11
The last days had been crazy for all of them but somehow they'd managed to put Chas under as few of it as they could. It was nearly impossible to leave the house for two entire days after their fist public appearance. Needless to say that the planned breakfast the day after didn't happen. Instead they'd stayed in, reading, watching movies and playing games like any other family would do. It wasn't really what Chas had planned for the day and at first she'd cried and yelled but eventually she calmed down and enjoyed spending time with her parents and sister.
Sometime that day Lanie had shown up, confronting Kate about that newspaper article. Not that she was particularly mad that they finally decided to take that step in their relationship but as best friend she at least expected to hear that from Kate herself and not through some nation wide article.
It was in the middle of their conversation when Lanie learned the decisive event that had driven them to finally go public. Chas had just woken up from her nap and had decided it was now playtime. Because Kate didn't have the time to take care of her daughter's Barbie dolls and concentrate on the conversation with Lanie, Chas made her way through the loft in search of Rick. When she couldn't find him anywhere (she hadn't checked his study because the door was closed and she simply was too lazy to open it) she stood in the middle of the hallway and started calling 'daddy'. Even if Kate had been blind she'd have known what look was plastered all over Lanie's face. It was totally unusual for Lanie to be speechless and it had been kind of funny for Kate to witness something like that. After the initial shock had worn off Lanie wasn't able to shut her mouth again for longer than a few seconds. She bombed Kate with questions and before Kate could even start to answer she had asked the next one. At first Kate had been amused but after some time she'd finally interrupted and answered Lanie's questions one by one.
At last she finally approached the one topic why she'd originally come for. Of course the whole conversation they'd just had came pretty close to that but the main reason for her visit wasn't the 'Why am I hearing about this through some newspaper article' but said article itself. She was honestly impressed by how they'd handled everything about Chastity, but that could be found out with just a quick look at it.
Lanie wouldn't be Lanie, however, if she hadn't analyzed the article immediately – looking especially for anything her best friend neglected to mention at all. And she hadn't ended up empty handed.
It had taken Kate all of about an hour to convince Lanie that she and Rick neither were already secretly married nor even engaged. Yet. But that was one thing Kate didn't actually voice. She'd went on with explaining just exactly had been said (word by word) between them 3 nights ago and what had prompted him to say that in front of a nationwide published magazine.
Lanie hadn't planned on staying that long, but after Rick and Chas had played for about an hour, inspiration suddenly struck, Chas got bored with being 'ignored' and walked into the living room to demand playtime with Kate and Lanie, she later found herself in the kitchen helping her best friend prepare dinner.
When Alexis came home an hour and a half before dinner was ready, Chas finally decided to stop speeding through the kitchen, crawling in between the two women's feet, trying to distract them from their task. With Chas gone, chasing her sister through the loft in a game of 'police and criminal', dinner had been ready in less than half an hour and another two hours later, after tucking Chas in, Lanie finally made her way home.
The days after were spent indoors as well, letting the world around them calm down, which was harder than at first expected. After all they had a little 3-year-old that was totally overactive and didn't really like to stay at one point for more than a few minutes – an hour max. That meant Kate and Rick had to convince their daughter almost every one to two hours that they could have fun staying in the loft. It was tiring to say the least and thought Alexis was a big help they found themselves ready for bed at 8 o'clock almost every night. Even Martha, who had been informed of their current situation while being on a trip to California with her acting class, came by to help from time to time.
After everything had calmed down to almost nothing they pulled out their last move. Paula had said to release an official statement just now, so not to have everything at once. Better, she'd told them, to have the anyway unwanted attention split in two, to reduce the pressure, than to have it all crash down on them in one piece. That would be better for all of them, especially for Chastity.
The big hype about them ceased a week after the press release, what gave them another week to prepare for the most important day of their lives.
*falling in love with a vampire* *falling in love with a vampire*
Alexis knew it wasn't the best time for what she was about to do, with all their nerves on the edge. But there was no other way. She needed to do it now – no, she needed to do it over all – regardless of the repercussions.
She found Kate alone in the living room, reading, and her feet resting on the exact place Alexis knew her dad had been sitting just a few moments ago. She needed to talk to her alone and hoped desperately that her dad would not be back that fast so to give them the time to talk. It really wasn't that bad – at least that's what she tries to tell herself the whole day.
"Kate, can I talk to you for a second?" she approached her dad's girlfriend and took a seat opposite her on the armchair. She folded her hands in her lap, playing with her fingers at the hem of her shirt. Her eyes were trained on the floor before her, not meeting Kate's eyes. It didn't really concern Alexis herself but still she felt uncomfortable talking to her parents about it.
"Of course, honey. What is it?" Kate put down the book, marked the page so not to forget where she left off and turned to face her daughter.
"Okay, this is kind of awkward but I need to ask you a favor." Kate nodded and reached out to take Alexis' hands in her own and pulled her on the couch next to her.
"It's okay. You know you can talk to me about everything."
"I need you to listen to me not as my dad's girlfriend or my mum. I need you to listen to me as my friend. Can you do that for me, please?" Though Alexis never personally addressed Kate as mum, she adopted that title nevertheless. It started mostly for Chas' sake because Alexis found it funny to speak of her as Kate when talking to her sister. Somehow she realized she rather liked it and kept it up.
"Alexis, I…." can't promise you that, because it depends on what you're about to tell me. "I'll try" It was the best she could come up with. 'I'll try' didn't necessarily mean she would tell Rick any of it but didn't exclude the possibility.
Eyes once again drawn to the interesting pattern of her pajamas she took a deep breath. "I need a pregnancy test but dad may not find out about it." She had expected an impromptu answer, asking her what the hell she had been thinking – but there was none. After a full minute of silence the teenager dared to glance up Kate and saw that she was shocked to say the least. Sure she had been aware of what she was getting into, starting a relationship with someone who had child, and she loved said child just like she'd be her own. But that was exactly the point – Alexis wasn't really her daughter – and yet here she was, talking about pregnancy tests with her. She didn't even know what to say. Kate had no experience in raising a child let alone talk to some teenager about sex and pregnancy.
"Alexis, why…. What would you need that for?" Kate asked after she found her voice. She just prayed Rick would take his time with Chas upstairs.
"It's not for me." The redhead was quick to reply and by the look on Kate's face hurried to explain further. "I promise, it's not what you think. Ali thinks she may be pregnant, but her parents must not find out either. I am the only one she told and I said that maybe I could help her." Alexis vaguely noticed the relieve wash over her mother's face when she'd realized that, in fact, it wasn't about Alexis.
"Lex, honey, I can't just walk into some store and buy a pregnancy test. Do you know what rumors that would cause?" Kate knew that maybe that was the wrong decision to make but she'd decided on not even telling Alexis that she wouldn't do it in general. She didn't even bother to mention that Alexis should talk to her father, or that Alison really needed to talk to her parents about this. She was fairly certain, that it was the wrong decision from a parent's point of view, but she'd told Alexis she'd listen to her as her friend and not as said parent.
"Please, Kate. Will you at least think about it?" Alexis sounded almost desperate. Kate knew how it felt to wanting to help your friend, no matter what they gotten himself into, just to find out that it was almost impossible to do so.
"Alright, I will. But I won't promise you anything" The teenager flung herself at Kate, embracing her with a firm grip, murmuring 'thank you' over and over again. She only let go when she heard footsteps making their way down the stairs and she knew her dad would be joining them in less than a minute. With a last mouthed thank you Alexis retreated into the kitchen to get herself a drink.
"We're not done talking about this" Kate threw over her shoulder, only loud enough for Alexis to hear, just before Rick entered the living room.
Alexis watched her dad recapturing his seat, Kate resting her feet in his lap once again. Then she quietly made her way back upstairs into her bedroom.
Kate did think about it, just like she'd promised and as she came to a decision she, again, was certain that it was not the right one. But it was the first teenager problem she'd had to deal with on her own and so she took comfort in the fact that everyone is bound to make mistakes the first time.
That's why she found herself on the phone with Lanie two days later. She knew she could trust Lanie and that she would understand why Kate came to her with such a request.
"Lanie I need you to do a little favor for me" Kate started, not even giving Lanie a chance to speak.
"What trouble is he in now?" Lanie asked, with a smile. The last time that exact words started a telephone conversation between the two women, Rick just managed to get himself 'hurt' by making bets with the wrong people.
"None" the detective replied "he doesn't even know about it"
"Okay, spill" Lanie'd caught on the tone her best friends voice took on and immediately knew there was more to it than just a 'little favor'.
"I need a pregnancy test"
"You need what? But…. I…. you… you a-"
"It's complicated. Please Lanie? I will tell you everything but just not now, okay? Not over the phone"
"Oh you better!" Lanie threatened, adding "I'll be over in 20 minutes"
With that she disconnected the call and Kate breathed a sight of relief. She knew Lanie would do it without demanding answers beforehand. Now she was just glad she picked today of all days to call Lanie. Rick was out on some meeting with his agent and publisher and Chas was with Alexis. The teenager's school had arranged a day for little brothers and sisters who will be starting school soon, to accompany their older siblings. It was meant to prepare the kids for the time they would have to go to school every day, though Kate thought it rather useless. Alexis was about to graduate and Chas was only three. Apparently parents weren't allowed to go with their little ones, what Kate traced back to more parents that had expressed their feelings towards it.
Twenty minutes later Kate heard a faint knock on the door and went t answer it. Opening, she let Lanie inside, before closing the door again, facing her friend.
"Here you go" Lanie said, holding the box out to her.
"Thank you, Lanie" Kate ushered the ME into the living room and disappeared into the bedroom for a moment. When she came back the test wasn't anywhere to be seen, which meant she must have hidden it somewhere in their room.
"Alright, and now I want to know what the hell is going on here" Lanie demanded, although with a hint of amusement in her voice. Said amusement, however, vanished quickly as Kate started explaining.
An hour later, Lanie was still there, Alexis and Chas came home from school. After Chas had successfully glued herself onto her mother's hip she started to tell the two adults exactly what she'd done over the day. Proudly she announced that not once she hid herself from anyone. Alexis sat beside them on the couch and listened in awe how her sister described her day. It seemed to be of advantage to have a famous writer as a father, 'cause Chas was forming sentences like no other 3-year-old did.
When, about another hour later Chas drifted off to sleep in Lanie's lap after her exhausting day, Kate took her to bed, and then Lanie excused herself to go home. She knew Kate and Alexis needed to talk about some things.
"Alright, here's the test" Kate re-emerged from the bedroom. She needed to do it now because she didn't know when exactly Rick would be home. "She takes it. If it's positive she'll talk to her parents or I'll do it. If it's negative, we won't talk about it again. Anyway, I'm not involved in any of this. I don't know anything until you decide to tell your father and me" Oh and how she once again felt like she was making one of the biggest mistake of her life.
"Thank you" Alexis enveloped her in a bone crushing hug. Kissing her cheek she climbed the stairs to her bedroom to hide the pregnancy test before her father would be home.
*falling in love with a vampire* *falling in love with a vampire*
Another full day later Kate was awoken by her boyfriend, calling her name from the upstairs bathroom. Reluctantly she pulled herself out off bed and arranged her shirt that had ridden up her body during the night.
"Do you even know what time it is?" she asked, standing in the doorframe of the bathroom, after glancing at her fathers watch and realizing it was barely after six a.m. The breath caught in her throat when she saw what he had in his hands. It was a positive pregnancy test.
"Are…. Are you…. Are you pregnant, Kate?" She felt herself breath again as she realized his first thought was her being pregnant and not his daughter, even thought it was her bathroom they were currently in, looking at a positive pregnancy test.
"Yes" It was the best to tell him now, than to have him spin wild theories about his daughter, she thought. Especially when, in fact, it was true. She'd found out a few days ago and had planned to break the news after the court meeting; after everything was beginning to get normal. Hopefully with Chas. Lanie had been the only one to know and she also had been the one to help her come up with a plan to tell Rick. But all the planning – telling him over dinner on their six months anniversary – must now be put aside.
All her thoughts and worries, however, came to a sudden end when he backed her up against the doorframe she'd been leaning against. He claimed her lips with his own, her hands coming around his waist, before pulling back and touching his forehead to hers. His fingertips traced the few escaping tears, which ran down her cheeks, leaning forward to kiss what still remained away.
Hi smile was contagious and she buried her face in his neck, while he stroke his hands up and down her arms and back. She inhaled his scent, pressed a kiss to his neck, where it met is shoulder.
"I love you" she whispered before pulling back to let him see her smile.
"I love you, too." He kissed her again. "We're really going to have a baby"
*falling in love with a vampire* *falling in love with a vampire*