A/N: Two chapters in one day. I don't know if I'm spoiling y'all or I'm just getting giddy about what's coming soon. And thanks again to my readers/reviewers/followers. I'm having fun writing this and it makes me happy knowing someone is enjoying it.

The day after Mardi Gras Maude was awake by seven. It was far too early to be up as they hadn't gotten in till after three this morning but her stomach was churning and she felt horribly sick. She lay still, breathing slowly and deeply, hoping her stomach would settle some but it only seemed to get worse. After several minutes she felt the bile start to rise in her throat. Jumping from the bed she ran to the camber pot, barely making it before losing her battle with the nausea. For a couple of minutes she hung her head over the pot while nature took it course, finally with a gag and a cough she spit out the last bit of bile from her month and waited. After a moment she straightened and went over to the wash basin.

Pouring herself a glass of water she rinsed her mouth before wetting a cloth and wiping the fine sheen of perspiration from her face. Oddly, she felt perfectly fine now. She wondered if she might have eaten something last night that didn't agree with her but she had no other symptoms of illness and now that she had vomited, her stomach seemed completely settled. She glanced over at Patrick hoping she hadn't disturbed him. She wasn't sure what had caused her sickness but the last thing she wanted now was his over-protectiveness coming alive. Thankfully, he still seemed to be dead to the world.

After a while without her stomach rebelling again she quietly took the pot downstairs to clean it. She was hoping she wouldn't have need of it again and if she didn't, than she didn't want Patrick finding out about her bout this morning. After taking care of that task she returned to their room.

Patrick was still deep in sleep, lying on his stomach, snoring softly and Maude couldn't help but smile when she looked at him. It was unlikely he would so much as roll over before noon but she still slipped back into the bed as quietly as she could. She remained upright for a while just in case the nausea returned and when it didn't she snuggled back down next to Patrick. She still had no idea want had caused her to be ill but it seemed like whatever it was was over, at least for now and hopefully for good. Closing her eyes she settled in for some much needed sleep.

As it turned out she was right about Patrick not rolling over before noon, as a matter of fact it was nearly one before he woke up. "Mr. Standish'" she said when he finally starting stirring. "Your mornin's keep getting' later and later."

He opened one eye and studied her. "It don't look like you been up to long yourself."

Maude raised her eyebrows but didn't comment. He was right, she hadn't been up long and she was still in a dressing gown, but she was already putting her hair up and was well on the way to being dressed for the day. And the nausea still had not returned. She was now confident that whatever she'd had was over with. By the time she had finished with her hair, Patrick was still in the bed. "We're you planin' on getting up today?" She asked giving his arm a shake.

"What time is it?" He mumbled in reply.

She retrieved his watch from the nightstand and flipped open the lid. "One in the afternoon. That's a long way from your farmin' roots, my dear."

"I ain't been on a farm since I was sixteen and I have no intentions of ever going back to one."

"Farmer or not, are you gettin' up?"

"Not sure it's worth it. Might ought to just stay here till tomorrow."

Maude got her pillow and lightly throw it at him. "Well, I would like some lunch and I expect any gentleman who escorts me to be washed up and shaved before accompanyin' me in public." With that she went over to the wardrobe and began rifting through her dresses. Patrick lay still for another minute before rolling out of bed with a groan. This was another win for Maude, but then who was counting.

Maude wearily opened her eyes and almost immediately felt the now familiar roll of her stomach. Now on day number five she didn't even bother the check Patrick's watch, knowing it was around seven. With a sigh she got out of bed and went to the chamber pot to wait for the inevitable. Soon she felt the bile start to rise and she once again followed the same routine she had for the past four mornings. However, this time after rinsing her mouth she sank into the chair by the vanity and took a shuddering breath. Five days in a row she had been sick. For the past five days she had woke around the same time and emptied her stomach. And for five days as soon as she had she'd been fine. Then yesterday she had realized she had missed her cycle, for the second month. Maude breath hitched as she felt tears start to fill her eyes. She didn't need another woman's opinion and she didn't need a doctor's conformation, not this time, this time she just knew. She was pregnant.

Wringing out the cloth Maude wiped her face. Once again, right on schedule she been sick. What was it, nine days now? The routine had gotten old very quickly but thankfully, at least she supposed she should be thankful, it was routine and if it held she would be safe from any more nausea for the next twenty-four hours. Actually, once a day, first thing in the morning wasn't too bad and she wouldn't have minded so much today, except that today, Patrick had seen her. He had gotten up sometime during her retching this morning and had watched in stony silence as she gone through what was quickly becoming common place for her.

"You're sick again." He said simply when she'd finished washing her face.

Maude almost had to literally bite her tongue to keep form making a smart remake concerning his powers of observation, but she was able to control herself. After all, this wasn't Patrick's fault. Well, really it was Patrick's fault but it would do no good to point that out now. "Yes." She said coolly walking past him and setting on the edge of the bed. She didn't want to talk about this now.

Patrick turned to face her, his expression a mix of concern and frustration. "It's been a week, Maude. Every day for a week you've been sick."

She closed her eyes. "I'm fine." She ground out, before he could suggest seeing a doctor. Actually, it had been more than a week but she saw no need to mention that. But Patrick's statement did mean that he had noticed her new morning routine more than she thought he had. But regardless of what he had noticed, Maude did not want to see the doctor. She was still trying to sort out her own feelings concerning the fact that she was expecting again and she didn't want Patrick to know just yet. And if a doctor was involved he certainly would find out.

Sighing, Patrick looked down at the floor. "I'm sending for the doctor, Maude." He said finally, glancing back up to gauge her reaction. It wasn't good.

Maude's eyes flashed. "Patrick Standish, don't you dare! I have absolutely no need for a doctor and I swear if you call him in I will not see him."

Patrick whirled and slapped the edge of the vanity with his open hand. He'd been expecting that response but it was still irritating. Why did she have to be so hardheaded? He knew she wouldn't like the idea but there was obviously something wrong and he wanted to know what it was. It simply wasn't normal to be sick that much was it? "Maude, you're sick. Whatever it is, it's not going away."

"It will!" She snapped. Maude wasn't an authority on pregnancy by any means but she did know this wouldn't last forever. Hopefully it would go away sooner rather than later.

"How do you know?"

"Because..." Maude stopped.

"What?" He demanded.

"Forget it." Why couldn't he just hush and take her word for it?

"Maude, if something's wrong I want to know what it is."

"Nothin' is wrong." That was technically true. There was nothing wrong about expecting a baby. "I know why I'm sick."

"Why?" His irritation was obvious by the way he snapped at her.

"Because I'm going to have a baby!" She snapped back. It wasn't how she had planned on telling him but if he was going to be difficult about it she didn't have much choice.

All irritation vanished from Patrick's face as her words sank in. "Oh." He said quietly as Maude glared at him. After an awkward pause he finally he cleared his throat. "And how do you feel about that?"

"Oh, good Lord, Patrick. What kind of a question is that?" Patrick's irritation may have dissipated but Maude's hadn't.

Patrick winced, it had been a rather dumb question, but then a slow smile started. Maude was going to have another baby. They were getting another chance at their family. To say he was excited was an understament, still he tried not to look to happy as he went and set by her on the bed. "It was an honest question. How do you feel about it?"

Tears began to fill Maude's eyes. She had spent the last few days trying to figure that out. "I don't know. I want to be happy but...Patrick, I'm so afraid."

"Hey, it'll be alright."

"You don't know that!" She wiped at her eyes angrily. Why did she have to cry?

"And you don't know that it won't." Her impatient sigh made Patrick think about his next words very, very carefully. His speech wasn't having the desired effect today and he knew he needed to proceed with caution. "Are you sure? I mean have you talked with Julia? Or the doc?"

Taking a deep breath Maude shook her head. "No, I don't have to. It – it's just like it was last time and this," She waved toward the chamber pot. "Happens every morning. I – I just know."

A silence fell over the room that was abruptly broken when Patrick chuckled. Maude looked over at him wearily and he threw her that devastating smile. "We're gonna have a baby."

Maude sighed. She wished she could be as happy as Patrick, she wanted to be, but those horrible memories kept coming back to her. She didn't want to lose another baby and she didn't want to see Patrick's disappointment again. "Patrick…"

"Don't." He cut in. "Everything's gonna be fine, baby."

"You don't..."

"Everything will be fine." He repeated slowly.

Maude wiped her eyes. "You really believe that don't you?"

He placed a hand over Maude's still flat abdomen. Soon it would begin to swell with the life inside of her and the thought made him breathe a laugh of absolute amazement. "I do. Have a little faith."

Maude covered his hand with her own and gave him a small smile. She didn't know why, maybe it was because she simply wanted to so badly, but it was next to impossible to not believe him.

A/N: Now you can get excited :)