A/N:
Another chapter for you guys! Enjoy!
Jack hurried toward the spot where he and Katherine usually met at the end of the day, cursing his boss under his breath for keeping him back late to talk about his latest cartoons. When he reached the spot he looked around for Katherine, expecting her to be impatiently waiting for him and to scold him for being late the moment she saw him. What he didn't expect, however, was to see no sign of Katherine anywhere, despite the fact that she was almost never late and if she was she always sent word to him not to wait for her. Frowning, Jack sat down on a nearby bench to wait, trying not to worry too much about Katherine's wearabouts. He was sure she'd show up soon.
Katherine did show up eventually, about half an hour after Jack sat down to wait for her. When he saw her walking down the street towards him Jack shot up out of his seat and practically ran towards her, extremely relieved to see her safe and sound. "Kath, thank God you'se safe! Don't do that again, you scared me!" Jack cried, and Katherine hugged him reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Jack, I didn't mean to scare you. My boss just wanted to talk to me about something," she explained as Jack took her arm and they began to walk in the direction of their apartment. "Oh, yeah? What about?" Jack asked, looking at Katherine curiously and noticing for the first time that she looked a little like she had been crying. Katherine shook her head, a stricken look passing over her features for a moment before vanishing. "Not here. I'll tell you when we get home."
When Jack and Katherine arrived home Katherine hurried into the kitchen almost immediately, making an excuse about needing to make dinner. Jack sighed, settling himself on the couch in the parlor with his sketchbook, knowing better than to hover over Katherine when she was like this. She'd tell him what was bothering her in her own good time.
After a simple dinner of meat and potatoes Jack cleared the dishes away, leaving Katherine sitting at the table, staring unblinkingly at the wall. When he returned a few minutes later she was still in exactly the same position, and Jack had to wave his hand in front of her face to get her attention. "Hey, Kath? You okay?" he asked, and Katherine snapped out of her daze. "Perfectly, Jack. I was just thinking," she reassured him, smiling a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes. Jack raised his eyebrows, that look alone telling her that he didn't believe her. Katherine looked at him for a moment before sighing heavily, her smile vanishing. "My boss called me into his office today," she started, and Jack nodded in understanding. "He wanted to talk to me about something he referred to as 'my condition'," Katherine continued, gesturing to her large stomach. Jack frowned at that, cocking his head in confusion. "What for? Why's that any of his business?" he asked, and Katherine sighed again. "I'm one of his employees, Jack. It's his business because he's partially responsible for my welfare while I'm at work." She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, then continued. "Anyway, he told me that while he's grateful for the work I've done lately, he can't keep sending me out into potentially dangerous situations anymore. And since that's the majority of the stories I write..." Katherine trailed off, shaking her head. "So he fired you?" Jack asked, looking bewildered and slightly angry. Katherine shook her head, not meeting Jack's eyes. "Not exactly. He told me I should 'take a break' from writing for the next few months until the baby's born," Katherine answered, using air quotes to illustrate her point better. Suddenly she looked up at Jack, her eyes filled with tears. "Jack, what if in a few months he decides he doesn't want me back? I could lose everything I've ever worked for!" she cried, putting her head in her hands. "Why did I think I could have a baby and work? No one will take me seriously like this! What am I going to do?" Katherine sniffled, before erupting into full blown sobs. Jack jumped out of his chair, hurrying over to Katherine's side of the table and giving her a reassuring hug as she leaned on him and cried. "Shhh, Kath, shhh," he soothed. "Everything's gonna be alright, I promise." Katherine shook her head, her sobs growing louder. "You don't know that, Jack!" she cried. Jack sighed, cupping his hand under her chin and lifting her tear stained face to meet his own. "I do know that, Kath. I'se read your writing plenty of times ta know that you'se got what it takes ta be a reporter. A kid ain't gonna change that." Katherine smiled at his words of comfort, hiccuping slightly as her sobs calmed down. Jack reached in his back pocket, taking out a clean handkerchief and handing it to Katherine, who blew her nose loudly. "There ya go, Kath. Feel better?" he asked, and Katherine nodded before pointing to the couch in the parlor. "Cuddle?" she asked, sounding more like a two year old than a twenty one year old, and Jack chuckled as he nodded. "O' course, Kath. Anythin' for you."
A/N: Well, not everything in this story can be 100% happy all the time. There has to be some conflict. I hope you enjoyed that, it took me a while to get it right. Also, an announcement! The next chapter of this is The Big One, wherein Jack and Katherine become parents! (Freaking finally, it only took me 14 chapters of buildup.) I was planning on posting it tomorrow, but if I get 3 reviews for this chapter before 11:30 PM EST, I will post it tonight. See ya!