Andy went to work the next morning as usual, trying not to think about the girls. She managed to convince herself that they were safe with Les. After all, he was their father. True, he had hit her, but that had only happened once. He wouldn't touch his own kids. Right?
She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Lu knocking on her office door.
"Andy?" the latter woman called, "Are you okay?"
Remembering that Lu had parental problems of her own, Andy just nodded. "I'm fine, Delgado."
Lu frowned, sensing something was wrong. "Yeah, well you don't look fine. You look like something's up. What is it?"
Andy sighed, looking up. She knew from experience that Lu wouldn't stop asking questions until she got some answers, and Andy wasn't in the mood to argue with her. Besides, she needed someone to talk to, and Lu was the closest friend she'd made at Rittenhouse.
"Allright," Andy said, "You'd better sit down."
Lu took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Andy's desk.
"Yesterday, I went to Les's house to get the girls, and they were gone. No note, no warning, just... gone. A neighbor said he... said he saw them pack up and leave." she said, struggling to keep her voice even.
Lu stared pityingly at Andy, not knowing what to say. After a while, she asked, "Where do you think he took them?"
"I don't know." Andy replied. "I just don't know. I don't know how Les thinks anymore, ever since that night, when he hit me, he's just been a totally different person to me."
Lu nodded, then walked around the desk to comfort her friend. "Andy, I'm so sorry. If Bill took Marc like that, I'd go crazy."
"I admit, it's tempting," Andy remarked. "I had half a mind to stay home today, but I couldn't. If I were home right now, then my imagination would get the best of me, and I'd be thinking of all sorts of horrible possibilities, and... it's just better if I stay at work as much as possible."
Lu nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"
"You can distract me." Andy suggested. "Talk to me about something else. You mentioned Marc a minute ago. How is he?"
"He's good," Lu responded. "Last night, I told him about the possibility that... you know... that I might be pregnant." She paused. It still felt strange, saying it out loud.
"How did he take it?" Andy asked.
"Better than I did," Lu replied, only half joking. "He thinks it would be okay, being a big brother. I think he'd make a good one. But we may not even have to worry about it."
"You didn't take the test yet?" Andy asked, surprised.
Lu shook her head. "It's too early. I have to wait a few more days. It's driving me nuts, not knowing. I haven't even told Mickey yet."
"Not that it's any of my business, Delgado, but don't you think you should?"
"Yeah. I know. And I will. Maybe."
Andy smiled. "Well you can't exactly hide it from him forever, can you? I mean, eventually he's going to wonder who that kid living with you is."
Lu grinned, knowing her colleague was right. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll tell him. Tonight."
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True to her word, Lu called Mickey that afternoon and asked him to come over for dinner.
"What do you think?" she asked Marc, minutes before Mickey was supposed to arrive, when she was finally ready. She emerged from her bedroom wearing a short, fancy black dress.
"I think that dress is the reason we're here in the first place," he responded.
"Very funny," she replied, playfully throwing a pillow at him.
They heard a car honk from the street.
"That should be your dad," she said.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stick around, to help you revive Mickey when he faints?" he asked teasingly.
"No thanks," she replied dryly. She led him to the door. "I love you. Now go away."
He turned around to face her. Marc knew that despite his mother's calm, collected appearance, she was a nervous wreck. "I love you, too. And stop worrying. It'll be okay." he said. He kissed her good-bye, and left.
Mickey showed up a few seconds later. "Hey, you." he said when Lu opened the door. He kissed her, and then came in.
"Hi," she replied, closing the door behind him. "Um, Mickey? Before we have dinner, I was thinking we could maybe talk..."
He shrugged. "Sure. What about?"
Lu took a deep breath. She led him over to the couch, sat down next to him, took another breath, and began. "I think I might be pregnant."
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A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Review some more, and I'll post Mickey's reaction. Eventually. :P
She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear Lu knocking on her office door.
"Andy?" the latter woman called, "Are you okay?"
Remembering that Lu had parental problems of her own, Andy just nodded. "I'm fine, Delgado."
Lu frowned, sensing something was wrong. "Yeah, well you don't look fine. You look like something's up. What is it?"
Andy sighed, looking up. She knew from experience that Lu wouldn't stop asking questions until she got some answers, and Andy wasn't in the mood to argue with her. Besides, she needed someone to talk to, and Lu was the closest friend she'd made at Rittenhouse.
"Allright," Andy said, "You'd better sit down."
Lu took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Andy's desk.
"Yesterday, I went to Les's house to get the girls, and they were gone. No note, no warning, just... gone. A neighbor said he... said he saw them pack up and leave." she said, struggling to keep her voice even.
Lu stared pityingly at Andy, not knowing what to say. After a while, she asked, "Where do you think he took them?"
"I don't know." Andy replied. "I just don't know. I don't know how Les thinks anymore, ever since that night, when he hit me, he's just been a totally different person to me."
Lu nodded, then walked around the desk to comfort her friend. "Andy, I'm so sorry. If Bill took Marc like that, I'd go crazy."
"I admit, it's tempting," Andy remarked. "I had half a mind to stay home today, but I couldn't. If I were home right now, then my imagination would get the best of me, and I'd be thinking of all sorts of horrible possibilities, and... it's just better if I stay at work as much as possible."
Lu nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"
"You can distract me." Andy suggested. "Talk to me about something else. You mentioned Marc a minute ago. How is he?"
"He's good," Lu responded. "Last night, I told him about the possibility that... you know... that I might be pregnant." She paused. It still felt strange, saying it out loud.
"How did he take it?" Andy asked.
"Better than I did," Lu replied, only half joking. "He thinks it would be okay, being a big brother. I think he'd make a good one. But we may not even have to worry about it."
"You didn't take the test yet?" Andy asked, surprised.
Lu shook her head. "It's too early. I have to wait a few more days. It's driving me nuts, not knowing. I haven't even told Mickey yet."
"Not that it's any of my business, Delgado, but don't you think you should?"
"Yeah. I know. And I will. Maybe."
Andy smiled. "Well you can't exactly hide it from him forever, can you? I mean, eventually he's going to wonder who that kid living with you is."
Lu grinned, knowing her colleague was right. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll tell him. Tonight."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
True to her word, Lu called Mickey that afternoon and asked him to come over for dinner.
"What do you think?" she asked Marc, minutes before Mickey was supposed to arrive, when she was finally ready. She emerged from her bedroom wearing a short, fancy black dress.
"I think that dress is the reason we're here in the first place," he responded.
"Very funny," she replied, playfully throwing a pillow at him.
They heard a car honk from the street.
"That should be your dad," she said.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stick around, to help you revive Mickey when he faints?" he asked teasingly.
"No thanks," she replied dryly. She led him to the door. "I love you. Now go away."
He turned around to face her. Marc knew that despite his mother's calm, collected appearance, she was a nervous wreck. "I love you, too. And stop worrying. It'll be okay." he said. He kissed her good-bye, and left.
Mickey showed up a few seconds later. "Hey, you." he said when Lu opened the door. He kissed her, and then came in.
"Hi," she replied, closing the door behind him. "Um, Mickey? Before we have dinner, I was thinking we could maybe talk..."
He shrugged. "Sure. What about?"
Lu took a deep breath. She led him over to the couch, sat down next to him, took another breath, and began. "I think I might be pregnant."
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A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Review some more, and I'll post Mickey's reaction. Eventually. :P
