Newfound Clarity: Newfound Sanity

Disclaimer: I don't own Jackson or Lisa. I can only claim the psycho-ness that is Fiona and the messed up Kat and Aidan.

Chapter Nine

"I know you need me, I can feel it/I'm a beast, I'm an animal, I'm that monster in the mirror/The headliner, finisher, I'm the closer, winner…If you really want more, scream it out louder/Get it on the floor, bring out the fire/And light it up, take it up higher/Gotta push it to the limit, give it more..." ~ More by Usher

Two months later…

Weeks turned into months with no trace of Katherine Murphy. Jackson followed her trail onto a plane bound for Maine, only to have it turn into a dead end. But since Fiona seemed content to let Katherine be, he slowly scaled down his search.

At the same time, Lisa locked herself in their bathroom as he worked in his office. It had been over a week since she'd periodically thrown up, usually in the mornings, and decided there might be a problem more serious than indigestion.

She held a stick in her hand, waiting for the little timer on her cell phone to buzz.

Part of her wanted it to be negative. She didn't need extra ties to Jackson.

But another part of her wanted the test to be positive. She wanted this—even if he might not. It could just be her biological clock ticking, but Lisa was ready to face single parenthood if need be.

She watched, slowly chewing her lower lip as the test formed the words "pregnant" as her phone buzzed.

Lisa sat on the closed toilet, feeling her limbs turn to jelly. It could be a false positive. Yeah, a false positive. There was no sense in agitating Jackson over a fluke.

She dropped the test into the trash can.

Fiona sat in front of a computer screen. She'd hired out a surveillance job to some old friends on Katherine Murphy's family members. The news of Aidan filing for divorce seemed false to her. Katherine's new disguise only seemed to add to the lie.

With the photographs in front of her, she understood why Katherine ran. There was a small dark-haired boy involved. A mirror image of Aidan except with Katherine's ice-blue eyes. The slight boy had to be Aidan's son, even though all the paperwork she could dig up showed Katherine's half-sister as his mother and the father as unknown.

But watching Katherine with the boy, there wasn't any doubt in her mind. Katherine ran off to protect her son—Aidan's son.

A son that should be hers. Katherine stole her man and her child. She needed Katherine dead and Aidan's son in her clutches. There was no way Aidan would resist her if she had his son.

Then they would have another child, one of their own. And Katherine would be in a grave, long forgotten.

"Damnit!" he howled as Lisa's dog rammed into his legs. The razor in his hand nicked his chin as he stumbled to the side and kicked over the trash can.

Cursing the beast and the sharp razor, he blotted the cut with a tissue before bending down to right the trash can. Lisa would be pissed if he left the trash spilled out, even if it was Damon's fault. Damn dog.

As Jackson picked up the trash, he heard Lisa yawn behind him in their bedroom. His little scuffle must have woken her.

He paused, his hand closing around a plastic stick. A pregnancy test. Without acknowledging his lover, he turned it over. Instead of some strange lines, this test spelled it out in plain English. Pregnant. Lisa was pregnant.

With his child.

A mix of fury and joy filled him. Still holding the stick, he turned to face Lisa. "When were you planning on telling me, Leese?"

In a short silk nightgown, the sleepy redhead paused. Her eyes flicked down to his hand and froze. "I…"

"Stop it. Were you going to tell me?"

"When I was sure," she whispered.

"The stick's pretty damn sure—it says pregnant!"

She flinched. "It could be false… It happens. I didn't want to worry you—"

"Worry me? If you even thought you were pregnant, why didn't you talk to me? Don't you trust me, Leese?"

"I do. I just, it was stupid of me… I'm just so scared and we never talked about children…"

He could see the tears in her eyes. He mentally kicked himself for his harsh accusations. Katherine's disappearance and the silence from Fiona were beginning to wear on him.

Jackson put his arms around her. "Ssh, I'm not mad. I'm not…"

"What?"

She looked up at him.

"If I'm going to have kids, I want them to be with you. No one else."

"But your job—" she protested.

"We'll work around it."

"My dad—"

He smirked. Isn't it supposed to be the man who makes excuses?

"He doesn't have to know yet. C'mon, Leese, this is good news."

"How? We didn't plan—"

Jackson silenced her with his best weapon. He slipped his tongue through her open mouth, his lips pressing against hers. He used his hands to bring her hips against his.

She gasped, then moaned.

Neither of them seemed to notice the shaving cream he was smearing on her face. In fact, they didn't even notice Damon barking at their feet. Not as Jackson lifted her up onto the counter, edging his way between her thighs.

"Jack…"

"Ssh…"

He pulled her matching panties down her long legs, kissing her thigh along the way.

"Jack!"

He ignored her as he slipped out of his boxers. She parted her legs for him, her arms lacing behind his neck.

They began to move together, Lisa digging her nails into his back as he thrust into her. She moaned, her body quivering, her nerves on fire.

She screamed into his shoulder, her muscles twitching as she came. Jackson panted, their bodies bathed in sweat.

"My turn," she whispered, a twinkle in her eyes as she slipped out of her nightgown.

He stared at her, wondering what his lover had in mind, when she beckoned him to the shower.

"I guess we should go to the doctor, huh?" he mumbled later, her head resting on his chest. They'd made love in the shower twice before she helped him finish shaving. They stumbled into the bed, falling over each other as they came together again, before, finally sated, they lay entwined.

"Hmm?"

"About the baby. Find out how far along you are and all that…"

She looked up into his face. "You're serious about this, aren't you? You want to be a father?"

"Leese, I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner. We fuck like rabbits."

"But we do use…"

"Not always. And you've forgotten to take your pill before. I don't care. Really. I'm glad."

"I just wish Kat was here…" Lisa said sadly. "She knew all about babies…"

He kissed the top of her head, stroking her kinky curls. "Don't dwell on her. She would want you to be happy."

"What if she's dead, Jack?"

"Don't think like that. We've got a little Rippner to worry about…"

"What makes you think it's a Rippner? I could just as easily not mention you."

He growled at her, flipping her onto her back. He kissed her flat stomach. "You wouldn't…"

"Jack…"

"I could always… I mean… we could always make things… official…"

She sat up. "Jackson Rippner, are you proposing to me?"

"I guess I am."

She felt his forehead. "Are you feeling okay? I think you might be delirious…"

"I want us to stay together, Leese. For good."

"We hardly know each other…"

"Does that matter? I love you, you love me…what else matters? We're adults."

Lisa sighed. She did love him. That was the problem. "Jack, what if…"

"Don't start. Nothing will break us apart. I don't care what your father thinks. I love you. I love you and our little… midget."

"But…"

"Ssh, Leese. Just imagine us…I mean, we've already got the house and the dog. I've got the money. Neither of us needs to work. We could just… settle down."

"That does sound nice."

"See? Just consider it. I don't want an answer right now. I still have to get a ring and everything…" he muttered.

"What if I say no?"

"I'm still buying you a ring."

"You're crazy."

"Mmm-hmm."

Author's Notes:

The ideas are flowing rather fast for this story, so I might try and focus on finishing this one, then "Five Years Gone" second since that requires more planning. I am working on a new trailer for this story-so keep an eye on the author's page! I will try to make a note in the next chapter about it.

Reviews

XxDaAshersxX - My brothers do too (7, 7, & 9). Thanks!