Yeah, well, unfortunately for me I don't own any of the original characters on Walker, Texas Ranger. I mean, if I did, I'd be loaded, right? Sadly, still have to work to eat…. sigh
Setting/Background: Faith is Walker's niece, who lives with Walker's drug addict sister, Ann. Through feverous attempts at trying to help Ann 'clean up' her act, Walker and the gang have watched Faith grow from a stubby girl, unsure of herself and the world, to a wonderful woman whose theory in life was "Being normal is vastly overrated". Faith is 20 now and has just graduated from high school and moved on to the college life. Things take an interesting twist in her life, however, while she tries to manage pregnancy, school, and an ill mother, all while sharing (to the best of her abilities) this experience with her loved ones, in hopes of easing some of their fears on pregnancy and parenthood, and trying to cope with it herself!
Walker and Alex are married here. Syd and Gage are together, and Trivette and Erika is an item. CD has yet to pass on.
The afternoon started out normal enough; The Ranger gang and friends met at their usual spot at CD's to enjoy lunch with one another. This was usually the time when Walker, Trivette, Syd, and Gage piped in about their current and (usually) unusual cases, as well.
Today, however, was different. Alex and Walker had been up late the night before, fiddling with the idea of having kids, and were reasonably tired, Syd and Gage had stayed late to "work on a case", Trivette had somehow been roped into the topic of marriage with Erika (again), and Faith, usually thunderous pungent with ideas and oddities that only she understood, sat quietly in her seat abnormally nibbling on a piece of fruit CD had strewn in front of her.
"Well aren't we just the dullest bunch of creatures on this side of the Mississippi River?" CD perched himself behind the bar, making use of his washcloth as he dried some clean glasses.
"Sorry CD, it's just been a long night" Walker said, eyeing the bunch, "a VERY long night"
"Well what can I get ya'll for lunch?" CD asked, already dishing out a bowl of Chili. That's what they always wanted, matter-a-factly, that's what everyone wanted when they ate at CD's bar and grille-well, usually, anyways. He pushed the individual bowls in front of each of his friends, making sure to grab Faith's attention as he did so. Something about her today concerned the gentle man, and told him something was off with her.
"None for me today, CD, but thanks" Faith said, followed by a long yawn.
"How about some coffee then?"
"No thanks, not today" Again, shot down.
"You sure darlin', you're lookin' awfully pale today…"
"CD I said no" The young girl snapped. She felt bad- he'd only been trying to help her and she knew that. "I'm sorry CD, I'm just not feeling so well this morning" She looked apologetically at him, and as always, he forgave her. Women, after all, he thought, did get in those crazy moods.
Walker looked up in a concerned manner when she mentioned not feeling well. Throughout their entire history (which happened to be the day of birth, 18 years and some odd months ago) he'd never known Faith to be the kind to get sick. She generally ended up taking care of him when he contracted some god-forsaken flu. And the only other time she acted like this was when Ann was going downhill, yet again, with her drug problems.
"You okay?" He mouthed.
"I'm fi-" She began to mouth back, but the strong scent of CD's famous chili had gotten to her. Before finishing, she holstered herself off the bar stool and dashed into the lady's room, finding an empty stall in which to hide in while she heaved up the remnants of the previous night's dinner.
………… ……………. ………………. ……………… ………..
The day had gone by slowly. Faith laid bed the majority of the day, still feeling the wicked effects of morning sickness. Her uncle and aunt had both called to check on her, as well as Trivette, and CD, but she couldn't muster the strength to reach over and answer the phone- let alone carry on a conversation.
She was pregnant, and she knew it. She'd known it for a couple of months now, but still couldn't seem to gather the nerve to tell her family. Or maybe it wasn't her family she was afraid of; maybe, just maybe, she was scared reality would set in if she told them- that if and when she did tell her family, the hard truths of being pregnant and raising a baby would finally settle in. It wasn't being a mother that scared her so much; she knew that no matter what happened, she would be good at it (after all, hadn't she raised her mom?), it was simply the realism that the baby would require things, and being so young and in college, life would certainly be a struggle, both financially and physically, for young Faith Jones-Walker.
Trying her best, she holstered herself off the messy bed, and stood to look in the mirror. She would tell her family tonight. She was two and a half months along, and would be getting big, and soon enough they'd start to notice anyways. Collecting the loose strands of hair in her tiny fingers, she reached for a hair tie, with which she put her hair into a pony tail.
"What to wear" She spoke aloud to no one in particular as she fumbled with the different outfits that present themselves at her in her closet. The easiest to eliminate of her options were those form fitting outfits because she no longer could say she had a form; she was, in essence, big busted (attributed to mother nature and her idea of nursing), and slowly but surely eating herself out of the majority of her jeans and other nice pants.
Settling with a baggy black sweater and a pair of loose khaki pants, she dressed and headed for the front door, quickly grabbing her keys and purse for the ride to CD's.
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"So anyone heard of that new roadside stalker?" Gage asked, biting into a burger.
"You mean the one who's been pullin' men out of their trucks, beating them pretty badly and then leaving them for dead?" Walker said, looking up from his newspaper.
"Yeah that's the one"
"What about him?" Trivette looked quizzical, at best.
"Nothing, just wondered if you'd heard about him is all." Gage never did know how to tell a story.
Faith walked in at that moment, and instead of sitting down and accepting dinner like she generally did, she remained standing, an unwavering look on her face; she was going to tell her family and friends of her pregnancy, and now.
"What's wrong, darlin'? Are you depressed?" CD asked. He was amazed at how she turned down his good cookin' two times in a row, which couldn't denote anything good.
"There's nothing wrong with me emotionally, and in a sense, nothing physically" Faith paused.
"In a sense?" Alex looked up from her dinner, a tad more intrigued and concerned with the matter at hand now.
"I'm pregnant" Faith spit out, gently rubbing her stomach. She expected yelling, she expected coughing or even seizing, but what she got blew her away; they laughed… they laughed in disbelief.
"I'm not kidding" Faith said, gently lifting her uncle's hand and situating it on her fairly swollen stomach.
"Oh my god" Walker said, eyes wide, "She's not kidding" The laughter stopped, and quickly bits of protest flew from either side of the table.
"You're too young" Trivette said, disappointedly.
"How will you ever afford a child, Sweetie?" Alex demanded, "You're barely on your feet now" Alex made sure to point out the obvious.
"Come on, Faith, you're younger than us and we're not even thinking of kids." Reasoning wasn't one of Sydney Cooke's strong points
"Think this through, Faith" CD warned. He of all people had seen too many young girls suffer with adolescent parenthood.
Walker, however, wasn't thinking on the negative effects a pregnancy could have on his niece's future; no, he was too busy worrying for her health. He had seen the difficulty Ann had when she carried Faith, and learned that it could be hereditary. Since her preteen years, Cordell had heard doctor after doctor suggest Faith not have any children of her own, and here she was about to take on the world.
"And what about your health, Faith?" There was a gentle, concerned demeanor about her uncle, one that she connected with.
"I'm about two and a half months along, and the doctor is watching me closely. I'm sorry you all feel this is a mistake, and I'm sorry I kept this from you all for so long, but I'm going to have this baby, and it will be loved."
"Then we'll support you" Walker added, sharing a 'look' that only he and his niece seemed to understand.
"That's all I can ask" Faith said, taking her seat at the 'family table'. "So, anyone got any pickles?" She looked around the room with anticipation, searching effervescently for what she craved for three days in a row.