A few days later, Spencer found Delia asleep at her computer. He gently shook her shoulder.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up."

Delia opened her eyes. "Oh no, I did it again."

"Are you okay, Delia?"

She yawned as she rubbed her sore neck. "I'm just so tired lately. I must be coming down with something."

"Maybe you should go lie down," he suggested.

"I can't do that, Spencer. I'm already in enough trouble for sleeping in lately." For the last few days, she had been having a hard time getting out of bed.

"Maybe you need to go to the doctor and have a checkup or something."

"Oh, no, I'm fine, Spencer. Let's just get back to work."

But the next morning when Delia didn't show up at work on time again, Spencer became worried. Normally Delia was an early bird; she was usually hard at work by the time he arrived in the morning. This wasn't like her at all.

"Okay, Spencer, why don't you go on outside to take a look at that new Dratini, and I'll be down in a few minutes to join you. I have to go check on someone...thing." Spencer started outside but changed his mind when he saw the expression on Professor Oak's face.

He's probably going to chew her out for being late again, Spencer thought as Professor Oak stomped upstairs.

But when Professor Oak returned a few minutes later, Spencer saw that his annoyed expression had been replaced by a worried one.

"Professor? Is Delia all right?"

Professor Oak was surprised to see his lab assistant standing at the bottom of the staircase. "She's sick, Spencer. She's been throwing up all morning. That's why she didn't show up for work."

"Poor Delia. Maybe I should go check on her." He started up the stairs but Professor Oak stretched out an arm to block his path.

"No, she's resting right now. Let her sleep. Besides, we need to go take a look at that Dratini anyway."

Spencer was so busy outside for the rest of the day taking care of both his work and Delia's that he didn't get a chance to visit her.

---

The next morning when Delia finally showed up for work, Spencer was shocked by her appearance. She looked pale, shaky, haggard…like she hadn't slept at all.

"Delia, you look terrible. You need to go back to bed."

"I'll be okay, Spencer," she said in a small voice as she turned on her computer. "I need to get caught up on the work I missed yesterday."

"Delia, I think you need to see a doctor. I'm really worried about you."

Delia bit her lip. "I went to my doctor yesterday."

"What did she say? Are you all right?"

No, Spencer, I'm not. I'm pregnant.

But even though she knew she could confide in Spencer, she could never tell him that she was carrying Professor Oak's baby. The risk was too great. If anyone found out that one of the most famous professors in the history of Pokémon research had gotten one of his students pregnant, the resulting scandal would destroy his career.

"She said it was just a nasty stomach bug that's going around," Delia lied. "I'll just have to ride it out."

For the next three months.

"Sorry to hear that. Do you need anything? Soup? Popsicles?"

Delia smiled at her friend. Spencer was so kind to her that it made lying to him all the worse.

"No, I'm fine. Let's go outside so I can finish putting ear tags on the new Tauros."

Even though it was early December, the day was unusually warm. Delia took off her jacket and sat on the fence that surrounded the corral where the new herd of Tauros currently lived. Spencer helped her round up the bull-type Pokémon so she could place identification tags in their ears. Most of the Tauros had been raised by humans and were relatively docile, but one individual let it be known that it was not going to let anybody get near it.

"Well, looks like we're all done except that one," Delia said as she readied the last tag.

"I don't know about that one, Delia. It looks pretty wild. Maybe we should hold off doing that one until we can get Professor Oak to help us."

"I hate to leave a job unfinished. Why don't you try shooing him over this way?"

"Delia, I don't know about this…" Spencer said hesitantly.

"Please? I'll stay on the other side of the fence and reach through to tag him."

Spencer didn't like the idea, but started over to where the last Tauros stood. At the sight of the unfamiliar human, the bull-type Pokémon snorted and stamped his hoof in warning.

"Darn it!" Delia dropped the tag as she was climbing over the fence. As she bent down to catch it, she suddenly became dizzy; the nausea and vomiting of the last two days had left her weak. She felt herself falling, then her world went black.

The Tauros bellowed and started to charge after Spencer. As he ran towards the far side of the corral, he saw Delia lying on the ground in the bull's path.

"Delia!" He hurried to her side and threw himself on top of her. The wild Tauros bellowed again as it thundered towards them. Spencer raised his arm to try to deflect the Tauros, but one of the bull's horns caught his forearm. Spencer screamed in pain as the bull's horn tore into his arm. The bull ran to the other side of the corral, stamped its hoof again, and let out a loud bellow as it charged once more. It was going to take care of the human that had dared to disturb it.

Realizing that he was about to be gored, Spencer ducked his head and tried to shield Delia's body with his. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the final blow. At least his death would have some meaning if he died trying to save her.

"Tauros, return!"

Spencer looked up and saw Professor Oak standing next to the fence with a Poké ball in his hand. The savage Tauros disappeared inside it with a bright red flash.

"Oh my God!" Professor Oak leaped over the fence and pushed Spencer aside. "Delia!" He frantically groped for a pulse in her neck and visibly relaxed upon locating it. "Thank God."

After checking to make sure she wasn't seriously injured, Professor Oak cradled Delia in his arms and turned to Spencer. "What the hell happened here?"

"Delia wanted to finish tagging the Tauros. She asked me to shoo that one over here, but I…"

"What the hell did you think you were doing by letting her near that wild Tauros?" Professor Oak raged. "How could you be so stupid to let her come down here in her condition?"

Realizing what he had just said, Professor Oak and Spencer exchanged horrified glances.

In her condition? Delia's pregnant?

Oh my God, why did I just say that?

"Spencer, go call 911."

Spencer stared dumbly at him. He was still numb from Professor Oak's shocking revelation about Delia.

"Damn it, Spencer, go call an ambulance now!"

Coming to his senses, Spencer hurried to the lab and called 911. As soon as he hung up the phone, he slumped in his chair.

Oh, Delia, why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? First that no-good husband of hers returns and now she's having that sonofabitch's baby.

But as Spencer hurried back outside to tell Professor Oak that the ambulance was on its way, Spencer realized that something didn't make sense.

If Delia's pregnant, then why is he so upset? He had never seen Professor Oak so angry before.

Unless…

A dreadful suspicion began to arise in the back of Spencer's mind. As he drew closer to the corral, he saw Professor Oak holding Delia in his lap. As he murmured reassurances to her, one on his hands lay atop her abdomen. There was something strange about that gesture, something intimate.

And then Spencer knew.

Oh my God! He's the father of Delia's baby.

Spencer suddenly felt weak. Involuntarily, he made a gagging sound that caused Professor Oak to turn and look at him.

"Oh my God, Spencer!" With horror, Professor Oak saw that the sleeve of Spencer's lab coat was almost completely saturated with blood. Spencer then noticed the same thing. In his concern over Delia, he had forgotten about the gash on his arm. "Sit down now!"

Spencer obediently sat down under the Pokéberry tree that was next to the corral. Professor Oak fished around in the pockets of his lab coat until he located a wad of gauze that he had been using earlier to bandage a wound on a Hypno's nose. He gently laid Delia on the ground then leapt over the fence to his other injured assistant.

"Damn it, Spencer, why didn't you tell me you were hurt, too?" Professor Oak said angrily as he pressed the makeshift bandage against the wound. "Keep that elevated above your heart. It'll slow the bleeding," he instructed as he frantically tried to staunch the flow of blood.

"How's Delia?" Spencer asked.

"Not in as bad a shape as you are," Professor Oak grunted. "What the hell happened?"

"The Tauros got me with its horn as I was trying to save Delia."

At the sound of her name, Delia's eyes opened. "Samuel?"

Spencer didn't need any more proof as to who was the baby's father. "Go take care of her. I'll be all right."

"Keep pressure on that wound," Professor Oak ordered as he climbed back over the fence to Delia and took her in his arms once more.

"Samuel? What's going on?"

"You had a run-in with a wild Tauros."

Then Delia remembered. "Where's Spencer?"

"He's over there against the tree," Professor Oak said, nodding in his direction. "He saved your life."

"Is he okay?"

"I'm fine, Delia," Spencer shouted in her direction, even though the wad of gauze on his arm was now totally saturated with blood and he was starting to feel a bit lightheaded.

"The baby?" Delia whispered.

"Don't worry, Delia. Everything will be all right," Professor Oak reassured her as he heard the sound of the ambulance siren in the distance.

---

Spencer came out of the emergency room with his left arm swathed in bandages.

"How bad is it, Spencer?" a concerned Professor Oak asked.

"Nineteen stitches, but no major damage. How's Delia?"

"They're keeping her overnight for observation. I just came from her room."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course." Professor Oak hesitated for a moment. "Spencer, about what I said earlier…"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you, Spencer," Professor Oak said, relieved.

Spencer peeked inside the door of Delia's room. She was lying in bed with an IV in her arm.

"You look like you've had a rough day."

"Not as rough as you. How's your arm, Spencer?"

"Let's just say that I won't be catching any more wild Tauros in the near future."

Delia smiled as he sat on her bed. "Don't worry. I won't ask you to."

Spencer's smile faded. "Delia, why didn't you tell me?"

A fearful look appeared in Delia's eyes. "About what?"

"About the baby," he said gently.

"Spencer, you can't tell anyone about the baby! Please promise me you won't say anything!" she pleaded desperately. "If anyone finds out, Samuel's career will be ruined and I can't live with myself knowing that I was responsible for that."

"Oh Delia, I won't tell anyone." He leaned down and hugged her.

"Thank you, Spencer," she said gratefully.

He wiped away the tear that had fallen from her eye. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet," she said quietly.

"Don't worry, Delia. Your secret is safe with me. As a matter of fact, I have one of my own."

"You do?"

"Yes. I'm leaving."

Delia was surprised. "Leaving? Why?"

Spencer smiled broadly. "Professor Alder wants me to be his research assistant. It's the dream of a lifetime for me."

"Oh Spencer, that's wonderful!" She hugged her friend tightly. "Although I hate to see you go."

"Don't worry, I'll stop by from time to time to visit. I'd better let you get some rest now."

"Take care of yourself, Spencer."

"Take care of yourself, Delia. You and the baby."

Spencer shut the door and leaned against the wall. For a week he had been agonizing over whether or not to accept Professor Alder's offer. But now there was nothing left for him here. The one thing that would've kept him here was now gone.