A/N: This idea came to me when I read some predictions about what would happen in season 3. So I did the math and they kept saying in season 2 Emma was 22 and kidnapped 20 years ago and Ann was the same age as Emma is now so that would make Ann 42. While I doubt she's supposed to be that much younger than Bobby, I decided to go with it. Reviews are appreciated.
"I did it, Mama!" Katie exclaimed with a toothy grin looking up at her mother with bright blue eyes
Ann smiled and looked at her almost five year old daughter's attempt to help her make cookies, adding tons of sprinkles "You sure did, Doodle Bug. They look yummy."
"Why do you call me Doodle Bug, Mama?" Katie asked, "I'm not a bug!"
"You're not?" Ann asked playfully
"No, I'm a girl!" She replied
Ann tousled her daughter's mop of curly dark hair, just like her daddy's, and kissed her on the head, "Okay, let's put these in the oven."
"Okay."
Ann looked at her watch. Her oldest daughter, Emma was due any minute to babysit so Bobby could take Ann out for her fiftieth birthday. It had been a long road for Emma. After the disaster of her affair with John Ross she left Dallas to go back to school and straighten herself out. After graduating she hesitated to return to Dallas but she had been back three years and things were going well. She had a job training horses and was seriously dating another trainer, Paul Whitfield, a nice young man from a solid upper middle class Dallas family. Ann was finally able breathe a sigh of relief that her oldest daughter was making her way in the world. As for her ex, Harris Ryland, after the mess with the Cartel, he had go into hiding in the witness protection program. His mother, Judith, sold Ryland Transport and returned to Europe, none too happy that Emma wouldn't go with her. Then there was her precious Katherine Grace. The most beautiful unexpected gift.
"Mom." Emma called out opening the front door
"In here, Sweetheart." Ann replied
Emma walked into the kitchen and Katie immediately got down from the stool and ran to her big sister, "Emma!"
Emma picked her up, "Hey, munchkin. Whatcha doin'?"
"Baking cookies for us to eat later."
Ann walked over to her daughters and kissed Emma on the cheek, "Hi, sweetheart. Thank you so much for babysittin'."
"No problem." She said balancing Katie on her hip, "We'll have fun, won't we, Katie?"
Katie raised her arms and exclaimed, "Emma fun!"
"Hey, kid don't give away our secrets." Emma joked, "Some things are just between sisters." She winked at her mother
"I don't wanna know." Ann said looking at her daughters she never thought life could be so peaceful and lost herself for a moment
"Mom, you okay?" Emma asked
She snapped out of her reverie and smiled, "Never better."
"Well, you know I thought you might be freaked out by the whole turning fifty thing." Emma teased
"Hush child, you'll be there soon enough." Ann teased back
Emma laughed as Katie got down from her arms and went to the adjacent family room to color, "So, what's going on with Bobby? I saw him on the phone in the study. It sounded like something was wrong."
"Same old. Same old." Ann said with a sigh
Emma nodded knowingly, "John Ross."
"John Ross silly." Katie said
Ann and Emma couldn't help but laugh, "That's one way to put it." Emma agreed
"I'm sorry, Honey. I know you need to get ready." Bobby walked into the kitchen already in his tux
"Well, well don't you look fly." Emma teased
"Well, thank you, my dear."
"Is everything okay?" Ann asked
"We'll talk about it later." He said never wanting to talk about these kinds of things in front of Katie, "You need to get ready and I don't want this unpleasant business with John Ross to ruin a wonderful evening."
"Okay, I promise I'll hurry." She said and kissed Katie on the check, "Mama will be right back."
"Okay."
As Ann exited the kitchen Bobby turned to Emma, "We really appreciate you doing this. I hope you didn't have plans with Paul you had to cancel. He could've come over with you."
Emma went over to Katie to see what she was drawing, "Oh his brother's in town so they're doing some male bonding or something."
Bobby laughed knowingly as Katie asked him to come look at her drawing.
A short while later Ann reappeared wearing a stunning silver evening gown with a slit up the side and her hair up in her signature twist. Emma was reading to Katie and Bobby was on the phone again.
"Wow." Emma said, "You look gorgeous. Doesn't Mama look pretty, Katie?"
"Mama, don't go." Katie said, she'd recently staring acting this way when Ann would try to go somewhere but now was not the time and they had been preparing her for two days
"Mama and Daddy are going out for her birthday, we're staying here, remember?" Emma said gently
"No, Mama stay here."
A look passed between Emma and Ann and Ann came over and bent down, looking Katie in the eye, "Sweetie, Mama explained that we were going out. You'll have fun with Emma. You said she was fun."
Katie threw her arms around Ann's neck, "Don't leave Mama."
Ann's eyes began to fill with tears as she held Katie tighter, "Baby, I'll be back. When you wake up in the mornin' I'll be here."
"Promise." Katie asked
Ann pulled away and looked her in the eye, "Katie, I'll never leave you. I'll always come back."
"I love you, Mama."
"I love you, too, Baby." She looked at Emma, "Both of you." A look of reassurance passed between her and Emma and she took Ann's hand and squeezed it
"So, are we ready?" Bobby got off the phone and joined them
Ann stood up and wiped her eyes, "Ready." She said forcing a smile
"Is everything okay?" He asked
She nodded, "Everything's fine."
"Good because I'm ready to escort my gorgeous wife for a night out she'll never forget." He offered his arm
"Why thank you kind sir." She took his arm then turned back to Emma, "Sweetheart…"
"I know, Mom. I'll call if we need anything. But we'll be fine."
"Alright, then." She leaned down and kissed Katie on the cheek and she and Bobby left
/
Later that night Ann and Bobby returned home. The evening had been wonderful. Her body was tired but her mind was racing. They opened the door and he helped her off with her coat and hung it on the rack.
"Oh, Mr. Ewing, you sure know how to spoil a girl." She turned to him with a grin
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, "Well, my mama raised me right."
"Remind me to thank your mama." She said with a devilish grin, taking him by the hand and leading him upstairs
They stopped at Katie's room to check on her. Opening the door they found Katie and Emma asleep together in Katie's bed. Watching her two girls together triggered a flood of memories...
"Ann." Dr. Bright said, "Ann." She repeated
She finally snapped out of it, "I'm sorry."
"I know this is a shock. But you're not the first patient I've had to get pregnant when she's over forty."
"You said something about risks."
"Well, of course there are some risks so we need to do an ultrasound now to check everything and we'll do one every month going forward."
"Okay." Ann said numbly
That evening as they got ready for bed Ann tried again to think of the best way to tell Bobby. How would he take it? A man in his sixties becoming a father again. Were they even physically up for the challenge. Late night feedings, diaper changes, all of it. She got into bed where Bobby was already reading. She sat there for a moment looking at him.
"What's wrong, Annie?" He asked looking up from his book but not at her
She smiled, "Nothing. I'm fine."
He turned to her, "You've been distracted all night. Is everything alright with Emma?"
"Yes, everything's fine." Her eyes began to fill with tears
He caressed her cheek, "No it's not."
She looked down, taking a deep breath, "I went to the doctor today."
Oh god, he thought, no, "What is it?"
She looked up at him, eyes moist, "I'm pregnant."
A look of confusion came over his face, "What?"
"I'm pregnant." She repeated
"You're serious?"
She nodded, "Eight weeks."
"But isn't?" He began
"I thought I was goin' through menopause. Dr. Bright said the symptoms can sometimes be similar. I hadn't had a period in two months so I just assumed…"
"Are you alright?" He asked, "Is the baby alright?"
She smiled, "So far everything's fine. I had an ultrasound and I'll have to have one every month because of my age but the doctor says most of her patients over forty have perfectly healthy babies."
Bobby leaned back against his pillow and thought for a moment and Ann became worried.
"Bobby." She said but he said nothing, "Bobby, please say somethin'."
He smiled slightly, "Well, I guess we have some work to do."
She began to cry and he held her and kissed her, "I was so afraid you'd be angry."
He pulled back, "Angry? About a baby?"
"Bobby, we're not kids anymore. It's a big change." She paused a moment, "and I'm scared to death."
He caressed here cheek again, "Hey, I'm here. Everything's gonna be fine. I promise." He looked down at her abdomen then began to caress it
She placed her hand over his, smiling, "I love you."
"And I love you." He said, "Both of you." And kissed her
THREE MONTHS LATER
Ann returned home from shopping and was met at the door by Bobby who had a huge grin on his face.
"What's got into you?" She asked
He took her packages out of her hand, "I've got something to show you. But you have to close your eyes."
"Bobby, I'm really not in the mood for this. I'm tired and my feet are killin' me."
"Just humor me."
She sighed and shook her head, "Okay."
"Good. Now close your eyes."
She closed them and he led her upstairs to what was going to be the nursery, "Okay, you can open them."
She opened them and gasped at the sight of a beautiful rocking chair, "Oh my Lord…"
"It was mama's. I've been restoring it. I wanted to surprise you."
"It's absolutely beautiful." She said looking at it, "So this is why you were practically pushin' me out of the house this morning?"
He sat down in the chair and took her hand pulling her onto his lap, "I want to see you rock our baby girl to sleep in this chair." He caressed her growing belly and felt their little girl move
She looked at him and smiled, placing her hand over his, "It's amazin' isn't it?"
He choked up a bit an could on nod his head.
She caressed his cheek, "Thank you." She bent her head down and kissed him
"I love you, Annie."
"Annie." He said, "Annie."
She looked at him and smiled, "Sorry."
"Are you alright?"
"Perfect." Shewalked over and pulled the covers up over her girls then crossed the room and turned out the light and shut the door.
Yes, life was sweet at Southfork.