Chapter 2 - Diagnosis

The announcement reverberated through her mind. She had never imagined it. From somewhere, she heard her name.

"Alexandra?"

She hadn't yet regained the use of her voice and could only stare, blinking owlishly, at the doctor.

"Alexandra?" he repeated.

Answer him, her brain commanded. "Yes?"

"Did you hear me?"

Again. "Yes."

The doctor took in the look of shock written on her face, her pale pallor, added her monosyllabic answers to the equation and guessed that the young woman before him hadn't expected the news he'd just delivered. "You didn't suspect."

It was not a question.

She shook her head. No, she hadn't suspected. Or she hadn't allowed herself to suspect.

Children. That was for later in life - for someday. Not now. No, she hadn't suspected she was pregnant. There hadn't been the usual symptoms of pregnancy beyond being sick for the last three weeks. Her period had never been a regular cycle. All manner of tests had been run when she was younger but nothing was found. That happened with some women, she and her mother had been told. Nothing to worry about. So she hadn't.

She was pregnant. Now. Not someday.

The doctor spoke again. "Is the father-?"

Ty.

Had he suspected when she herself hadn't? What was she going to tell him? When was she going to tell him? She knew it had better be soon. According to the doctor, she was supposed to be almost out of her first trimester. If that were true, it wouldn't be long before everyone could see her condition. She had to say something soon.

The kindly doctor was still waiting for an answer. Alex could only respond with a weak, "I don't know."

Seeing the young woman on the examining table was still in shock, the doctor made notes in the file. "I can see this is a surprise to you. Why don't you go home and give it a couple of days to sink in. You can call me for a follow-up when you've decided what you want to do."

Now there was an understatement. What was she to do? Chapter 3 - UNEXPECTED

Alex noticed Sophie and Grace waiting for Bosco outside the firehouse when she arrived. Evidently, the squad had been called out; the engines were gone. The place looked basically deserted. Thankfully. She didn't need anyone around at the moment.

Hearing Sophie singing with Grace as they waited, it occurred to Alex that maybe she should share her news with someone, before Ty, that is. Get a reaction from someone. Specifically, she should tell Sophie. Sophie wouldn't have it all over the firehouse inside of an hour.

"Hello," Sophie called when Alex got within hearing distance. "How are you?"

As well as she could be under the circumstances, Alex thought, dropping her bag and sitting on the empty bench beside the garage doors.

Silently, Sophie took the seat next to her as she watched Grace skipping in circles.

Here goes. Alex took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

Alex wasn't sure what she expected for a reaction - shock, outrage, joy, surprise, all of the above - what she got was what she needed: a nonjudgmental acknowledgment. And then it occurred to her.

"You knew," Alex breathed, realizing why Sophie was so calm.

Sophie glanced at her. "I suspected, really."

"When?"

"Actually, it was when Gracie asked when you were getting your baby; she kept insisting that you were and then I started noticing little things - like you were so exhausted all the time," Sophie explained gently.

Alex was mentally cursing her own stupidity. She was a paramedic - sometimes - for crying out loud! She should have recognized the symptoms - however few there'd been. .A three-year old knew she was pregnant before she did.

"How do you feel about it?" Sophie asked.

"I'm not sure," Alex answered honestly. "I wanted kids someday. I just - "

"Welcome to 'someday'," Sophie replied, adding, "Ty doesn't know?"

"Uh, no. Not yet. I was hoping to catch him before he started. You know, tell him before someone else did.," she shrugged. "I don't know, maybe now's not the best time to drop this on him."

"Alex," Sophie interrupted. "You're going to have to tell him. And you're going to have to get off the squad again. Or if you wait, Ty and everyone else will figure it out, I'm sure, but I don't recommend that approach," Sophie studied her features. "You and Ty aren't having -?"

"Oh, no, everything's fine there - so far," She reassured her, thinking the statement may not be true after she dropped this on him. This wasn't something either of them had ever talked about.

Sophie spied Bosco in front of the precinct and knew Ty would be appearing shortly to get ready for the shift change.

"And there's my husband," Gathering her tote and daughter, Sophie turned to Alex. "Everything will be fine, Alex. You and Ty are blessed by this child."

Alex nodded, seeing Ty appear at the corner heading in her direction. She wasn't sure she believed that. Especially since she wasn't sure what she was going to do. "Yeah."

Chapter 4 - REVEALING

Sophie stood with Bosco, concentrating on the scene across the street. Her heart went out to Alex.

Ty had dropped the basketball he'd been holding and stared at Alex, who sat on the bench, losing what little color she had.

Sophie's mother instinct kicked in when she saw Alex race around the side of the building. Sophie issued an order to Bosco to watch Grace.

Bosco and Grace stopped near Ty, who was moving in the direction Alex, followed by Sophie, had headed.

Bosco grabbed Ty's arm to stop him. "Trust me, you don't want to be there and she doesn't want you there."

Davis, still in a stupor, babbled, "But I-"

"Trust me, no you don't." Bosco sat on the recently vacated bench and allowed Grace to run off her extra energy.

Ty dropped himself down next to him.

"Kinda hits ya like a train at first, huh?" Bosco commented, and then thought he should have kept quiet to begin with. He wasn't supposed to know anything.

"You knew?"

Bosco shrugged. "Sophie and her intuition wouldn't let me sleep until I heard her out."

"So Alex told Sophie before she told me. Your wife knew I was gonna be a father before I did," he repeated. He was remarkably calm considering the news that had just been delivered to him.

"No," Bosco continued.

"No?"

"No, Grace did." Bosco kept his attention on the three-year-old skipping in circles to a nursery rhyme being played in her head.

Ty was having trouble following along. "So Alex told your three-year-old daughter I was gonna be a father before she told me?"

Bosco sat for a moment. "No."

"No?" Ty's head was beginning to hurt.

"No."

Ty considered himself to be a pretty easygoing guy but Bosco was really gettin' at his last nerve. "Bosco, what the hell-"

At Bosco's sharp look toward Grace, Ty amended his outburst. Kids picked up on things like that.

"-heck are you talkin' about?"

Bosco crossed his arms defensively. "Look, all Sophie said was that Grace kept insisting that Alex looked like Sophie did."

"What? They look nothing like each other. Except maybe in height," Davis remarked. He was still shocked. After three weeks of her being exhausted and sick, he finally browbeat Alex into going to the doctor. He figured she had managed to work herself into exhaustion and the doc would order her to take a few days off and rest. Well, she was gonna have to rest now.

Bosco motioned Grace over to him, scooping her up into his lap. "Yeah, well, Sophie might have let it go if Gracie hadn't asked Alex when she was gettin' her baby."

"When was this?" Ty asked, still in shock.

Bosco shrugged. "'bout a month ago, maybe more, maybe less. I don't know."

It suddenly occurred to Ty that he had no idea how far along Alex was. She just blurted she was pregnant and then she'd gotten really pale and took off with her hand over her mouth. Ty glanced at his watch. Maybe he should go after her, he thought just as she came back around the corner with Sophie.

Sophie and Bosco made a discreet exit as Alex and Ty scrutinize each other.

"Al," Ty began. He wasn't sure what he was going to say.

"Look, we can talk about this later," Alex interrupted, picking up her bag from where she'd dropped it earlier. "We both have to get to work."

Ty looked at the deserted firehouse. Alex shouldn't be going out on calls.

So she shouldn't have told him now, Alex conceded silently when she saw him glance at the firehouse, but it was too late to change that. Alex knew what he was going to say. Sometimes, the man was just too protective. "Ty, I'll be fine. Go to work."

Given that she withdrew before he could say anything more, Ty had no choice but to cross the busy street to the station. Alex was right, they both had work. If he could concentrate on his job. It was going to be a long watch.
Chapter 5 - GUARDIAN

Ty was furious. What was Alex thinking? Hadn't she talked to Lou? He knew she saw him heading toward her because her face became more guarded.

"What are you doing, Alex?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice low.

She nodded to what remained of the building. "Putting out a fire."

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

"Ty," Alex's voice held a warning note. "later."

"No, Alex. Now, " he insisted. "You could have hurt yourself or the baby."

Alex looked around, making sure no one else was close enough to hear. She hadn't told anyone about the pregnancy yet. In the four hours since the shift started, there hadn't been the 'right time' to talk to Lou about it. "I'm fine."

Ty looked at her stubborn, blackened face and knew he was going to have a fight on his hands. "C'mon, I'm takin' you to the hospital."

"I said I was fine, she protested, straining against his protectiveness.

"And the baby?" he fairly shouted. Unfortunately, it was then that Lou walked around the side of the truck.

There was no way he didn't hear the remark. "Taylor?"

She hoped he hadn't heard Ty's outburst. "Sir?"

"Go to the hospital." He didn't know what was going on but he also knew not to take chances with the health of his crew. He felt particularly protective of this one.

It was considered an order. Alex knew when to argue with her superior and now was not the time. Throwing a nasty look at Ty, she started for the RMP.

Due to her condition, the hospital wanted to keep her overnight for observation as a precaution.

Even though it was childish, Alex refused to acknowledge Ty as he waited for the nurse to finish settling her into bed.

If there was one thing Ty knew for certain, it was that when a woman gave a man the silent treatment, there would be hell to pay later. And he would pay. But he didn't really care. His concern lay with Alex and their child at the moment.

He saw Sully motion to him. He was going to have to leave.

"Alex," he moved next to her. "I'll be back after the shift. We'll talk then."

A cold, angry silence was his response. Chapter 6 - VANISHED

"This better be good," Bosco muttered as the door buzzer sounded again. Pushing the button, he said, "It's one o'clock in the morning, this better be good."

"Bosco-"

Bosco recognized Ty's voice and let him in, waiting at the door for him. "Davis? What's goin' on?"

Sophie joined them tying her robe over her expanding stomach. "Ty?"

"Alex is gone," he explained frantically.

"Gone?" Bosco echoed. "Where?"

Ty, already worried and frustrated, felt like punching his fellow officer. "If I knew where she was, you think I'd be here?"

"Geez," Bosco muttered. "Sorry."

Sophie stepped in to diffuse tempers before Grace woke. "Ty, what happened?"

He quickly related the events that led up to Alex's disappearance.

Bosco made himself comfortable in the rocking chair, remarking, "And how is it that you don't know why she disappeared?"

At his condescending tone, Sophie laid a hand on his shoulder, silently warning to help or keep quiet. He took her hand, tugging her onto his lap as she addressed the distraught man. "Ty, she probably wasn't ready for this to be announced. Not to mention, she probably doesn't really know what to think yet."

"What do you mean?"

Sophie thought Ty was pretty intelligent - up until today when he discovered he was to be a father, that is - it appeared to go downhill since then. "I mean she's probably frightened out of her wits. Alex is a strong, independent woman who is used to taking care of herself and being in control of her life - and her body to some degree. That's something she can't do any longer."

Ty remained silent.

Sophie studied him and hoped she was making things clearer for him. "I'm sure she was overwhelmed to begin with and then you insinuate that she's purposely trying to harm herself or the baby only added to it."

Ty was beginning to see the situation from Alex's view. He hadn't said anything to Sully and yet he had practically announced to the entire department that Alex was pregnant. Sophie's explanation didn't make him feel better but it helped him understand. A little.

"I'm sure she's fine, Ty," Sophie was saying. "Just give her a little time and space. Go home. Get some rest."

Ty nodded and stood to leave. "Sorry it's so late. I just couldn't think of anyplace else she'd go. No one else knows, ya know?"

Sophie followed him to the door when Ty turned to her, concern written plainly on his features. "You don't think she'd-?"

The question was left unsaid but Sophie knew what was left unspoken. Would Alex terminate the pregnancy without telling him? She'd thought of that many times today. She didn't think Alex would make such a decision without talking with Ty but couldn't guarantee it. As Sophie said, Alex was a strong, independent woman.

She knew what he wanted her to say but Sophie would not lie to him. "I would like to say she wouldn't but I really don't know, Ty. I pray she doesn't - for her sake and yours."

He nodded. Deep down he had wanted an honest answer. That's why he'd asked Sophie. He apologized once again for disturbing them and left.

Bosco was waiting when she made her way back to the living room and into his arms.

"Where is she, Bosco?"

Holding her tightly, he answered, "I don't know, Soph, but she's tough. It'll be fine.

He felt rather then see her nod. "I know. I'm just concerned. I hope she sees this for the blessing it is."

Bosco wasn't surprised she was taking Alex's disappearance so seriously. Sophie considered everyone from the precinct and firehouse to be part of their 'family', therefore they were held just as closely to her heart as she held Bosco and Grace. It was just something more he loved about his wife.

He held her a moment longer before leading her back to bed.