Disclaimer: See previous disclaimers.

Allie spit out the toothpaste then put the container back into her large purse, along with her to toothbrush. She took out the water bottle filled of Listerine, took a gulp and swished it around her mouth before spitting it into the sink.

She was still getting used to morning sickness but she was glad that when she did get sick it would still the nausea for a few hours.

She reapplied her lipstick then went to her desk. It was the reference desk.

Allie sat down and went through the book she was reading, waiting for a customer. Sometimes they had twenty or thirty minutes without so much as one person coming to ask for assistance.

After ten minutes, Allie closed the book. She was finished. It was one of the books recommended by the doctor she saw two weeks ago. She had read two others so far. She took some money from her wallet and left with the book. Like the other books, she had certain pages marked. Ones that she knew would be important to refer back on. She went to a coloured, laser copier and had all the pages she marked copied. Then she put the book into the drop box and went back to her desk.

Two of the three books she read were about being pregnant. What to expect, and how her body was going to change. One of those focussed more on the physical limitations she would encounter. It even gave examples of good exercises women could do while pregnant and listed the types of exercises not to do.

The third book was about pre-natal and post-natal care.

After four weeks of working in the library, she had some money to work with. Allie found a small 300sqft apartment that ran at $300 a month. It wasn't great but it was good enough. After that, and after food and the few expenses she had, she approximately had $860 left over from that job alone.

A couple weeks before Allie had also gotten work at a seedy bar working the 8 to midnight shift. On Sundays, since she had that day off from the Library, she'd work at the bar from noon until 8. It was a restaurant during the day. It brought in good tips and since it wasn't the ideal environment, it was paid in cash. It so far brought in about $320 a week.

Her only concern was for the well-being of her baby, and if that meant working long hours for awhile, she didn't care.

There weren't many ways she could get money and next to anything illegal or stripping, this was as good as it got. So far she hadn't sunk to the idea of stripping and she hoped to god she wouldn't have to.

After her shift at the library, she put in her usual shift at the bar then went home and directly went to sleep.

It became a predictable routine over the next month.

Kyle held the floppy eared stuffed white rabbit in his hand. He studied it and wondered what possessed him to get it. Allie was nowhere to be seen and he didn't even know if he was having a boy or girl yet. Rabbit had floppy ears, arms and legs. The inside of his ears, the pads of his feet, and a bow-tie it wore were all white and purple checkers.

He laid down on his cot and hugged the rabbit, staring off into space.

Jarod came into the room a few minutes later. He sighed. "Kyle."

He sat up. "Yeah?"

"What happened?"

Kyle shrugged.

Jarod sat at the end of the bed. "I want to know."

He sighed. "I went into the children's department in Target today…" he showed him the rabbit. "I got this." He sighed again and looked at his brother. "Do you know how expensive everything is? The price of a basinet is minimum $60 and that's on sale…how is she going to pay for everything? And if she has to run…how is she going to do that?"

"She'll find a way to pay for whatever she needs."

Kyle shook his head. "She's just…when it comes to computers, chemistry…acting…she's average. You act like you expect her to do what we do and she can't!" He jumped to his feet angrily. "The Centre's counting on that and for all we know they might actually have her!"

Jarod stood up. "Sydney doesn't think so."

"Sydney! How can you still…Jarod he's lying to you!"

"Kyle I know you're upset but-"

"Upset?! Jarod my wife has no means to provide for herself or our baby! She'll have to take on crap jobs that pay under the table and work long hours in order to save anything. The stress isn't good for her and she might lose…if she…" His voice died down. "What if she loses the baby?" His eyes stung, watching his brother fearfully. "I should be there."

"We'll find her. I promise."

Allie sat on the couch staring at the picture in her hand. Tears fell onto her cheeks. The couch itself was old like the other furniture provided when she got the apartment. It was uncomfortable and no matter her position a spring would always jab into her back. With the aches in her back from the pregnancy it only made it worse.

There were a few shopping bags which sat at her feet but right now they didn't matter.

She held her first picture of her baby. All she wanted to do was talk about her baby. To brag about how beautiful it was. Allie kept getting the urge to tell Kyle. She'd turn around and realize he was gone. Remembering that it was just her and her child.

Her optimism was fading. It was beginning to feel like she'd never see Kyle again. She missed him so much, all the time, and most especially, when she needed to see his face. To see the smile that was just for her.

She even missed his bad habits.

- Flashback -

Allie grabbed the potato chip bags and crumpled them up. "I've heard that geniuses are slobs but I thought you were different."

He smirked. "You're just noticing this?"

She tossed the bags out and noticed something on the table, barely hiding behind a soda can. She pulled out the ash tray and held up the lone cigarette. "What's this?"

"A cigarette."

"Really? I didn't know that." She watched him disapprovingly. "What are you doing with it?"

He frowned, not liking her tone. "Smoking it."

"Since when do you smoke?"

"Since I was 7."

"What?"

He took the cigarette back from her and pocketed it. "I invented the upgrades okay? They had to test 'em on someone."

"Really?" She asked quietly.

"Yes really, now drop it!" He later told her that he hadn't had them past the testing stage until he was in prison but that didn't change her feelings on the subject.

"Don't bark orders at me! I'm your wife not some damn servant!"

"Stop being so suspicious of me!"

"Suspicious? When have I ever-"

"Right now!"

She stomped the floor in frustration. "YOU don't get to be angry. You've been hiding this from me!"

"I knew you wouldn't approve."

"How did you keep this a secret? What else don't I know about you?"

"I would have a smoke once or twice a week. It's no big deal…I'd have it then brush my teeth. Usually before dinner so you couldn't taste anything but the food." He smiled at his own cleverness.

"You have to quit smoking."

"I don't have to do anything." He said defiantly. "And I don't have to listen to you ordering me around. You don't own me so stop acting like it."

"I'm just trying-"

"Yeah well don't. I'm sick of pretending to care about what you think." He snapped.

Allie flinched and her eyes stung. "Fine." She said quietly and hurried to the washroom, feeling like she was going to lose it in any second. She stopped in the doorway and turned around to him. "You want your freedom and to kill yourself with those things…and you don't want to listen to me. Well you can have it because I won't watch someone I love kill themselves…I hope losing me was worth it." She stepped into the washroom and slammed the door.

"What?" Kyle asked in shock. "Allie?" He went up to the door and knocked. "Allie? What did you mean by that?" He tried the door knob but it was locked. Panic began to rise when she didn't respond. "Allie! Quit fooling around!"

"Go away!"

Kyle grabbed one of Allie's barrettes and pulled the metal clip part back and started picking the lock. He felt a momentary bit of triumph when the door opened. It dissipated when the door hit something. He tried to push it open again only to realize that a drawer was pulled out preventing the door from opening further.

"Leave me alone."

"Let me in. We'll talk."

"No."

"I'm sorry. Allie I didn't mean any of that. I just hate being told to do anything…and this is…I know I don't smoke like other people but sometimes it does make me feel good. Please can we just talk about this?"

"No."

"I'll break this door down."

"Go away!"

"Fine, have it your way." Kyle took a step back from the door and kicked it hard. He did so a few times before charging at it. The door broke from the frame and destroyed the drawer in the process.

He straightened himself and went up to Allie. She blinked away the shock then rolled on her side, still laying down in the tub. "I don't want to talk to you." Her voice was strained and he could tell she had been crying.

"Then listen, I didn't mean any of it. I love listening to your voice, to your stories, to you even reading the label of dental hygiene products. I only said that because I knew it would hurt you…I don't why I wanted to do that."

She didn't respond. Kyle grumbled. "Christ just get out of there and talk to me!"

She remained silent.

"You asked for it!" He turned the faucet halfway. Water sprayed through the showerhead, all over Allie.

She shrieked then sat up. "Kyle!"

"Get out of there." He grabbed the towel off the rack, ready to give it to her.

"No." She said stubbornly.

"Get out of there or I'm coming in. I'll do whatever I need to get you to listen to me."

"I don't care."

He scowled and pulled his shoes and socks off.

"You're bluffing." She said, looking up at him, not sure if he was or not. Every inch of her was soaked by now. Her hair loose around her shoulders stuck to her body. Her spaghetti strapped dress was like a second skin.

Kyle stepped into the tub, leaned down, grabbed her wrists and pulled her swiftly to her feet, making her gasp. "I love you and I won't let you get rid of me."

"You…you stepped into a shower for me…with your clothes on?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Now what-"

It wasn't a big deal to him, but to Allie it was like he was saying he didn't care about his possessions or the damn cigarette. To her it was like he was stepping into a shower of bullets, just to speak to her.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He fidgeted at first, not sure how they went from a screaming fit…their worst one, into this. They only had a few fights since they had known each other but he hated arguing with her.

He broke the kiss. "No more cigarettes I promise."

She nodded and asked vulnerably. "We need to tell each other everything…how else will we trust each other? A marriage without trust-"

"Isn't a marriage at all…I know…Sorry...I love you."

"I love you too...and I would never let a stupid arguement break us up." She kissed him again.

Kyle ran his hand over her dress and it stopped on the nipples that were standing on end, through her soaked dress.

She whispered, "Kyle..." She started to unbutton his jeans, watching him hungrily, wanting to forget they fought in the first place. He pressed her against the shower wall and kissed her passionately.

- End of Flashback -

Allie sighed and wiped her eyes then put the sonogram picture down. That day was the day she conceived. There was no doubt in her mind about that. It warmed her heart to know that she and Kyle could make up and forgive each other the way they did; and now, their baby would always be a reminder that no matter what, she and Kyle would be okay. No fight could get in the way of how much they loved each other.

She grabbed one of the shopping bags and took the baby album out. It was untouched inside but she had gotten it half off because there was a tear on the pink cloth on the front and back covers. She took the cover off and opened the book. She filled out the first page.

Baby's name: She left it blank.

Mother's name: Allie Anne Lawson

Father's name: Kyle

She wanted to fill in the whole blank but was never more aware that she, nor Kyle, knew his last name.

She studied the page for a minute, running her fingers over Kyle's name. She flipped the page and in the spot marked 'Baby's first sonogram' Allie slipped the picture into it. She smiled and ran her fingers over the sonogram. It was of her 11 week old unborn baby. Nothing compared to the first moment she saw it on the screen at the doctor's office.