"I still don't see why this is necessary," Charlie sighed.
"Because Uncle Miles is protective?" Danny provided.
"More like over protective," his sister grumbled.
"I don't think it counts as overprotective when you're sick almost every day for a couple weeks now." Danny cast a fond smile at his older sister. "Even you have to admit that is not normal."
"I guess so. But I don't like doctors."
Danny laughed at that one. "Maggie was a doctor," he reminded her.
"Maggie was different," Charlie objected.
Danny simply clucked his tongue as he pulled into a space in front of the doctor's house. He hopped off the cart first and then helped Charlie down. "Try not to scare the poor the man," he whispered as he led her inside.
Kyle Nelson, the town doctor, turned to smile at them as they came in. "Charlotte, Daniel, this is a pleasant surprise. What do you need?"
"Charlotte's here for a checkup," Danny explained. "She's been feeling bad for the past few weeks. We were hoping you could tell us what was wrong."
"I can certainly try," Kyle agreed. "Why don't you come into the back, Charlotte, and we'll see what we can do for you."
"Have fun," Danny drawled as he settled into a chair. Charlie turned to stick her tongue out at him.
Kyle led her into the back room and allowed her to get comfortable on his examining table. "Why don't you start by telling me exactly what 'feeling bad' means?" he prompted, getting his tools ready.
"I've been feeling…run down lately," Charlie explained. "I can't seem to do as much as before. And I've been getting really sick. Oh, and I've had to go to the bathroom a lot too. Way more than normal."
"Interesting," Kyle murmured. "Open your mouth for me?" Charlie did as he asked and Kyle checked for anything strange in her throat. Then he stuck a thermometer in her mouth to check her temperature. "That's normal," he noted as he plucked it out. "Have you eaten anything strange?"
"Everything I've eaten Miles has eaten too. Danny and Marta too. We all go hunting together." Charlie looked away. "Or, at least we used to, before I got so damn tired all the time."
"Any other problems?"
"A few. But they're…female."
Kyle gave her a reassuring smile. "Charlotte, I'm the town doctor. You can trust me with this."
Charlie bit her lip before continuing. "My breasts are really sensitive," she admitted. "And…I've missed two periods now."
Kyle nodded slowly. He went to his cabinet and pulled out two sticks. "Charlotte, I'm going to step outside. I want you to pee on both of these sticks, one at a time. Let me know when you've done that. The chamber pot is over in the corner there."
Charlie studied the sticks. "Pee on them?" she repeated.
"Exactly," Kyle nodded. He went out to join Danny in the waiting room.
"How is she?" Danny asked. "Do you know what's wrong?"
"I have a few theories," Kyle admitted. "But I'm not totally sure."
"She going to be okay?"
"Don't worry, Daniel. Your sister is in good hands."
"Kyle?" Charlie called. "I'm done."
Kyle clapped Danny on the shoulder. "I should know what's wrong soon," he said.
Kyle came back in. For the next five minutes, they talked about the various issues Charlie had been having recently. Kyle promised that he didn't think it was anything too serious. After the time was up, Kyle looked at the tests.
Danny frowned as Charlie came out of the room looking pale. "You okay?" he asked, concerned.
"We need to find Miles," she said.
Danny couldn't do much more but give Kyle a piece of turquoise and follow his sister out. They found Miles outside the cloth shop talking to a few of the locals. "Hey," he called with a slight smile. "How was the doctor visit? Everything okay?"
Charlie swallowed. "Miles, can you come with me?"
Miles looked to his nephew who shrugged. "Ooookay. Let's talk," he agreed.
Charlie led him away from all the crowds until they were in one of the vacant lots between buildings. "I went to Kyle, just like you asked," she began.
"And?" Miles looked worried. "Charlie, is something wrong? Did Kyle give you bad news?"
"I think you have to define bad news before I can answer that."
Miles rolled his eyes. "Will you please just tell me before I give myself a panic attack?"
"Miles…Miles, I'm pregnant."
Miles was torn between crumbling to his knees and throwing up. "Christ, Charlie," he whispered, running a hand through his hair. "Just…Christ."
Charlie wasn't sure how process that reaction so she kept going while her uncle did his nervous pacing thing. "Kyle…he says that I'm completely healthy, except, you know being pregnant. Apparently I'm about two months along. We'll need to start going for regular checkups. Kyle wants me to change my diet too so we'll have to go over that and—"
"God, Charlie just shut up!" Miles exploded.
Charlie recoiled at his outburst, remembering this was once a man who commanded the Monroe Militia. "Miles?" she asked tentatively.
"You…god, you're pregnant?" Charlie nodded. "And I assume I'm the father."
Charlie scowled at him. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on but she wouldn't let Miles accusations like that. "No," she snarked. "I've been sleeping with the whole town behind your back."
"This isn't funny, Charlie," Miles snapped.
"Do I look like I'm laughing?" she countered.
"Charlie, do you have any idea how…how insane this is? I'm the father of my niece's CHILD, for god sakes. The potential physical deformities alone…God, not to mention…Jesus Christ." He looked at her. "This can't happen, Charlie. It just can't."
Charlie nearly slapped him. "Maybe you should have thought about this before you started having sex WITH YOUR NEICE."
"Damn it, Charlie be quiet," Miles hissed. "Do you want the entire damn town to hear you?"
"You're the one that's freaking out not me," Charlie reminded him.
"Hell yes I'm freaking out. You're fucking pregnant, Charlie."
"And you want to kill my baby!"
"We can't be parents!" Miles yelled. "We just can't! And how the hell did this even happen anyway?"
Charlie rolled her eyes. "Well, Miles, when a man and a woman love each other very much…"
"I've never hit a pregnant woman before but I'm not afraid to make an exception." Charlie glared at him. Miles matched her look for look.
"I suppose you do have a point," Charlie sighed. "I mean, I didn't get pregnant on the road."
"I knew I should have used protection," Miles groaned.
"Why didn't you?"
"Didn't cross my mind," Miles admitted. "I assume we were both…barren. Although, now that I think about it, you probably had stress induced miscarriages." Miles ran both hands over his face. "Dear god, why me?"
"Miles, what are we going to do?" Charlie asked.
"And I repeat, 'this can't happen'."
"Why not?"
Miles gave a mocking laugh. "You really think we could have kids?"
"Yeah, I do. I don't see a problem with it."
"There are so damn many Charlie. I don't even know where to start."
"Maybe start with the fact that you're scared."
"You aren't?"
Charlie shook her head. "And I don't get why you are."
"Jesus, Charlie, do I look like father material to you?"
"I think you'd be a good father," Charlie said. "And you are not killing my baby." Having said her piece, Charlie swept out of the lot. Miles let her go.
He sagged against the wall at one end. "God I need a drink," he decided.
He headed over to the only bar in town. Both on the way and in the bar everyone gave him a wide berth. Miles was sure they could practically see the dark cloud hanging over him. "Whiskey," he ordered, not making eye contact. His drink was served and he was left alone. Miles was grateful for that.
He dug into his pocket and pulled out a dented and creased photograph. It was a picture of him and Benjamin the day of his graduation from the Marines. "Oh, Benny boy," he sighed. "Benny boy, what did I do? Hell, what do I do?"
The picture didn't respond of course. It never did. No matter how many times Miles talked to it or how many questions he asked it, Benjamin just smiled back at him from the photo with his arm around a younger Miles in full military dress. Miles would give anything to go back to those days. Everything had been clearer then. His job was to serve his country and protect his fellow Marines. Now he had no country. Now the world was going to shit and former Marines were either dead or on power trips. "God damn," he muttered.
Miles looked at the picture again. Benjamin had asked Miles to protect his kids. Miles had given his word that he would look after Danny and Charlie. Back when the picture was taken, Miles' word meant something. It was known around their little town that Miles Matheson might be a little shit but he was an honorable little shit. If he told you he was going to do something, it was going to get done. "Your kids are still too damn mouthy," he stated, finishing his drink. If protecting Charlie meant looking after a baby, then apparently Miles Matheson was going to be a father. He quickly paid for his drink and headed back out to the town.
The first order of business was to figure out where Charlie was. Danny looked like he wanted to have choice words with Miles but the older man's glare silenced him. Danny informed his uncle that Charlie was with Marta in the cloth shop. Miles' next stop was the flower shop. "Afternoon," Javier greeted. "You look upset. Have a fight with the missus?"
"You could say that," Miles agreed. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip. "I am in deep, Javier." He glanced at the other man. "Do yourself a favor and don't get involved with women."
Javier laughed. "Too late for that. I've already got a girlfriend. Mama and Marta are pushing for a marriage and babies." He reached under the counter and pulled out a bunch of purple flowers. "Purple hyacinth," he said, answering Miles' unspoken question. "It means 'I'm sorry'. At least that's what my mama says."
"Thanks. How much do I owe you?"
"Got any whiskey on you?"
Miles gave him a look. "You're not old enough to drink, Javi."
"Fine, what about turquoise?"
Miles searched his pockets. "This is all I've got," he replied, setting a small piece of the stone down.
"That'll do it," Javier agreed, examining the stone. "Here are your flowers. Use them in good health, my friend."
Miles rolled his eyes and hurried out of the store. He half jogged to the cloth sotroe where the woman who ran it (Miles could never remember her name) told him that they had a shipment of dresses and Marta and Charlie were trying them on. Miles looked at the door to the dressing rooms and back at the flowers in his hand. He really didn't want an audience for this. Having to apologize was bad enough. In the end, Miles paid for a length of ribbon and tied the flowers to the door handle. Then he made himself scarce.
Charlie sighed she exited the dressing room back in her jeans and tank top. The dress would have looked quite pretty on her once it was altered a little but she didn't have the money for it at this moment. "Charlotte," Marta called as she was about to hand the dress back. "Charlotte, look at your door."
Charlie turned to the door which had flowers tied to the handle. "How pretty," she smiled, gently untying them. She brought them close to inhale their sweet fragrance.
"Purple hyacinths," Marta noted. "Mama says those are used to say you're sorry."
Charlie smiled into the flowers. Leave it to Miles to apologize with flowers. The man never could actually use his words in a situation like this. But then, she knew that when she started this. "Marta, I think it's time for me to head home," she declared.
"Shouldn't you find Miles?"
Charlie grinned. "That's where he'll be."
Marta bought a length of blue cloth to make her and Danny some new clothes. Then she had Danny drop Charlie off at home before they headed deeper into the desert to their home. Charlie hurried upstairs where Miles was lying shirtless on the bed. "Hey," he greeted, not even opening his eyes.
"Hey," Charlie greeted, sitting next to him on the bed. "Got your apology." She dangled the flowers over his nose.
Miles batted at them grumpily. He cracked open his eyes and looked at her as he rolled her. "I'm not good at saying sorry," he told her honestly.
"You did pretty good this time," Charlie smiled.
Miles rolled his eyes but let that topic drop. "So when are you due?" He gestured to her still very flat stomach.
"Kyle says our little one will be here right around spring time."
Miles' eyes flicked from her stomach to her face several times. "We are going to be parents," he sighed.
"Yes we are. And it's going to be amazing. You know why?"
Miles was pretty sure he did but he asked with a smile. "Why?"
Charlie leaned down to kiss his nose. "Because we'll be a family."
A/N: So, first off, I found out that the Monroe Republic has their own form of currency called "Republic Trade Dollars". Or you can use gold. Since the group is in the Wastelands right now, we're working off a barter system with precious metals used for more special items. Second, I've been working on this things called National Novel Writing Month. Every night that I hit my word goal, I write fanfiction. You probably won't see much of me in November. I' haven't forgotten you, I'm just trying to write 50,000 words in one month. Last, I will be writing a short one shot about Miles graduating from basic training and put it up tomorrow. It was supposed to be up today but it's late and I'm tired. PS you're welcome for the shirtless billy burke. Again.