In the days that followed the shocking results of her pregnancy test, Lavinia felt the full effect of it; the vomiting that lasted all day, making it difficult to eat more than a few bites of toast. The aches and pains that wracked her body, leaving her bed ridden for most of the day.
Chris grew frantic as she quietly slipped from their bed, trying to be subtle when it came to the vomiting. In the middle of the night, the bed would quake and she would dash across the room, throwing herself into the bathroom. As soon as the door closed behind her with a firm click, Chris would open his eyes and listen as the water went on in the sink, followed by the retching.
He was in no condition to throw her over his shoulder and carry her down to medical, his shoulder weak from surgery and physical therapy. But watching as she slept all day, growing paler and paler and refusing to eat anything, made him worry. Not wanting to break her trust, he avoided bringing McCoy into their rooms. The last thing he needed, was for the doctor to scream and rant at her and at him. So when she didn't join him for dinner or to watch a movie in the lounge, he simply brushed off everyone's concerns and told them an array of lies.
"She's reading some ancient tomb and refused to put it down…"
"Re-arranging our closet again," the usual, half-hearted shrug. "Something she found on the net."
"Guys, just give it a rest! The poor girl has to deal with me all day and with you wild animals!"
But by the end of the week, he had enough.
"Okay," he sighed, coming out of the bathroom after a hot shower. "You've been in bed everyday for the last week. What's going on with you?"
Lavinia looked over at him, the blankets pulled up to her chin. " M'tired," she mumbled, closing her eyes.
Chris tossed the damp towel into the bathroom and made his way over to the bed, sitting down on his side to look at her.
"You're overtired, my dear," he shook his head, pulling at the blankets. "You need to get up, take a shower and go down to medical. You've been sick all week.."
Her eyes flew open and he nodded, "I hear you in the middle of the night, Vinnia. The water can only block out so much, but not the sound of violently throwing up."
She closed her eyes, sighing deeply. "Sweetheart, what's going on?" he asked, reaching out to lay his hand across her forehead. "If you're sick, then you need to see Leonard. Your immune system is still weak from the last time you were sick."
"It's nothing that he can't cure" she mumbled, sitting up slowly. "Trust me, I know."
"What do you mean, he can't cure it?" he asked, frowning. "Do you already know what's wrong with you?"
Lavinia nodded, "A- Is it serious?" Chris asked, as she looked down at her hands. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."
She looked up at him, earning a nod of encouragement from him, before moving to pull the side drawer of the nightstand open. Rifling around, Lavinia finally found what she was looking for and pulled it out.
"What's that?" he asked, nodding to the wrapped up bundle in her hands.
Lavinia released the rolled up paper towels, allowing the six test applicators to clatter onto the comforter between them. She then dropped the paper towel next to them, and watched as he picked up the first of the six tests.
"These…these are pregnancy tests," he stated, turning them all over. "And they're all positive."
When she didn't respond, he looked up at her. "When did you find out?" he asked, frowning at her.
"Six days ago," she whispered, looking down at the tests. "I..I'm sorry."
Chris looked up from the test in his hands and shook his head, "Sorry?" he asked, as she nodded. "Why are you sorry?"
"Because," Lavinia shrugged, "We're not married and we're on the run from Starfleet."
"This isn't.." he started, before she shook her head.
"Do you realize what would happen if this came out?" she asked. "If those people knew that I was here and carrying your child, they'll stop and nothing to take us. They'll use me and our child as a bait, to lure you and the others into a trap."
Chris dropped the stick and grabbed her shoulders lightly, "Hey, hey.." he said soothingly as she shook her head. "No one is going to take you away from me."
"You don't know that," Lavinia said weakly, as her eyes filled with tears. "You don't know what they'll do, Chris."
"We've given no indication that we exist out here," he said, as she groaned in protest. "Lavinia, we're safer here than anywhere else at the moment."
Lavinia looked up at him, "What do you want me to do with the baby?"
Chris frowned, "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Do you think it's wise to have it?" she chewed on her bottom lip. "Does Leonard even know how to deliver a baby? Do any of you know how to?"
"Vin, I'm sure we can handle delivering a baby," he nodded. "Sweetheart, what do you want to do? No matter what I want and think, this is your body we're talking about."
She looked away, "I want to keep it," she said quietly, waiting for him to react poorly to her statement. "But if you want me to get rid of it, I will."
Chris startled her when he carefully pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist, his hands pushing up the nightgown she wore to bed. Warm hands settled on her flat belly, relaxing her immediately as her heart raced and her stomach rolled.
"I want this baby," he whispered, kissing the side of her head. "I want to marry you and I want a family with you, Lavinia. Do what we should've done all those years ago, in a different time."
"What about Starfleet?" she asked, as one hand moved from her belly to caress her face. "How can we have a family if they want you dead?"
"We're going to stop them," he nodded. "Now, we're going to work harder to find those bastards and clear our names. When it's all over, we'll go wherever you want and put it all behind us."
Lavinia wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead against his throat. "I don't want to tell the others yet," she mumbled. "Only Scotty knows, because he found me in the bathroom and knew where the tests were."
She looked up at him, "He swore on his fancy Scotch collection that he wouldn't tell anyone."
"I trust him," Chris nodded, pushing her unwashed hair away from her forehead. "I love you so much, Lavinia."
"I love you, too," she whispered, her face crumpling as she began to sob. "I just wish we did this the right way."
He held her as she cried, soaking the front of his shirt with tears, while soothing her with words and touches.
"Shhhh," he kissed her forehead. "How about a hot bath? It'll make you feel better, especially since you've stayed in bed all week long."
Lavinia blushed, embarrassed at how quickly she let herself go in such a short period of time. "I'll let you soak for a while in there and I'll bring up a pot of tea and some soup."
"M'not hungry," she mumbled, burying her face into his un-wounded shoulder.
"You need to eat something," Chris sighed. "Not only for yourself, but for the baby. I'll steal one of the tricorders from medical without Len knowing and we'll run a bunch of tests up here to see how far along you are and what not."
He leaned back, looking down at her. "Okay?" he asked, stroking the back of her head. "Come on, Vin. Up and at 'em."
"I'll only do it if you put extra bubbles in the bath this time," she mumbled, trying to hide her smile.
"Extra bubbles and whatever else you want," Chris chuckled. "I even took the fluffier towels from the laundry room, since Jim's been hogging them for months."
They climbed out of bed slowly, shuffling across the room into the bathroom. Chris moved to the tub and turned the taps on, putting the drain stopper in so that the water would fill up. Grabbing the bottle of bubbles that was stashed in the hall closet, he poured a decent amount it, before setting it back on the counter.
"I'll set some clothes out on the bed for you," he said, as she moved closer to the tub. "Take all the time you want in here to relax."
Lavinia nodded, accepting the gentle kiss against her lips. "Don't go too crazy with the soup," she warned. "The idea of eating is hard enough."
He chuckled, "I'll make sure to keep it tame," he promised, reaching back to turn the taps off. "Go on and get in before it gets too cold. I'll be back shortly with everything."
With one more quick kiss, he left her to undress in privacy, dropping the dirty clothes into a pile on the floor. Starting towards the dresser, Chris pulled out a clean pair of pajama bottoms that belonged to him, along with a long-sleeved top. From another drawer, he managed to find a proper pair of panties from the pile of lace and satin. Setting everything down onto the bed, he quickly made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall to the staircase.
All he could think about, as he took the trip to medical, was the baby. Having a family was an opportunity that had long passed him, when he started his career in Starfleet. Then, when everything hit the fan and forced him into hiding, Chris put that dream behind him and grew to accept the fact that it would never happen. But in the two years since Lavinia came into his life, it started to appear again. Faint at first, considering the fact that she was a much younger woman and from another time; set to marry another Christopher Pike, who may or may not've been him.
As the months went on, especially after her disappearance and breakup with Hikaru, Chris forced his desires back into that dark place. The fear of losing her again so quickly kept him on the edge, because no one every got lucky twice. But in the last several months, as their relationship went from simple "courting" to sexual, the desire to marry and have a family hit him like a mack truck. And now, it was becoming a reality. The woman that he loved with every fiber of his being, was indeed pregnant with their child. Granted, it made the bounty for his capture higher now, but at that moment all he could think about was the positives.
The chance for a new start. A new life, in which Starfleet didn't exist and they were just two people living in the present. A chance to raise children in the country, in a big house with a garden and horses. To sit on the porch with tea and lemonade, while the children ran about with happiness; the innocence that came with children, not having to worry about hiding from dangerous men and women.
Unlocking the cabinet with the tricorders, Chris quickly grabbed one and shoved it into the waistband of his pants, before closing the doors again. While he wanted to tell everyone about the newest addition that would come in nine months, he also wanted to respect Lavinia's wishes. They needed to make a plan not only for the baby, but for the possibility of another raid. Locking up, Chris quickly left medical and headed towards the kitchens. As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted Jim at the counter with a steaming cup in one hand and a PADD in the other.
"Well, if it isn't our Lord and Savior," he grinned, earning an eye roll from Chris. "How's the Lady of the house?"
"She's taking a bath," Chris said, grabbing the teakettle off the stove. "She's feeling a bit under the weather at the moment, so I offered to come down and make her some tea and soup."
Jim nodded, "Poor thing," he sighed. "I'm going to see if we have any vitamin boosters left in storage. Her immune system is probably all wonky since she first arrived and ever since she came back from her disappearance."
Chris nodded, " I'll see what Bones is up to," Jim said, standing up with his mug and PADD. "You'd think he'd be working on shit like this for his own sister!"
"Leonard's too busy making sure you don't get yourselves killed," Chris said, as he set the tea kettle onto the burner. "But if you find enough boosters, let me know. And tell him to make inventory of every hypo he's got, along with supplies. If we're running low, then we'll have to send some of you out into the towns to get supplies."
"Sounds god, boss man," Jim said, saluting him. "If she's up to it, Pavel's got some crazy Russian picture he found. Scotty and I are gonna join him later to watch it in the lounge."
The older man nodded, "I'll see how she feels after she eats and takes a nap," he nodded. "Try not to get in trouble, Jim. I'm still on medical leave and I cannot drag your ass across this place."
Jim laughed, "I'll try my best," he said. "Give Lavinia a hug for me and tell her that I miss her dearly. Our Mother hen."
Chris snorted as Jim made his way out, grabbing a can of soup from the cabinet. "Mother hen…" he muttered, shaking his head.
