I Got This, You got This

One-shot 10:

Gotta Make My Mind Up

Summary: "Sure, in the past she'd been worried about the consequences of her supernatural powers. Except now there was more at stake than just her own life."

"Congratulations are in order."

Chloe didn't know whether to laugh or cry remembering the doctor's parting words. She hadn't known what to say half an hour before, when he had patted her shoulder, passed her the bottle, and gave her that hearty smile that she knew she should be returning. Instead, she had stood there, nodding along, pretty sure the color had drained from her face and her expression indicated she was in anything but a congratulatory mood. She had made it back to her care, hesitantly wondering if she should start it. Suddenly, it hit her how dangerous driving was, how in a split second, something could go wrong, and the car would spin and spin and she could die. Die before ever seeing Derek again, telling him.

Somehow, she had forced herself to put the vehicle in drive and return herself home, to the dining room table sticking halfway out of the kitchen into the living room of their cramped one-room apartment. Their building was old, but it had an elevator, one she saw through a new vision. Old, old elevator that chugged along and could easily break down without a moment's notice. Could plummet to the ground with her inside it. So, she took the stairs, noting too late that accidents happened in stairwells, too. A fall down the steps could be just as dangerous now as a fall in an elevator.

She tried to shake off that feeling, that no matter where she turned, any normal thing could jump out at her and she wasn't safe anymore. And just that thought, of things jumping out, made it dawn on her that ghosts did that. Sure, in the past she'd been worried about the consequences of her supernatural powers, never quite forgetting what it drove her uncle Ben to do. Except now there was more at stake than just her own life.

The evidence of that was gathered before her on the table. Five boxes, all torn open in a haste and their contents emptied almost as quickly, those sticks she locked herself in the bathroom with and held in her hands for minutes, hours before she finally drew her gaze to their small pink plus signs. The bottle of vitamins the doctor had given her earlier, the one he'd assured her was backed by doctors everywhere and contains all the necessary minerals. The list of other vitamins he'd given her, in case these didn't suit her, along with the results of that day's blood test. A stack of pamphlets detailing the tasks to be completed over the next nine months, spouting words like "family" and "planned versus unplanned" and "names to think about". Poking out from the papers, the corner of a check-up appointment notice, reminding her that the first ultrasound was to be next week.

They would have let her have one today, but she'd refused, given her excuses that sounded legitimate. When in reality, the idea was trying to form in her brain. Trying to sink in, settle and soak into the ocean in her head, the one that caused the roaring static in her ears and water to pool in her eyes. Which only served to remind her, the evidence wasn't just the tangible objects she'd set out in front of her. There were things inside, changing around, making her do and say what she wouldn't under usual circumstances.

Chloe reached over, struggled with the bottle for a moment before getting the cap off and shaking out a couple vitamins into her palm. Should she take one now? It hadn't been an hour since she'd left the clinic, but the woman could barely recall what the doctor had told her. One by one, she returned the pills into the bottle, until the last, which she pinched between her fingers and stared at.

Eight weeks. Two months now, and for the life of her, she didn't know why she hadn't sought medical attention sooner. Last week, when she began fearing her suspicions were correct. Or the week before, when those suspicions first started forming. The month previous, when she'd wondered why a certain biological function hadn't arrived. The two months ago when she should have been going to the doctor to get a refill of another pill, one that would have prevented this.

Looking at that pill, clutched so tightly the tips of her fingers were turning white, she wondered how it would help. Would it stop the cravings, the constant wanting of food that had her eating more than she'd ever eaten and Derek teasing they'd been together so long, she was just about as much werewolf as him? What about the fatigue that had her collapsing on the couch every night before seven? Her frequent rushing to the bathroom because either nature called once again or she was sick of all that food she'd consumed?

Maybe one of those pamphlets would explain it all to her, but as Chloe glanced down at the table, her gaze caught the check-up notice again. A nurse at the clinic's counter had scribbled a message at the bottom before handing it over with a wink. The writing was miniscule, slanted, but she was able to make out that the nurse was blessing her "soon-to-be little angel". And it made her confused once more about what to feel, how to respond.

Any other woman, any other normal woman in a happy, loving relationship would have been overjoyed. Out would come the cell phone, dialing up every contact and squealing over the news. Followed by that, the new clothes, new supplies, new decorations. Chloe wasn't sure she wanted any of that, or if she could even bring herself to pick up the phone. She'd been so afraid of discovering the truth, she'd relied on a regular, non-supernatural doctor. Asking her aunt for such a favor was out of the question because then Lauren Fellows would throw a fit, and everyone would know. Everyone would know.

Derek had to know.

Did he already? It hadn't taken her too long to figure it out, and Derek was always observant when it came to her. Obviously, he knew something was up, or he wouldn't pause at times, narrowing his eyes as he watched her. Attempting to uncover what was wrong, working through his genius head all the new differences, but not quite placing a finger on what was bothering him about her. Even if he found out the reason, he wasn't about to speak it until she brought it up first.

Or maybe she was giving him too much credit. Give him an equation, a formula, some numbers and an equal sign, and that he could determine in a matter of seconds. Something of this magnitude, of this social caliber...well, it usually never registered with Derek. He may be wondering why the bathroom stunk like vomit some mornings, or why she threw a fit when the grocery store ran out of milk, but in the end, he probably concluded it was a twenty-four hour bug and stress after a long day of work.

Either way, she had to tell him. See his reaction. What would it be? She tried to imagine, but even that was too much for her to bear at the moment. So, she turned back to the notice about the check-up appointment for next week. The doctor told her he wanted to give her an ultrasound early because this was the first time this had happened to her. Wanted to make sure everything went easy for her. No complications.

The vitamin was returned to the bottle, and she shook it up, watching the dark pink pills jump around. Would it be as big as one of those pills? How much did it grow in just two months? What would they see in an ultrasound? How about in the months to come, when it would grow bigger and bigger, take on a human shape? Would it even look human? Or would it have fur and a tail and fangs? Would it come out screaming because a ghost was in the hospital room?

It wasn't going to be the little angel the nurse thought it would be.

Did she even want to bring something like that into the world? Long ago, her mother had faced the very same question, and Chloe was reluctant to admit that if someone came up to her with a way to get rid of those awful supernatural side effects, she was probably in the state of mind where she'd agree. Without question. Even knowing about her own teenage years, all that running and escaping, the abnormality of her powers. Her hand itched to pick up the phone and call her aunt, only stopping because she was still frightened her aunt would become upset and spill the beans.

But the doctor had mentioned complications. Complications that could stop this from progressing. Maybe it would be too much, a mixture of werewolf and necromancer. Too much for one tiny being to manage all on its own, and that would bring about its end. If that happened, she wouldn't even have to tell Derek. It would be her own secret, a detail about herself only she knew, despite that she'd shared all of her secrets with her boyfriend of nearly ten years. Yet, if she was hoping for that to occur, then why would she be so worried about getting in car crashes and falling down the stairs?

There were other ways, too. The doctor hadn't mentioned it, and neither had the nurse, but among those pamphlets somewhere was hidden a flier that advertised a solution to something unwanted. She pulled that flier out of the stack. Money wasn't a problem; she'd been working for awhile and had quite a bit saved up. All the same, just giving a cursory glance at that 'a' word had her shuddering and placing the flier at the bottom of the stack, feeling ashamed she was thinking any of this at all.

Chloe had to tell him. Tell Derek. They weren't kids anymore, hadn't been for a long time, and this wasn't one of those situations where she could go about it all by herself. It involved both of them, it was theirs, together. Not so much a problem, but a dilemma that they must work through. Starting with talking to him. Explaining it to him. Telling him. Soon. Probably.

She didn't know what to do. Sitting at the table, she'd been staring at the pills, at the boxes and test results, at the pamphlets, and she still hadn't come to a decision. But a key was unlocking the door. Derek was home, and she swept all the evidence into her purse, knowing he wouldn't think to look in there. When he fully opened the door, he'd find her sitting at the table, reading the newspaper that had been left on the chair next to hers, seemingly normal. Later, she'd return to the contents of her purse, and maybe, just maybe, she'd figure everything out.

Authoress's Notes: Happy Friday! Here's another glorious chapter, which I realized, like the last couples, deals with more mature topics. They all kind of came right after each other, but I swear I didn't plan it. (It almost seems like a public service announcement: Have sex. But if you do, there will be consequences! Shake my finger at you! XD ) Anyways, that should be enough of of that for awhile.

I ignored my Latin homework to work on this. I'm so dedicated. But really, I was just in a mood to write. Although I've been working more on my original fiction than fanfiction...

Next week, we finally get to decide on which seat to take. Oh, the wonders!

Enjoy your Friday! I have to go to bed now so I can wake up all refreshed and ready for this fantastic day. That may or may not have been sarcastic. I'm a bit too tired to tell...