November 7th, 2002
Week 9 of pregnancy
And do respect the women of the world; remember you all had mothers. ~Allen Toussaint

"All right." The doctor moved the scanner across Alex's stomach. Alex had her eyes closed tightly. "You look like you're around eight or nine weeks gestation. That'd be seven or six weeks after conception."

"Which is it?" Alex asked, "It makes a big difference here."

"I understand, Alexandra, but I don't know. It's too early to exactly pin point it." She said softly. "We can do an amnio around week fifteen if you want to find out the paternity."

"I do." Alex said softly, "Thank you. When do I have to stop working?"

"Well, you're a firefighter correct?" Alex nodded, "I'd advise you to cut back, stay out of the fire, do desk work."

"Okay." She sighed softly. The doctor looked at her.

"Alexandra, I know it's hard, but you do need to tell the father or at least the potential father. You're going through a lot besides the pregnancy. It'll just be a lot easier if someone else knows to help you."

"I know that." Alex sighed.

"Do you want to open your eyes and look at your baby?"

"I don't know." Alex whispered, "I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?" The doctor asked. A tear slid down her cheek.

"Afraid of falling in love with the baby." She whispered.

"It's okay to." She said, "It's part yours and regardless of who the father is, you're raising it. It'll have your values, your morals; it'll be like you. When you hold it in your arms for the first time, you'll forget about everything else and just revel in the wonderful feeling of being someone's mother. You'll love that child so much it'll hurt." Alex's lip trembled slightly. She opened her eyes and looked at the ultrasound.

"That...Is that my baby?" She whispered. The doctor grinned and nodded.

"You've got a very active child in there. Those four white lines are its legs and arms." She pointed it out for Alex, "That large grey blob is its head and that small blob is its body."

"Wow." Alex whispered.

"I'll make a copy of it so you can paste the picture in its baby book." The doctor winked. Alex nodded slowly staring at the screen. That was her baby. Regardless of who the father was, that child was hers. Alex sat up pulling her shirt down, "I'm guessing you're due around June 11th or 12th. Due dates are subject to change though."

"Yes I know. Thank you." She smiled sliding off of the table; "I got my vitamins and diet. I'll be fine."

"All right. If you have any questions Alexandra, do not hesitate to call." She said. Alex smiled as she left.

"I'll call." She said. Kim got up as she saw Alex emerge from the office.

"So? How did it go?" She asked. Alex showed Kim the ultrasound. "Oh! It's adorable!"

"She said I'm like eight or nine weeks gestation and I'm due around June 11th." Alex said walking out of the building.

"Very nice. You don't have to go through the summer pregnant." She chuckled, "You got the easy part over with now..."

"Ty." Alex sighed.

* * *

Ty turned the oven on to preheat. He took a peeled potato and started to slice it into thin slices. He heard the front door open and he smiled. Alex had been acting very strange around him the past week, week and a half.

"You here?" She called out.

"Yeah. I'm cooking." Ty said putting the potatoes into a bowl. Alex walked in and smiled nervously.

"Scallop potatoes. My favoruite." She said sitting down at the kitchen table. Ty nodded.

"I know." He chuckled stirring the onion in. "I thought we should have a nice dinner tonight." Alex bit her lip as she watched him move about.

"Ty, we need to talk." She said.

"Okay." He slid the bowl into the oven and washed his hands, "What about? Works going well, right?" Alex nodded.

"Oh yeah, but I'm going to be taking some leave." She said. Ty frowned deeply, not understanding. He sat down.

"Why, Alex?" He asked firmly. Alex took the envelope containing the ultrasound out from her pocket and slid it across to Ty. "What's in here?" Alex's heart beat rapidly. She felt like she was going to faint as Ty opened it.

"I'm…." She mumbled as he took the ultrasound out ad stared at it, "I'm pregnant." Ty stared at the picture in disbelief.

"No you're not."

"Yes am I. I'm due June 11th." She said biting her lip, "Are you mad?" Ty shook his head.

"Shocked is more like it." He stared at it. My baby. She's having my baby. A small smirk came across his face.

"There's something else I need to tell." Alex said.

"What?" He looked up at her. What she saw in his eyes shocked her. He looked happy. The happiest look she had ever seen on him. He was happy she was pregnant. She felt relieved and guilty at the same time. Her heart started to break as she formed her next sentence.

"I don't know if you're the father or not." She said. The happiness faded from his eyes and they were now filled with hurt.

"What?" He whispered. Alex's lip started to tremble.

"I…I didn't take the m-morning after pill." She started to cry, "And n-now I d-don't know if I'm pregnant by th-the man I l-love or by th-the monsters wh-who tried to kill me." Ty stared at her and got up.

"Oh Alex. Don't cry." He went over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're m-mad at me." She sobbed into his neck.

"No I'm not Alex." He said holding her.

"Wh-What if the baby isn't yours?" She asked. Ty thought about his answer for a moment.

"The baby is mine. Blood doesn't make someone a father Alex." He said, "I will be right here raising the baby whether it has my genetics or not and you know why?" He asked. Alex shook her head as she wiped her eyes. "Because you're its mother. You're the most beautiful, intelligent, and brave women I've ever met and anything you're carrying will be just as strong. I could never turn away from something that is part you."

"Ty, I n-need you more than ever before now." She whispered.

"I know Baby." He smiled softly sweeping her hair back. "When can we do a paternity test?" He would take care of this child no matter what, but he wanted to know if he was its biological father or not. He was praying to god he was. It will be harder on Alex if he wasn't.

"Um, she said around sixteen weeks I think." Alex said, "I'm like eight or nine weeks now."

"Oh…eight or nine weeks. Big difference." He said softly.

"That's what I said." Alex said looking the stove, "I should get washed up for dinner." Ty nodded and kissed her temple. Alex got up and went to the upstairs bathroom Ty sat back in his seat and looked at the ultrasound.

"I'm a dad." He whispered. The original happiness returned to his eyes and he hung the ultrasound on the refrigerator. "I will be your daddy no matter what." He whispered to the picture.

* * *

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