Title: Drop Dead Hero
Chapter 6: Mother and child
Time: Fall 2007 (when the Reba show would be in season seven)
No copyright infringement intended.
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Previously-
"One of the things we're looking for today is a heartbeat."
"That's the heart beating?"
"Yes, Mrs. Hart. If you have any questions, your doctor will answer them at your next checkup."
"Thank you. You've been very kind." This made the baby seem more real to her. It had a heartbeat. Reba smiled, overcome by the wonder of it all. She was having a baby!
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out! Keep reading to find out more!
The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is Drop Dead Hero!
Now on with our next chapter-
Brock/Daniel wanted to check on Reba. Whenever he was in Reba's house, he was surrounded by family photos. There were the ones during the years of his first marriage to Reba when the kids were little. Those were the happiest times of his life. There were the ones during the years after the divorce when he was married to Barbra Jean. There were the ones taken recently as they worked to put the family back together and work toward reconciliation. When he saw the pictures of Reba and the kids taken after the divorce, he felt uncomfortable. He was reminded how much he let Reba and the kids down. He wasn't the husband and father that he should have been. He wasn't the husband and father that they deserved. He loved Henry and he wouldn't have wanted to erase his existence for anything, but there were times when he knew that he had made the wrong life choices, especially when Barbra Jean told him that she was pregnant.
He could make up for that now by being there for his family now. He resolved to live his life by becoming the husband and father than he should've been when he had the chance. He could keep an eye on Jake and help Reba through this challenging time. The thought nagged him that he had more questions than answers about the baby's paternity. He didn't quite know how to handle that. He knew that he should leave well enough alone, accept Reba's assertion that the baby was positively Brock's. But he couldn't. He wanted another Hart child that resembled him like Cheyenne did. He wanted that child to be conceived during the last time that he made love to Reba before he "died".
Yet, when he looked at Kyra and Jake, they weren't any less his because they resembled their mother more than their father. Reba was the most beautiful woman that Brock had ever seen. They were his children, none the less. This baby would be, too. When he thought of the night that they had made love recently, he warmed to the idea of creating a new life together. It was the symbol of the new life that they had to work towards as Reba and Daniel. He looked in the mirror. He would have to get used to having this face for the rest of his life, which he'd hoped would allow him 40-50 more years with Reba. Reba was attracted to this face. Brock's spirits lifted considerably.
He examined Daniel's features. He had the same light coloring without the tan, but with very dark warm brown hair and electric blue eyes. Jake had a similar color of dark brown hair. The baby could resemble Daniel and still look like his big brother Jake. He wondered if they took a picture together, would they still look like a family together. Brock had to shake these thoughts off. He wasn't part of that family. He had to work to earn a place in that family and in Reba's heart. It wasn't as if he hadn't done it before. He worked to earn Reba's heart two times before. Maybe this time he'd value it more and remember not to screw it up.
Brock/Daniel walked over to Reba's house. He was shocked when Helen McKinney answered the door. He introduced himself to her. She invited him in for coffee. He felt awkward to say the least. When they arrived in the kitchen, Reba and JV were there, having coffee. Brock/Daniel felt his hands reach down to cover the family jewels. JV wouldn't hesitate to shoot them off for touching his unmarried daughter. It was the second time that he'd impregnated the man's daughter without being married to her.
Reba smiled at him and offered him the chair next to hers. When he sat down, she whispered, "He doesn't know what happened. He's not going to shoot ya. Relax." She remembered saying the same thing to Brock after they'd made love for the first time. Ironically, she was pregnant after that night, too.
Brock/Daniel saw her features cloud over momentarily. "Are you alright?" She recovered quickly and flashed him her best fake smile. She quickly slapped her hand over her mouth, turned, and ran back to her room. Jake arrived in the kitchen. "Morning sickness, dude. The book says that there should be another couple of weeks of that. Maybe a month."
"She was sick like this for about three months with Cheyenne."
"I guess you and my mom talk a lot."
"She's having a hard time."
"I know. Let's go play some basketball. Grandma is here if Mom needs anything."
Brock/Daniel was ready to approach Jake about opening up to him. He began during the game. "With your dad being gone and all, I want you to know that you can always come to me if something's bothering you."
Jake straightened. "Like my father being dead, my mom being pregnant, and me not having a clue about what's going on?"
Swallowing hard, Brock/Daniel said, "Yeah, like that. Nobody anticipated either happening, and yet they did, so we've got to deal with the fallout."
"You don't have to deal with anything. It's none of your business. I'm the one who needs to be the man of the house right now."
Brock felt Jake's words pierce his heart. "You're right. I'm not family. But your mother and I are good friends and I just want to look out for you guys. Especially now that your mother is pregnant and alone. And I don't think that anyone expects you to be the man of the house at your age."
Jake's eyes flashed. "I expect it." With that statement, Jake took his fury out on the court.
Reba arrived at the office. She walked into her office with a latte. She'd hoped that the milk would offset the caffeine. She settled in at her desk. Her eyes ran over to the family photo she always had proudly displayed on her desk. It brought an ache so deep it almost stole her breath away. She was tempted to rest her head on the desk and allow herself the luxury of a good cry, but keeping her grief contained was the best defense she had. She tried to go back into the "Grr, I'm Reba" mode.
Brushing the moisture from her eyes, she straightened her spine and booted up her computer, eventually losing herself in her work. She had so much paperwork to do.
"Hey, you're here bright and early."
Reba jumped, letting out a squeal of surprise. She turned, startled to see Daniel standing right behind her. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that."
"I made enough noise to wake the dead. I thought you heard me."
Reba swallowed hard.
"Sorry, poor choice of words. You seemed to be having hard time this morning. I ended the game with Jake as fast as I could and got down here." Brock/Daniel sat on the corner of the desk. "You need your rest now more than ever. Tell you what. When you're having one of those worry times or need anything, pick up the phone and call me."
"Sure, at two in the morning."
"Absolutely. I can always get back to sleep. You'd be surprised how well I can handle late night mood swings and cravings."
Reba rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not going to do that."
"Seriously, give me a call. I'll be offended if you don't."
"Okay," she lied. He was being so sweet that Reba didn't have the heart to tell him that there was no way she'd take him up on his offer. "Thanks."
When Reba got home, she was grateful to find that Helen was already making dinner for the family. She was so happy to be sitting down at the table for a nice family dinner. Everyone was there, including her parents. It was nice, but exhausting after her long day at work. Reba found that she needed adult conversation without someone outside of her family. She went upstairs to her room, intent on changing into her pajamas. She eyed the phone. Daniel said that she could call, but she didn't want to rely on calling him every time she felt lonely or scared.
Evenings were the hardest for Reba now because they seemed to stretch out forever, giving her too much time to think. Too much time to miss Brock and watching him with the kids. Now, it was just Reba on her own. She wasn't even on her own before. Brock was always right across down in the condo or living next door. She was left to wonder how Brock would've handled these parenting situations. She needed a man's perspective, a father's perspective- any advice he could give.
Eyeing the phone again, she wondered if she was just looking for an excuse to call Daniel. They had spent so much time at work together; she didn't expect to miss his presence in her off time. But she did. Their shared history meant they were now almost communicating in a shorthand of sorts. Long explanations weren't necessary, which was a total relief. Daniel accepted her for exactly who she was- a middle aged woman trying to hold it together after too many surprising twists in the road. Decision made, she picked up the handset and punched in his number. She thought about how lucky she was that their friendship had survived. Their night together didn't spoil things.
Brock/Daniel eyed Reba as they walked down a path shaded by trees in the park. They walked in silence for a few moments. He liked the peacefulness of the place. Glancing sideways, he said, "You look like you're feeling better these days."
Reba smiled. "I am. The morning sickness vanished as quickly as it came. Earlier than with any of my other children. With Cheyenne, I was sick for almost the entire first trimester. I'm only about eleven weeks now."
"Either it's the warmer weather or pregnancy seems to agree with you. You've got a kind of a ...glow."
"Brock always said the same thing."
They both fell silent. Walking along, Brock/Daniel tried to pinpoint his unease. "I wish that things could be different for you, Reba. You shouldn't have to work and worry so much."
She shielded her eyes from the sun. "I wish they were different, too."
"Pregnancy should be a happy time."
Her shoulder bumped his as they navigated the narrow path. He'd grown to enjoy the quiet times they had to talk together without business interfering. Her first call to him that night had pleased me more than he would have imagined. He'd gone to sleep remembering the warmth of her voice as she confided her fears. Then he'd dreamed of her, too. It was strange because he was trying to protect her from a pack of wolves.
She glanced sideways at him. "I have flashes of joy followed by complete terror. I've never had a baby alone before. I've been a single mom, but my youngest was six at the time and the baby in the house was my grandchild. Brock was always around whenever I needed him. I've never anticipated the birth of a child without Brock there to cheer me on. He wasn't always in the delivery room, but he was a great father."
"You have a whole host of practical details to deal with. I know."
"There are things I have to worry about that weren't an issue with my other pregnancies. Since I'm older, there's more of a chance the baby might turn out to have special needs."
Brock stopped, touching her arm. "Is that what the doctor said?"
"Dr. Schmidt said the possibility of certain birth defects goes up with the mother's age. She suggested amniocentesis."
"That's the test with the needle."
She nodded.
"They can check for other things with that, too, can't they? Like paternity?"
Reba turned and resumed walking. He thought for a moment that she would ignore his question.
"Yes, they can. But I told him that I didn't want the test."
"Why? It would answer any residual questions. I know that it would set my mind at ease."
"There is an increased risk of miscarriage after amnio. I'm not endangering my child to put your mind at ease. And I'm not going to endanger it to find out whether it has birth defects. With all my heart, I want a healthy baby. But if there's something wrong...I guess I'll handle it somehow."
Brock/Daniel looked up at the sky, hoping for instant wisdom. When it didn't come, he opted for honesty. "Red, I'll support you in whatever you decide. But I will always wonder if..."
Reba stopped. Her voice was tense when she said, "It's not yours. Don't you understand? I can't handle the thought of betraying Brock that way, conceiving a child so soon after his death. I can't handle the thought of what it would do to my family—I have to protect what little peace we have left. Besides, the circumstances almost guarantee Brock was the father. So why borrow trouble?"
Brock's heart contracted at her absolute certainty, as well as the stark reality of her situation. Her situation, not his. Because she carried Brock's baby, not Daniel's. And Brock was gone. He had to condition himself to think of the child that way. Because if he didn't, the gray areas would make him crazy. He might even lose what he had with Reba.
He touched her cheek. "Okay, Red. I understand. I won't mention it again."
"Thank you."
They resumed walking. "Aw, Reba, it'll be alright. You have so many people who love you and will watch out for you guys. And I'm at the top of the list." Uh-oh. Professing love was going a bit overboard. He'd hoped that she wouldn't be upset by it.
She accepted his statement as a friend, because she nodded and wiped her eyes. "I know. I'm incredibly blessed to have Barbra Jean and you in my life."
Clearing his throat, he said, "Maybe the new baby would be a boy. There's less to worry about with boys than girls when they hit their teens."
"Tell that to Van and Jake." Reba smoothed her oversize shirt, briefly resting her hand on her stomach. "I don't care what it is as long as it's healthy..."
After Brock/Daniel got home from work that night, he decided to go for a run. His mind raced ahead while his feet pounded the pavement. Losing himself in the rhythm, he felt the tension seep away. The timing of Reba's pregnancy nagged at him, even though he'd promised not to discuss it with Reba. Granted, it was unlikely the child was Daniel's. But there was a slim chance. Condoms didn't guarantee one hundred percent protection even during the best of circumstances.
And the failure rate went up if they weren't applied correctly. So what should he do? What should he do? His feet pounded out each word. Unfortunately, no answer came. The Daniel side of him wanted the chance to raise his child, if Reba was having Daniel's baby. The Brock side of him was torn on what to do and jealous as heck. It was times like that when he could hear Faye's voice in his head. "You're Daniel, stupid. You can't be jealous of yourself. It's your baby, no matter what."
Reba sat down in Dr. Schmidt's office, waiting for him to finish his phone call. The doctor replaced the handset. "I have the results of your second ultrasound. Purely to err on the side of caution when the patient is your age."
Reba nodded. "Was everything okay?"
"Everything looks good so far. The fetus appears to be developing normally and we were able to estimate your due date." He gave Reba the date. "A summer baby."
"Yes," she murmured. "I'm so glad everything is fine."
"Do you have any questions?"
"No, I'm sure I may have some later."
"You've been through all this before, but as I told you, the risks increase with age. If you have any concerns, please call us. And you can set up a follow-up appointment on your way out."
"Thank you, Dr. Schmidt."
Reba managed to walk out of the office and to her car at a casual pace. She managed not to speed or break any traffic laws on the way home. And when she slipped through the front door, she was able to evade the kids and head straight to her room, where she consulted a calendar.
"D-n."
Calculating backward, she realized the date of conception fell right between the last time she'd made love with Brock and the night that she seduced Daniel. Which meant that she couldn't confirm the baby was Brock's.
The next day, Brock/Daniel took the opportunity to treat Reba to lunch. He worried about her health. She looked tired. He wondered if she was getting enough sleep He worried about all the stress that she was under. He wondered if she was getting to eat. She'd been so sick for awhile and she was eating for two. So far, Brock/Daniel had managed to forge a relationship with his children. This would be the only child that he couldn't be a father to. His job was to take care of the mother of his children and help her make it safely through a difficult pregnancy. He soon found out that her appetite was back. She ate a big greasy bacon cheeseburger with tons of condiments, including jalapeños.
Reba was very worried about the looks she was getting at her midsection. She was worried about what people would think. She worried that people would think that she'd cheated on Brock while he was still alive. She talked about it with Brock/Daniel.
"Women are probably just jealous. You've got that ripe, sexy look going on."
Reba rolled her eyes. "You're good for my poor ego. I'll owe you in a million ways before this is all over."
"What are friends for?" Though he kept his voice light, Brock/Daniel wasn't sure how much longer he would be content with his role as friend. Especially since her repayment remark brought to mind a couple of suggestions that bordered on X-rated.
Reba was oblivious to his dilemma, more concerned about her own predicament. "I wonder what people will think when they find out."
Brock/Daniel focused on Reba. "You deserve to be happy about this baby. Do not let anyone ruin that. Hold your head up and know that you have more courage and grace than most women."
Reba looked stunned by that comment. Brock/Daniel was tempted to confess everything in that moment. He was worried about how Reba would take the news. He didn't want to lose her. The friendship might be irretrievably broken. He wasn't prepared to risk that. They had a good professional and personal relationship. He was able to be with his children. He was able to take care of Reba. He didn't want Reba to lose his support and income because she couldn't handle the truth.
"Thanks. I want you to know how much I admire you. I've always been impressed with how strong and together you are. I appreciate how you've stood by me through this, without trying to tell me how I should do things. Your support is important to me."
"Anytime, Reba. Anytime."
Emotional support was easy to offer Reba, but the desire to deepen their relationship was hard to ignore. And he was finding it even harder not to wonder if Reba's baby might be Daniel's after all. And if it was, what would he do?
A few days later, Reba looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. Even after extending the waistline of her pants with a rubber band through the buttonhole, she could barely squeeze into them. And the oversize shirt did not to dispel the impression of one overweight, middle-aged woman. Although it wounded her pride to be thought of that way, it was preferable to being outed as a middle-aged, pregnant woman with no husband. But soon, nothing would hide her pregnancy. She'd definitely gone beyond the baby-bump stage.
Brock/Daniel made it a point to let her know daily that she'd never been more beautiful. Finally, he insisted on helping Reba purchase some maternity clothes. It was time for her to dress comfortably, especially at work. She was having a major case of raging hormones. She'd been craving the closeness of making love with a man. The security of being held in strong arms. And the reassurance of knowing a man found her wildly attractive despite the changes in her body.
While shopping for maternity clothes, she decided to get a bite to eat. That's when she ran into Kevin Thomas, of all people. Kevin saw the store logo on the bags. "Well, I guess now we know why you've been growing in a few places. So, who's the lucky guy?"
"That would be Brock, my husband. Thanks for reminding me that he's no longer around to see his child born." Reba grabbed her bags and took off in the other direction quickly in a huff. She had no doubt that she'd be office gossip tomorrow. She found herself at the coffee shop across the street from Brock's dental office. There was some unconscious force at work, pulling her towards the spot in the street where Brock died.
She was standing there in the street, looking down at the last place that Brock was at when he was alive. At that moment, she ached to be with him one last time. There was a truck moving down the street quickly, but Reba didn't see the truck coming. Brock/Daniel was driving down the street, too. He saw Reba standing in that spot with the truck approaching. He jumped out of his car, picked her up, and carried her out of harm's way.
"I don't know why I was there. I just wanted to be near him. I just wanted to be close to him one last time," Reba explained in a dull, monotone voice. It was as if she was running on autopilot.
"There are better ways to do that. You could've gone to the cemetery." Brock/Daniel put Reba and her bags in the passenger side of his car and started to drive her home.
Reba looked dull and lifeless, compared with her usual vibrant self. The only sign of vibrancy was the movement of the child within her. Brock/Daniel found his hand on her belly, feeling the child's movements. Reba didn't push his hand away. In fact, she acted like she didn't even care. Brock/Daniel was blown away by the opportunity to connect with and feel his child moving and growing inside Reba. He had to quickly recover from that joy because it was obvious that Reba was in trouble.
"That was always Brock's favorite part, you know."
"Yeah, it's exciting for any father. Have you thought of any names yet for the little one?"
Reba shook her head. Brock/Daniel was floored. She always had names picked out for the baby at this stage of the pregnancy. Something was very wrong with Reba and it scared him.
"I can't do this."
"What?"
"I can't do this without Brock. In fact, I don't want to."
"Do you hear yourself? Of course, you can. You're a Hart. Harts don't give up without a fight and they're always ready for a challenge."
Reba remembered the first time that she'd heard that. It had been just after she and Brock had gotten married. She'd had a bad day substitute teaching and she wanted to quit. That memory made her heart ache a little more. "I just want to be with him again. If I could have one moment with him, then I could die happy."
"I know, Reba. But I am not going to let to you talk like that. This baby needs you. You have four other children, including Van, who need you. Where would Elizabeth be without you?"
Reba didn't answer that. Brock/Daniel pulled inside Barbra Jean's driveway. He carried her up the stairs to his room and laid her down on the bed. He didn't want the kids to see Reba in such a state.
Barbra Jean saw Brock/Daniel carry Reba into the house. Something was wrong about the way that she looked. The look on Daniel's face told her that it was serious. She stood there silently, not knowing what to do.
"Reba honey, you've scared Barbra Jean into silence. Now that's gotta make you smile." Brock/Daniel saw no response from his beloved redhead. "You need some rest. You've been working too hard. You're gonna stay here for a few days. I'll make sure that Jake and Kyra are taken care of in the meantime. You get some sleep."
"Don't go. Stay with me," Reba asked quietly. Her voice was almost in a whisper.
Brock/Daniel went to lie down beside her in the bed. He hadn't done this since their night together. He pulled the blankets over both of them. As his arm moved over Reba's abdomen, he felt the baby's movements once more. He put his hand over the baby's swell. He silently encouraged this child to keep growing and moving to remind his or her mother that she was needed and wanted in this life.
Reba finally started to speak again. "You know, I got pregnant with Cheyenne before Brock and I got married. I always wondered if I would've been better if I'd raised her by myself in Oklahoma, considering everything that happened to our marriage.
"But then, there would be no Kyra¸ Jake, or Elizabeth. You wouldn't be having the little one right here." He still had his hand on the place where their child was growing inside of her.
"Maybe I'd have been happier raising Cheyenne on my own without Brock," she said before she drifted off to sleep.
Brock/Daniel's heart ached for her. He'd caused her so much pain before and yet she loved him so unconditionally. "Maybe you would've been, but I wouldn't be better off without you," he whispered to her.
To be continued...
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out!
Author's note: I am thrilled with the overall support for this story. Thank you so much! I am alternating my story updates. I will work on It's a Wonderful Life next and post the update; then I will work on Deceived and post the update. The next update after that will be It's a Wonderful Life. After that, I'm planning another update for Drop Dead Hero.
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I thank all my readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, my stories wouldn't be continued every week.
Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney-Hart, Brock Hart, Kyra Hart, Jake Hart, Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Henry Hart, Dr. Schmidt, and any other characters from the Reba cast.
Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: Parker Harrison, Timothy, Faye, Daniel Hammond, Sara, the mysterious gunman, the Mason family, Mr. Martin, Lucy Wright, and Kevin Thomas.