Title: Still Holding on
Category: Drama/Angst/ Romance-JC & JMC
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: None
Archive: ask first, then I'll decide
Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. They belong to Warner
Brothers, Michael Criton, NBC, etcetera, etcetera.
Author's note: I apologize for the long wait for this next chapter. I got caught up in another series I am writing (Different, but the Same, and Challenged, but still Unbroken~ You might want to read those if you get a chance!) about John and Randi. I honestly did not realize the terrible cliffhanger I left in this story. Anyway, here is the fifth chapter. Thanks to aroseisarose for reminding me to work on this story, too!
****
"Jing Mei, What does it say? Tell me."
"Oh, God. Abby, I'm pregnant." The Chinese woman exited the bathroom with tears streaming down her face. She silently fell into the arms of her friend, who stood with her and comforted her until she regained a somewhat normal train of thought.
"What are you going to tell John?"
"I don't know. He will figure out that it is not his. I have hurt him so much in this past month. Now this-"
"Shh-everything is going to be all right. I know John. He will love you no matter what. I saw how he never left you side while you were in the coma, and how he longed for you to recover. He will help you through this."
"I can't tell him yet, Abby."
"He is going to figure it out eventually."
"I know. I just need some time. Please don't say anything."
"I won't. But I do think that you need to talk with him."
Deb nodded, and lay down on the king sized bed in the master suite. She quickly cried herself to sleep, leaving Abby to contemplate how John and Deb's life was about to change.
****
Three weeks after Deb's startling revelation, John persuaded her to go on a picnic, in silent hopes to get the spark back into their romance. They went to a small park, about thirty minutes outside the Chicago city limits. While the skies seemed to be lightly filling with clouds, it was still a nice day.
John noticed that his wife had once again become reclusive and introverted. His concern and curiosity got the better of him, and he found an opportunity to get his wife alone and try to talk to her.
The clouds had begun to appear more prevalently by the time they made it to their picnic area.
John began to set out the food, and the plates, all the while trying to get Deb involved in a conversation.
As he did so, Deb walked away from him, and began to shake with the tears now flowing heavily down her face. She realized that she had to tell him the truth, and she had to do it then.
John saw this, and his growing concern was overwhelming him. He ran to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm, gently and stood directly in front of her, preventing her from running away again.
"What is it, Baby? I don't like seeing you act this way. I thought we were finally putting this nightmare behind us. Now you have all of a sudden returned to that reclusive person that was lying in that hospital bed. Tell me. Let me help you."
"John, I've been putting off telling you this," she said through her sobs. Finally she took in a deep breath, and blurted out the two words that would change their lives forever.
"I'm pregnant."
A smile spread across John's face. "Sweetheart, what were all the tears for? This is great news. A baby! This is what we wanted-a baby; our ba-Oh, my God! Deb-" He saw the look in her eyes. The reality of this pregnancy hit him like a ton of bricks. His smile faded, and he attempted to choke down the anger that was preparing to overflow out of him. "It's not-it's not mine, is it?"
The rain began to fall in torrents.
His wife could not look into his eyes, for the shame and fear in hers. She could say nothing, knowing anything she said would cause his heart to break even more, just like hers had been doing for days.
"When were you planning on telling me?" As he said this, his hands left her shoulders, and he turned away, not wanting her to see the anger flaring in his eyes. "W-why didn't you tell me," he said with more ferocity.
"Because, I don't want to lose you;" she shouted, in anger. "But at the same time, I don't want you to feel that you have any obligation to this child or me. He, or she, is mine-not ours. I love you John, and I want you to be happy. I am afraid that by taking this child as your own, you will be sacrificing your happiness, and for that, I would have to contend with guilt. Guilt that the child I will give birth to is not my husband's. Guilt that I could not find a way to escape-this baby's father." With that, she sat on a nearby rock, and began to sob, yet again.
Stunned at what his wife had said, John could not move; he could only think.
*No obligation to her? She felt guilty because she could not escape? *
"What have I done?" he whispered to himself.
He walked over, and gently put his arms around her, in a vain attempt to quell her tears, which could not be distinguished from the rain.
"None of this is your fault. I don't blame you for anything." He, too, was sobbing at this point. He took her red face into his hands, and looked straight into her deep chocolate colored eyes.
"I love you too, with all of my heart, Deb Carter. Nothing will ever change my feelings for you-not even this. And you're wrong; this baby will be ours. Blood is not what makes a family. I will love this child as if it were mine. I will never, never stop loving you-either one of you."
With this, he kissed her passionately. The rain was still falling, steadily, but with less tumult. Deb felt safer at that moment, than she had in nearly two months.
****
So, was it worth the wait?
I know that it is shorter than the other chapters, but I was emotionally drained after writing that much, so I decided to go ahead and post this short scene as the next chapter.
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I need help and encouragement, so tell me what you think (Or I'll stop the story at another cliffhanger moment, and make you wait another two months before posting the next part! JUST KIDDING [I think!]! )
Author's note: I apologize for the long wait for this next chapter. I got caught up in another series I am writing (Different, but the Same, and Challenged, but still Unbroken~ You might want to read those if you get a chance!) about John and Randi. I honestly did not realize the terrible cliffhanger I left in this story. Anyway, here is the fifth chapter. Thanks to aroseisarose for reminding me to work on this story, too!
****
"Jing Mei, What does it say? Tell me."
"Oh, God. Abby, I'm pregnant." The Chinese woman exited the bathroom with tears streaming down her face. She silently fell into the arms of her friend, who stood with her and comforted her until she regained a somewhat normal train of thought.
"What are you going to tell John?"
"I don't know. He will figure out that it is not his. I have hurt him so much in this past month. Now this-"
"Shh-everything is going to be all right. I know John. He will love you no matter what. I saw how he never left you side while you were in the coma, and how he longed for you to recover. He will help you through this."
"I can't tell him yet, Abby."
"He is going to figure it out eventually."
"I know. I just need some time. Please don't say anything."
"I won't. But I do think that you need to talk with him."
Deb nodded, and lay down on the king sized bed in the master suite. She quickly cried herself to sleep, leaving Abby to contemplate how John and Deb's life was about to change.
****
Three weeks after Deb's startling revelation, John persuaded her to go on a picnic, in silent hopes to get the spark back into their romance. They went to a small park, about thirty minutes outside the Chicago city limits. While the skies seemed to be lightly filling with clouds, it was still a nice day.
John noticed that his wife had once again become reclusive and introverted. His concern and curiosity got the better of him, and he found an opportunity to get his wife alone and try to talk to her.
The clouds had begun to appear more prevalently by the time they made it to their picnic area.
John began to set out the food, and the plates, all the while trying to get Deb involved in a conversation.
As he did so, Deb walked away from him, and began to shake with the tears now flowing heavily down her face. She realized that she had to tell him the truth, and she had to do it then.
John saw this, and his growing concern was overwhelming him. He ran to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm, gently and stood directly in front of her, preventing her from running away again.
"What is it, Baby? I don't like seeing you act this way. I thought we were finally putting this nightmare behind us. Now you have all of a sudden returned to that reclusive person that was lying in that hospital bed. Tell me. Let me help you."
"John, I've been putting off telling you this," she said through her sobs. Finally she took in a deep breath, and blurted out the two words that would change their lives forever.
"I'm pregnant."
A smile spread across John's face. "Sweetheart, what were all the tears for? This is great news. A baby! This is what we wanted-a baby; our ba-Oh, my God! Deb-" He saw the look in her eyes. The reality of this pregnancy hit him like a ton of bricks. His smile faded, and he attempted to choke down the anger that was preparing to overflow out of him. "It's not-it's not mine, is it?"
The rain began to fall in torrents.
His wife could not look into his eyes, for the shame and fear in hers. She could say nothing, knowing anything she said would cause his heart to break even more, just like hers had been doing for days.
"When were you planning on telling me?" As he said this, his hands left her shoulders, and he turned away, not wanting her to see the anger flaring in his eyes. "W-why didn't you tell me," he said with more ferocity.
"Because, I don't want to lose you;" she shouted, in anger. "But at the same time, I don't want you to feel that you have any obligation to this child or me. He, or she, is mine-not ours. I love you John, and I want you to be happy. I am afraid that by taking this child as your own, you will be sacrificing your happiness, and for that, I would have to contend with guilt. Guilt that the child I will give birth to is not my husband's. Guilt that I could not find a way to escape-this baby's father." With that, she sat on a nearby rock, and began to sob, yet again.
Stunned at what his wife had said, John could not move; he could only think.
*No obligation to her? She felt guilty because she could not escape? *
"What have I done?" he whispered to himself.
He walked over, and gently put his arms around her, in a vain attempt to quell her tears, which could not be distinguished from the rain.
"None of this is your fault. I don't blame you for anything." He, too, was sobbing at this point. He took her red face into his hands, and looked straight into her deep chocolate colored eyes.
"I love you too, with all of my heart, Deb Carter. Nothing will ever change my feelings for you-not even this. And you're wrong; this baby will be ours. Blood is not what makes a family. I will love this child as if it were mine. I will never, never stop loving you-either one of you."
With this, he kissed her passionately. The rain was still falling, steadily, but with less tumult. Deb felt safer at that moment, than she had in nearly two months.
****
So, was it worth the wait?
I know that it is shorter than the other chapters, but I was emotionally drained after writing that much, so I decided to go ahead and post this short scene as the next chapter.
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I need help and encouragement, so tell me what you think (Or I'll stop the story at another cliffhanger moment, and make you wait another two months before posting the next part! JUST KIDDING [I think!]! )