Hello readers! Hope you're all enjoying the story (remember, I love
reviews!). I'll try to post a couple chapters each day, but don't be upset
if I don't find the time! Thanks for reading!
Christina couldn't believe this. Wait, yes, she could. Her horrible doctor's appointment had done nothing but confirm the suspicision she'd had all along. She was indeed with child. Now what? she thought to herself, as she stood in the lobby, her first ultrasound and prenatal care brochures in a manila folder tucked under her arm. She gnawed nervously on her fingernail. She sat the folder on a table and smoothed her hands over her belly, which was covered with a coffee colored baby tee. She wondered if she was showing yet. She highly doubted it, since she was only 3 and a half months along, but she felt paranoid. She'd had a hard time pulling on her size 4 tan corduroys this morning, which had devestated her. She sighed, and picked up the folder again. She figured as long as she was here, she may as well get it over with and tell Michael.
She approached Colleen at the desk and asked where Michael was right now. "Oh, hi sweetpea! He's observing Dr. Thornhart right now, Ward C, I believe," Colleen said warmly. "Okay, thank you, Collen," Christina said. She took a deep breath and rode the elevator up to Ward C. As soon as the elevator doors slid open, she saw Michael outside a patient's room, scribbling on a clipboard. Her stomach turned.
"Hey, baby!" he said surprised, looking up to see her. Christina forced herself to smile as she strode over to him. Michael kissed her on the cheek and curled his arm around her. "So what's up, what are you doing here?" Michael asked. Christina opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, then said, "Sweetheart, do you um, have like, a breaktime, or something?" "Uh, yeah," Michael said, peering at his watch. "But it's not for another hour or so." "Could you maybe take it early, today, please?" Christina asked shyly. "I need to talk to you." "Christy, I don't think that I can-" Michael began, sounding annoyed. "Please," Christina pleaded, grabbing his wrist. She had to tell him now. She might never get the courage later.
Michael heaved a gigantic sigh, as if Christina were the biggest burden in the world. "All right. Fine," he snarled, jamming his clipboard into it's slot on the wall. "This better be good."
* As she and her sister steered their bikes into their driveway, Sascha breathed a sigh of relief. Her parents were not home yet. She jammed her bike in the garage and cursed the fact that she was a year and a half away from a driver's license. Ana went to go swimming in the backyard in ground pool while Sascha rushed back to her bedroom to examine the artifacts she'd found squirreled away in her mother's closet.
Once she was comfortably settled on the floor, her back against her bed, she first pulled out the box. She took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for whatever might be in the box. After all, their had to be some reason that Karen had been so adamant to conceal it. Finally, Sascha lifted the lid of the box, and set it aside. When she saw what was inside, she gasped.
*
As Raven drove away from the Lighthouse, she remembered promising Danny that she'd see him today. She wished that she hadn't made him that promise, she didn't feel like seeing anyone today. But he was her boyfriend, and she loved him. Maybe seeing Danny would make her feel better, it always had before. She turned onto Danny's street and drove to his house.
"Raven, baby, hi!" a shirtless Danny said, kissing her. "Hey, Danny." Danny led her inside and closed the door behind them. He then rushed into his bedroom, where he pulled his work jersey over his head. Danny was a bouncer at Carly Corinthos' club.
"Oh, shoot," Raven said, rubbing her temple. "What?" asked Danny as he checked his reflection in the mirror. "I forgot you had to work today, I'm sorry." "No, no! It's fine. I told you I wanted to see you today," Danny assured her. "Well, how about I meet you at the club tonight after your shift ends?" Raven suggested. "Great! I get off at 8, why don't you meet me then?"
"Okay. See you then," Raven said. She kissed Danny, and left, relieved. Maybe she'd feel better by that evening, she hoped anyway. She had no way of knowing that by that night she would be so overwhelmed she'd forget her eerie feeling entirely.
*
"What are you saying, Lucy? If you can't stop Caleb, then who can? I mean, you're the only living vampire slayer in Port Charles!" Alison said.
"No, I'm not, Alison! Think about it! Who is Rafe's other living relative in Port Charles, besides me?" Lucy pressed excitedly. Alison thought for a moment, then her eyes widened in realization. "No," she said. "Yes!" "Lucy! Rafe's daughter? My daughter? Raven? No, no way. She can't kill Caleb, uh-uh. Besides, she's only half slayer!" "Half is better than nothing, which is the alternative! We have no other choice, and she can kill Caleb, I know she can!" Lucy sang out.
"Lucy, no! Look what happened to Rafe when he tried!!! He got killed, Lucy! I can't lose Rafe and Raven, I couldn't go through that! I'm not letting her do this. Besides, Raven doesn't even know her father is an angel, much less that she's a vampire slayer! If I told her that, it would totally mess up her life!" Alison cried.
"Oh yeah? Well, think about how messed up her life will be, how messed up all of our lives will be if Caleb isn't stopped!" "Lucy..." Alison pleaded. "Listen to me, Alison. Female slayers are more powerful. I mean, look at me, Buffy, even! I'm sure Raven could do it. She has to do it!" Lucy explained.
"But I can't risk it, Lucy! What if something happened to her? Something awful! Raven is my daughter, Lucy!" Alison exclaimed.
"But think of it this way, Alison - if Raven doesn't do something, what will happen to Livvie? We all know that's why Caleb returned, for her. Livvie is like my daughter, Alison. And she is Kevin's daughter. And your best friend. Are you just going to sit back and watch Caleb hurt Livvie when it can be stopped?"
*
Chris sat there, eyes intent on Frank's. Frank was sincere. "All right, fine. You can help me. But listen, I've got to get back to my shift, we'll talk about this more tomorrow, okay?" he said surrenderingly.
"Same time, same place," Frank confirmed. "Great," Chris said sarcastically. With that, he stood up and left the staff room. Frank remained at the table, his head reeling with thoughts of Julie.
Christina couldn't believe this. Wait, yes, she could. Her horrible doctor's appointment had done nothing but confirm the suspicision she'd had all along. She was indeed with child. Now what? she thought to herself, as she stood in the lobby, her first ultrasound and prenatal care brochures in a manila folder tucked under her arm. She gnawed nervously on her fingernail. She sat the folder on a table and smoothed her hands over her belly, which was covered with a coffee colored baby tee. She wondered if she was showing yet. She highly doubted it, since she was only 3 and a half months along, but she felt paranoid. She'd had a hard time pulling on her size 4 tan corduroys this morning, which had devestated her. She sighed, and picked up the folder again. She figured as long as she was here, she may as well get it over with and tell Michael.
She approached Colleen at the desk and asked where Michael was right now. "Oh, hi sweetpea! He's observing Dr. Thornhart right now, Ward C, I believe," Colleen said warmly. "Okay, thank you, Collen," Christina said. She took a deep breath and rode the elevator up to Ward C. As soon as the elevator doors slid open, she saw Michael outside a patient's room, scribbling on a clipboard. Her stomach turned.
"Hey, baby!" he said surprised, looking up to see her. Christina forced herself to smile as she strode over to him. Michael kissed her on the cheek and curled his arm around her. "So what's up, what are you doing here?" Michael asked. Christina opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, then said, "Sweetheart, do you um, have like, a breaktime, or something?" "Uh, yeah," Michael said, peering at his watch. "But it's not for another hour or so." "Could you maybe take it early, today, please?" Christina asked shyly. "I need to talk to you." "Christy, I don't think that I can-" Michael began, sounding annoyed. "Please," Christina pleaded, grabbing his wrist. She had to tell him now. She might never get the courage later.
Michael heaved a gigantic sigh, as if Christina were the biggest burden in the world. "All right. Fine," he snarled, jamming his clipboard into it's slot on the wall. "This better be good."
* As she and her sister steered their bikes into their driveway, Sascha breathed a sigh of relief. Her parents were not home yet. She jammed her bike in the garage and cursed the fact that she was a year and a half away from a driver's license. Ana went to go swimming in the backyard in ground pool while Sascha rushed back to her bedroom to examine the artifacts she'd found squirreled away in her mother's closet.
Once she was comfortably settled on the floor, her back against her bed, she first pulled out the box. She took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for whatever might be in the box. After all, their had to be some reason that Karen had been so adamant to conceal it. Finally, Sascha lifted the lid of the box, and set it aside. When she saw what was inside, she gasped.
*
As Raven drove away from the Lighthouse, she remembered promising Danny that she'd see him today. She wished that she hadn't made him that promise, she didn't feel like seeing anyone today. But he was her boyfriend, and she loved him. Maybe seeing Danny would make her feel better, it always had before. She turned onto Danny's street and drove to his house.
"Raven, baby, hi!" a shirtless Danny said, kissing her. "Hey, Danny." Danny led her inside and closed the door behind them. He then rushed into his bedroom, where he pulled his work jersey over his head. Danny was a bouncer at Carly Corinthos' club.
"Oh, shoot," Raven said, rubbing her temple. "What?" asked Danny as he checked his reflection in the mirror. "I forgot you had to work today, I'm sorry." "No, no! It's fine. I told you I wanted to see you today," Danny assured her. "Well, how about I meet you at the club tonight after your shift ends?" Raven suggested. "Great! I get off at 8, why don't you meet me then?"
"Okay. See you then," Raven said. She kissed Danny, and left, relieved. Maybe she'd feel better by that evening, she hoped anyway. She had no way of knowing that by that night she would be so overwhelmed she'd forget her eerie feeling entirely.
*
"What are you saying, Lucy? If you can't stop Caleb, then who can? I mean, you're the only living vampire slayer in Port Charles!" Alison said.
"No, I'm not, Alison! Think about it! Who is Rafe's other living relative in Port Charles, besides me?" Lucy pressed excitedly. Alison thought for a moment, then her eyes widened in realization. "No," she said. "Yes!" "Lucy! Rafe's daughter? My daughter? Raven? No, no way. She can't kill Caleb, uh-uh. Besides, she's only half slayer!" "Half is better than nothing, which is the alternative! We have no other choice, and she can kill Caleb, I know she can!" Lucy sang out.
"Lucy, no! Look what happened to Rafe when he tried!!! He got killed, Lucy! I can't lose Rafe and Raven, I couldn't go through that! I'm not letting her do this. Besides, Raven doesn't even know her father is an angel, much less that she's a vampire slayer! If I told her that, it would totally mess up her life!" Alison cried.
"Oh yeah? Well, think about how messed up her life will be, how messed up all of our lives will be if Caleb isn't stopped!" "Lucy..." Alison pleaded. "Listen to me, Alison. Female slayers are more powerful. I mean, look at me, Buffy, even! I'm sure Raven could do it. She has to do it!" Lucy explained.
"But I can't risk it, Lucy! What if something happened to her? Something awful! Raven is my daughter, Lucy!" Alison exclaimed.
"But think of it this way, Alison - if Raven doesn't do something, what will happen to Livvie? We all know that's why Caleb returned, for her. Livvie is like my daughter, Alison. And she is Kevin's daughter. And your best friend. Are you just going to sit back and watch Caleb hurt Livvie when it can be stopped?"
*
Chris sat there, eyes intent on Frank's. Frank was sincere. "All right, fine. You can help me. But listen, I've got to get back to my shift, we'll talk about this more tomorrow, okay?" he said surrenderingly.
"Same time, same place," Frank confirmed. "Great," Chris said sarcastically. With that, he stood up and left the staff room. Frank remained at the table, his head reeling with thoughts of Julie.