A/N: Thank you to itsnotrightbutitsokay and J for reviewing the last
chappy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Eighteen
Perfect Life
On New Year's Eve, Jack and Karen were the last to arrive at Katherine's apartment for dinner.
"Nice of you guys to join us," Will said as they walked into the apartment.
Jack made a face at him as he helped Karen out of her fur coat.
"So what's in the traditional Riley New Year's Eve meal that you told us about Kath," Karen said, walking to the kitchen.
"You'll see in a couple of minutes," Katherine said, working busily in the kitchen. "It's just about done. You can all get your drinks and have a seat."
"Are you sure you don't want Will or me to help?" Grace asked as everyone got their drinks.
"No, no need," Katherine said hurriedly as the oven timer started to ring. "Everything's done." She opened the oven and took out a large circular dish and set it on the stove.
"What is that?" Will asked as Katherine started to cut what looked like a pie.
"This is Blackbird pie," Katherine said, putting a plate with a slice in front of Amber first.
"Blackbird? Kat what the-" Jack started to say, watching Amber eat.
"It's not really, that's just the name," Katherine said, putting a plate in front of Grace. "It's because the chicken in the pie is blackened slightly before the pie itself is cooked."
Grace, very hesitatingly, cut off a piece with her fork and put it in her mouth.
"Well Gracie, how is it?" Will asked.
"It's good," Grace said. "Really good Kat."
"Thought you'd like it," Katherine said, sitting down with her own plate since everyone had been served.
As it neared midnight, everyone gathered in front of the TV to watch the countdown to the New Year.
"What a crazy year it's been," Grace said. "We almost lost Kat and you two got married."
"I think we spent more time stressing about Kath than anything else," Karen responded.
"And you won't need to worry about me getting sick like that again," Katherine said, handing out champagne glasses.
"Ooo, you actually bought some liquor Kat?" Jack asked he took a glass.
"I brought the champagne," Will said, smiling.
"At least there is champagne," Karen said as Will opened the bottle and poured some for her, Jack, Grace and himself.
"What are you and Amber going to drink for our toast?" Grace asked as Katherine went to the kitchen.
"I bought some sparkling apple cider for the two of us," Katherine said, handing her daughter a glass with the liquid.
"Alright, we've got five minutes until twelve," Will said quickly. "Who wants to go first?"
"You Will, you always give the first toast," Grace said, smiling.
"Wait, do we all have to make toasts?" Amber asked.
Katherine smiled and then whispered something in her daughter's ear. "Go ahead Will," she said, nodding to him.
"Alright, well I guess I want to say that I hope the next year will be prosperous and filled with good times for all of us," Will said. He raised his glass and then took a sip.
"Good times?" Jack asked laughingly.
"You know what I'm talking about Jack," Will said exasperatingly as he and Karen started laughing slightly.
"Okay you guys, my turn," Grace said, smiling. "I hope that we all have a good year without any of us getting sick or hurt."
"Amen to that," Karen said, glancing at Katherine.
"I just want to say thank you to Kat for all she's done for us this year," Jack said, winking at his sister in law.
"Bloody fool," Katherine said, but she was smiling. "What's it that you're going to toast Kare?"
"Hmm, I guess I'll just say I hope everyone stays happy," Karen said, shrugging and sipping her champagne.
"Real profound Karen," Will said dryly.
"Shut up chunky," Jack snapped quickly.
"Alright you two," Katherine said warningly. "What I'd like to toast to is that we always be at peace with each other."
"Are you talking about the world or the six of us?" Grace asked, confused.
"I'd like both," Katherine answered. "But peace among the six of us would be nice."
"Okay Amb," Jack said to the little girl. "What do you want next year?"
"I want to." the girl paused and then glanced at her mother before continuing. "I don't want anyone here to die and leave me like Mummy almost did."
The apartment was silent except for the TV.
"Amber, love, what are you talking about?" Katherine asked, looking at her daughter.
"I don't want to lose anyone," Amber said.
"Oh honey," Karen said, leaning forward and grabbing Amber's arms. "That's not something that's guaranteed, but you know we won't leave you on purpose, okay?"
Amber nodded and then wrapped her arms around Karen's neck.
After they had all counted down to the new year, Grace and Will left Katherine's apartment.
"We'll see you guys later," Grace said, going over to their apartment.
"You guys be careful going home," Will said to Karen and Jack before he left.
"We will," Jack answered.
"Night," Will said.
"Are you guys going to wait for a while before you go?" Katherine asked Karen and Jack.
"Yeah, give those bullets a few minutes to fall," Karen said.
"Okay, well let me put Amber to bed," Katherine said. "Come on love, say good night to your aunt and uncle."
"Good night Uncle Jack, Auntie Karen," the little girl said, hugging both of them.
A few minutes later, Katherine came back out and sat in the arm chair across from the couch Jack and Karen were sitting on. "Well I think everything went well except for Amber's toast," she said, a troubled look on her face.
"Yeah, what was that all about?" Jack asked.
"I guess she's just worried about people leaving her," Katherine said, sighing. "After all, she is an orphan."
"Maybe you should get her a dad, and then she wouldn't feel that way," Karen said, staring at her sister.
"Oh no Kare, don't start," Katherine said, shaking her head.
"I'm just trying to help," Karen said.
"It's getting late you guys," Katherine said softly.
"Yeah, we should get going," Jack said, standing up. "Come on Kare, let's go home."
~~~
The Sunday before Karen had to return to work after the holidays; Jack took her out for brunch at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
"This was a good idea poodle," Karen said, sipping her screwdriver. "I just wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow."
"Aw, it'll be okay Kare," Jack said comfortingly. "At least Kat will be there, and I'll come and take you out for lunch."
Karen smiled at him across the table and reached out to squeeze his hand.
After they had finished eating, Jack and Karen walked around the park, hand in hand for an hour, before leaving and going to Barney's where they shopped until six that night.
~~~
"Man, I have never been shopping for seven hours before," Jack said that night. "I am exhausted." He walked over to the bed and then fell back on it.
"Me too poodle," Karen said, smiling at him. "But we both got some great stuff." She had had the things they had bought delivered and they were in bags on the floor next to the bed. Karen started to rifle through the clothes and separated what was hers and what was Jack's.
Putting his hands behind his head, Jack stared up at the ceiling as Karen started to fold the shirts she'd bought him. "Kare," he said after several minutes.
"Hmm?" Karen asked, folding a sweater.
"I was thinking about what I'm going to do now that you're going back to work," Jack said. "I'm kind of getting bored of staying here and going to Barney's without you is no fun."
"You're sweet Jackie," Karen said smiling. "Now what do you want to do?"
Jack took a deep breath and said, "I think I want to go back to the theater." When Karen didn't say anything, he lifted his head and looked at her. "Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked.
"Jack," Karen said sighing. "If you thought I was going to be surprised by that, you're wrong. I knew it was a matter of time before you went back."
"What do you think about it though?" Jack asked. "Do you think I should try and get on stage again?"
"Poodle, you know I won't tell you what to do," Karen said. She moved the two piles of clothes over to a chair and then sat on the edge of the bed. "But if you want my opinion. I think that you should try Jackie, it is one thing that you like to do."
"Thanks Karebear," Jack said, putting one arm around her waist. "I'll start going to auditions on Tuesday."
"Why not start tomorrow?" Karen asked.
"I'm taking you out to lunch, remember?" Jack said, pulling her down so she was lying on the bed.
"You don't have to if you want to start auditioning tomorrow," Karen said.
"It's okay, Tuesday is a great day to start," Jack said, lifting his head and kissing her firmly.
~~~
A week and a half after Jack had announced his return to theater; Karen was at her desk in Grace's office, painting her nails.
"No luck for Brother Jack yet Kare?" Katherine asked as she walking into the office from the water cooler.
"Nope, but he did get a callback for a new play yesterday," Karen said. "I think he's there now."
"Off Broadway?" Grace asked.
"No, it's on Broadway," Jack said suddenly, bursting into the office. "And guess who's playing the character of Billy Flynn in Peter Sconss's production of 'Chicago?'"
"You got the part?" Karen exclaimed, getting up from her desk.
Jack nodded, grinning widely.
"Oh Jackie!" Karen cried happily. She ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy for you!"
Hugging Karen back tightly, Jack lifted her slightly and spun her around the room a couple of times before setting her down. "I have to start rehearsing immediately, but it's going to be fun," he said excitedly and he and Karen jumped up and down, clapping.
"Well Brother Jack," Katherine said, walking over to him. "When does the play open?"
"The tenth of next month," Jack answered.
"We'll be there," Grace said quickly.
"Congrats Jackie-boy," Katherine said, hugging him quickly.
"Come on poodle," Karen said, going to her desk and getting her purse. "We're going out for lunch to celebrate. See you later Kath, Grace."
"Bye you guys," Jack called as Karen led him out of the office.
"Wow, Jack as Billy Flynn," Grace said, turning back to her sketches. "I really can't believe it."
"He'll do well," Katherine said, still looking at the door that Jack and Karen had walked out of. "I've a gut feeling that this is the start of a long career for Brother Jack."
Grace laughed and said, "I'd like to see that happen."
Katherine turned back and smiled at her boss before walking into the swatch room to look for a pattern for a chair she was working on.
~~~
Later that night, Jack and Karen were sharing a bottle of champagne on the bed in their room to celebrate.
After drinking his second glass, Jack put it down on the nightstand and placed his head on Karen's lap. "Everything's going so great huh Kare?" he asked her sighing contentedly.
"They are Jackie," Karen answered, stroking his cheek. "Get up," she said suddenly.
"What? What is it?" Jack asked, sitting up.
"I just wanted to celebrate for real," Karen said, pressing her lips to his.
They kissed for a while, sitting up on the bed, and then Jack lightly pushed Karen back. "Can I tell you something Kare?" he asked as they started to undress each other.
"What's that Jackie?" Karen asked, kissing his chest once she had gotten his shirt off.
"I didn't think that being married would be so fun," Jack said, running his hand up Karen's skirt.
She paused for a moment and then said, "Do you mean fun or pleasurable?"
"Both," Jack answered quickly.
"All right, I'll allow that," Karen said with a smile before she kissed him passionately.
They quickly undressed each other after that, almost ripping their clothes off of each other.
Jack kept his face burrowed in Karen's neck as they made love, kissing and biting the skin sometimes. He wrapped his arms around her back, and they almost ended up in a sitting position, as he unintentionally pulled her up as they both crashed over the edge, moaning and screaming in ecstasy.
Later on that night, Jack was resting his head on Karen's stomach and kissing the skin there softly. "I love you," he said emotionally after a while, lifting his head and looking at her.
"I love you too Jack," Karen said, smiling and reaching out for him.
In a matter of seconds, Jack was on top of Karen, kissing her deeply and then he started to make love to her again.
~~~
On Wednesday of the next week, Karen woke up early in the morning. She lay on her back for a moment, trying to figure out what had woken her up so early. All of a sudden, she felt a wave of dizziness pass through her, and she bolted out of the bed.
Jack felt cold air hit him, going through his pajamas and he opened his eyes slightly. He saw Karen running towards the bathroom and he found himself wide awake.
Karen managed to make it to the bathroom in time as she threw up into the toilet. As her chest heaved, she felt fingers on her head, pulling her hair away from her face. A minute later, she managed to stop throwing up, and she leaned back, groaning.
Grabbing the washcloth he had dampened a few minutes earlier, Jack wiped Karen's face as she leaned against him and put his arm around her waist. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"Ohhh, my stomach," Karen muttered. "It's swimming."
"Well you didn't drink any more than usual yesterday," Jack said, kissing her now damp forehead.
"It must have been that fish I ate last night at dinner with Kath," Karen said. "Help me up poodle, I want to rinse out my mouth, brush my teeth."
Jack quickly did so and kept his arm around her waist as she quickly rinsed her mouth and then brushed her teeth. When she was done, he lifted her up into his arms and carried her to their bed. "So you think it's food poisoning?" Jack asked her.
"I don't know," Karen said. "It could be a stomach flu that only lasts a day. You know what; I bet that's what it is."
"You don't want to go-" Jack started to say.
"No, I don't want to go to the doctor's. I'll be fine poodle," Karen interrupted. "I just need to get some rest."
"Do you want me to stay with you today?" Jack asked.
"Oh honey, thanks for asking, but you need to go and rehearse for 'Chicago,'" Karen said.
"I don't want to leave you alone while you're sick," Jack said, looking down at her worriedly.
"Why don't you call Kath and ask her to spend the day with me?" Karen asked.
"Good idea," Jack said. He picked up the phone and called Katherine. After a quick conversation, he hung up and said, "She'll come over as soon as she takes Amber to school."
~~~
At eight thirty, Katherine arrived at the penthouse as Jack was leaving. "So how's she?" she asked before she went up the stairs.
"Sick," Jack said simply. "She threw up again ten minutes after I called you. I really don't want to go while she's like this."
"You know she wants you to go Jackie-boy," Katherine said admonishingly.
"Yeah, well, I've got my cell with me, so call if anything happens," Jack said before he left.
Katherine walked up the stairs and went into her sister's room. She got a shock when she saw that Karen was drinking. "Tea!" she said.
"I asked for a martini and I threw up when Rosario brought it," Karen said. "Kath, is Jack gone?"
"Yes, he just left," Katherine answered.
"Good, Kath I need you to get me something," Karen said nervously.
"Oh, well what is it Kare?" Katherine asked, a little suspiciously.
"I need you to buy me a pregnancy test," Karen said simply.
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Eighteen
Perfect Life
On New Year's Eve, Jack and Karen were the last to arrive at Katherine's apartment for dinner.
"Nice of you guys to join us," Will said as they walked into the apartment.
Jack made a face at him as he helped Karen out of her fur coat.
"So what's in the traditional Riley New Year's Eve meal that you told us about Kath," Karen said, walking to the kitchen.
"You'll see in a couple of minutes," Katherine said, working busily in the kitchen. "It's just about done. You can all get your drinks and have a seat."
"Are you sure you don't want Will or me to help?" Grace asked as everyone got their drinks.
"No, no need," Katherine said hurriedly as the oven timer started to ring. "Everything's done." She opened the oven and took out a large circular dish and set it on the stove.
"What is that?" Will asked as Katherine started to cut what looked like a pie.
"This is Blackbird pie," Katherine said, putting a plate with a slice in front of Amber first.
"Blackbird? Kat what the-" Jack started to say, watching Amber eat.
"It's not really, that's just the name," Katherine said, putting a plate in front of Grace. "It's because the chicken in the pie is blackened slightly before the pie itself is cooked."
Grace, very hesitatingly, cut off a piece with her fork and put it in her mouth.
"Well Gracie, how is it?" Will asked.
"It's good," Grace said. "Really good Kat."
"Thought you'd like it," Katherine said, sitting down with her own plate since everyone had been served.
As it neared midnight, everyone gathered in front of the TV to watch the countdown to the New Year.
"What a crazy year it's been," Grace said. "We almost lost Kat and you two got married."
"I think we spent more time stressing about Kath than anything else," Karen responded.
"And you won't need to worry about me getting sick like that again," Katherine said, handing out champagne glasses.
"Ooo, you actually bought some liquor Kat?" Jack asked he took a glass.
"I brought the champagne," Will said, smiling.
"At least there is champagne," Karen said as Will opened the bottle and poured some for her, Jack, Grace and himself.
"What are you and Amber going to drink for our toast?" Grace asked as Katherine went to the kitchen.
"I bought some sparkling apple cider for the two of us," Katherine said, handing her daughter a glass with the liquid.
"Alright, we've got five minutes until twelve," Will said quickly. "Who wants to go first?"
"You Will, you always give the first toast," Grace said, smiling.
"Wait, do we all have to make toasts?" Amber asked.
Katherine smiled and then whispered something in her daughter's ear. "Go ahead Will," she said, nodding to him.
"Alright, well I guess I want to say that I hope the next year will be prosperous and filled with good times for all of us," Will said. He raised his glass and then took a sip.
"Good times?" Jack asked laughingly.
"You know what I'm talking about Jack," Will said exasperatingly as he and Karen started laughing slightly.
"Okay you guys, my turn," Grace said, smiling. "I hope that we all have a good year without any of us getting sick or hurt."
"Amen to that," Karen said, glancing at Katherine.
"I just want to say thank you to Kat for all she's done for us this year," Jack said, winking at his sister in law.
"Bloody fool," Katherine said, but she was smiling. "What's it that you're going to toast Kare?"
"Hmm, I guess I'll just say I hope everyone stays happy," Karen said, shrugging and sipping her champagne.
"Real profound Karen," Will said dryly.
"Shut up chunky," Jack snapped quickly.
"Alright you two," Katherine said warningly. "What I'd like to toast to is that we always be at peace with each other."
"Are you talking about the world or the six of us?" Grace asked, confused.
"I'd like both," Katherine answered. "But peace among the six of us would be nice."
"Okay Amb," Jack said to the little girl. "What do you want next year?"
"I want to." the girl paused and then glanced at her mother before continuing. "I don't want anyone here to die and leave me like Mummy almost did."
The apartment was silent except for the TV.
"Amber, love, what are you talking about?" Katherine asked, looking at her daughter.
"I don't want to lose anyone," Amber said.
"Oh honey," Karen said, leaning forward and grabbing Amber's arms. "That's not something that's guaranteed, but you know we won't leave you on purpose, okay?"
Amber nodded and then wrapped her arms around Karen's neck.
After they had all counted down to the new year, Grace and Will left Katherine's apartment.
"We'll see you guys later," Grace said, going over to their apartment.
"You guys be careful going home," Will said to Karen and Jack before he left.
"We will," Jack answered.
"Night," Will said.
"Are you guys going to wait for a while before you go?" Katherine asked Karen and Jack.
"Yeah, give those bullets a few minutes to fall," Karen said.
"Okay, well let me put Amber to bed," Katherine said. "Come on love, say good night to your aunt and uncle."
"Good night Uncle Jack, Auntie Karen," the little girl said, hugging both of them.
A few minutes later, Katherine came back out and sat in the arm chair across from the couch Jack and Karen were sitting on. "Well I think everything went well except for Amber's toast," she said, a troubled look on her face.
"Yeah, what was that all about?" Jack asked.
"I guess she's just worried about people leaving her," Katherine said, sighing. "After all, she is an orphan."
"Maybe you should get her a dad, and then she wouldn't feel that way," Karen said, staring at her sister.
"Oh no Kare, don't start," Katherine said, shaking her head.
"I'm just trying to help," Karen said.
"It's getting late you guys," Katherine said softly.
"Yeah, we should get going," Jack said, standing up. "Come on Kare, let's go home."
~~~
The Sunday before Karen had to return to work after the holidays; Jack took her out for brunch at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
"This was a good idea poodle," Karen said, sipping her screwdriver. "I just wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow."
"Aw, it'll be okay Kare," Jack said comfortingly. "At least Kat will be there, and I'll come and take you out for lunch."
Karen smiled at him across the table and reached out to squeeze his hand.
After they had finished eating, Jack and Karen walked around the park, hand in hand for an hour, before leaving and going to Barney's where they shopped until six that night.
~~~
"Man, I have never been shopping for seven hours before," Jack said that night. "I am exhausted." He walked over to the bed and then fell back on it.
"Me too poodle," Karen said, smiling at him. "But we both got some great stuff." She had had the things they had bought delivered and they were in bags on the floor next to the bed. Karen started to rifle through the clothes and separated what was hers and what was Jack's.
Putting his hands behind his head, Jack stared up at the ceiling as Karen started to fold the shirts she'd bought him. "Kare," he said after several minutes.
"Hmm?" Karen asked, folding a sweater.
"I was thinking about what I'm going to do now that you're going back to work," Jack said. "I'm kind of getting bored of staying here and going to Barney's without you is no fun."
"You're sweet Jackie," Karen said smiling. "Now what do you want to do?"
Jack took a deep breath and said, "I think I want to go back to the theater." When Karen didn't say anything, he lifted his head and looked at her. "Aren't you going to say anything?" he asked.
"Jack," Karen said sighing. "If you thought I was going to be surprised by that, you're wrong. I knew it was a matter of time before you went back."
"What do you think about it though?" Jack asked. "Do you think I should try and get on stage again?"
"Poodle, you know I won't tell you what to do," Karen said. She moved the two piles of clothes over to a chair and then sat on the edge of the bed. "But if you want my opinion. I think that you should try Jackie, it is one thing that you like to do."
"Thanks Karebear," Jack said, putting one arm around her waist. "I'll start going to auditions on Tuesday."
"Why not start tomorrow?" Karen asked.
"I'm taking you out to lunch, remember?" Jack said, pulling her down so she was lying on the bed.
"You don't have to if you want to start auditioning tomorrow," Karen said.
"It's okay, Tuesday is a great day to start," Jack said, lifting his head and kissing her firmly.
~~~
A week and a half after Jack had announced his return to theater; Karen was at her desk in Grace's office, painting her nails.
"No luck for Brother Jack yet Kare?" Katherine asked as she walking into the office from the water cooler.
"Nope, but he did get a callback for a new play yesterday," Karen said. "I think he's there now."
"Off Broadway?" Grace asked.
"No, it's on Broadway," Jack said suddenly, bursting into the office. "And guess who's playing the character of Billy Flynn in Peter Sconss's production of 'Chicago?'"
"You got the part?" Karen exclaimed, getting up from her desk.
Jack nodded, grinning widely.
"Oh Jackie!" Karen cried happily. She ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy for you!"
Hugging Karen back tightly, Jack lifted her slightly and spun her around the room a couple of times before setting her down. "I have to start rehearsing immediately, but it's going to be fun," he said excitedly and he and Karen jumped up and down, clapping.
"Well Brother Jack," Katherine said, walking over to him. "When does the play open?"
"The tenth of next month," Jack answered.
"We'll be there," Grace said quickly.
"Congrats Jackie-boy," Katherine said, hugging him quickly.
"Come on poodle," Karen said, going to her desk and getting her purse. "We're going out for lunch to celebrate. See you later Kath, Grace."
"Bye you guys," Jack called as Karen led him out of the office.
"Wow, Jack as Billy Flynn," Grace said, turning back to her sketches. "I really can't believe it."
"He'll do well," Katherine said, still looking at the door that Jack and Karen had walked out of. "I've a gut feeling that this is the start of a long career for Brother Jack."
Grace laughed and said, "I'd like to see that happen."
Katherine turned back and smiled at her boss before walking into the swatch room to look for a pattern for a chair she was working on.
~~~
Later that night, Jack and Karen were sharing a bottle of champagne on the bed in their room to celebrate.
After drinking his second glass, Jack put it down on the nightstand and placed his head on Karen's lap. "Everything's going so great huh Kare?" he asked her sighing contentedly.
"They are Jackie," Karen answered, stroking his cheek. "Get up," she said suddenly.
"What? What is it?" Jack asked, sitting up.
"I just wanted to celebrate for real," Karen said, pressing her lips to his.
They kissed for a while, sitting up on the bed, and then Jack lightly pushed Karen back. "Can I tell you something Kare?" he asked as they started to undress each other.
"What's that Jackie?" Karen asked, kissing his chest once she had gotten his shirt off.
"I didn't think that being married would be so fun," Jack said, running his hand up Karen's skirt.
She paused for a moment and then said, "Do you mean fun or pleasurable?"
"Both," Jack answered quickly.
"All right, I'll allow that," Karen said with a smile before she kissed him passionately.
They quickly undressed each other after that, almost ripping their clothes off of each other.
Jack kept his face burrowed in Karen's neck as they made love, kissing and biting the skin sometimes. He wrapped his arms around her back, and they almost ended up in a sitting position, as he unintentionally pulled her up as they both crashed over the edge, moaning and screaming in ecstasy.
Later on that night, Jack was resting his head on Karen's stomach and kissing the skin there softly. "I love you," he said emotionally after a while, lifting his head and looking at her.
"I love you too Jack," Karen said, smiling and reaching out for him.
In a matter of seconds, Jack was on top of Karen, kissing her deeply and then he started to make love to her again.
~~~
On Wednesday of the next week, Karen woke up early in the morning. She lay on her back for a moment, trying to figure out what had woken her up so early. All of a sudden, she felt a wave of dizziness pass through her, and she bolted out of the bed.
Jack felt cold air hit him, going through his pajamas and he opened his eyes slightly. He saw Karen running towards the bathroom and he found himself wide awake.
Karen managed to make it to the bathroom in time as she threw up into the toilet. As her chest heaved, she felt fingers on her head, pulling her hair away from her face. A minute later, she managed to stop throwing up, and she leaned back, groaning.
Grabbing the washcloth he had dampened a few minutes earlier, Jack wiped Karen's face as she leaned against him and put his arm around her waist. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"Ohhh, my stomach," Karen muttered. "It's swimming."
"Well you didn't drink any more than usual yesterday," Jack said, kissing her now damp forehead.
"It must have been that fish I ate last night at dinner with Kath," Karen said. "Help me up poodle, I want to rinse out my mouth, brush my teeth."
Jack quickly did so and kept his arm around her waist as she quickly rinsed her mouth and then brushed her teeth. When she was done, he lifted her up into his arms and carried her to their bed. "So you think it's food poisoning?" Jack asked her.
"I don't know," Karen said. "It could be a stomach flu that only lasts a day. You know what; I bet that's what it is."
"You don't want to go-" Jack started to say.
"No, I don't want to go to the doctor's. I'll be fine poodle," Karen interrupted. "I just need to get some rest."
"Do you want me to stay with you today?" Jack asked.
"Oh honey, thanks for asking, but you need to go and rehearse for 'Chicago,'" Karen said.
"I don't want to leave you alone while you're sick," Jack said, looking down at her worriedly.
"Why don't you call Kath and ask her to spend the day with me?" Karen asked.
"Good idea," Jack said. He picked up the phone and called Katherine. After a quick conversation, he hung up and said, "She'll come over as soon as she takes Amber to school."
~~~
At eight thirty, Katherine arrived at the penthouse as Jack was leaving. "So how's she?" she asked before she went up the stairs.
"Sick," Jack said simply. "She threw up again ten minutes after I called you. I really don't want to go while she's like this."
"You know she wants you to go Jackie-boy," Katherine said admonishingly.
"Yeah, well, I've got my cell with me, so call if anything happens," Jack said before he left.
Katherine walked up the stairs and went into her sister's room. She got a shock when she saw that Karen was drinking. "Tea!" she said.
"I asked for a martini and I threw up when Rosario brought it," Karen said. "Kath, is Jack gone?"
"Yes, he just left," Katherine answered.
"Good, Kath I need you to get me something," Karen said nervously.
"Oh, well what is it Kare?" Katherine asked, a little suspiciously.
"I need you to buy me a pregnancy test," Karen said simply.