A sanctuary love child,Chapter 1: Discovered by Week 11

Week 11

Kate sat on the couch in Magnus's office and thought about the last time she had been with Declan McRae, the first man she had ever properly fallen in love with. In fact, that was what she told him one night, that she was in love with him. And Declan told her that he been in love with her ever since he first saw her.

Three months ago, they had spent that night in his bed and had been half heartily thinking of a way they could be together on a more permit basis(in-between other, more intimate things). That was the night before he had to leave for a mission in Antarctica, investigating a dragon sighting in the British Antarctic Territory. Declan promised Kate that as soon as he was back, they would properly talk about how they would get their relationship to work. He was supposed to check in every 24 hours and he did for the first 72 hours but after 96 hours of no contact after an earthquake Helen had to declare him missing.

'Missing'. That word didn't quite seem to do the situation justice.

Kate truly missed Declan and for the first time in a long time, she felt totally alone in the world. She had been severely distressed by his absence for months and her body seemed to have been just as upset as her mind. She hadn't been a well woman for months, she caught colds and bugs and couldn't shake them for weeks on end. Kate didn't really think much of it, she was more preoccupied trying not to tell the others see how upset she was. She hadn't even told Helen about their relationship. When she asked Kate why she seemed distracted lately, Kate dodged the question as best she could. Although, Helen herself was fairly sure that was more than a professional relationship between the two of them.

Kate woke up from her daydreaming and reminiscing of that night when Henry and the Big Guy got to Magnus's office for the debriefing of the next abnormal they would try to capture. She wasn't looking after to this mission or any mission really. Kate just wanted to be left alone. But she wanted Declan back more than anything.

Helen began to debrief everyone, "There a series of reported attacks fisher men at the docks. From what I have gathered, they were attacked by a rare species of abnormal sea lion. As of yet, no one has been killed, so we should count our blessings but these creatures are very aggressive and territorial. So stay alert. We should also think of it as a mercy that there seems to be only one sea lion and not a pack." Magnus said.

"What is one doing this far north?" The big guy asked, knowing that abnormal sea lions are rarely ever seen north or south of the Equator.

"We aren't sure. I am slightly more worried about where it's is pack as these creatures rarely ever hunt alone." Magnus replied

"It's seems pretty consistent about when hunts as all of the attacks occur in the same two hour time period, which is in about 40 minutes. So get geared up and ready to go in ten minutes." Said Will before they all filed out.

As Kate walked passed, Will found himself wondering if was it his imagination or hadn't Kate's waist been narrower before. Will's next thought was his task focused mind telling that the abnormal sea lion was more important than whether or not Kate had gained some weight.

As it turned out the sea lion had lost its pack, but now they had been reunited. Most of the pack had been captured without any injuries so far. Kate had been following the figure in the water and was about to stun it when she felt a twinge in her belly followed by wave a nauseas which slowed her down. The sea lion saw this before it and one other member of its pack jumped up out of the water, bit into her pant legs and pulled her down and off the dock. Kate's head hit the dock on the way down and knocked her unconscious.

The Big Guy dived in after her and tried to get her to the surface before she drowned. Helen got her on to the dock and revived her while the Big Guy, Will and Henry tried capturer the last two sea lions.

When Helen got Kate to the infirmary, still unconscious, she decided to run a full medical examination of Kate to find out what had made Kate slip up on mission. She started off with a blood test, which told a fair amount of Kate's overall condition lately, both physically and emotionally.

When Kate woke up, she told Magnus about the twinge in her stomach. She thought that she had contracted some kind of parasite. Magnus informed her that according to some people she did have something of that nature as she was pregnant.

Kate protested, she said that she had hormonal implants in her arm and that ever time she had sex, she always made the guy wear a condom. Magnus said had that they had expired six months earlier and that she was at least 11 weeks pregnant.

Kate found herself wondering if every time that night the made love they had used condoms. Then she remembered the last time that night she and Declan had sex. Magnus was right, she was pregnant.

That information had barely sunken in when Kate tried to excuse herself from the infirmary, despite Helen's protests. Helen eventually let her go after Kate said that she just needed to wrap her head around the fact that she had a baby growing inside her.

She needed to think. Kate needed to be left in peace to think. Still in shock she made her way to Ralphie the Steno's pen. Later on, Kate would think that was entirely appropriate that she went to be with him to think about being a mother as she had accidentally become his adopted mother.

Kate thought about what to do in Ralphie's pen, should she keep the baby or not? She thought about how if ever she found herself pregnant before she came to the Sanctuary, she would have an abortion. But could Kate do that now? Could she have an abortion when she was already thinking about human growing inside her as her baby? And that this child could be all she had of Declan left? When her brother was born, she held to help her mother raise him so she knew how to look after a baby. But could she afford to have a baby while working for the Sanctuary? Kate knew well just how hard it was to raise a baby. But if she did have the baby, with Declan still missing, she faced the prospect of being a single mother. And a single mother who worked for the Sanctuary, no less. She told the pros and cons to Ralphie, almost hoping that he would spontaneously start speaking or something to tell Kate what to do. He didn't speak, but Ralphie licked Kate's lower belly while looking up at her and that was when Kate decided to keep the baby.

Helen found Kate; still wearing a medical shrill, with Raphie's sleeping head on her lap the next morning. Kate told her that she wanted to keep her child. Magnus said that she would give Kate every support she could. Kate said that would appreciate that, but the only one whose support she really wanted was Declan's. Helen smiled and nodded, knowing just what Kate meant.

She also made a mental note not the let Nikola near Kate if she could help it. He and Kate didn't get on together very well and the best of times and this differently wasn't the best of times for Kate.

The next week, Kate went to the infirmary for an ultrasound. While Magnus was putting the cold gel on her belly, Kate noticed the beautiful jade, obsidian and red gold bracelet she was wearing. But she didn't say anything as Kate was really nervous about the about the baby. Only last week she nearly drowned and she had no idea if that had done something to her baby. That's why when Magnus turned on the machine, Kate looked away.

"The foetus is very strong and health." Magnus said reassuringly, understanding very well Kate's fears. She was very worried the first time she went for an ultrasound when she was pregnant with Ashley. Kate looked at the screen and watched her baby trying to summersault.

Magnus thought of all the times she had been a midwife and obstetrician since the ultrasound was invented and all the mothers that shed tears when they saw their tiny babies on the monitor. She, herself cried when she knew that Ashley was fine and healthy. And in contrast to those times, Magnus found herself giggling with Kate as the pair of them watched her baby on the screen.

After Magnus gave Kate a run down in how her baby was developing, what would be happing her and what jobs now she wouldn't being doing (to keep the baby safe), she asked Kate a very important question, "I know that this still all very new to you, but have you thought of any names yet?"

Kate looked at the print out picture of her baby and thought for a minute before answering, "One name. If it's a girl, Maia."

That night, Kate was on her bed, looking at the picture of her child and thinking of the night she and Declan made Maia. She then daydreamt of what it would be like to have Declan cuddling her and looking at the picture of their child. However, when Kate comes back to reality, she was painfully reminded that Declan wasn't beside her and she possible was going to bring the baby into the world alone. She told herself not cry and fought back a storm of tears. Kate may have shed a tear or two but she was not going to cry over this picture. It wasn't the baby's fault her father wasn't here! And Declan was only missing. Kate told herself that until she saw his body, Declan wasn't bloody dead!

She eventually got to sleep and dreamt that Declan was beside her and she was tracing the small SAS Special Forces tattoo on the inside of his right arm.