Natalia Boa Vista tried her best to forget about Jesse Cardoza, she really did, but it was a difficult task. Damn his stupid gorgeous smile and the way that when he held her it felt like nothing else mattered. She had to face the facts: he was gone and she needed to get over him.

Her friends and colleagues had started walking on eggshells around her. They knew that she and Jesse had been close but none knew just how close. Still, it was impossible for them not to sense that something was up. That all stemmed from her not turning up for Jesse's goodbye drinks. It most definitely looked strange that she wasn't present but Natalia couldn't find it within herself to care. She was heartbroken and there was no way she could face saying goodbye that she had fallen for over the past few months.

Jesse probably thought she was angry at him. The truth was Natalia definitely had been but that anger had been overpowered by disappointment and sadness. She couldn't bring herself to watch him leave, so she stayed away.

It didn't make her feel any better.

Natalia walked into work on Monday firmly resolved on acting as if nothing had ever happened, that Jesse Cardoza never existed. But it never is that easy.

There were reminders of him everywhere; the hall where they had first met, the lab in which he had first asked her out (she said no), the cafeteria where he had asked her out again (she said yes), the parking lot where they had shared kisses covered by darkness... There was entirely too much to escape.

So, naturally, Natalia was left with two choices: leave or suck it up. She chose the latter. It took a while and was difficult but it eventually worked.

And it was fun while it lasted.

Unfortunately, life likes to throw you a curve ball every now and then to keep you on your toes... and this was one pitch that Natalia couldn't bat.

The minute she realised what could be happening, she freaked. Immediately the CSI had made a frenzied attempt at running through the dates, praying they wouldn't add up.

No such luck of course.

"Natalia, are you okay?" Ryan asked, arriving out of the blue at his colleagues locker.

Natalia hadn't seen him coming. She jumped a little and quickly closed the metal door. "Yeah, I'm fine," she tried to convince him, hoping he hadn't seen.

He eyed her dubiously. There was no denying she was on edge but Ryan didn't want to force her into telling him if she didn't want to. "You sure?"

The beautiful brunette nodded. "Positive."

"Okay, just thought I'd ask," Ryan replied slowly and slung his bag over his shoulder, "See you tomorrow," he gave her a smile before heading for the door.

Natalia made sure that he was gone before opening her locker again. This was a complete mess, there was no other way to describe it. Her eyes were immediately drawn back to the pregnancy test that was nestled into her bag, all righteous and assuming. She didn't know if she was pregnant yet but the sight of the test that promised a 98% accurate result made her feel clammy. Why did it have to be her? First Jesse just upped and left and now-

No.

There was no point in freaking out when she didn't even know for sure. There would be plenty of time for freaking out later. Natalia just needed to do the test and find out as quick as possible. She couldn't wait any longer.

Her shift had ended so there was no need to delay. She was eager for a result but found it difficult to move from the spot. Because a result meant a chance that she would become a mother and that prospect was terrifying.

Eventually, Natalia extracted her bag from her locker and headed for the parking lot, praying she wouldn't meet anyone along the way. There was no creeping around the subject anymore; she needed to know to move on.

When the CSI got home, she headed straight for the bathroom with a cautious determination. Her heart was beating hard and fast in her chest and Natalia felt unsteady but she managed to compose herself long enough to do the test. That was the easy part.

The waiting... not so much.

She took note of the time. Three minutes; that is what it would take. It might as well have been a lifetime. Three minutes that would condemn or acquit her. Her future lay in the hands of a plastic stick. Promising.

Natalia made her way to the kitchen to wait, hoping the time would go quicker there. She grabbed a glass and reached for the bottle of wine to settle her nerves but then remembered herself. She was just after doing a pregancy test. Instead the brunette filled the glass with cold water and took a generous sip, letting the liquid rehydrate her now dry throat. She could almost hear the seconds ticking by, agonisingly slow, in her head. Natalia was actually waiting to see if she was pregnant.

Pregnant. By Jesse.

Who was now living it up in LA.

God, she really hoped it was a false alarm. It would make everything so much more complicated. Natalia could handle it if that turned out to br the case but she hoped she wouldn't have to.

If she was pregnant, the CSI would have to worry about what she would tell her colleagues. They didn't even know she and Jesse had been dating.

Jesse.

What would she say to him? Would she even say anything? He had been the one to walk away. He had even moved to another state! The last thing Natalia wanted was for him to come back just because he felt like he had an obligation to her. He didn't. If push came to shove (no pun intended), she was more than capable of handling it herself. It would be hard being a single mother but she could do it if she had to. One thing she definitely did not want, however, was for her colleagues to pity her. Just because she was alone and pregnant. She didn't want their sympathy.

'Please don't let me be pregnant', she begged and looked at her watch. Time was up.

Natalia slowly made her way to the bathroom, frightened of what the outcome would be. Her heart was pounding twice as hard as when she took the test and she was pretty sure if she didn't know soon she was going to pass out. This was the moment of truth. It would shape her future.

The CSI sheepishly approached the counter top where the white stick was perched ostentatiously on top of the box. It felt like it was staring her down, daring her to take a step closer. It already knew the result.

Natalia took a deep breath and picked up the test with shaky hands...