Okay, hope you like this one. This was NOT at all what I had in mind, it just kinda happened because I wanted more Dell. I love Dell. Lol.

Neither Charlotte nor Caroline knew how the other spent their night, nor cared. Caroline didn't know Charlotte had awoken crying, and Charlotte didn't know Caroline had cried herself to sleep, each in the arms of someone else.

Charlotte was at St. Ambrose reading over and cursing at supply requests, while Caroline was sitting in Oceanside Wellness' waiting room, holding Betsy in her lap. Not having much lap left, the girl sat on Caroline's knees bouncing and swaying from side to side as she played with a loud click-klack toy.

Pete shook his head, glancing at Dell in his office with a patient, then back at the two girls.

"This isn't going to end well."

Cooper shrugged, disagreeing, yet unable to take his eyes from them. It was something like a car wreck.

"You know this isn't going to end well."

"Define end well."

"No one crying, dead or bleeding- or yelling or fighting," he added.

"They'll be fine."

"She's mentally unstable. I wouldn't let her babysit my kid."

"She's not mentally unstable. She's tweleve, most girls start babysitting at that age."

He shook his head again. "I don't know what Dell was thinking. Fifty bucks says this doesn't end well."

"I'll take that action," Cooper smiled. "Fifty bucks says nothing bad happens and they're both fine."

Pete laughed. "You know kids Cooper, I can't believe you're betting in favor of this ending well."

"It will."

He shook his head again, "Wait. Just you wait," he warned. He looked down the hall to Sam's office, noting it was closed.

"Hey, where's Sam? He'd want in on this."

Cooper shrugged, ready with a lie. "I dunno."

........................................................................................................................................................................................................

"Charlotte."

Charlotte looked up in shock at the stupidity of anyone coming into her office without even knocking. She was further surprised by who was standing there.

"What are you doing here? What, did she kill someone? Burn down your building?"

Sam smiled and sat down as if she'd just offered him a chair. "Things are just fine. Or, they were when I left. She's baby sitting Dell's daughter."

Charlotte set her pen down and looked at Sam with raised eyebrows. Then she smiled. Sam found the smile to be unsettling, though he couldn't quite place the reason why.

"Sam, I have a busy day here. I'm the Chief of staff of this hospital. I don't just get to lounge around twiddling my thumbs like the folks at your practice are so accustomed to. Why are you here?"

He shrugged amiably. "I just thought you'd like to talk."

"Like to talk? What is this, the Twilight Zone?" She scoffed. "Talk about what?"

He momentarily found himself at a lack for words. Charlotte did that to people, he knew. He was certain it was intentional. Her comment about his book sprang to mind.

"For one thing, I know what it's like to worry about seeing someone you love in pain. To know there's really not a thing you can do."

She sighed loudly, Sam was certain exaggerating her irritation. "Oh Lord," she hissed shaking her head. She sighed again looking heavenward at this hopless case.

Sam held his smile in check. It was interesting to see her so uncomfortable, yet trying to behave as though she were merely annoyed instead.

"Being in the same room with Naomi when she was having Maya was certainly not my idea of a good time."

She pursed her lips and looked out the window before pointedly checking her watch.

"I was terrified of seeing her in pain, knowing that I'd have to be the strong person in the room, her support. But I felt like I needed someone to support me. I would have payed someone to take my place. The very idea of it all terrified me, I couldn't imagine how much worse it would feel when it actually happened."

He saw her shudder. Then she swallowed and curtly replied, "That's a lovely anecdote, happily ever after I'm sure. Thanks for sharing. Hope I don't offend you, if I get back to work now?"

He coughed.

"Actually it was hell, thanks for asking. You've delivered tons of babies, you know there's nothing nice or rosy about it-until it's all over. In the meantime it's pure hell."

She glared at him, exasperated.

"Is there a point to this?"

He shrugged. "I just thought, I mean I assume you'd naturally be reticent about Caroline's labor and all of that. Not looking forward to it, that is."

Now she just looked at him in disgust. "Why the hell would I look forward to it? Did you get a labatomy or something? What in god's name is wrong with you?"

He tugged at his tie, trying to losen it. "Bad choice of words. It's just...anyone would understand, I would understand if you were scared. The idea of that little girl in some room screaming makes me sick."

Charlotte squirmed in her chair and looked down and away from him.

"That makes two of us."

.............................................................................................................................

"Excuse me,"

Caroline looked up in shock when she realized the woman was talking to her. She was holding a book and Betsy on her lap, reading to her quietly. She stopped reading, but Betsy continued to flip through the pages.

The stranger smiled at her, and Caroline wondered where her mace was. If things got ugly, she wasn't just gonna take it like the last time. One nasty comment and the woman would be on the ground. At least Betsy was between them, but that could prove to be a problem.

"Yes?" She asked finally.

"I realize you're watching your sister, but could you hold my daughter for a minute? I have an appointment with Dr. Freedman, or she does, but I have got to run to the bathroom," she motioned to the restroom with jerk of her head. "can you just watch her for a minute?"

Caroline's mouth was open in shock, but apparently her body had a mind of it's own, as her arms reached for the baby. She found herself smiling like an idiot and saying, "Sure,no problem," and meaning it. She jiggled her knee to make Betsy hop off as the woman made her way to the bathroom.

"Ooh," Betsy cooed, "Can I hold her?"

Caroline glared at her, holding the baby tighter. "No," she answered possesively.

Betsy moved to pet the baby's head as Caroline insisted, "Don't touch the head. Just the hands and feet."

Caroline smiled kissing the baby's head and playing with her fingers.

"But you get to touch the baby!" Betsy objected.

"That's cuz I'm a grown-up," she hissed. "Now hush or you'll make it cry."

............................................................................................................................................................................

Pete did a double take then made a bee-line for Cooper's office.

"You might wanna get out here. Now she's messing with one of your patients. See how stable you feel she is now!"

Admittedly concerned, Cooper followed Pete back to the corner of the desk where they could watch without being seen.

"That fifty dollars is mine," he insisted. "Might as well hand it over now. The kid who hates that baby inside her is holding one- oh come on, if something'll make her snap, that will."

Naomi walked by oohing and ahhing as she saw Cooper's new patient.

"Oh isn't she sweet?" She squealed, bending down and taking one of the baby's hands in her fingers. "Oh, yes you are! You are a sweet little girl! Oh look at you! Yes, yes you are!"

Caroline held the baby closer to her body, clearly saying you do not get to hold the baby.

Intent on other business, and seeing enough babies every day to not get too engrossed, Naomi walked away. Cooper became concerned. Now there was no direct adult supervision. What if she dropped the baby?

"Someone getting worried now?" Pete teased.

"I wanna hold the baby!" Betsy insisted.

"You can't hold the baby," she answered, "you'll break it." With a smile she turned her attention back to the baby, laughing as the little girl batted her arms around. Caroline lifted her so that she was facing her, holding her under her arms and still supporting the head. At the deft motion that said she had done this before Cooper grinned at Pete saying his "I told you so" silently. Pete rolled his eyes.

"Oh my god!"

The mother of Cooper's patient drew their attention only when she came rushing up and snatched her child from Caroline.

"Clearly someone should have given you a baby to take care of before now! Long before now! Then maybe you wouldn't have ended up like that," she nodded at Caroline's stomach while re-wrapping her baby, and holding her closely. "You must be one of Dr. Montgomery's patients," she shook her head in disgust. "I didn't know they took those Free Clinic patients here." She made a sound of disgust and walked away to Cooper's exam room.

Shocked by the woman's words to Caroline, yet seeing that he had to go and 'play doctor' to this woman and her child, he looked helplessly at Pete.

"I haveta-" he motioned to the exam room and began walking there.

Pete waved the concern away with his hand. "Don't worry about it." He was ashamed of his bet now, but stayed to watch the after-math and admittedly help if needed. He had a half hour until his next patient, after all.

Caroline's eyes were wide and lined with tears.

"Was that lady mad at you?" Betsy asked.

She nodded.

Betsy climbed up into the chair beside her. "Did she hurt your feelings?" She asked mothering and upset.

Caroline nodded again, vigorously.

Betsy grabbed Caroline's head with her hand, pulled it to her and kissed it.

"Now do you feel better?"

..................................................................................................................................................................................................................

"Who's ready for lunch?"

"Me!" Betsy sang out, waving a wand from the toy box in the air.

Caroline sighed with relief as Betsy ran over to Dell, hugged him, then grabbed his hand, ready to go.

"Having fun with Caroline?" He asked, smiling at her, but also looking for any small sign of difficulty.

"Yes!" She answered readily. "I hope there's no school tomorrow, too! She let me braid her hair and showed me how to tie people's shoe laces in knots so they can't walk!"

Dell grinned at the harmless antics, examining Caroline hair, which was more knotted than braided.

"Aren't you coming?"

She was going to say no, but glancing back and forth between him and Betsy she found herself nodding.

.....................................................................................................................................................................................

When they returned from lunch, after getting stares the whole way, Caroline headed straight for Violet's office.

"I'm concerned about something."

"And what would that be?"

"I'm concerned that Dell would do the same thing to Betsy that my dad did to me."

Violet gagged and fought against the urge to vomit.

Caroline waited for a verbal response, not upset in her thought in the least.

"I'm happy that you feel comfortable enough to voice your concerns." Disturbing though they may be.

"However, I really don't feel, I don't believe- Dell would never do that," Violet answered finally.

"How do you know?"

"I just know. He wouldn't do that."

"But you can't know. Stuff like that always happens. School teachers priests, and what's the first thing people say? I never thought they'd do that. So Dell could do that."

She was touched and sickened at the same time by the girl's protective concern of Betsy.

She also knew that Caroline would not let this concern drop unless she did something about it. "You know that thing all intuition we talked about before?"

"Yeah."

"You're a good judge of people, tell me, do you feel like Dell is the sort of person who would do that? Does he make you uneasy?"

She considered that for a moment. "No," she answered.

"But it could happen," she insisted again.

"Theoretically anything's possible. So, yes it could happen. But I'd guess that it's as likely as Madonna turning into June Cleaver, getting struck by lightning and the planet Mars exploding all at the same time."

Caroline pursed her lips in thought. Then she sighed. "I don't think planets can explode. Stars can explode, but not planets." She walked away Violet hearing, "Planets are not stars,"

She came back a moment later adding, "And I still don't like Pete, I mean, Dr. Wilder."

"Really?" Violet didn't bother to hide her smile.

"He's dark inside. He's got a lot of unhappy buried inside him. Maybe he needs to go to church," she mused. "He doesn't try to keep people away like Aunt Charlotte does, he's unhappy in a whole other way. It's creepy. There's something wrong with him."

If only she knew how right she was, Violet mused. "So you think he's going to rape people?"

"No," she answered, "I just think he's unhappy."

She backed out of the door and walked away again.

................................................................................................................................................................................................................

With another patient in an exam room, Betsy and Caroline sat in Dell's office. Caroline sat. Betsy decided to stand so she could pepper her with questions about being a grown-up before moving on to other topics.

"You have a baby in there," she decided, pointing to her stomach. "I didn't believe you when you said you were fat. And my daddy said not to talk to you about it,but I don't see why not. My daddy gives people babies, it's what he does," she smiled proudly, "so I know you have a baby in there. He said something bad happened to you, but having a baby isn't bad."

She looked confused. "So....."

She took small steps up to Caroline, made a fist and used it to knock against Caroline's stomach as though it were a door.

"Helloooo in there!" Betsy called.

She then put her ear to her stomach, Caroline gasped at the sudden movement as Betsy squealed.

"I knew it!"

Caroline just stared in open mouthed shock.

..............................................................................................................................................................................................

"You're just going to stand there?"

"Yup."

"Me, too."

Naomi smiled at her.

"How long before she pushes Betsy to the floor?"

"Hard to say."

"She doesn't look happy about it."

"Oh you're right about that, she looks decidely unhappy about it."

Addison laughed loudly. "And poor Betsy is completely oblivious."

"What's going on?" Sam was loosening his tie, done for the day.

Naomi nodded in Caroline's direction. "Betsy found a new toy."

Sam stared in shock as Betsy sitting on Caroline's knees, put a stethoscope to Caroline's stomach.

He looked wide eyed at the women. "What else has she been doing?"

"Putting her mouth on Caroline's stomach and talking to the baby, playing something that looked like tag with her stomach, petting it like a dog..."

Addison burst out laughing again.

How long has this been going on?"

Addison shrugged, leaning lazily against the front desk. "I'd say at least the last fifteen minutes."

Sam shook his head.

"Thanks, Dell!"

They all looked down the hall, then tried to look busy as the last patient of the day, Dell's patient, left the practice.

Once she was gone Sam took it upon himself to hurry over to the exam room. Without knocking he opened the door.

"Dell, you need to get out here and get your child."

Dell looked up from the exam bed he'd just finished adjusting. "What's wrong?"

"Trust me, just come get your child."

Dell walked up to see Caroline sitting in the chair facing the door, looking pissed. She looked like an irritated mother cat who was just barely putting up with being climbed on by her kittens. Pissed, irritated, with nothing she could really do about it. Caroline was sitting stock still, her mouth puckered up, focusing her angry gaze outward, simply ticking angry seconds away until this was over.

Dell looked back at the group. "And you let her do this? She can see you! She's staring right at us!"

Naomi shrugged. "It's kinda funny."

"You were laughing about it?"

"No!" Naomi objected.

Addison raised her hand. "I was."

Dell rolled his eyes, then walked up and opened the office door.

"Allright Betsy, play time is over now, time to go home. Thank Caroline for watching you."

"Aw, can't I stay and play? I wanna keep playing with Caroline!"

Addison snorted with laughter.

"No," Dell answered her. "It's time to go."

Reluctnantly Betsy climbed down from Caroline's lap, put the stethoscope back on the desk, thanked Caroline obediently and walked out.

"I thought I told you not to bother her," Dell hissed once the door was closed.

"I wasn't!" She insisted. "We had fun."

When Betsy was pushing the elevator button, Dell hurried back to his office where Caroline was still seated, in shock apparently.

"I am so, so sorry! Thank you for not killing her." He gave her an apologetic look and a wobbly grin before rushing back just as the elevator doors slid open.

Charlotte walked out of the elevator as the two stepped in.

"Kid!" She hollered as the doors closed

Caroline walked out of the office, eager to leave.

"Have fun babysitting?"

"Children are evil," Caroline told her. "It's been a long day."

Charlotte nodded readily although she didn't know what specifically Caroline was referring to- not that it mattered.

"I agree," she answered.

Okay...what did you think???