself.  Trent is a father!  It's hard to see 
Trent playing the fatherly role.

Scene 7: The Lane Household
Daria had just called her parents to say that she would not be home 
that night, but had gotten the answering machine.  After leaving a 
quick message, she hung up the phone and went to find Trent.  He 
was in the bathroom with Melanie, giving her a bath.  He looked so 
serious leaning over the tub with a baby in his arms.  Daria watched
 for a minute, staring at the sight that the two of them made.  It was 
so beautiful, that tears almost came to her eyes.  Almost, but not quite. 
 She wouldn't allow it.
Trent somehow sensed her presence, and looked up at her.  He smiled 
and went back to work on his daughter.  He dressed her, and Daria 
held out her arms, wanting to hold Trent's child for a moment.  For 
a brief time, she could pretend that she, Trent, and Melanie were 
a family.
They all went into the living room once again to watch a movie.  
That's all that this "family" seemed to do.  That and going to the 
park.  They finally settled in to watch Psycho.  Not long after, 
they were all asleep.  Daria curled up on part of the couch, a 
peaceful baby in her arms.  Trent was on the floor.
Daria awoke to a squirming child on her stomach.  She groggily 
got up to feed the baby, stepping over an unconscious Trent.  
"Gee, I thought this was his baby," she mumbled to herself.  
Nonetheless, Daria fed the baby and put her back to sleep before 
passing out on the couch again.
A knock on the door woke Trent and Daria from a serene repose.  
They both got up to answer the door.  There stood the woman 
that had brought Melanie to Trent.  "It's her again," Trent 
muttered under his breath.  I wonder what she's doing her days 
early? he thought.

Scene 8: The Lane household
Daria is gathering up the small quantity of things that she had 
brought to Trent's days before, when he had called her for help.  
I can't believe that Melanie isn't Trent's!  Daria thought to herself.  
"How could that woman do that to him?  It was extremely rude.
"Daria, do you need a ride home?" Trent called to her from the 
other room.  Daria responded that it would be nice but he didn't
 have to.  The ride was pretty much silent until they arrived at 
Daria's house.  Trent turned to her.  "Daria, I want to thank you 
for helping me, even though we now know that Melanie isn't mine.  
You were great.  Sometimes it felt like we wee a family.  I have 
something to tell you."
"Yes, Trent?" Daria said breathlessly, in anticipation for what he 
had to say, hoping that it was what she was thinking.
"I-I love you.  The whole time you were helping me I kept dreaming 
that one day you would have my child."  Trent looked down at his 
lap, very embarrassed.
"Trent, I love you too.  To tell you the truth, I kept dreaming about 
having your baby, too."
"Wow," Trent said before leaning over and placing a kiss on the tip 
of Daria's nose.  "You better get inside before someone comes out 
here and catches us."
Daria laughed and whispered, "I love you," before exiting the car and 
running into her house.

Scene 9: Daria's future home, ten years after the previous scene
Daria entered the home that she shared with her husband, filled 
with excitment.  "Trent!  I have something to tell you!"  At the sound of 
Daria's happy voice, Trent came running.  When he saw her, he smiled 
a kissed her.  "I have something to tell you, Trent.  You know that dream 
we've had for about ten years?"  
"Yes?"  Trent smiled, knowing what was about to come.
"It just came true!"  Daria smiled at him, and placed a kiss on his nose, as he
 had done ten years before after he had told her that he had had the dream.  
The couple shared a loving embrace and kiss, happy for what was about 
to come, and hoping that the rest of their lives would be this happy.
~*The End*~