1.16

Smothering her sobs Kaylee let the hot water beat down on her as her numb mind tried to wrap around the fact that she was more than likely pregnant. She hadn't planned for this. Hell, she hadn't really given it much thought. If she were honest with herself she knew the reason she had even avoided thinking about having kids was because of Janet. Subconsciously she worried that she might have some of the same traits as Janet but consciously she knew they were on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Lifting her face she let the water rinse away her tears. She had just reached up to turn the nozzle a little more toward the hot side when she heard babbling outside the door. A grin crossed her lips. Gabe.
A few days ago he had learned how to get out of his crib and now he would search the entire house until he found her. His babbling grew more insistent. Shaking off her melancholy Kaylee turned the water off with a quick twist of her wrist and got out of the shower. Grabbing a towel she wrapped it around herself before she opened the door. Looking down she saw Gabe gnawing on his hand. He looked up at her and grinned before lifting up his arms to reach for her.
"Let's get you dressed. Frances and Damon are coming by to pick us up to see their new house," she said after glancing at the bedside clock. She had just finished feeding the both of them when a horn honked outside.

"I'm worried about her Damon. She doesn't smile as much as she used to," Fran said as she looked in the rear view mirror.
"Leave the girl alone Frances. Need I remind you that you weren't the most cheerful person while you were pregnant?"
Fran frowned. "I was to cheerful," she argued.
Damon turned and looked at her in astonishment. "Are you kidding me? You were like that chick in The Poltergeist. The slightest thing would set you off and you were either insanely happy or constantly crying. It was horrible."
"Then why'd you want to have another baby?" she snapped in annoyance.
Damon winked at her and reaching over Gabe's head ran a hand down her cheek. "I never said you weren't sexy pregnant. Plus...trying was half the fun." Before Fran could comment he reached down and hit the horn several times. Glancing in the rear view mirror he noticed that Kaylee didn't even move out of the bed of the truck. She appeared lost in thought.

She was lost in the thought. She was trying to remember when her last period had been. She wasn't the most regular of people so she couldn't even accurately guess the date of conception. She and Ty were meticulous about birth control. She was on the pill and Ty wore condoms...except for a time or two that they had gotten carried away. Heaving a sigh Kaylee started when she heard Gabe shrieking in laughter. Looking around she realized that they had stopped. Hopping out the bed of the truck, Damon had brought it back from Pleasantview with him, she absently took a reaching Gabe from Damon while she studied the house that they had brought.

She shook her head when Damon swept Frances into his arms and carried her into the house as she grinned happily up at him. Buster yipped at her feet before he trotted off to go exploring. Kaylee decided to do the same. She didn't get very far when she was stopped by the stunning view from the adjoining patio area.

She didn't know how long she stood there holding Gabe as they both watched the waves ebb and flow until she heard Damon calling her name.
"Come away from that window little girl! Fran's making breakfast. You need to eat something...you're losing weight."
Smiling, she shook her head and followed after him.

"This house is huge," she said as she slipped into a chair beside Damon. He took his eyes from where Fran was cooking and nodded.
"Yeah, we figured that this would be a great place to raise grandkids."
Kaylee blushed when he stared pointedly at her. She cleared her throat. "Well, there will be plenty of room for that."
"Yes, if you and Ty decide that you want more children," Fran said as she flipped a pancake. "Isn't that right Damon?"
Damon winked at Kaylee before he turned back to his wife. "Sure hon. Shoot, we're not that old. We could fill this house up with little brothers or sisters for Ty."
Fran didn't even blink. "Sure we can...as soon as you start being able to have them."
Kaylee laughed and it was Fran's turn to wink at her. "You hungry?"
In response Kaylee's stomach growled. "I haven't been able to keep anything down," she said by way of explanation.
"Oh honey, you don't have to tell me. I remember when..."
Over breakfast Fran told her stories about her own pregnancy with Damon interjecting every now and again between feeding himself and making sure Gabe got just as much food in his stomach as he did all over his clothes. Fran had just launched into another story, this one about Damon in the delivery room, when Kaylee's cell phone, the phone Ty had insisted that she get, rang.

Glancing down at the window she frowned at the unknown number. Excusing herself from the table she walked a little distance away before flipping the phone open and answering it.
"Hello?"
"Hey babe!"

"Ty!" Just hearing his voice made the weight that she hadn't known she was carrying, lift from her shoulders.
"How are you Kaylee? I'm sorry I haven't been able to call like I said I would but I've just been exhausted."
"I understand," Kaylee said quickly. She did understand. She had been doing some research on football and understood how much training and endurance the players needed in order to play in all kinds of weather. Some days training would be for eight hours or more. She couldn't imagine how his body felt at the end of the day.
"I know you do. So, how are you?"

There was a pause and Ty clenched the phone tighter to his ear as he stood alone on the field. He had borrowed a phone from another player since his was in his hotel room. He had felt the need to call Kaylee, to hear her voice. He had every intention of calling her every day but some days the coach just worked him until it was all he could do to take a shower and crawl into bed.
He frowned when the silence stretched and just when he was about to say her name he heard what sounded to be a child's laughter in the background.

"I'm fine," Kaylee said quickly as Gabe laughed in the background. She stepped further away from the kitchen. "Everything's great." A knot formed in her stomach as she told that lie. She could tell Ty didn't believe her when he sighed in her ear.
"Kaylee, you-" He was cut off by a loud beeping. Looking down at the phone in his hand he growled in disgust. "Look babe, I have to go. Harold's phone is about to die. I'll try and call you sometime later this week okay?"
"Okay," Kaylee said. "I love you."
"I love you more," he said before he hung up.

Walking over to the bench Ty sat down. He ignored the drizzling rain as he stared off into the distance. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

"Urinate on the stick...blah, blah, blah. Try to keep it as straight as possible...yada, yada. Should get results in three minutes."
Kaylee read the back of the box before she set it down next to the pregnancy test she had just taken. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she turned on the water to wash her hands.
"It's only three minutes. One hundred and eighty seconds," she muttered to herself as she reached up to turn off the water. Her hands tightened on the knobs when she glanced absently at the stick to see that it had already changed.

She didn't have to turn it around to read what it said. "That so was not three minutes," she said inanely as her heart hammered in her chest. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was pregnant. She couldn't seem to wrap her mind around that fact. She and Ty had created something because...

She. Was. PREGNANT.

After dumping the kit in the trash by the sink she walked into the bedroom and curled up on the bed. She stared blankly off into space before her eyes were drawn to the picture that Ty had sent in the mail yesterday. A smile curled her lips before she rolled over and stretched out her hand to rest on his side of the bed.

They were going to have a baby.


The next morning when Fran came over to watch Gabe Kaylee told her that she was going to the doctor's during her lunch break to take another pregnancy test.
"Good, it's about time. You need to get those prenatal pills or what ever it is they give you now."
With a laugh Kaylee walked out of the house. Work was spent watching the clock until she felt the seconds were turning into minutes, the minutes into hours and the hours stretched on until she felt as if she would scream. Luckily her lunch hour rolled around and she headed toward the hospital.

"Ms. Ravensworth? If you'll follow me?"
Kaylee stopped tapping her fingers against her thighs when her name was called. Getting up she followed after the nurse who chattered amicable on until they reached an empty room.
"Have a seat. The doctor will be with you momentarily."


Kaylee sat in the stiff chair and nervously clenched and unclenched her hands against the armrests of the uncomfortable chair. She gave a small jump when the door was pushed open and a voice boomed out a greeting.
"Well, congratulations Ms. Ravensworth. It looks as if you're going to have a little one."

She had an inane urge to laugh as she studied the doctor. If Ty were here he'd make some little joke but Kaylee was starting to get used to seeing green people...and how crazy did that sound? He sat down on the stool next to her.

"I'm Dr. Veszerk but most people call me Dr. V. You have nothing to worry about Ms. Ravensworth I-"
"Please, call me Kaylee."
His red eyes gleamed as he grinned. "Kaylee it is then. As I was saying you have nothing to worry about. I've been delivering babies since before you humans realized that you should probably do it in sanitary conditions."
"Then you're as old as Hannah?"
He studied her. "Hannah huh? You don't call her Mother like the rest of the folks around here?"
Kaylee shook her head and once again his eyes gleamed as he smiled. "I'm sure that pissed her off. And to answer your question no, I'm not as old as Hannah. She's the oldest one of us in existence. She's nearing her next cycle though. Possibly her last."
He fell silent then shook his head. "Word to the wise, don't trust her. Being so old has warped her somehow. I-" He shook his head as Kaylee leaned forward. "This isn't about Hannah. This is about you and that shining ray of light inside your womb. It picked you, you know."
Kaylee was stunned at his off handed comment. Placing a hand over her stomach she shook her head.
"Yes, it picked you. You're going to be a wonderful mom. And he's going to be a great dad. Now," he said as if he hadn't just left her flabbergasted by his strange comments, "Let's get you out of those clothes and into this uncomfortable gown." He stepped out of the room only returning when she called him back in.
"Okay, put your feet into these stir ups. You'll feel a little bit of pressure as I insert the instrument. Take a deep breath."


"Motherfu-...that was so NOT a bit of pressure," Kaylee snarled through clenched teeth. Dr. V patted her knee.
"Well, it's a little pressure in comparison to what you're going to go through delivering the baby." "Thanks, that doesn't make me feel any better."
He laughed. "I like you. Now Kaylee...turn your head and look at the monitor. You see that little sack of fluid?
Kaylee slowly turned her head to look where he was pointing.

"Say hello to your baby."

Hannah called her into the office the moment she got back.
"Have a seat Kaylee."
Kaylee nervously sat across from her. She cleared her throat when Hannah sat there in silence and just studied her for a moment before she smiled.
"Your pregnant. I didn't know why I didn't sense that about you earlier. Usually I can tell these things but with you...something's blocking my access to-"
Hannah cleared her throat. "Congratulations. How far along are you?"
"A little shy of two months."
"I see. That's fabulous news of course. We need all the children we can get. They are, after all, our future. Come, lets go tell everyone."
"Um, I really don't-" Kaylee watched as Hannah walked out of the room leaving her little choice but to follow after her. Hannah clapped her hands and like little worker ants everyone came scurrying over. Kaylee wondering just how long Hannah had been in charged of the facility and how long most of the people had been working here.
"I have an annoucement to make. One of our own is with child."
As one everyone turned to look at Pat. She held up her hands. "It's not me! Geez, have three kids back to back to back and everyone thinks that I just live to pop out kids," she muttered.
Hannah cleared her throat. "No, Kaylee is with child."

She was caught off guard by all the cheering and back slapping that went on. You would think, she thought as her hand was shaken once again, that people didn't have kids around here or something.
"Oh my god girl! Our kids can play together!" Pat said in excitement.
"Well, there goes your figure," Z said with a disappointed sigh. "You think I could borrow some of your clothes since you won't be wearing them?"
"Congrats," Gina said softly. Kaylee was suprised. She had actually gotten off of her computer to come over and congratulate her.
James grinned and nodded at her. He was just so quiet, Kaylee thought in amusement. Winston was more vocal.
"Oh that's great! So, while you're on leave I get her vacant slot right Mother?"
Hannah glared at him. "We shall see Winston."
His triumphant expression crumbled. Shaking her head Kaylee went back to her cubicle.


Getting off of work earlier, Hannah insisted, Kaylee went home and played with Gabe. He was such a smart little boy. It hadn't taken her any time at all to potty train him, Janet had been remiss in that duty, and his vocabulary was growing by leaps and bounds. Buster was growing as well. Kaylee had worried that he would be a little on the scrawny side but he was filling out nicely.

After bathing Gabe and taking a quick shower herself they played a little more. She tried to make up for the time she was at work and Gabe was slowly coming out of his shell. He no longer flinched at sudden movements and he slept through the night instead of waking up crying. She took those as signs that he was happy there, with her.

She stared down at him through the light cast from the little nightlight she had plugged by his crib. He was still so small to her and to think, she thought in amazement, that something so much smaller was growing inside of her. Placing one hand on her stomach she bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to Gabe's forehead. He smiled softly in his sleep before rolling away from her.

The weeks passed without much excitement. Ty kept in contact and Kaylee kept avoiding his probing questions about what was wrong. She knew she was going to have to tell him, training was almost over but...she just didn't know how to tell him after evading so long. And the more she kept putting it off the harder it got until she was demanding that Fran and Damon promise not to say anything as well.
She was walking home from work one day when she saw it...

She nearly stumbled when she caught sight of the truck sitting in front of the house.



"So, I'm guessing we need to talk?" he asked her in a cool tone.