To my fantabulous readers...thanks for all your patience over the course of this piece! I've really tried lately to update more regularly but that can come at a price. Hopefully everything is still deliciously up-to-snuff! Keep the reviews coming (because who doesn't love an ego boost!) and enjoy-there is still so much more to come!

Twenty

Vanessa slouched aimlessly in her desk chair, more uncomfortable than she'd been all week. She surveyed the freshly painted walls around her, her spirits slightly raised as she realized that the clinic was finally nearing its grand opening. After years of brainstorming and months of hard work, the patient rooms were complete and stocked, the lab was almost up and running, and her office looked like it belonged to an actual physician. She and Serena had arrived. Unfortunately, she couldn't enjoy their success. Thoughts of Nate and Olivia clouded her mind nearly every hour of the day with no end in sight. She'd cried so much in the past week that her eyes had often run dry and she was beginning to feel every ounce of emotional pain physically. Her back was sore, she had a runny nose she couldn't shake, and today she just felt flat-out ill. She sighed and blew her nose, aware that she needed to pull herself together before Blair arrived shortly. Vanessa wasn't sure what her friend had needed to see her about at the clinic so urgently, but she welcomed the temporary diversion. Over the now week since Olivia's abduction was discovered, she had avoided almost all contact with anyone but Nate or the PI, guiltily convinced she should be devoting all her time outside of work to finding her step-daughter and consoling Nate. However, Blair's call had reminded her of how much she missed her friends and how much she needed them to surround her, and Nate, during this time. A rush of emotion came over her as she thought of her new husband. After the first rocky evening when Nate had lost his temper in front of her for the first time in all their years together, he'd been amazing. Not only was he fully invested in finding Olivia, but he'd gone out of his way to be sweet to her, with the true understanding that she was taking this just as hard as him. Over the years, Olivia had become like her own child, and with her flaky and inconsistent mother, Vanessa had always had sneaking suspicions that Olivia sometimes felt the same bond. She smiled, remembering the darling little girl who she had come to love nearly as much as her father. Nate had done everything to make them feel like a family and Vanessa was honored to be a part of it, no matter how geographically fractured their current situation was. Well, at least it can't get any more complicated, she thought to herself, frustration overcoming her anew. Suddenly, a wave a nausea hit, and she rushed to the small bathroom adjoining her office, mentally cursing how run-down she'd let herself get. With each horrid retch, she felt herself get weaker and when her stomach finally relented, she slumped against the cool slate wall, strange relief settling into her. Despite the inopportune way it happened, she had to admit she certainly felt better than she had all morning. Shifting her weight in an attempt to get up, the dull ache in her back returned, cutting some of her reprieve short. She settled back against the wall, happy to wallow a little longer in her discomfort. As quiet moments passed, Vanessa checked her phone for the time, positive that Blair was likely to be close to arriving. With a glance at the screen, she paled and felt a pit form in her now settled abdomen. That can't be the right date, she thought as she raced through quick math in her mind. Obviously the stress had taken its toll-she'd completely lost track of time. All of a sudden, the constellation of symptoms she was feeling seemed a little too familiar and her Ivy-educated brain reeled with realization. She frantically stood, headed for the supply closet next door to the lab. Searching anxiously, she finally located what she was looking for and hurriedly walked back to her office, afraid for what she knew was to come next. The minutes ticked by, each one seeming to take longer than the next. She paced back and forth, sure she'd wear her newly-laid carpet thin. Just as she was about to check the bathroom counter, Blair barged in her office door, looking almost as nervous as Vanessa herself. Her look dissolved immediately, replaced by concern as she spotted Vanessa. Rushing to her friend she put an arm on her shoulder. "V, you don't look well-are you ok?" she asked, clearly convinced she was not. Barely before she finished her question, Vanessa threw up a hand to excuse herself and ran back into her bathroom, another flash of nausea threatening to embarrass her right in front of Blair. As she knelt on the floor, she couldn't hold back, positive Blair could hear the dreadful sounds she was unable to stop. She didn't care. Again, with thankful rapidity, sweet relief overcame her and she relaxed against a nearby cupboard. Without hesitation, Blair broke into the small room, worry for her friend apparent in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak then gasped. "V-is this what I think it is?" she asked as she picked up the thin plastic indicator on the counter. Vanessa nodded weakly. Blair swallowed, her own issues evidently forgotten for the moment. "Here…" she trailed as she handed the object to Vanessa. She rose to her feet slowly. "I don't need to look-I already know…I'm pregnant." A long silence followed before Vanessa quietly continued. "Damn it" she said, as she collapsed onto Blair's shoulder with a deluge of tears.

Now? Seriously? Vanessa's thoughts furiously buzzed as she tried to calm her nerves with the cup of decaffeinated tea in her unsteady hands. She looked into the steaming cup, unable to suppress the sarcastic laugh that bubbled up. Decaf tea-she hateddecaf anything. This little thing inside of her was already altering her life and she hadn't even told his or her daddy yet. Pain gripped at her heart as she thought about the task ahead of her. Not only had they discussed waiting another few years for more kids, what with the clinic newly opening and adjusting to married life, but now she and Nate had to deal with the heart-wrenching issue of a missing child. She didn't know how she could spring this news on him, especially at this time. After Blair comforted her for a bit, the two women had talked and Vanessa had started to feel increasingly stupid that she'd missed the signs of something she was trained to see immediately with her patients. Blair had done her best to soothe her, but Vanessa knew that she'd need time to adjust. Luckily, Blair had needed some advice herself and the two soon moved onto other issues, both women subconsciously aware that it was the best thing Vanessa at the time. She took a sip of tea and thought about her friend. True, her own life was a jumble, but Blair had shared her own problems, swearing her to secrecy. She did not envy the position Blair was in but she had offered to help in any way she could. Their meeting was brief, ending with hugs and tears before Vanessa had to rush to her bathroom for a third time. Sighing deeply, Vanessa curled into the plush armchair, happy to be nausea free for the moment. The grandfather clock at the bottom of the stairs chimed for the six o'clock hour and she felt a wave of panic set in. Nate would be home soon and she still had no idea what she was going to do. Guilt and irritation clouded her mind as she thought about everything that was to come. The continued vomiting. The expanding waistlines. The odd cravings. The needing to pee all the time. The inability to breathe properly. She cringed as the list mentally went on. Then she had a thought, brought on by her memories of birth after birth she'd experienced with her patients. For all the discomfort, awkwardness, and pain, at the end of it all, there would be a baby and that always changed everything. The dynamic of the labor suite would go from angry shouts and agonizing screams to tears of absolute and pure joy. In all her exasperation all day long, she'd failed to think of the one huge positive. In a short 35 weeks, a little piece of Nate and her would make his or her way into the world. A smile she could not restrain crept over her face. True, telling Nate when he was nearly destroyed over Olivia was not going to be easy, but the sudden image of a little boy or little girl with his eyes was all the motivation she needed to give the surprising news. Warmth spread through her as she daydreamed about nurseries and baby clothes, more at peace than she'd been in several days. In the distance, a door clicked and she tensed slightly. This is it, she thought, nervous and excited all at once. As she heard Nate's footsteps taking the stairs two by two, Vanessa wondered what his hurry was. With his forceful entry into their room, she could only guess. The grin on Nate's face was unmistakable. "V, today was the best day yet!" he started excitedly. "It's not much, but the PI thinks he may have located the account Isobel has been using to fund everything!" Vanessa could feel her face light up as she hurried toward her beaming husband, throwing her arms around him. "Nate, that's almost the best news all day!" She smiled coyly. With a curious eyebrow raised, Nate opened his mouth to speak but she held a finger to his lips. "Ah, ah, ah" she tsked, "it's a surprise-I'll tell you all about it over dinner. Now take me somewhere we can celebrate!"