Disclaimer: - Pacific Blue belongs to the likes of Bill Nuss and North Hall Productions.



Timeline - Part One takes place just after Excessive Force.



What If . . .?: Part One

By Christy Maguire



Anthony Palermo looked around his office. The little room had served him well over the years and in the past, had brought him so much joy to just be in it. So why had that all changed?

His workload hadn't changed much. It was still as hectic as ever, only relieved by a bored sergeant and three eager officers constantly bugging him for something to keep them occupied.

His social life wasn't significantly different either. Just instead of finding his own dates he had a daughter and workmates to do that for him.

His home life? He and Jessie had grown closer and were developing a much better understanding of each other so there was no problem with that.

That only left on thing, Helen. She'd been at the back of his mind since their night together three months ago, and those niggling thoughts hadn't lightened up in the past month.

He was glad when he heard Chris Kelly's footsteps on the stairs.

'Hi Lieutenant. Helen in on the phone for you, she doesn't seem too happy. Is something going on?'

'No, everything is fine.' Palermo hadn't told any of the other officers what had happened between him and his ex-wife but he suspected that Jessie had. That girl could talk under wet cement.

Chris nodded disbelieving and returned to what she was doing.

Palermo picked up the receiver of the little red phone on his desk and pushed the flashing button.

'Palermo.'

'Tony?' It was Helen and she was more upset then Chris had mentioned. Her voice was quivering down the line and he knew she'd been crying.

'Helen has something happened? David's not hurting you again is he?'

'No Tony. This isn't about him. It's about us.'

Palermo cringed. He'd been avoiding speaking to her in case the subject came up. 'Listen Helen. Whatever crazy stories Jessie came home with on the weekend, I had nothing to do with them.'

'Tony, I'm pregnant.'

He watched as the receiver hit the desk with a clatter. The only thoughts that came to mind were four letter words, none of which were all that pleasant.

Hearing Helen's muffled voice calling his name he picked up the phone.

'Are you okay?' She asked. She was fully aware of the dangers he faced at times but seemed to think that they happened more frequently than they actually did.

'No Helen, I'm not.' He said with a sigh. 'Why are you telling me that you're pregnant anyway, shouldn't you be telling David?'

'I already have. He's not pleased. He wants me to get an abortion.'

'So?'

'So, I don't want to. I'm not going to kill an innocent child because of a mistake its parents made. He'll just have to live with the fact I am pregnant with another man's child.'

'Wait a minute. Another man's child? Who's the father?'

'I thought you'd already caught on?' Helen scoffed.

'I did but I hoped it wasn't true.'

'Tough luck big guy. You are going to be a daddy again.'

Palermo groaned. Why was this happening to him?

'Cheer up. Jessie will help you look after it.'

'Jessie will help me look after it. You're its mother.'

'And you are its father. Tony, I can't keep it. David just won't let me. We have already had a big talk and the only way he'll help me through the pregnancy is if I give the custody right to you after it's born.'

'No way Helen.' Tony stressed. 'I am way to old to look after another kid, especially a baby.'

'Give it a rest Tony. You're the same age as me.'

'Yeah but you're married. I'm not. You have crappy job. I have to protect everybody in Santa Monica. Family Services will take it away from me.'

'I thought you were against abortion?' Helen asked.

'I am. I'm just not against adoption.'

'Tony!' She screeched.

'Helen, I can't and won't look after this baby. It's not practical.'

'That's not what Jess says. She reckons you have too much time on your hands. I believe her two the way you go strutting around taking care of other people's wives...'

'That was as much your fault as it was mine, Helen. You can't put all of this onto me. Now if you don't have anything more to say, I have work to do.'

Tony fumed as Helen slammed the phone down and cut the connection.

'Is everything okay Lieutenant?' Victor asked, popping his head around the corner.

'Fine from my angle. What about you?' Palermo said, pasting a grin on his face.

'Alright I suppose. The treatment seems to be working. The cancer is residing and Mum is feeling a lot better. Of course it does help when she gets to help make the wedding arrangements.' Victor said with a grin.

Palermo nodded, remembering what it was like to be young and in love.

'So what's the matter with Helen?' Victor asked, concerned. 'Chris said she sounded pretty upset.'

'Oh, it's nothing.' Palermo lied. 'I wanted to take Jess to a movie on a school night and Helen objected.'

'I hope that Linda and I never divorce. I don't know how Mum would handle it.'

'I doubt you will Victor. Rosa won't let you.' Palermo said with a laugh. Rosa had been all-hands-on-deck with Linda and Victor's relationship and Linda made sure that Rosa always got her own way.

'Yeah. By the way, do you have anything that needs doing?'



Tony could hear Jessie's stereo blazing through the walls of his house as he drove up the drive and he wished now that he'd gotten her the puppy she'd asking for since she was six. At least it wouldn't make the walls vibrate.

'Hey Dad. What's up?' Jessie asked as he walked through the front door.

'Can you turn the music down?' Tony asked his daughter and started searching the cupboards for items to concoct into dinner after Jessie's after school snack raid on the pantry.

'Well, that's a nice greeting.' She said and crossed her arms to add effect.

'Jessica.' Tony warned.

Jess rolled her eyes and retreated into her room to obey her father's wishes. She came running out a few minutes later. 'Did you know that's Mum's pregnant again?'

'Yes, I did know that. Could you peel some potatoes please?'

'And that some lucky guy, not David, is the father.'

A mere grunt was her response.

'Well?' She asked.

'Well, what?'

'Well, this has to be like the best news since well *me!*' She said.

Tony made good of his right to remain silent.

'Aren't you just a teensy bit excited?'

'No. Your mother and I have long since broken up and this spells bad news for both of us.'

'I didn't know you'd broken up.'

'You knew it Jessie.'

'Well that's not the impression I got from the way you two were ...'

'Jessica, stop it!' Tony yelled. He rarely lost his cool with his daughter but the whole pregnancy thing was getting to him.

'Well Erin though it was exciting.'

'I don't give a stuff what Erin thinks.'

'Maybe you should instead of thinking the worst.'

'Jessie, it would be a different story if we were getting back together but your mother doesn't want to and now she wants me to be the sole parent of a newborn.'

For once that afternoon, Jessie was quiet.

'She didn't tell me that.' Jessie said. 'And she usually tells me everything.'

'I noticed.' Tony said glumly. Once again, he was the last to know.

'It'll be okay Dad.' She said, putting down her spud and giving her father a hug. 'Todd, Erin and I have picked out names already.'