This is a very hard chapter to stomach, so we're warning you ahead of time! It's very important that you read and review to this chapter. We want to know what you're thinking and what you're feeling. We don't want to have to discontinue right in this very angsty place!
Happy reading and have a wonderful weekend!
Marina & James
With a yawn, Peter Wisdom stepped out of the shower. He was behind schedule, he knew. Today they were finally going to see Dr. Bader about the gender of the twins. Now if only the weather would keep nice, and not turn to those blasted April showers, then it was shaping up to be a promising morning. Wrapping a towel around his waist, Peter left the bathroom to get dressed.
As usual, he found his clothes for the day already laid out for him. It had surprised him after the wedding to find this new development. He had yet to figure out if Lily had started doing it because of the raise they gave her, or if Kitty had asked her to. Either way, it had happened… and he didn't understand it. He had a total of three different styles of shirt pants, etc., and lots of each style. It wasn't like it was terribly hard to dress himself. With a shrug he set about getting ready for the day before Romany and Kitty came in to chew him out for oversleeping...again.
At seven months pregnant, Kitty was really beginning to feel ornery. The weather was warming up; being spring, it rained just about every day and she was in pain. Not to mention that every little thing seemed to irk her. Even eating...and pregnant with twins, she loved doing that. Peter refused to let her perform the simplest tasks whether it was take a walk with Romany and Duchess or get into bed. Okay, so she needed some help with the latter but she did NOT need a babysitter. And now he had the gall to be late! "Peter Winston Wisdom, you better not do this when I'm in labor or you may find two babies christening our sheets! HURRY UP!" She near screeched.
He didn't even flinch when her angry voice came through the door. It wasn't the first time that she'd yelled at him for something recently, and Dr. Bader had assured him it was natural for any pregnant woman, especially one carrying twins. As her voice hit a near screech at the end, he realized that it had a striking resemblance to some of the owls that inhabited the wooded area around the manor. Shrugging on his jacket, he stepped out of the bedroom with damp hair and smiled at his wife. "Good morning, dear." Deciding to disarm her anger like always, he leaned in and gave her a kiss. She could never stay angry with him after a good snogging.
Despite her annoyance, she found herself leaning into him as he kissed her. It had been very difficult lately to be close to him...because she always had the large expanse of her abdomen holding him at arm's length. Dr. Bader already told her she had gained a lot with this pregnancy and would have to work extra hard to get the weight off after the twins came, although breastfeeding and the delivery would be help matters along. Still, Kitty felt enormous. "Don't 'good morning' me, Peter Wisdom. Come on! My appointment is in less than an hour and you promised me we'd go to that place that has the muffins I like. One of your babies seems to be craving corn muffins and the other one wants pickle relish."
Peter frowned. For once she had been able to stay irked at him after a kiss. Damn, maybe he was losing his touch. This required more investigation, "Of course, dear. I'm ready to go as soon as you are." He wrapped his arms around her as much as he could and gave her another kiss to see if he really was loosing his touch. After breaking off, he held her hand and started down to where the car was waiting.
Scoffing, she pulled back from his second kiss, "Stop buttering me up or I'm going to have my way with you before we leave! And then try and kiss me and make it better when your babies are hungry." Standing up off the bed, she pressed her hands to her back, breathing heavily as she grabbed onto the doorway, "My back is a bloody nightmare. I can barely stand it." That explained it. Kitty was having trouble sleeping, she always was worrying about the babies, she was extremely uncomfortable and all Peter seemed to be able to do was try and kiss her better. Slowly she descended the stairs, "Next time, you're carrying the baby."
Peter chuckled. "I've tried carrying you so that it won't hurt your back so much. But you always hit me for it and call me a bloody fool." Shrugging he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Still not sleeping well, eh? Tell you what, when we get back from Dr. Bader's you lay down, and I'll give you a back rub, yeah?" She loved massages because they eased her sore muscles. He used them as a last line of defense to keep her happy and satisfied.
"You are a bloody fool!" She fired back, finally making it down to the bottom of the stairs after Peter, even though she had a head start. "I'm fat and miserable and you've got it easy," She whined, pouting as she leaned against him gently, "Yes, I've been sleeping terribly. I have to pee every ten minutes, I have bad dreams, or I get hungry...it's not helping me rest. Not to mention I'm huge and uncomfortable." Looking over, she found it hard to keep frowning at him, "A back rub sounds nice, but I can't roll over onto my front, it'll have to be more of a side rub."
Peter gave her another gentle kiss and smiled. "I realize that. Don't worry; I can give you a back rub from the side just as easily. You just worry about keeping you and the babies in tip top shape, and I'll worry about those sore muscles of yours, yeah?" Finally getting to the car, Peter opened her door for her and helped her to sit down in it. He then made his way around to the driver's side and started up the car, "Alright. One corn muffin with pickle relish for the pregnant lady and then we go see Dr. Bader."
Nodding, she let Peter help her into the car, making a slight huffing noise as she finally made it. It was even harder to get the seatbelt on though and it took several tries before she got it across her lap. Silent and tight lipped, she didn't move a muscle until Peter came back to the car with her muffin and pickle relish. Eating with gusto, the corn muffin was crumbled into the jar of relish before she dug in. "That is delicious," She said, patting her belly gently as Peter pulled into the parking lot, "Thank you Peter."
Peter grinned and shook his head…pregnant women and their cravings. "It's no problem, love. I aim to please." With a wink he parked in front of Dr. Bader's office and got out to help Kitty out of the car. After a few grunts she was finally out. Peter held the door to the office for her, and then helped her to a seat in the waiting area. "I'll check in for us, love. You rest." As soon as she was situated comfortably, Peter went to check in at the nurse's desk. He returned a couple minutes later and sat down beside her. "She said the doctor would be with us shortly."
It seemed like the longest trip in history, it was a flight of stairs to Dr. Bader's wing and then a long hallway down to the reception room. Kitty was out of breath when she sat down, the ache in her back even more pronounced than before. She nodded as Peter checked them in, "Thanks, love." Picking up a magazine on pregnancy, Kitty became immersed in an article on nylons that supported healthy circulation during pregnancy. Before long Dr. Bader's assistant came out and ushered them into an examination room, "It won't be long now"
Peter helped Kitty to her feet once more and helped her to follow after the assistant. When they got to the room Kitty was weighed and measured by the assistant to make sure she was keeping on track before they were left alone to wait for Bader. Peter stood beside where Kitty was seated on the examination bed and idly rubbed at her back muscles. "Look on the bright side. Once the twins are out your leg muscles will be like steel. I bet you'd be able to give Piotr a run for his money on a leg press." Chuckling a little at his joke, he sent out a silent prayer to whatever god was listening that she didn't take it the wrong way like she tended to these days.
Slapping him playfully, she changed into the pink gown they provided for her. "Just what I want, another thing I can hold over that man's head. I didn't tell you this but he called me last week and was talking about sending some gifts for the baby. It was sweet, really." Running her fingers through her hair, she sighed and rested on the table. "I'm sad Romany couldn't be here...to think, a year ago she would be in a hospital, now she has PLANS. I can't believe it."
Peter perked up at that. He'd been told by Romany that she had something to do today so she couldn't come with them, but he hadn't been told what. And now Kitty was talking about Romany having plans? Why hadn't he been told about any of this? Sure she was as cured as she'd ever be, but Romany was still his sister whom he'd been caring for months earlier. Why was he left out of the loop? "What plans does she have? Why do you know...and not me?"
Kitty folded her arms, "If she didn't tell you, she doesn't want you to know." Romany had confided in Kitty yesterday during their usual girl talk/nap that she was going to practice driving (Kitty and Peter had been teaching her) to pick up Mindy and Sara for a ladies day out. "Maybe she'll tell you later."
Peter quirked an eyebrow; he didn't like not having the information. It was a habit from his days as a spy and assassin. He always knew everything about any situation he was going into. It was just how he worked. And now he constantly found himself not having the information because Kitty and/or Romany would keep things from him. Call him paranoid, but Peter didn't like secrets. "Does she at least have Duchess with her?" Ever since Duchess had stopped being a small puppy she had taken to being a sort of protector for Romany. Anyone who didn't meet with her approval was quickly chased away from his sister.
"I doubt it. Duchess wouldn't really be an appropriate companion on this little excursion." Kitty looked smug at the look on his face. It wasn't that she was trying to hurt him, Romany had expressly asked Kitty to keep it a secret so Peter didn't have a full blown panic attack thinking about her taking his lovely Mercedes and going to lunch with Sara and Mindy. Before he had a chance to press her further though, Dr. Bader walked in, her blonde hair swept back in a smooth ponytail.
"Good morning Kitty, Peter, sorry to keep you waiting," Putting Kitty's chart on the counter, she took a seat to look it over for a moment before she smiled, "You had a good weight gain this week, you're still a little over what we had put you at for total gain but I think you're leveling out now that the weather is warm enough to get some exercise." Grabbing her pen, she made a quick marking on the page, "Have you been having any cramps or contractions? Anything out of the ordinary?"
Peter stared at Kitty as if trying to develop psychic powers and gain the information that way. When it failed he sighed and shook his head. "She better not get hurt or she'll be in a world of trouble." He gave Kitty a withering glare. "And you will be too for keeping it from me." There were certain things that you just didn't do to Peter Wisdom. One of those was mess with his sister. As much trouble as Kitty and Romany would be in for keeping things from him if she got hurt, the other person involved would need to learn another language. Running to another country would be the only way they saved themselves from his wrath—and not even that guaranteed total safety.
"Good idea, Peter, beat your pregnant wife..." She teased, winking over at the doctor who looked up from her chart, alarmed for a moment. "She'll be fine, I trust her...it's time you start trusting her too." Sitting back, she watched as Dr. Bader began to set up the ultrasound machine. First, Kitty would have to go through a pelvic exam to make sure that her back pain wasn't preterm labor or anything of the sort, but after that they were scheduled to find out the sex of the babies.
With care, Dr. Bader hooked up the machine to the monitor and smiled, "Lay back and relax, Kitty. This will only take a moment." Placing the young woman's feet in the stirrups, Dr. Bader immediately began her exam. After a moment, she frowned, "Kitty, I'm detecting some weakening in your cervix. Usually that softening occurs later in gestation but I think because of the twins' size, they may be causing a lot of pressure there. You're only seven months...so I'm a little worried about that. For the next couple of weeks be very careful and be conscious of any changes in your body or unusual discharges. Because you're carrying twins, it puts you at a higher risk of preterm labor..." Looking over at Peter, she gave him a sad smile, "You'll also have to abstain from sexual activity until after the birth. Otherwise we may have twins born two months early and I want you to carry as long as you can."
That was the wrong thing to say to Peter…even in a joking manner, beating his pregnant wife? Did she think he was Piotr Rasputin? Had he not been overly careful in everything he did with her? Peter was about to comment but Dr. Bader cut in with her worries. This served to drive Peter's self concerns out the window. No sex? "Alright Doc, you drive a hard bargain...but no sex until after the pregnancy. I'll control myself." His thoughts returned to what she had said, and the look on his face showed it. Now he was comparing all his actions to those of Rasputin, trying to see what made her think he'd hit her.
Peter looked devastated and Kitty felt awful...but what was she supposed to do? Just accept the fact that her allowing Romany some freedom pissed him off? No, that wasn't going to fly...especially not when she was this pregnant and this miserable. Very few things gave her pleasure and Romany exerting some freedom was one of them. "I'll try not to entice him, shouldn't be too hard since I can't even get up out of bed by myself."
Dr. Bader chuckled, "It won't be too much longer. Even with being careful, I'm expecting you to deliver some time at the end of May. You're strong and healthy but there my experience with twins and the cramps you had early on in pregnancy tell me we may end up delivering early." Lifting Kitty's gown to reveal her swollen womb, she carefully spread the jelly over the lower portion. Immediately the quick heartbeat of the babies burst into life. "They're looking great, Kitty. Both are very healthy, you can see that twin one is sucking a thumb."
Peter frowned at Kitty when she talked about not enticing him. She just didn't get that being in a room with him was enough to get him ready to go. He shook the words from his head as the doctor set up the ultrasound. Stepping beside Kitty to see better, Peter grinned at the sight. "Hello babies." Smiling at Kitty Peter asked the next question, the one he'd been dying to know the answer to. "So, what sex are we talking about here?"
Taking a seat again, Dr. Bader moved the wand slowly over until she smiled, "Well, twin number one is most certainly a boy. See he's sucking his thumb?" Pointing, she used her finger to point out the twin and then pointed to what could only be a penis. The second twin was a little trickier, "As far as I can tell, the second baby is a girl, although it's harder to see a girl, because babies can be surprisingly modest. For now, I'd give you a ninety percent chance that you have a boy and a girl."
Peter watched everything the doctor was pointing out. He watched in amazement as his baby boy sucked on his thumb. It was hard to believe, but there was the proof. And when he saw the second baby, and they were told it could be a girl, Peter was ecstatic. "Romany will be very happy. She's going to get the niece and nephew she wanted." He turned to Kitty and wrapped her in a hug. "I love you." With a huge grin, Peter captured Kitty's lips for a searing kiss. She was giving him a boy and a girl. What could be better?
Kitty laughed, wiping tears from her cheeks as Dr. Bader printed out a new picture, depicting each twin and their sex. Holding Peter tightly, she kissed his lips, feeling heat rush into her cheeks as he did. She loved him so very much, and she loved these children inside of her. And she loved Romany too...as a matter of fact, it seemed that her cell phone was ringing and Romany's new phone number was popping up. She bit her lip, "Sorry Dr. Bader, I know the rules...no cell phones. I'll call her back."
"We're finished Kitty, you're all set. We'll see you two weeks; you can call my receptionist for an appointment if you have to go. Have a nice weekend." With that, she collected her things and hurried out the door, another patient waiting for her appointment.
Peter couldn't stop smiling. When Kitty's phone rang he looked at it, wondering what Romany needed that was so important she'd risk calling in the middle of Kitty's appointment. She knew that was a big no-no, so something must have happened. He could feel the worry settling over him. As soon as Dr. Bader left, Peter turned to Kitty, "Call Romany back." He could feel it, something had to be wrong. Of course, maybe Romany figured that they'd have left already and wanted to know the results. Yeah, maybe he was just worrying too much.
Frowning, she looked at him, "I am." It rang several times before Romany's small voice answered, "Kitty?" She asked quietly. "Is Peter with you?" Kitty looked over at Peter before she took a few steps away, "Romany, what's going on? Is everything going alright? I had my appointment with Dr. Bader this morning...when you get back home I'll tell you all about it." But there was something wrong, she could hear it.
Romany looked around her worried. She didn't like being here and Sara and Mindy were scared as well. It was a bad situation. "Umm, Kitty...it can't wait. You see, I was driving with Sara and Mindy just like we talked about. I was doing really well too. Then this cop pulls me over. I guess one of the tail lights was out on the Mercedes...and well, he asked to see my driver's license." She was really quiet for a long moment. When she finally spoke again, her voice was tight with tears. "I don't have one, so he arrested me and Sara and Mindy. They're really scared and so am I," It all came out in a rush, she was talking so fast. "We need someone to come get us out...and...I'm sorry."
Shit. No, this wasn't a crap or a dang moment...this was a full blown shit, a goddamn pile of shit. Kitty took several steadying breaths before she closed her eyes, "Romany, just stay calm. Peter and I are coming to get you girls...I know, you didn't want to him to know but I am too big to drive. I'm sorry, Rom, this is my fault." Scrubbing a hand over her face as she sighed, "Don't say anything to anybody until I get there and whatever you do, don't look anyone in the eye." After receiving an affirmation from the girl, Kitty hung up, her face flaming and tears in her eyes. "P-Peter...can you take me to the police station please."
Peter had been listening in on Kitty's half of the conversation. To say the least...it worried him; especially when she asked to be taken to the police station. The smile he'd been sporting moments earlier left his face like someone had come and stolen it away. His eyes narrowed as his voice came out in a monotone. "Why do you need to go to the police station?" Someone had hurt Romany, he knew it. He had known it the minute that Kitty had said Romany had plans; something like this was going to happen. "Did someone hurt Romany?
Tears ran down Kitty's face, "N-no, she's fine...just...hurry." He hated her; she could see it in his face. The anger and the pain and the fear all commingled until she felt like the worst person ever to live. He didn't even help her get into the car as he dashed for the driver's seat. She was still fiddling with her seatbelt as he put the pedal to the metal. Sniffling loudly in her seat, she didn't even dare speak...he would probably never forgive her for this. If this was how she 'helped' Romany, how could she ever be a good mother? The answer was simple...she couldn't.
Peter was said to have a one track mind in times of crisis. That saying was true now as he all but forgot about Kitty in his haste to get to Romany. But, it wasn't entirely his fault. His whole life had revolved around his older sister so she tended to be the first priority. Kitty came in a very close second at times like this, mainly because she was the new girl in his life, and he had to remember that she needed help too, that he couldn't just rely on habit. As they pulled into the police station, Peter looked at Kitty. "Do you want to wait in the car? Or come in?" If she stayed, he'd leave the car on for her, if not, this might take longer. All he knew was someone was going to be in trouble and it wasn't him this time. Hell she hadn't even told him what happened yet.
Kitty was feeling raw and hurt as he glanced over at her as if she had been the one to arrest Romany. Swiping the tears from her eyes, she snapped at him, "She called me Peter, why don't YOU wait in the car!" Did he think she didn't care? Did he think this was all some kind of act to hurt him? Throwing the car door open it took several tries but gripping onto the door she managed to get out and hightail it up the steps. The precinct door was heavy but one of the officers saw her coming and quickly opened it...apparently someone around here understood what it was like to be this pregnant and in tears. "I'm here for Romany Wisdom; you will let her out immediately! And the girls she's with, Sara Sullivan and Mindy Hopper."
The Officer behind the desk looked up at the pregnant crying woman and sighed. Why did he get the nut jobs on his shift? "Take a seat ma'am. I'll be right with you." He ducked under his desk to get the file on the Wisdom girl and her friends. Coming back up, he looked at the woman once more. Pregnant hormones, his wife had been that way too. This one looked ready to pop. But she would learn now that she didn't order the police around. Looking in the file, the Officer frowned. "Are you Peter Wisdom?" He asked in a skeptical voice. "The file says she's a ward of St. Michael's, as well as her friends, and that she was released into the care of her brother Peter. St. Michael's has asked that we release the other two with Romany to Mr. Wisdom to return to their facility. So unless you're carrying Mr. Wisdom in that stomach of yours, you better get him on the phone."
Peter had glared at the door when Kitty got out. The nerve of her! It took him a minute to calm down before he got out. She might have been called by Romany, but HE was her BROTHER! Getting out he slammed the car door and made his way inside...just in time to hear the desk officer get snarky with his wife. "Kitty, take a seat, I'll deal with this." Glaring dangerously at Officer...Thomas by the nameplate, Peter approached the desk. "I'm Peter, now—before you make the mistake of talking to me wife like tha' again—why don't you tell me why you've arrested me sister an' her friends?"
Why that bastard! "As a matter of fact, my name is on that document too. I am Romany's power of attorney if anything happens to Peter...and I am his wife I have every right—" And since she really was two seconds away from snapping and killing someone...that seemed like a good possibility. But Peter came in to 'save the day' and defend her honor (even though it irked her that he did) before she even had a chance to finish. Kitty wasn't going to sit down and she wasn't going to shut up either, "And Mindy and Sara both are able to sign themselves in and out of the facility at will, doesn't your file tell you that?"
Officer Thomas listened to Kitty and smiled. Of course the file said that. "Yes ma'am, but procedure says we have to call the institute. It's on their orders that she and her friends be released into the custody of Mr. Wisdom until he can return them to St. Michael's. If they do that, the file means bullocks." As he was about to order her to sit again when Mr. Wisdom showed up and, by the look in his eyes, Officer Thomas had made a grave mistake in talking to Mrs. Wisdom that way. "I'm sorry sir. It was not my intention. I didn't know she was your wife." The file also had extensive background on Mr. Wisdom. And one thing in there said he was a trained killer and because of recent transgressions by the government against him, he pretty much had a get out of jail free card. He could kill someone, even a cop, and not be touched for it. Swallowing a lump, he continued, "The arresting officer pulled over your sister in a Mercedes that was registered to you. One of her tail lights was out, and it was a routine warning to get it fixed. But your sister's behavior and that of her friends worried the officer. He asked to see your sister's driver's license and she didn't have one. So we arrested her for operating a motor vehicle without a license. Her friends put up a fuss about being left alone without Ms. Wisdom, so they were brought in to keep them together and calm."
Peter's eyes narrowed even more as Officer Thomas explained everything. So Kitty had let Romany drive before she passed her test and then kept it from him. Then to top it off, she had refused to tell him why he brought her to the police station to pick up Romany. He turned slowly, giving Kitty a 'we'll talk about this later', look. Turning back to Officer Thomas, Peter leaned across the desk. "I'd like to see my sister and her friends now. And if even one hair on any of their heads is out of place because of you or the rest of the bacon brigade, I'll make you understand why that file in your hands says I'm a dangerous man."
"You're not going without me," Kitty said, still aching with sadness. It was no secret she was crying, her eyes were red and puffy, her nose was running and one kindly officer even offered her his hanky so she didn't make a mess of herself. She was hugely pregnant, in tremendous pain and to top it all off, stressed out. None of this was healthy for her. "I don't care what anyone says, this is my fault and you can throw my pregnant ass in jail until I'm old and grey but you cannot keep her locked up like this."
Peter ignored Kitty. He was angry with her, no use hiding it. Officer Thomas however decided to give her a little hand. "Ma'am she won't be kept in jail for this. She's a mental patient; it just comes down to a warning not to let it happen again and a stiff fine." He shot a worried glance at Peter, "She only needs to stay here until Mr. Wisdom signs the release forms." He led the pair down the hall to the holding cells. When they got to where Romany and the girls were, Officer Thomas had to tell a few of the male inmates to shut up with their cat calls and harassment of the three girls. Lucky for the Police they'd put the girls in a cell separate from the others, so they could only be seen and talked to, but not physically touched.
When Peter saw the men scaring his sister and her friends by cat calling them, he saw red. His mind flashed back to the day Romany had been raped, and he could see all her hard work to move past it go down the drain. He turned to the nearest prisoner, "You shut your filthy mouth or I'll cut your tongue out and shove it so far up your arse it'll look like it started growing back in." The glow around his hands from the heat energy was enough to keep any retorts down. When Officer Thomas opened the cell, Peter stepped inside and glared at the three girls. "You can close the door and lock us in for a few minutes Officer Thomas; I'd like to have a word with me sister and me wife before I release anyone."
It was almost physically painful knowing that Kitty could phase right through these walls and touch Romany, hold her...but the Professor had told her not to chance it, she could damage herself and the babies. When she moved behind Peter and heard what was going on she lost her temper. Peter threatened one of them; well Kitty wasn't playing that game. Using her lightning quick reflexes she gripped the arm of one of the prisoners who was reaching out and calling for the ladies. She wrenched his arm until she heard something snap and a piercing scream. "Don't screw around with my family! You do and you DIE. And Peter isn't the one you'll have to answer to when I'm standing here...I need to channel some of these damn pregnancy hormones!" Tossing her hair, she followed after Peter into the cell...a cell very much like the one she had met Peter in. "Oh Romany...I'm so sorry, love."
Peter held out an arm between Kitty and Romany to stop the two from hugging. He walked over to the cell's supplied bench and sat down casually. He took a few moments before he finally spoke. "So, I have a question for both of you." He looked between Kitty and Romany. "What made you think it was okay to take me car without me permission? Not to mention, what made you think you could drive it without a license?" He looked between them, obviously expecting someone to talk.
"Romany wanted to have a girls day and we all know I'm far too pregnant to drive," The truth spilled out of her, following the tears, "And we've been practicing so much, she was just driving down the street to St. Michael's and the cafe right around the corner. I thought it would be okay, give her some independence. I used to drive without my license in the states sometimes, it helped me learn and I never got caught. I just...I wanted her to have the freedom that I did." Burying her face in her hands, she let out a sob. "And now I've gone and ruined everything."
Peter looked over at Romany, who looked down at the floor and nodded her agreement to Kitty's story. "I'm all for you driving, Romany. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have taken you out to teach you. But there are rules and laws to follow. And we have them for a reason. Most accidents occur within a few miles of the home. What would have happened if you'd have gotten into an accident and been hurt? Or Sara or Mindy were hurt? You'd never forgive yourself." He looked down at his hands for a moment before back up at them. "What if, god forbid, you'd have been fine...but hurt another driver or passenger of another vehicle? Right now, we're getting a warning about you driving without a license, and I have to pay a fine for it, not to mention getting me car out of impound. Then I'll have to have Lily come down again with me to drive one of the cars back home. That's a lot of money on gas, fines, and fees. That's the least of my worries. If someone had been hurt...or worse, killed, there would be no fines to pay. You'd be looking at driving without a license and vehicular manslaughter."
Romany was inspecting her fingernails, looking ashamed. Kitty was desolate...he must hate her. When he finished, Kitty looked up defiantly, "I'll pay for the damages, not you. This is my mess to clean up and I'm going to do it right." Sara seemed to be holding up the best but Mindy was shaking. Kitty put an arm around her and gently stroked her matted dark hair, "Let's get you girls home...I'll wait with you while Peter signs the papers." Taking a seat on the cot, she pressed a hand to her belly where her children were kicking up a storm, upset by all the commotion. Breathing deeply, she looked over at Romany again, "I'll understand if you don't want to see me anymore, Rom."
Peter shook his head. "No, I'm paying. My sister, my responsibility," He stood up then and walked out the door of the cell. Before exiting, once Officer Thomas opened it, Peter looked back at Romany. "You've broken my trust, Romy. I'm disappointed, I really am." This was going to be the worst part. But she had to learn that there were consequences to her actions. "Until I believe I can trust you again...you won't get to take your test. No license...no driving. Until you can prove to me that you deserve the privilege." Closing his eyes, Peter left the cell to take care of the papers and the fines.
Romany started to cry at that. She had worked so hard to get this far, and she'd blown it in fell swoop. Worst of all though, she'd let Peter down. He meant the world to her, and she'd disappointed him. She reached out and hugged Kitty, crying into her shoulder. "Don't be silly. I'd never want to not see you again. You're my sister now, my family." Wiping her eyes, she tried to change the subject. "So...what did the Doctor say? Boys? Girls? Both?"
Gripping Romany tightly, Kitty's tears burned down her cheeks. "A boy and a girl, Dr. Bader said." Her breath hitched as tried not to sob loudly, the last thing the girls needed was to see her lose it. Dabbing at her face again, she held Romany tightly, "I'm so sorry...and I'll do everything in my power to make this right." And Kitty knew what she had to do. She'd really blown it this time...this wasn't just accidentally stepping on Peter's toe or making him get her food at two in the morning. This was serious...maybe more serious than they could handle. Everything in Peter and Kitty's relationship had been rushed, meeting each other, falling in love, getting pregnant and married...it was just like every other relationship that had been rushed, slowly dissolving before her eyes. "Let's go home," She sniffled as the officer came to open the door, "And we'll all take a nap..."
Peter was waiting for them in the lobby. After getting all the girls out to the car, and helping Kitty in this time, he drove straight to St. Michaels. After a ten minute interlude to be yelled at and lectured by Nurse Terry and the Chief of Staff, Peter returned to the car to take Romany and Kitty home. "You two go inside, I'll be back in a bit." He ran inside to get Lily and together the two went to get the Mercedes out of the impound lot. Once back at the house, Peter went up stairs and lay down. He had a lot to think about, like how he was going to make Kitty understand that she couldn't keep stuff like this from him. They were married now, that meant sharing. There weren't supposed to be secrets between husband and wife. At least, not in Peter's opinion.
It was settled, Kitty had to leave...she just had to. Peter hated her; Romany was in her room crying her heart out. She'd broken the family she so loved into so many pieces that she couldn't even begin to put it back together again. At least, that's how it felt to her. Hormones flaring and her life crashing around her, she threw everything she could fit into a duffel bag and ordered one of the maids to call a cab. At first the woman thought she was joking...but Kitty wasn't joking at all. She had to leave now before he came back or he'd never forgive her. He had to put his relationship with Romany back at rights before he could start the divorce proceedings...and why would he want to stay married to her after this? She was huge, she was hormonal, and she hurt him...there was no reason he would stay. And so, she'd save him the trouble...Kitty was in a cab, headed for a hotel before he even got back.
As Peter lay there, he thought he heard a knock at the door. Frowning, thinking it was Kitty coming to start something up, Peter opened the door. He was greeted by a stern faced Lily who had a crying maid with her. At a nudge from Lily, the girl spilled everything about Kitty leaving and her part in it. She'd left while he was out and she wasn't sure where. The color drained from his face. His wife...his pregnant wife had just left him. He opened his mouth to say something, but his knees buckled under the shock of it, and he fell back against the bed stunned. "T-thank you Lily..." He felt like he was going to throw up. "I uh...I need a moment alone please." He couldn't think, his heart was pounding in his chest, his hands were clammy. She had left him. She had called a cab...and left him. She was pregnant and alone in a country she knew nothing about. He had to do something, but he couldn't think of what. He was too overloaded from everything that had happened today. He needed to clear his head, and then he'd start to look for her.
Who was she kidding? Kitty didn't know anything about England! And in her current state, she couldn't travel back to the United States…not until after the twins were born. Oh god, the twins...rubbing her belly absently, she cried silently as she directed the cabbie to the only other place she knew: that very hotel where these children were conceived. Using her maiden name to check into a single, she found herself in the middle of a room that was so silent it made her heart ache. Lying out against the bed, she pressed her hands to her face as she sobbed. Peter was probably celebrating right about now, he finally had time to himself, time with Romany without her...and here she was in a dismal hotel room dying inside. Life was cruel...