Author's Note: The response to the first chapter was overwhelmingly positive, and I am eternally grateful. The support means more than you'll ever know. This chapter picks up right where the last one left off.

"Rick. The test... it's positive. I'm pregnant."

Rick gaped at his girlfriend. Since their lunch hour, he'd known this was a possibility. Now that this was reality, his girlfriend was pregnant, he didn't know what to do or how to act. Words. He needed to say words.

"Holy shit, Kate. What are we going to do?" She hated that she was the reason for the fear in his eyes.

"We? Don't you mean me? I'm the one that has this thing inside of me. I'm the one who-"

"I know that, Kate," he interrupted her tirade. "But if you think I'm going to leave you hanging to deal with this all alone, you're nuts. I mean, I know we're young, and most of this is going to be your decision, but babe, I'm going to be there for you, and this kid. Unless, you know, you want an abortion. Which, it's your body, and I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do... what are your thoughts?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I am freaking out a little bit. Or a lot. I don't know what to do. No matter what, we're going to have to tell our parents, and soon. Why don't we tackle that issue first?"

"I'd like to go in knowing the game plan," he pressed. "What are we going to do with this life we've created?"

"I don't know," she repeated herself. "I need some time to think about this. You know I want to be the first female Chief Justice, and that's not going to happen with a baby hanging around. On the other hand, I don't know if I'd be able to forgive myself if I had an abortion. Then again I don't want some stranger raising my kid. Every way I look at it there's another side. Look, why don't we tell them this weekend, that way we can think about this some more? Maybe on Sunday?" For the past few months the Becketts and Rodgers had been getting together on Sundays to eat brunch. Sometimes they went out, but more often than not Johanna cooked for them all.

"Alright. Ultimately it's up to you, but I would like to talk about this." Kate nodded and glanced at her watch.

"Crap, I think I should get going. My mom's going to be down my throat the second she gets home. She caught me throwing up this morning," she explained. "We'll talk later," she threw over her shoulder as she made her way quickly to the door. She had closed the door before Rick could even get out a reply.

Kate let herself into her apartment with the flick of a key and closed the door behind her. Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief at beating her mother home, she heard shuffling in the kitchen. Guess I'm not alone after all she thought. She hoped with all her might that it was her father rummaging in the kitchen. Her mother could read her like an open book and she was trying to keep her secret, well, secret for the time being.

"Katie," her mother's voice drifted out, "is that you?"

"Yeah Mom, it's me," she called back. "I'm going to my room. Homework!" She had just sat down on her bed when her mother walked in. Great, there was no evading her now.

"Hey Sweetie, how are you feeling? You look better."

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better than this morning," the teen affirmed. She made a show of pulling a large book from her bag. "Was there something you wanted?"

"No," Johanna responded nonchalantly. "I just wanted to check on my girl, see how she's doing. How was your test today? Calculus, right?" She leaned against the doorway to her daughter's room, both hands behind her.

"Yeah, calculus. It was alright. I'll let you know after I see the grade," she grimaced. She hoped her mother bought it.

"Really? Nothing about it gave you trouble," she pressed in the voice that meant she was out for blood.

"No, not really. Like I said, I'll let you know," she began leafing through the volume in her hands. Please go away, she thought.

"You know," Johanna began again, "I found this on the kitchen table after you left," she held out her daughter's calculator. "Seems like something you might need for a calculus test." Kate had a bad feeling about the direction this conversation was going.

"Ms. Davis let me use one of the spares she has," she lied quickly. "It's a different model and you have to really jab the 4 key, but it got the job done. I'm lucky I was the only one who left theirs at home. I'm so stupid sometimes," she laughed nervously. She watched as her mother shifted her weight they way she had seen her do countless times in the courtroom. Her mother knew something was up, but did she really know? Kate felt sweat beading up on her lower back. Johanna let out a non-committal hum.

"Katie, tell me honestly, is there something going on I should know about?" She was taking the soft mom approach; maybe she didn't have any solid hunches yet.

"No, Mom, everything is fine. Really," she met her mother's eyes. She could tell her mother smelled a rat.

"This morning you mentioned the test almost by accident, but I know you, Katie. You wouldn't just forget about a test; usually you're talking about them weeks in advance. I don't think you had a calculus test today. I think you were talking about a different test altogether. Maybe one of these," she produced a pregnancy test from behind her back. It was identical to the one she and Rick had purchased earlier, and for a split second she wondered how her mother had gotten a hold of it.

"What, mom? No! I mean, really?" denial was the first defense that sprang to her mind. She could feel her face flushing; she was so busted.

"Look, I don't have to like it, but I know you and Rick have a physical relationship," she sighed, "and as smart as the two of you are, sometimes it happens. Tell me: are you pregnant?"

"No," she denied. "I'm not. Don't worry so much, okay," she tried to go for a lighter tone.

"Well, can you do me a favor and just take this? It'll set my mind at ease," she reasoned.

"Mom," she protested, "please don't make me do this. I'm not pregnant. I'm not!" her voice was peppered with agitation. Her mother knew she had her trapped.

"Come on, it only takes a few minutes and then we can get on with our lives."

"I don't have to go to the bathroom," she tried one last lie.

"It doesn't take much," he mother assured her. "A few drops will do." Kate grabbed the box from her mother roughly and made her way to the small bathroom across the hall. "I want to see the results, Katherine," her mother called through the closed door.

With a sense of deja-vu, she pried the test from the box and sat it on the counter. Already knowing how to perform the test, she did so and set a timer before shooting a text to her boyfriend.

K: My mom ambushed me when I go home with a pregnancy test. I don't know how she knew. I'm so sorry. She just knew somehow.

R: WTF? How...? Let me know how it goes. I'm sorry we couldn't tell her together.

Kate pocketed the phone and, for the second time that day, held a positive pregnancy test in her hand as she opened the door. Her mother was looking at her expectantly.

"I'm so sorry," Kate choked out, "I'm sorry," she repeated as she handed her mother the test and rushed back into her bedroom. She gracelessly flopped on her bed and hugged a pillow to her chest. She fought back sobs as she waited for her mother to follow her.

"Katie," she started softly. She placed the test on the nightstand and moved to sit next to her daughter. "Katie," she began again, "Sweetheart, you're going to be okay." Red-rimmed, hazel eyes looked up at Johanna from behind a pillow. "When did you find out?"

"I've been thinking about it for a few days, but I just took my first test earlier today at Rick's apartment," she confided. "Mom, I'm terrified. I honestly don't know what to do. Every other time in my life I've had a problem, I've been able to sit down and think it through. I don't even know where to start with this one. I can't... I don't..." her words gave way to sobs. She felt hands on her back, tracing slowly up and down.

"It's not going to be easy," Johanna admitted. "No matter what comes of this, this event is going to stick with you forever. Even if you choose to terminate, you'll carry that with you for life."

"I'm not sure I could live with myself if I had, you know, an abortion," the teen admitted. "I know we aren't particularly religious, but I still don't think life should be wasted. But I know I have so many years ahead of me, I have so much I want to do. I'm not sure I can make it through college and law school with a child. I don't think I can have an abortion, but I don't want to have a child either. At the same time, I'm not sure if adoption is the best route either. I'm not sure I'd be able to live knowing somebody else has my child. But I can't raise a kid! There's no way. And now I'm back to the beginning of my argument. I don't think I want an abortion, I'm not sure I'm okay giving away a child, and I can't raise it! This is impossible," she grumbled. Her mother pulled her into a tighter embrace.

"Sweetheart, I know you're only seventeen and this is a huge decision you have to make. Unfortunately there is no right or wrong answer here. It's simply what you can live with." Johanna raked her hands through her daughter's hair. "How does Rick feel about this?"

"He's scared, naturally. We talked for a little bit before I left, and he says he's behind me no matter what I choose. We were going to tell you on Sunday, along with Dad and Martha, so we were going to talk more about it later. But you had to go all Super Mom and ruin the plan."

"I'm sorry, Katie. I've seen you struggling for a few days now, and when I saw you throwing up this morning, I just knew. I can't explain it exactly, but I just knew. So I had to do what I had to do. Speaking of, we'll need to set up a visit to the OB/GYN for you. Regardless of which option you choose, you still need to see a doctor. We can call tomorrow morning; it's getting to be late for that."

"Is there any way we could find a new doctor? She was so judgmental the first time I went, like I was doing something wrong. Her face when I told her I was having sex with Josh, it just... I'd prefer someone else." She had very few secrets from her mother; they had talked for a long time after Kate lost her virginity at 16 to the motorcycle-riding president of the biology club.

"Whatever makes you comfortable, Honey."

"Can we keep this between us? Just... not tell Dad? At least until Sunday? Maybe I'll have my head on a little straighter by then," she reasoned. Her mother sighed.

"You know I don't like keeping things from your father, Kate. But this is your news, your decision, so I think we can wait until Sunday. But you need to tell him."

"I know, and I will. Sunday. I promise."

"Okay. I'm going to go cook dinner now. We're having soup and sandwiches in case you really just had the stomach flu. How are you feeling now? Up to eating?"

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine now. I started feeling better around lunch time." Her mother stood from her place at the side of her bed.

"I want you to know that I love you, Katie. I'm a little disappointed at the way your life is going right now, but I'm never going to stop loving you. Oh, you might want to get rid of the test before your father gets home," she placed a kiss on her daughter's head before exiting the room.

Once her mother was back in the kitchen Kate collected the test from her nightstand and the box from her bathroom along with some other garbage from the apartment to conceal the test. She was making her way to the trash chute when her father came through the front door.

"Katie," he greeted, "you got mail from Stanford. Big envelope," he raised his eyebrows at his daughter. She smiled weakly at him on her way out the door.

Jim moved into the kitchen to greet his wife. She was standing in front of the stovetop stirring a pot, but he could tell her mind was a million miles away. First Kate wouldn't meet his eyes, and now his wife? Clearly something was going on.

"Johanna, is something going on with Katie?"

"Hm? No, nothing that I know of," she turned from the stove. "Why?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. I waved a big envelope from Stanford at her face and she barely smiled. Stanford's her top choice; I expected a bigger reaction."

"Maybe she's just distracted. I think she had a test today that threw her for a little bit of a loop." Johanna turned off the stove with a flick of her wrist and planted a kiss to her husband's cheek. "Whatever it is, I'm sure she's fine."

Author's note: This chapter was interesting to write. We never met Johanna in the series, but I get the feeling she would be much like my own mother: compassionate and fair, unwilling to jump to conclusions. I'm sure there is much more going on in her mind than she's letting us see right now, though.

I thank you guys for sticking with me and reading this far. I implore you to drop me a note and let me know what you thought. Is the story flowing? Did you have a favorite moment, did I leave something out? What would you like to see next?