"What!" Said Connie.
"Your pregnant." Repeated the doctor oblivious to her shock.
"NO, YOUR WRONG! I can't be I'm...I'm on the pill...your wrong!" Said Connie trying to convince herself as much as the doctor.
"My scans are conclusive Mrs Beauchamp...your precisely five weeks two days along! Congratulations!" He said happily.
Jacob stood there his mouth moving but no words coming out, complete shock had taken over his body. Rubbing his hands over his face he took a deep breath trying to take in the news.
"The contraceptive pill from the 21st century is only effective if it's taken regularly...could you have missed a dose?" Asked the doctor trying to be helpful.
"No...I...no..." Connie said shaking her head in disbelief, she saw Jacob looking like a rabbit caught in some headlights. Scared by his reaction Connie slid from the bed quickly making her way out the room, she ran unable to face the situation.
Placing a gentle hand on Jacob's arm Kathryn stopped him chasing after her. "I'll talk to her." She said with a sad smile. "Stay with Chakotay."
"Connie!...Connie please slow down...talk to me." Kathryn caught up to her as she entered the turbo lift, she looked lost with no idea which direction to go in. "Deck 3." Kathryn commanded the computer.
"He's wrong Kathryn...he has to be!" Insisted Connie.
"The doctors not usually wrong about these sort of things." Kathryn said gently.
"Did you see the look on Jacob's face..." Connie asked. "...we've only been together a few months..." The lift doors opened and Kathryn led Connie into her quarters.
"I can't do this...He's going to hate me...I finally find some happiness..." Connie went on.
"He doesn't hate you Connie..." Kathryn told her as she opened the doors to her quarters. "...Go and have a seat." Kathryn went to the replicator ordering two glasses of water for them both before sitting beside Connie on the sofa.
"What makes you think Jacob wouldn't be happy? From what I've seen he completely adores you...you can't let the amount of time you've been together influence you...Just let the news sink in before you make any decisions." Kathryn said calmly.
Connie took a sip from her glass contemplating Kathryn's words.
"That's part of the problem..." said Connie shaking her head. "...I plan everything...I'm Connie Beauchamp and I always have a plan...this wasn't planned...I'm an organized person Kathryn...I decide when things happen in my life, it's always been that way..." She let out a sigh. "...It still doesn't change the fact that Jacob looked absolutely mortified."
"Well to be fair I thought he took the news better than you." Smiled Kathryn nudging Connie's shoulder with hers.
"What do you mean?" She questioned with a frown.
"You ran off...left him stood in sickbay..." Grinned Kathryn.
"I should probably talk to him shouldn't I?" Admitted Connie.
"Only when your ready...is it really such a bad thing?" Wondered Kathryn.
Connie thought for a moment. "I have a daughter...Grace...She's eleven and lives with her father in New York. She left me to live with him because I kept putting work first...I couldn't give her the attention she needed...she hates me and so will this baby."
Kathryn placed a hand on Connie's shoulder. "Your baby won't hate you...things are different this time...you have Jacob...neither of you will let history repeat its self."
"The thought of never seeing Grace again terrifies me...if I get home..."
"When!" Corrected Kathryn.
Connie gave her a sad smile. "When...I get home I'm going to get her back...I'll be taking a step back at work...I'll do whatever it takes..." She said with determination in her voice. "...I'm scared that I've been a terrible mother once...what if I am again?"
Kathryn smiled at her. "I can't believe that...not when you care enough to admit you've made mistakes...not when your going to fight to put it right."
"...Thank you for this Kathryn...for listening..." said Connie gratefully.
"Come on...you should be having this conversation with Jacob...not me." Insisted Kathryn moving to get up.
Connie stopped her. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of cause...anything...but as I tell Chakotay...I always reserve the right not to answer...Captain's prerogative!" Smiled Kathryn.
"What's the story with you and chakotay?" Asked Connie.
"It's...erm...complicated." Said Kathryn finding her hands fascinating.
"How so?"
"We're Starfleet officers...it's against protocol for a captain to be in a relationship with a member of the crew..." Kathryn explained. "...if we were in the alpha quadrant...it'd be a different story...but out here we have no choice...I will always be his captain and he will always be my first officer..." She sighed. "...no matter how much we want more."
"That's such a shame...to put your life on hold like that...indefinitely." Said Connie.
"You know what I find troubling..." Said Kathryn deep in thought. "...if I was never sent to capture him...if we were never pulled into the delta quadrant...we would never have met...I never would have found my best friend...seven years later and I can't...no...I won't imagine my life without him...so it makes it hard for me to regret the position we're in...if we made it back to earth tomorrow and Starfleet command still demanded the marquis be arrested...I wouldn't hesitate to turn this ship around and head back the way we came." Kathryn confused.
"You love him." Stated Connie.
"Yes I do..." Admitted Kathryn sadly. "...come on let's get you and Jacob talking." She added making a decisive moved.
"Kathryn will talk her round...just calm down...have a seat." Said Chakotay as he watched Jacob pace his quarters like a caged animal.
"But she must be thinking all sorts...I just couldn't believe what I was hearing!" Worried Jacob. "...this is the best news...but I just froze...what if Connie doesn't want it?"
"I think your over thinking things...just wait and see what Connie has to say first...everything after that will work itself out." Chakotay told him.
"Janeway to Chakotay."
"Chakotay here captain."
"Are you still with Jacob...I have someone here who needs to speak with him." Said Kathryn.
"We're in his quarters captain."
"On our way, Janeway out."
"See..." Said Chakotay proudly. "...Kathryn could talk even the most determined around to her way of thinking."
"Why am I so nervous..." Asked Jacob as he continued his pacing.
A couple of minutes later Kathryn and Connie walked in. "Well...we'll let you to talk...You know where we are if you need anything...Chakotay?" Kathryn motioned him to follow her out the door.
"Hi." Said Jacob not know what to say.
"Hi." Connie gave him a slight smirk.
"Are you okay?" He asked nervously taking a shuffle forward.
"I'm sorry I took off..." Said Connie looking at the floor and within seconds she felt Jacob gather her up in his arms holding her tight. "...what are we going to do...Are we even ready for this?"
"We'll be fine Connie...us having this baby doesn't scare me one bit..." said Jacob peering down trying to see her face. "...please say you want this too."
Connie looked up trying to read the expression. "Your happy?" She asked receiving a nod from Jacob. "But in sickbay...the look on your face..." She said as she cuddled into him. "I felt certain you would be angry."
"I've no idea what I was expecting the doctor to say...I was scared he would say you were really ill or something...but this...Your carrying my baby Con...it's...well...wow...I'm over the moon!" Jacob told her honestly.
"Really?" Connie asked feeling uncertain about the whole situation. The feisty and confident Clinical Lead was nowhere in sight.
"Really! I promise...Connie?" Said Jacob lifting her head to look her in the eyes. "Connie I love you! I fell in love with you well before we even got together! We CAN do this."
Connie couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She let them fall freely down her cheeks as she smiled up at him.
"Are you sure your happy...we've only been together five months...this I a real commitment..." She told him.
Jacob led her to their bed, slipping off her shoes they climbed in together. He held her in his arms stroking her back to sooth her. "I'm so happy Connie...I couldn't be angry over this...it's like a dream come true...you haven't said how you feel...is it what you want?"
"I'll be honest...I'm feeling a little numb right now... I'm still processing it...but yes...I want this baby with you."
They just laid there quietly contemplating the mornings events. Jacob began to think Connie had fallen to sleep so he closed his eyes to. He'd just started to drift off when Connie bolted up right and stared down at him.
"What?" Jacob's brow creased.
"Its all your fault! Oh my god...it's all your fault!" Connie was smiling so Jacob didn't worry.
"What's my fault sweet cheeks?" Becoming amused by her outburst.
"Your the reason I'm pregnant!"
Jacob laughed. "Well yeah, I think that's pretty obvious...although it does take two to tango...You should know that or have you just been pretending to be a doctor?!" Jacob was confused but he was still laughing.
Connie slapped him on the chest. "I'm a surgeon not a doctor!...no work it out...five weeks two days...that was your birthday!...the night we had a 'sleepover' at yours!"
What she was saying started to dawn on Jacob. "Oh I remember it well...I took you home to 'unwrap' my present...so how does that make it my fault?"
"You kept me in bed all the next day until my shift...it's the only day I've ever forgot to take my pill." Confessed Connie with a rye smile.
"Well it's the best birthday present I've ever had." said Jacob grinning. "You gave me a gift that just keeps giving."
