The next morning Brook opened her eyes tiredly and glanced at the clock. She groaned softly realizing that it was already 9:30 in the morning. She chuckled softly to herself. "So much for waking up early." She looked over at the other side of the bed seeing that Nikolas was already up and out of bed for the morning. Brook threw the covers off of herself knowing that if she continued to lay there for any length of time that she would probably fall back to sleep. Brook climbed out of the bed yawning and stretching as she did. She glanced at the bedside table and sighed. This morning would be her moment of truth. She needed to take the test to make sure that she wasn't pregnant but at that moment it made her feel nervous. For once in her life she was actually happy. She was married to a man that loved and respected her. And she wasn't sure what his reaction would be to this unplanned and ill-timed pregnancy. Brook Lynn opened the drawer and pulled out the pregnancy tests.
Nikolas walked into the room carrying Spencer under his arm. Both of them were laughing as they made their way into the room. Spencer was still wearing his Spiderman pajamas but Nikolas was already dressed for the day. Nikolas said "I am glad that you are awake. Spencer was starting to get antsy about his pancakes. Do you feel up to making them?" Nikolas was still a little concerned about how tired she had been the last couple of days. This wasn't the time for his new bride to get sick. In this snowstorm he doubted that even the Cassadine name would be enough to get a physician to travel to their chalet in the woods.
"I am very very hungry." said Spencer laughing. Spencer was a happy kid. For the last couple of hours he had been up playing with his father. In fact the entire vacation had been great for Spencer. With Nikolas not working he had spent more time with his father than he had in a long time. Nikolas and Brook Lynn were focusing all of their attention on him and he was enjoying every minute of it.
Brook hurriedly dropped the pregnancy tests into the drawer and slammed the drawer closed. She turned to face Nikolas and Spencer with a bright smile. She chuckled at them. "You two have amazing timing! I just woke up and I am very hungry too." She smiled. "Come on you two let's go downstairs and you can help me make breakfast." Brook put on her house-shoes.
Nikolas chuckled and asked "What are you hiding in there?" Nikolas playfully reached around her like he was going for the drawer.
Brook gave an almost nervous laugh. "Hey! No peeking in my drawer. Come on we have to feed Spencer's hungry tummy. Right Spencer?"
"Right!" said Spencer excitedly.
Brook smiled and said "Come on." She headed out of the room with both of them.
Nikolas thought that it was strange the way she closed the drawer so quickly but he put it out of his mind for the moment. He said "Come on Spencer time for breakfast." He chuckled and carried his son back downstairs to the kitchen.
Brook washed her hands and started pulling out the ingredients for breakfast. "Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and fresh fruit sounds pretty good doesn't it?" asked Brook picking Spencer up and sitting him on the counter. "And I have my best buddy as my assistant chef." said Brook.
Spencer nodded and said "It sounds very yummy!"
Brook laughed softly and said "Good because we have to feed hungry tummies." She tickled his stomach and put on the bacon before starting to mix the batter for the pancakes. "Do you want to help me mix the batter?" asked Brook looking at Spencer.
Spencer nodded his head excitedly. "Yes!" Spencer took the whisk and started mixing the batter making it fly out of the bowl and onto the counter. Some of the batter splashed onto him and brook. "Look I am cooking."
Nikolas smiled watching the excitement on his son's face. "Wow, you are doing a good job."
"So what have you been doing this morning while I was sleeping in?" asked Brook. "I can't believe I slept so late. I was more tired than I thought I was." Brook attempted to make small talk because the smell of the bacon was starting to make her feel a little nauseous but she kept on her happy face for Spencer. He was having so much fun.
He chuckled and said "I've been awake since about 7:30 because Spencer woke up and came looking for me. I brought him downstairs to play so that we didn't wake you up. You had every right to sleep in you are definitely coming down with something and you were exhausted last night."
"Well, thank you both for letting me sleep in." said Brook with a grin. "So have you checked the weather report today?" asked Brook wondering if the snowfall had slowed down any overnight.
Nikolas nodded. "Looks like we are going to get another 10 inches of snow...maybe more. We are going to be here for a couple of day at least. I am glad that you did all of that shopping last night. We are going to need the supplies that you picked up."
Brook laughed softly and said "What can I say? Call it woman's intuition. Or more likely call it being afraid of going hungry. I am a girl that likes to eat." She chuckled softly. "Speaking of eating I am going to make a really great dinner that the two of you are going to enjoy tonight. It is one of my grandmother's recipes."
"I have learned that along the way. You definitely enjoy your meals. It is a refreshing trait actually. Most women are far too self-conscience to even begin to truly enjoy their meal. They usually end up going home and eating something anyway because they are still hungry." said Nikolas. Nikolas smiled watching the two of them. "Is there anything I can do to help with breakfast?"
Brook nodded. "No, we have everything under control for breakfast. Although you could start the coffee if you want some." Brook and Spencer mixed the pancake batter. Brook let him drop in the chocolate chips and the pecans once the pancakes were on the griddle.
He smiled and said "In that case I am just going to go relax. I can do without coffee this morning." Nikolas chuckled and went upstairs to get his cell phone and laptop. He would need to get started working right after breakfast. Nikolas walked into the bedroom and found his laptop and cell phone. He stopped for a moment glancing at the night stand that Brook had gone out of her way to close as soon as he walked into the room. He was curious more than being suspicious. Nikolas walked over to the nightstand and opened the drawer and the first thing he saw were two home pregnancy tests staring up at him. He had a seat on the bed staring at the two tests. It occurred to him that he had not spoken to Brook about birth control. And although he used a condom sometimes, there had been a few instances when he had not. He placed the boxes back into the drawer and closed it. Nikolas grabbed his cell phone, laptop, and briefcase. He didn't know how he was going to concentrate on anything after this particular revelation. He walked back downstairs and set everything in the office. He closed the door and went back to the kitchen.
Brook looked up with a smile. "It took you long enough to come back. Breakfast is ready." Brook nodded her head to Spencer sitting at the breakfast bar devouring his pancakes. Brook set a plate with pancakes and bacon in the place next to Spencer for Nikolas.
Nikolas chuckled watching his son's enthusiasm. He had a seat next to him. "I am glad I came back when I did or I might have missed the pancakes altogether."
Brook smiled. "I hope you two enjoy breakfast."
"Aren't you going to eat with us?" asked Nikolas seeing that she was starting to clean up the kitchen. Nikolas took a couple of bites. "These are really good pancakes."
Spencer smiled and said "I helped flip them and everything."
Brook smiled and said "Spencer was really great at helping me with breakfast. We might have a future Chef on our hands. I am not feeling well. I don't think that eating would be the best idea." Brook went back to cleaning the kitchen.
Nikolas looked at her and realized that she did look fairly sick. Nikolas started to count her symptoms in his head and realized that they all pointed to her being pregnant. He said "I can handle the dishes. Why don't you go upstairs and lay down?"
"Are you sure...I mean...you aren't exactly the domestic type..." said Brook laughing softly.
"I am perfectly capable of loading a dishwasher. You underestimate me madam. Besides, I will have Spencer here to help me out. We will be fine. Go lie down and get some rest. I don't want you getting any sicker." said Nikolas.
Brook offered a small smile. "Thanks Nikolas." Brook said "Enjoy breakfast you two." Brook grabbed a bottle of water and walked upstairs to their bedroom. Brook closed the door behind her and went over to the bed having a seat. She rested her hand on her stomach feeling incredibly sick at the moment. She decided to lay down for a bit until the nausea subsided.
An hour later Nikolas walked into the room to check on Brook Lynn. "Brook?" asked Nikolas as he walked into the room. She wasn't in the bed but he could hear her retching from behind the bathroom door. Nikolas sat down on her side of the bed and decided to wait for her to come out.
Brook stayed in the bathroom for another 15 minutes before emerging still looking rather sick. She stopped seeing Nikolas. "Where is Spencer?" asked Brook clearing her throat.
"He is in his room playing...how are you feeling?" asked Nikolas concerned for his new wife.
"I feel horrible..." said Brook figuring that there was no sense in lying to him about that. She walked over to the bed and stood in front of him nervously. She looked into his eyes and saw the concern they held for her. "Nikolas...there is something that I need to tell you..." Brook looked at him nervously. She didn't know how he would take the news.
"Brook, are you pregnant?" asked Nikolas looking at her intently. "I found the tests in your drawer this morning. I am sorry for snooping but...I guess I got a little curious this morning when you were acting nervous. I've had more than enough secrets in my life time..."
Brook nodded slightly. "I took both tests and they were both positive. But I won't know for sure until I see a doctor...those tests could be wrong." She saw the look on Nikolas' face and felt sick to her stomach all over again. "Nikolas...say something please...anything..." said Brook. "Before you...I wasn't in a relationship so I didn't really see the need to be on birth control. And everything has been happening so quickly that I hadn't thought to get on anything either."
Nikolas could see how afraid she was right now. Nikolas pulled Brook into his lap. "I am not angry with you Brook Lynn. You didn't do anything wrong. I didn't ask you about birth control. I am just as responsible as you are for this. How do you feel about being pregnant?"
Brook relaxed realizing that he wasn't mad. "I don't know how I feel. I hadn't planned on getting pregnant at this time in my life. And we just got married...we are getting used to being married to one another. I am trying to establish a relationship with Spencer. Aiden is still so very young...this not an ideal time to bring a baby into our relationship. But if I am pregnant I...I think I want the baby. I don't think that I could destroy a life and just be okay with it...I don't think that I could do that." Brook Lynn twisted the engagement ring on her finger. "So what do we do now?" asked Brook looking into his eyes.
"Well, what you said initially is right...until we get confirmation from a doctor we don't know that you are actually pregnant. There are false positives all of the time. But if you are pregnant...maybe that is a good thing. With Spencer and Aiden...there was so much drama surrounding their births...and I didn't really get to enjoy it. Jax kept Spencer from me...I didn't even know he was my son...I missed out on the first months of his life...you already know the story about Aiden. And that doesn't mean that I don't adore both of my sons because you know I do. I love them both with all of my heart...I'd die for them." said Nikolas.
Brook searched his eyes and asked "So you would be okay with us keeping the baby...if I am pregnant?" She just wanted to be sure that she understood what he was saying.
He smiled at her. "Yes, I want our baby. None of this has happened the way it normally would or should. But I don't think that makes it any less amazing. We are doing this all out of order but I am happy with you Brook. I am happier than I have been in a long time."
Brook hugged Nikolas tightly and then kissed him intensely.
Afterward Nikolas chuckled softly. "What was that for?" asked Nikolas.
"For being you...for being a prince among men..." said Brook.