None of the characters belong to me; JE gets all the credit and the money.

Jenn (perfectmanhattan) thank you once again for all your help on this story. It wouldn't be near what it is without your Beta work.

Chapter 10 – Results

When I woke up the next day I felt groggy and exhausted as though I'd spent the last evening doing physical exercise instead of sitting around eating dinner with my parents. Realizing I had to get up in order to meet Zip on time in the shooting range, I forced myself to get up and into the shower. Throwing on the first pair of cargoes and a RangeMan embroidered polo I decided the effort involved in fixing my hair wouldn't be worth it so I put it up in a messy bun and headed to the kitchen.

I went straight for the box of Cheerios and poured out all that remained, realizing Lester must have been eating them too because there wasn't even half a bowl left. I started to get mad at him for eating them all since this seemed to be the only food my body was interested in eating right now, but then I remembered that the cereal was technically his and I was just a guest. so I sucked it up and ate my meager meal before heading down to the firing range.

Zip was standing in the hall leaning against the door looking at his watch when I walked out of the elevator. "What?" I asked looking at the wall clock and seeing that it was exactly 9:30, meaning I was on time.

"I didn't think you'd show." He confessed shaking his head. "I bet Woody you wouldn't be here before 10:00 at the earliest and now I owe him fifty bucks."

I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I hated it when the cops bet on me, and thinking that Woody had done the same thing irritated me until I realized if Zip owed him money that means he said I would be there. He believed I could do it. I smiled in response at that revelation.

Zip caught the change in my expression and said, "Now get rid of those thoughts. It's bad enough I have to put up with it from him anytime your name comes up. I don't think I can take it from you too." He threw an arm over my shoulder as we walked into the room I called the bullet room. The guys usually rolled their eyes when I said that and indulged my lack of training as an excuse for coming up with such a girly name for what they called the armory.

Zip picked up a revolver like my .38 and two different styles of 9 millimeters. I cringed at the thought of having to shoot long enough to fully get to know three different guns. "Relax, Steph, we're just trying to see what fits you best. I know you've got a .38, but I've never thought that was the right gun for you. We'll test a few things out and see what you are more comfortable with and go from there. Okay?"

I nodded, realizing the sooner we got started the sooner this would be over.

We spent the first hour going over safety rules and reviewing how to handle each of the weapons. I learned to break them apart and put them together. I cleaned them and loaded them. It wasn't until 10:30 that he grabbed us ear protection to begin firing.

An hour later I had managed to use my lesson from Woody on throwing darts to amaze Zip by hitting every place he asked me to on the targets. When we were finished putting everything away and sweeping up the spent casings Zip told me, "I'll tell Tank how you did and show him the footage. You always said you didn't like guns which we took to mean you weren't good with them. After watching you shoot I don't see a reason why you couldn't pass the proficiency test for RangeMan employees. There's nothing else for me to teach you here."

I smiled at the last part. Maybe that would mean no more early morning calls at the range. Hopefully my lesson on B&E would be as simple too.

I went back up to my cubicle and intentionally walked past Woody's desk, despite it being out of my way just to see if he was there by any chance. I was definitely disappointed when he wasn't there. I said hello to the guys that were around on my way to my cubicle and sighed out loud when I saw the stack of searches waiting in my inbox.

I booted up my computer and jumped right in. At 12:30 an e-mail popped up in my inbox which I clicked on without thinking. It had no subject heading but the message read, "You'll have to go back to your apartment sometime. I'll be waiting." There was no signature and the address was a series of numbers in a generic yahoo account. Of course, I didn't need a signature or a clear address to know who it was from.

Jenkins was threatening me and the thought of it turned my stomach. I was already tired and now my limited breakfast was churning in a threatening way. I stood up to see if a change of position would make me feel more settled. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect.

I had to get somewhere fast so I took off to the only bathroom on the main floor and hit Les at the door. Not bothering to apologize I finished my mad dash to a toilet and promptly allowed my small bowl of Cheerios to return to the world.

Of course Les had followed me in and held back the pieces of my hair that had escaped from the bun for me while I got sick. It was both touching and mortifying at once. Once I finally thought the heaves were over I flushed the toilet and leaned against the wall. The cool tiles felt good on my back.

"Are you alright?" He finally asked.

I nodded my head. It wasn't that much of a stretch, after emptying my stomach I really did feel better. Then I remembered what had set this off in the first place and said, "E-mail."

"What?" He asked, picking up on the fact I was trying to tell him something.

"Got an e-mail in my account here from Jenkins," I clarified, beginning to feel strong enough to stand up.

Les pulled me to his side for support and we walked over to the sink so I could wash my hands and attempt to rinse out my mouth. When I looked in the mirror I saw Les' fighting face had reappeared. He was in full battle mode.

"Go," I told him. "It's still open up on my desktop. I'll be fine."

He shook his head no indicating he wasn't leaving, but he did pick up his cell phone and dial someone that he addressed in Spanish. After giving instructions for a few minutes he flipped his phone shut, without an adios I might add. He saw the curiosity on my face and answered the unspoken question, "Hector."

That made sense; Hector was one of our resident computer experts. I stood at the sink testing my theory that I was really okay and was pleased to see that I was still feeling settled so I straightened up and began moving to the door.

"Where are you going?" Lester asked seeing me leaving.

"Back to work," I replied. "Standing in the bathroom isn't paying my rent."

He was faster than me and reached out grabbing my arm. "Not so fast Steph. You can't do much right now because Hector is at your computer. Why don't you go back down to the apartment and rest for a bit?"

"No!" I said with a little more force than was necessary considering Les was only concerned for me. "I can't just sit down there doing nothing. This guy is threatening me and I'm tired of it. There has to be something I can do."

Les looked down at his phone telling me he'd just gotten a text. His blank face slid firmly into place and he said, "Bobby just got your blood work back and he wants to see you. Do you want to go down to his office or have him meet us in the apartment?"

I debated both options and finally decided the apartment was probably the best way to go. I had decided against just climbing into bed and hiding from the day and the threat, but that didn't mean I wanted to be where people could see me if Bobby had bad news. I may enjoy visiting denial land, but even I had to admit I had been feeling a bit off lately. "Let's meet him in your apartment." I decided.

Les typed in a reply and then slung his arm over my shoulders to walk me to the elevator. "You know," He said as the doors closed. "I'm starting to think about it as our apartment. Strange, huh?"

I knew what he meant. Les was a confirmed life long bachelor and the thought of sharing his living space was usually enough to give him the hives. I understood this reaction as I'd had it myself when faced with the idea of moving in with Joe. I guess it's because we had the rules of our relationship so well established that we could be comfortable sharing the space. I still felt like I should say something, "Relax, I don't plan on looking at color swatches."

When we stepped off the elevator, Bobby was standing there leaning against the apartment door looking very serious. He nodded his acknowledgement of our presence but said nothing until we walked in and settled on the furniture in the living room. Les sat right next to me on the couch so close that our legs were touching. Bobby planted himself in front of me on the coffee table.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Bobby began.

"I'm fine," I replied out of rote more than truth.

"Bullshit," Lester interrupted. "She just spent the last ten minutes in the men's room throwing up again."

That did it. Friend or not, I didn't appreciate having my private business broadcasted to all of RangeMan. "That was just because I'd gotten a threat from Jenkins in my e-mail. It was a response to the stress of the situation." I tersely explained, returning my attention to Bobby.

His lips were drawn in a tight line. "Maybe," He said. "Or, it could be because of the lab work I just got back."

Instinctually, I reached out for Lester's hand. Something in the way Bobby said that made me feel like I'd just gotten a bad report and I was suddenly terrified at what our company medic would say next.

Seeing the tension Bobby reached out and put his hand on my leg just above my knee. "It's okay Steph. It isn't that kind of news."

I relaxed marginally, but I didn't let go of Lester's hand. Partly because I still wanted his support, but mostly because he was squeezing it tightly and I couldn't have pulled it away even if I'd wanted to.

"I sent off the blood I drew yesterday morning and the results just came back. I was right about your iron levels being low. You aren't fully anemic, but they are low enough to make you feel sluggish or tired which explains the extra rest you've needed lately." He began.

"But what's making my iron levels go down?" I asked. I understood this wasn't a serious condition in and of itself, but I also knew it didn't happen overnight, something caused it to happen.

"That's a good question. According to the lab results, it's because…" He paused a little as if he wasn't sure how to phrase what he needed to say.

"What?" Les finally prompted. "What is it?"

Lester's outburst snapped Bobby out of his stupor and he said, "Pregnant. Steph, you're pregnant."

"That can't be right," I said with a nervous laugh. "This has to be a joke. I can't be pregnant. I'm on the pill and I never forget to take them." I paused remembering that single night after drinking at the club. "Well, almost never."

"No form of birth control is one hundred percent effective and missing one pill would make its effectiveness even lower. But, the blood test was absolutely conclusive. You are positively going to have a baby."

The guys gave me a minute to digest what was being said. As I was stuck in my thoughts trying to decide if I should panic, cry or smile, there was a knock on the door. Bobby and Lester looked at each other.

"What?" I asked, sensing there was something they weren't telling me.

"That's probably Woody," Bobby admitted.

"No," I finally stuttered out. "I can't face him yet. I have to wrap my mind around this first on my own. Just send his away. Tell him I'm sleeping. Tell him I can't see him. Tell him…" I was working myself up into a complete panic at the idea of having to face Woody and tell him I was pregnant with his baby while things were still so new and undefined between us.

"It's okay Beautiful," Les said getting my attention back on him. "I'll send him away" He told me as he was walking to the door. But, just before he opened it he added, "But you're going to have to tell him soon. He deserves to know."

I nodded that I understood, and at heart I agreed with him. But I couldn't do it right now.

I heard Les greet Woody at the door and then tell him that I wasn't ready to see anybody, and he would have me call Woody as soon as I was up for it. I could tell that Les hadn't even allowed him in the apartment and I felt bad for how Woody must feel being forced to stay in the hall thinking that I was sick in the apartment.

Finally realizing he wasn't going to get in Woody said, "Can you tell her I came by and that I'm worried about her?" He started to walk away but then thought better of it and asked, "Is she alright? I know she got sick on four and I just need to know if everything is okay."

Les let out a breath. "I'll have to let her answer that man, it's her business, but from what I can tell, she will be just fine. No worries." That seemed to appease Woody as he left without another word.

Lester came back and sat beside me on the couch just looking at me. I faced him but didn't say anything. Finally he broke and a smile began to form on his lips lighting up his entire face.

I looked at him with a question on my face, still not speaking, but he knew what was on my mind.

"I'm so excited. I'm going to be the world's best Uncle, Steph. There will be a little you running around RangeMan and I can't wait. This is going to be great." He looked like a kid at Christmas.

I almost felt bad for bursting his bubble by saying, "Maybe."

"No, Bomber, the test was conclusive, there will definitely be a little you running around RangeMan," Bobby echoed Lester's sentiment.

I didn't reply immediately, but Les knew me well enough to guess where my mind had gone. "You don't mean that Stephanie. There is no way you could go through with it. You fight for every person you know, especially when they're weak and need help. This baby is completely defenseless and there is no way you could hurt it. You'd never go through with it."

I shut my eyes, knowing he was right. Instinctively I put my hand over my stomach and looked down. A single tear escaped my eye and rolled down my cheek. I didn't want to be so weak that I broke down in front of the guys, but this was overwhelming.

Sensing I needed a change of topic Bobby pulled out a pill bottle and said, "Here are your prenatal vitamins. They have iron in them which should help with the sluggishness, but I'm sure you are aware that a lot of pregnant women have a hard time for the first three months. The most important thing I can tell you is that you need to get in to see an OB/GYN, and that you are definitely not alone. I know most of us will feel the same way Les does. Most people have no interest in being around us, much less getting to know us, but you have always accepted and loved us no matter what has happened in our past. The fact that you are having a baby is going to be seen as something to celebrate because for a lot of us, this is the only baby we will ever get to know and love. I hope you'll let us be a part of their life."

That did it. The dam broke, releasing the tears in earnest. I leaned into Lester's chest and nodded my head. "It's not a matter of letting you be a part of the baby's life," I eventually got out. "It's more that I'll need you all in order to do it. I can't do this alone."

Lester spoke first. "You know you aren't alone." His hand rubbed up and down my arm as he spoke. Then his voice softened and he added, "You've got all of us, but you also have Woody."

I stiffened at the mention of his name. "I might be off base, but you had a great time with him at his apartment, and then he managed to survive your parent's house. You know he'll be beside you too, right?"

I pulled back a little and dried my face to say, "I know he would stand by me. His sense of honor wouldn't let him do anything else. But how do I know he's going to be there because he wants to be with me or if he's going to be there because he'll feel forced to because of the baby. I don't want him by my side out of obligation."

Lester pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger before saying, "He won't be there out of obligation."

"How do you know that?" I challenged.

"I know it because after he put you to bed last night we had a beer and talked. That man is completely in love with you. He has been for years. He understands you and is scared to death that if he lets you see how strongly he feels that it will spook you and you'll push him away. Hell, I almost felt bad for hitting him once I figured out he was the one."

His face softened a little as he looked at me to continue. "Your dad saw how he felt over dinner and they talked about what it means to love you when they were out in the garage. Apparently your father told him that you were his favorite daughter, but he recognized that loving you was like walking a difficult thin line. One has to be there to support and protect, but it has to be done in a way that allows you the freedom to live your own life. According to Woody, it wasn't anything that he didn't already know but he felt like it was your Dad's way of approving of him by taking the time to offer some pointers."

Then Les started laughing when he said, "Your Dad also threatened to kill him with his bare hands if he so much as hurt a single hair on your head. I've been through a lot of shit with Woody and I've seen his nerves of steel, but I can tell you whatever your Dad said made an impact because that guy looked nervous at the idea of having to face your father if the two of you ever had a disagreement."

That made me smile as I only knew my father as a mild mannered, quiet man. Still, he had been in the Army too, so he might be capable of fulfilling that promise. Apparently, my Dad was a man of many surprises. I wonder how he would react to my news.

"Why don't we take off and give you a little time to get your head around all of this? Do you have a doctor you want to call?" Bobby asked.

I shook my head no.

Bobby spoke up again and said, "My girlfriend Gina works for an obstetrician in town. I could get you an appointment there if you'd like."

I figured that was probably a good idea. I mean I understood the need for prenatal care, but right now the prospect of having to arrange it was overwhelming. If I let Bobby set it up I knew it would get done and he'd be sure I made it there. I agreed to his plan and got up to retreat to the bedroom.

Just before I stepped into the back room Les spoke up. "Steph, what about Woody?"

I shook my head no meaning I couldn't face him just yet.

"He needs to know to. This isn't just about you anymore." He added.

I got pissed at first and I felt it showing on my face. A couple of days ago Lester didn't mind bringing up that the guy I'd slept with was being a coward and shouldn't have withheld the information about our night together. Hell, he'd even tried to beat him up in the gym and now suddenly he was Woody's biggest fan. It didn't make sense. I was going to ask what had changed, but Les beat me to the answer.

"I talked to him and I see how he feels. He isn't playing you. This is real to him and even I could see that. There aren't many people that I could stomach seeing you with, but he just might be one. The man has it bad." He explained. "And, I think he could make you really happy. You both deserve that."

As an afterthought he added, "I've seen him fight for you," His hand rested on the purple bruise on his jaw, "And I think you should give him chance. He isn't going to give up on you."

With that bomb, Lester and Bobby got up and left me alone in the apartment.

I threw myself on the bed in my thinking position for some mental gymnastics. First things first, I'm pregnant. Holy cow, my mother is going to shit. I could just hear it now, 'Why me? Why can't just one of my daughters get married first and then have a baby? How hard is it to keep your legs together? Don't you realize what the neighbors will say?'

Realizing that line of thought was getting me nowhere, I put my hand on my stomach and sighed. I knew it was true. I'd never been pregnant so I had no real experience to base it on, but as soon as Bobby said it I knew he was right. There was another life inside of me. Along that same vein, Lester was right too. I had to protect it and make some decisions that would be best for the little boy or girl that was growing inside of me. I wasn't the most maternal, admittedly, but I did know a thing or two about protecting those weaker than me and I knew I had to do that now.

I could accept that I was going to be a mother, and even though I was scared I thought I might make a good one. It's not like I knew what to do, it was more a feeling that I could love this baby unconditionally and give it the room to grow and be whomever it wanted to be. Yea, I could do that.

Having straightened all that out, my mind turned to Woody. What would he think? Did he want children? Would he be excited about this, or would he feel tied to marry me out of some sort of twisted gentlemanly honor? I didn't want that. I couldn't bear the thought of seeing guilt in his eyes at the breakfast table. No, I'd already been in one marriage that happened for the wrong reasons and I was not walking down that road again. I could handle this alone if I had to.

But what if Woody didn't want to marry me because of the baby? What if he saw it as something to celebrate? What if Les was right and Woody loved me for me? I couldn't imagine that. I continued to think in circles for the next half hour and eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

Dreaming I was back in my apartment I pictured myself being pressed against the door. I could see the face of the man with me and it was definitely Woody. He asked me if I was sure and I told him yes. It felt wonderful to be lost in this familiar dream again.

But this time when he should have lifted me up by wrapping my legs around his waist and talking off to the bedroom, he lifted me bridal style and smiled at me. "What?" I asked him breathlessly.

He made him way to the bedroom and laid me on the bed adoringly. Then instead of placing his body on top of mine he pulled back and put his hands on my stomach. He unbuttoned the shirt I was wearing and let it fall open in the middle showing off a very pregnant belly where my now flat stomach would be. He began to caress my large midsection and lavished it with kisses. Leaving no part untouched by either his fingers or his mouth he finally made his way back up to my face.

In that husky voice of my dreams Woody told me, "I love watching the changes in you. Everyday I think you get more and more beautiful and every day I love you more and more." He then proceeded to make love to me with such tenderness the tears in my eyes that began in my dream were still streaming down my face when I woke up.

Lester was right, I had to tell him. I picked up the phone on the nightstand and dialed Woody's extension but he wasn't there. I didn't want to leave a message so I decided to send a text to my friend to see if he could help. "Les, I'm ready to talk to W. Any idea where he is?"

I got up slowly and was pleased to realize that my stomach was no longer rolling. When I got to the kitchen I saw an extra large box of cheerios on the counter with a big red bow on top. That single thing put my mind at ease. The guys weren't just yanking my chain. I wasn't alone, and they would be beside me all the way. Of course, they would have to be beside me because if the size of my stomach in my dream was any indicator, I was going to be too big for someone to stand in front of me effectively.

Just as I took my first bite there was a soft knock on the door. I assumed it was Bobby or Lester checking on me so I opened the door quickly and was surprised to feel arms come around me immediately pulling me to a rock hard chest. "Darlin, I'm so glad you wanted to see me."

I let him hold me for a moment realizing how much I needed it. There were no words that would say what his arms could at this moment. "You better come on in," I told him. "There are some things that shouldn't be said in a hallway."

He shut the door behind himself and followed me to the couch. I sat down in the opposite corner, but he was having none of that and moved in order to be closer to me, in virtually the same position Lester had sat in just a couple of hours earlier.

He took my hand in his and held it tightly, "I've been so worried about you. The guys on five said you got sick, and there was another communication from Jenkins. When Les wouldn't let me come in I thought the worst…I thought you didn't want anything to do with me. Your life is so stressful I thought maybe you didn't want me complicating things any further for you right now."

"You have no idea," I said rubbing my forehead with my free hand. Fortunately, I realized how rude that must have sounded so I corrected me error and said, "My life is always crazy. But I do have some news that will affect you too, but only if you want it to." I didn't want to talk in riddles so I stopped before I said anything else to make the tension in the room any thicker.

I was suddenly struck with the fact that I had no idea how to say what I needed to so I just spit it out. "Woody, I'm pregnant."