A/N: Thanks to itsnotrightbutitsokay for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sudden Arrival
It was the end of November, a week before Thanksgiving, and still Edward and Katherine were in England. It turned out that Edward's mother had left him a sizable amount of land near the Scottish border, and on that land, was a mansion where she had expected him to live and care for the land.
Since Edward, and Katherine too, did not want to live in England or on the cold harsh land in the middle of the moor, they were trying to find someone who would care for the place in their name.
They were finally able to convince Edward's cousin, George O'Neill and his family to take over the grounds and to live there. George asked his cousin and wife for one favor as the papers were being signed, and that was for them to stay on for a few more days until he and his family were comfortable with the land. Wanting to make sure that George stayed, Katherine and Edward agreed; delaying their return to New York yet again.
~~~
Karen trudged up the stairs to her daughter's room after just getting home from Grace's office. She had been feeling depressed lately, and she hated it. She hated going to work especially, since her sister was still in England. And Grace's replacement for Katherine was always getting on her nerves.
The woman, whose name Karen always forgot, kept trying to get friendly with her. Karen finally had had enough and she took to spending all her time at the office reading the books Katherine had given her. Luckily, the assistant stopped trying to talk with her, but that didn't cheer up Karen too much.
The other reason she felt depressed was a minor thing. Karen was saddened that she hadn't gotten pregnant yet. She knew that it was too soon after they started trying for anything to really happen, but she had been hoping that she would become pregnant.
"Hey Karebear, what's wrong?" Jack asked, coming out of their room. He held his arms out to her and hugged her tightly.
"I miss my sister poodle," Karen said simply, resting her head on his chest. "When she called yesterday, she told me they probably won't be back for Thanksgiving."
"Oh, it'll be okay Kare," Jack said, kissing her forehead. "I'm sure they'll be back by Christmas at least."
Karen just shrugged and said, "How's Ebie?"
"She's fine Kare," Jack said. "Why don't you go and see her, that'll cheer you up."
"Yeah, at least that's one thing I know will make me happy, besides you of course Jackie," Karen said. She let go of him and then walked over to Elizabeth's room. She stopped in the doorway and her jaw dropped in shock when she saw who was holding her daughter.
"Well Kare, I have to admit that's one of the few expressions I'd ever expected to see on your face," Katherine said, smiling at her sister.
"Kath!" Karen cried, getting her voice back. She ran into the room and hugged her sister tightly. "When did you get back?"
"About an hour ago," Katherine answered. She handed Elizabeth to Jack who had walked into the room just then and she returned her sister's hug. "Your husband was kind enough to pick the four of us up in the limo."
"You knew they were back and you didn't say anything to me Jackie?" Karen asked, turning to him.
"Kat said she wanted this to be a surprise," Jack said easily. "So I kept my mouth shut like she asked."
"Where's Edward and your kids," Karen said, turning back to her sister.
"Resting in the penthouse," Katherine answered. "I didn't plan to stay here for too long. I need to unpack and a lot of other things."
"Then you guys are coming for dinner tonight," Karen said, letting go of Katherine.
"We'll see how tired we all are Kare," Katherine said. "Anyway, I came here for a reason besides to say hi. Edward and I are going to have Thanksgiving dinner at our place tomorrow night."
"Are Will and Grace coming?" Jack asked, as the three of them left Elizabeth's room.
"Yes, and Will asked if Zach could come along too" Katherine said. "When did they start?"
"A week ago," Jack answered. "They're pretty disgusting together."
Katherine laughed and said, "I'm sure they think the same of you two."
Jack made a face at her and then smiled, "They probably do."
"Alright, I'd better go," Katherine said. "I'll give you a call later Kare as to whether or not we'll come up for dinner."
"Get some rest Kath," Karen said, kissing her sister's cheek.
"Bye," Katherine said, leaving the penthouse.
"So you knew they were back?" Karen said when she closed the door behind Katherine.
"Yeah, but don't think I didn't want to tell you," Jack said quickly, following Karen as she went up the stairs. "Don't be mad at me Kare."
"Give me Ebie," Karen said then.
Jack gave her their daughter and then watched as Karen put the baby in the crib. When she walked out of the room, she grabbed his sweater and pulled him over to their bedroom. "Are you mad at me?" he asked, very confused.
"Why would you think that?" Karen said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled up at him and then pulled his head down to hers and they kissed deeply.
"I hate when you do that Kare," Jack said when they had pulled apart. "You always make me feel like I did something wrong."
Karen giggled and kissed him on the cheeks. "I always like to hear you beg for me to forgive you," she said.
"Uh-huh, and you don't think that's weird at all?" Jack asked, as she started kissing his mouth as well.
"Does it really matter?" Karen retorted.
Jack suddenly picked her up and carried her over to the bed. As he laid her down, he said, "You know it's the middle of the afternoon."
"So, it's not like we've never had sex at this time before," Karen said.
"That's true," Jack said, he grinned and then lay himself down on top of her, immediately unbuttoning her blouse and kissing her neck.
~~~
The next evening, Katherine let Jack and Karen into the penthouse. "You guys are the first ones," she said to them.
"When can we eat? I'm starving!" Jack said as they walked to the living room.
"I made sure we didn't eat lunch," Karen said, looking her sister over.
"What?" Katherine asked, becoming uncomfortable.
"You look different," Karen said.
"Oh, well this is a new outfit," Katherine said nervously.
"No, it's something else," Karen said. She was going to say more when the doorbell rang and her sister ran out to open the door.
"Hey you two, glad you came over," Katherine said to Will and Grace as she let them in. "Where's Zach?"
"Oh, his mom called last night and asked him to go out to San Francisco for a family dinner tonight," Will said, handing Katherine a bottle of wine.
"I'm sorry Will," Katherine said, taking the wine.
"Nah, it's okay. He told me this might happen already, so I was prepared for it," Will said.
"Are we going to get a chance to meet your son or what?" Grace then asked.
Katherine laughed and said, "Sure, he's in the living room with the others."
"Hi everyone," Grace said when they entered.
"Patrick, come here," Katherine said, motioning to her son. When he stood next to her, she said, "Patrick this is your Aunt Grace and Uncle Will. Grace, Will, this is Patrick."
"Hullo," Patrick said, looking up at the two and nodding.
"Nice to get to meet you Patrick," Will said, holding his hand out to the boy. "You're mom's told me a lot about you."
"He's so cute Kat," Grace said and she knelt down and hugged him tightly.
"Okay, now that that's done," Edward said, standing up. "Dinner won't be ready for a half-hour or so."
"You're kidding," Jack said.
"He's not Jackie-boy," Katherine said, smiling at her brother in law.
"What do we do until we eat?" Karen asked.
"Well, we could talk to each other," Katherine said.
Karen and Jack looked at each other and then sat back against the couch they were on as the others started to chat.
~~~
Towards the end of dinner, Edward hit his fork on the edge of his plate so everyone would be quiet. "Katherine and I have a bit of news to tell you guys," he said.
"What is it?" Karen said, quickly, looking at her sister.
"Well, I found out a few days ago that I'm......... I'm pregnant," Katherine said with a weak smile.
"Pregnant?" Grace said in surprise.
"How did that happen?" Will asked.
"I thought you had your tubes tied so you wouldn't be able to get pregnant ever," Karen said.
"The doctor I consulted in England said that there's a chance of becoming pregnant still even with this being done," Katherine said. "And it looks like it's happened to me."
"No wonder you looked different," Karen said. "Are you happy?"
Katherine nodded and then smiled as Grace jumped out of her seat to hug her tightly.
~~~
Before Jack and Karen left with Elizabeth, Karen pulled Katherine into the living room and asked, "Are you sure you're going to be okay with being pregnant?"
"When I told Edward he immediately told me it was my choice whether or not I would keep the baby," Katherine said, sighing. "But he asked me to take a few days to think it over seriously before I decided."
"How did you decide to keep it?" Karen asked.
"I'm not really sure," Katherine said. "I guess I mostly thought of you and Jack and your happiness with Ebie and I suppose I wanted to have that same feeling too."
"You'll be careful though, right Kath?" Karen asked, taking her sister's hand.
"Kare, where are you?" Jack called. "Ebie is asleep and she weighs a ton. I want to put her to bed."
"Thank you for coming tonight Kare," Katherine said, smiling. She leaned over and kissed her sister's cheek before hugging her.
"I would have come anyway if I wasn't invited," Karen said as they walked out to the entryway.
"Katherine, did you let them know about Amber's birthday dinner?" Edward asked.
"Oh, I completely forgot," Katherine said. "Amber's birthday is next week on Friday and we're taking her and Patrick out to dinner at Chez Petite for dinner. You're both welcome to come with us."
"Sounds fun," Jack said, looking at his wife.
"We'll go, only if you let me take Amb out for a shopping spree," Karen said. "God knows now that she's turning eight-"
"Nine, Kare, Katherine said quickly.
"Well, whatever she is, she needs some nice clothes," Karen said, waving her hand.
"Alright, I'm letting her stay home from school," Katherine said. "You can take her in the morning."
"Good, talk to you both later," Karen said as she walked out of the penthouse, Jack following her.
~~~
The day of Amber's ninth birthday, Karen went down to Edward and Katherine's penthouse to pick her niece up.
"Hi Auntie Karen!" Amber cried, opening the door to the penthouse. "Where are we going to shop today?"
"Hi Karen," Edward said, walking up to the door. "I've got to get to work, so I'll walk the two of you down to your limo."
"Thanks Eddie, that's nice of you," Karen said as they walked down the hall to the elevators.
When they got down to the street, Edward leaned down and kissed Amber's cheek. "Have fun today kid, and I'll see you at dinner tonight," he said. "Happy Birthday."
"Bye Daddy," Amber called as he father got into a taxi cab.
"Okay Amb," Karen said. "Ready to go shopping?"
"Yep," Amber said smiling, taking her aunt's hand.
"Good, let's go," Karen said, getting into the limo.
~~~
Later that night, Katherine, Jack, Karen, Amber and Patrick went to the French restaurant for a celebratory dinner.
"Where's Daddy, Mummy?" Amber asked as they were severed drinks.
"He'll be a bit late, he had some work to do when I talked to him," Katherine said, smiling brightly at her daughter.
Twenty minutes later, Edward finally arrived for dinner. "Hello you guys," he said, kissing the top of his daughter's head. He patted the top of his son's head and then he sat next to his wife. "Sorry that I'm later then I said I was going to be."
"That's okay Eddie, at least you actually came," Jack said.
"I hardly remember my mom even remembering my birthdays," Karen said as she took a small sip of her martini.
"Umm, so, why don't we all order now?" Katherine said quickly before everyone could take in that statement.
When dinner had been eaten, the waiter came out with a cake and set it down in front of Amber. He lit the nine candles on top and then left.
The others sang 'Happy Birthday' and then Amber blew out her candles.
Before they ate the cake, Katherine gave her daughter her birthday gift from Patrick, Edward and herself.
Amber eagerly tore off the wrapping paper and took the lid off of the large box. She saw what was inside and she squealed happily. "They're so pretty Mummy, thank you!"
"What did you get honey?" Karen asked, trying to see inside the box.
"Skirts, Auntie Karen," Amber said, taking out four plaid ones. "Aren't they beautiful?"
"Kat, what is it with you and plaids?" Jack said, looking over Karen's shoulder at the skirts.
"I happen to like them Jackie-boy," Katherine said, winking at her brother in law.
"Ma, what clans are these here?" Patrick asked, touching one of the plaids.
"Ah, well, they are the MacIntyre, Douglas, Argyll, and Wallace clan plaids," Katherine said.
"Thank you all for getting me these, I love them!" Amber said, she put them back in the box and then quickly hugged her brother, dad and then mom.
"You're very welcome Amber," Edward said as she hugged him. "Happy, happy birthday."
~~~
Back at their penthouse, Karen was in Elizabeth's bathroom, trying to clean the last of the chocolate cake that was still on her daughter's cheeks.
"What are you doing Kare?" Jack asked, coming into the bathroom.
"Trying to get this frosting off her cheeks," Karen said. Their daughter was turning her head so Karen couldn't wipe her face. "Okay, go with your dad then."
Jack walked over to the counter where Elizabeth was and lifted her into his arms. "Here Kare, give me the washcloth," he said, holding his hand out.
"I should have made you clean her up in the first place, it was your idea to feed her that slice of Amber's cake," Karen said as he cleaned Elizabeth's face.
"I thought she should have a taste too," Jack said. He wiped the last of the blue frosting under Elizabeth's nose and then kissed her on the cheek.
Giggling and clapping her hands, Elizabeth turned to Karen and said, "Mama!"
"Alright Ebie, time for bed," Karen said, her face breaking into a wide smile. She took her from Jack and walked back out into the bedroom.
"Good night Ebie, sweet dreams," Jack said, ruffling their daughter's hair. "I'm going to go get a drink of water Kare; I'll be in our room though."
"Okay poodle," Karen said as she set Elizabeth down in the crib. She covered the girl up with her blanket and stroked her forehead as her daughter's eyes drooped down. Satisfied that Elizabeth was asleep, Karen kissed her fingertips and pressed them on her daughter's lips very softly. "'Night honey, sweet dreams," she whispered. She then turned and left the room, closing the lights as she did so.
Jack was looking out one of the windows in the bedroom when Karen walked inside. "Come here Kare," he said, motioning to her.
"What is it poodle?" Karen asked, going over to him.
"Just look," Jack responded.
Karen sighed, looked outside and gasped in surprise. "It's snowing Jackie!" she cried.
"I know Kare," he said, putting his arm around her waist.
"It looks so pretty huh?" she asked, leaning against him.
"Yeah," Jack said. "But I'm looking at something else that's prettier."
Smiling, Karen looked at him and saw he was staring at her. "You are such a flirt poodle," she said, kissing his cheek.
"It's true though," Jack said as Karen slid away from him.
Not answering, she took his hand and pulled him over to the bed. "I love you Jackie," she said seriously before kissing him deeply.
"Oh god, I love you too, so much," Jack said when they pulled apart to breathe. He looked at her for a long time until he got impatient and he gently pushed Karen down onto the bed. He followed her and kissed her deeply again while he unbuttoned her blouse and she took off his sweater. He trailed kisses down her cheek, down her neck, and then down her chest before stopping at her breasts and whispering huskily, "Oh......... Kare...... mine........."
As he started to suck lightly on her right breast, Karen moaned, "Jackie.........oh.........my sweet Jackie."
Jack lifted his head up at that and then kissed Karen deeply. As they were kissing, he took off the rest of her clothes, surprised that his hands were trembling a little. "Kare," he whispered, pulling back only slightly so their lips were still touching.
"Hmm?" Karen murmured, looking at him.
"Do you know how much I love you?" Jack asked. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I love you so much, my hands are shaking."
"From what?" Karen asked, a little confused.
"They want to touch every part of you," Jack said.
"Come here poodle," Karen said, her own voice thick with lust now.
The moment he touched her skin, Jack's hands immediately stopped trembling, and he ran his hands over Karen's body as much as he could as she took off the rest of his clothes.
"Are you just going to tease me by stroking me all night?" Karen asked a moment later when Jack hadn't started to make love to her.
"Sorry, got carried away with your body," Jack answered, grinning sheepishly. He slipped his hands under Karen and then pulled her up into a sitting position with him.
"It's about time Jackie," she sighed as he started to make love to her. A while later, she felt herself nearing her edge and she made Jack stop.
"Huh, wha wro?" Jack asked, his voice muffled since it was on Karen's breast.
Karen didn't answer, but she very tenderly turned Jack and pushed him down so he was lying on a pillow. Smiling, she moved again and put her hands on top of Jack's when he grabbed her waist. A few minutes later, she hit her peak and she threw her head back, yelling Jack's name in a state of euphoria.
When he reached his edge, Jack gripped Karen's waist tightly and groaned her name over and over until he was sated.
Sighing deeply, Karen allowed herself to collapse on top of his chest. She yawned slightly and said, "Is it okay if we go to sleep for a little bit poodle?"
"Sure Kare," Jack answered. He reached down and then pulled the covers over the both. "Wake you up in a while," he said, kissing Karen's forehead.
"Not if I wake you up first," Karen responded quickly. She giggled lightly and then closed her eyes, falling asleep soon after.
~~~
A few hours later, Jack felt someone kissing him all over his face. He opened his eyes slowly and saw it was Karen. "What time is it?" he asked, cupping her cheek in his hand.
"I don't know, and I don't care," she answered seductively.
"Good," Jack said, coming fully awake. He turned over so Karen was now on the mattress and lowered himself to her.
As they made love, Karen dug her fingernails into his back, moaning deeply. After a while, she started to run her hands up and down the skin when he pulled away from her. "What-" she started say.
Putting his hand on her lips, Jack smiled at her and then he started kissing her all the way down her body. He put his lips on her and started pleasuring her while Karen groaned in surprise and delight.
Karen almost started screaming when she reached her edge minutes later. While she was catching her breath, she looked up at Jack and whispered, "I love you."
Smiling, Jack brought his head up so it was even with hers and said, "Love you too," before he started to make love to her.
When she climaxed yet again, Karen screamed Jack's name and clutched at his back tightly until she was spent.
Groaning and kissing Karen's breasts, Jack hit his edge and then he fell down onto her chest, breathing harshly.
"I think we should rest again poodle," Karen said, stroking his hair.
"Yeah, that would be good," Jack said, feeling as if he had just run a marathon. He kissed the skin above Karen's heart and then lifted his head up so he could kiss her lips passionately. "Good night Kare, sweet sleep," he murmured before resting his head on her breasts again.
"Good night my sweet Jackie," Karen said, running her fingers in Jack's hair slowly. She smiled when she heard his breathing become deep, and then closed her eyes, falling asleep herself.
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sudden Arrival
It was the end of November, a week before Thanksgiving, and still Edward and Katherine were in England. It turned out that Edward's mother had left him a sizable amount of land near the Scottish border, and on that land, was a mansion where she had expected him to live and care for the land.
Since Edward, and Katherine too, did not want to live in England or on the cold harsh land in the middle of the moor, they were trying to find someone who would care for the place in their name.
They were finally able to convince Edward's cousin, George O'Neill and his family to take over the grounds and to live there. George asked his cousin and wife for one favor as the papers were being signed, and that was for them to stay on for a few more days until he and his family were comfortable with the land. Wanting to make sure that George stayed, Katherine and Edward agreed; delaying their return to New York yet again.
~~~
Karen trudged up the stairs to her daughter's room after just getting home from Grace's office. She had been feeling depressed lately, and she hated it. She hated going to work especially, since her sister was still in England. And Grace's replacement for Katherine was always getting on her nerves.
The woman, whose name Karen always forgot, kept trying to get friendly with her. Karen finally had had enough and she took to spending all her time at the office reading the books Katherine had given her. Luckily, the assistant stopped trying to talk with her, but that didn't cheer up Karen too much.
The other reason she felt depressed was a minor thing. Karen was saddened that she hadn't gotten pregnant yet. She knew that it was too soon after they started trying for anything to really happen, but she had been hoping that she would become pregnant.
"Hey Karebear, what's wrong?" Jack asked, coming out of their room. He held his arms out to her and hugged her tightly.
"I miss my sister poodle," Karen said simply, resting her head on his chest. "When she called yesterday, she told me they probably won't be back for Thanksgiving."
"Oh, it'll be okay Kare," Jack said, kissing her forehead. "I'm sure they'll be back by Christmas at least."
Karen just shrugged and said, "How's Ebie?"
"She's fine Kare," Jack said. "Why don't you go and see her, that'll cheer you up."
"Yeah, at least that's one thing I know will make me happy, besides you of course Jackie," Karen said. She let go of him and then walked over to Elizabeth's room. She stopped in the doorway and her jaw dropped in shock when she saw who was holding her daughter.
"Well Kare, I have to admit that's one of the few expressions I'd ever expected to see on your face," Katherine said, smiling at her sister.
"Kath!" Karen cried, getting her voice back. She ran into the room and hugged her sister tightly. "When did you get back?"
"About an hour ago," Katherine answered. She handed Elizabeth to Jack who had walked into the room just then and she returned her sister's hug. "Your husband was kind enough to pick the four of us up in the limo."
"You knew they were back and you didn't say anything to me Jackie?" Karen asked, turning to him.
"Kat said she wanted this to be a surprise," Jack said easily. "So I kept my mouth shut like she asked."
"Where's Edward and your kids," Karen said, turning back to her sister.
"Resting in the penthouse," Katherine answered. "I didn't plan to stay here for too long. I need to unpack and a lot of other things."
"Then you guys are coming for dinner tonight," Karen said, letting go of Katherine.
"We'll see how tired we all are Kare," Katherine said. "Anyway, I came here for a reason besides to say hi. Edward and I are going to have Thanksgiving dinner at our place tomorrow night."
"Are Will and Grace coming?" Jack asked, as the three of them left Elizabeth's room.
"Yes, and Will asked if Zach could come along too" Katherine said. "When did they start?"
"A week ago," Jack answered. "They're pretty disgusting together."
Katherine laughed and said, "I'm sure they think the same of you two."
Jack made a face at her and then smiled, "They probably do."
"Alright, I'd better go," Katherine said. "I'll give you a call later Kare as to whether or not we'll come up for dinner."
"Get some rest Kath," Karen said, kissing her sister's cheek.
"Bye," Katherine said, leaving the penthouse.
"So you knew they were back?" Karen said when she closed the door behind Katherine.
"Yeah, but don't think I didn't want to tell you," Jack said quickly, following Karen as she went up the stairs. "Don't be mad at me Kare."
"Give me Ebie," Karen said then.
Jack gave her their daughter and then watched as Karen put the baby in the crib. When she walked out of the room, she grabbed his sweater and pulled him over to their bedroom. "Are you mad at me?" he asked, very confused.
"Why would you think that?" Karen said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled up at him and then pulled his head down to hers and they kissed deeply.
"I hate when you do that Kare," Jack said when they had pulled apart. "You always make me feel like I did something wrong."
Karen giggled and kissed him on the cheeks. "I always like to hear you beg for me to forgive you," she said.
"Uh-huh, and you don't think that's weird at all?" Jack asked, as she started kissing his mouth as well.
"Does it really matter?" Karen retorted.
Jack suddenly picked her up and carried her over to the bed. As he laid her down, he said, "You know it's the middle of the afternoon."
"So, it's not like we've never had sex at this time before," Karen said.
"That's true," Jack said, he grinned and then lay himself down on top of her, immediately unbuttoning her blouse and kissing her neck.
~~~
The next evening, Katherine let Jack and Karen into the penthouse. "You guys are the first ones," she said to them.
"When can we eat? I'm starving!" Jack said as they walked to the living room.
"I made sure we didn't eat lunch," Karen said, looking her sister over.
"What?" Katherine asked, becoming uncomfortable.
"You look different," Karen said.
"Oh, well this is a new outfit," Katherine said nervously.
"No, it's something else," Karen said. She was going to say more when the doorbell rang and her sister ran out to open the door.
"Hey you two, glad you came over," Katherine said to Will and Grace as she let them in. "Where's Zach?"
"Oh, his mom called last night and asked him to go out to San Francisco for a family dinner tonight," Will said, handing Katherine a bottle of wine.
"I'm sorry Will," Katherine said, taking the wine.
"Nah, it's okay. He told me this might happen already, so I was prepared for it," Will said.
"Are we going to get a chance to meet your son or what?" Grace then asked.
Katherine laughed and said, "Sure, he's in the living room with the others."
"Hi everyone," Grace said when they entered.
"Patrick, come here," Katherine said, motioning to her son. When he stood next to her, she said, "Patrick this is your Aunt Grace and Uncle Will. Grace, Will, this is Patrick."
"Hullo," Patrick said, looking up at the two and nodding.
"Nice to get to meet you Patrick," Will said, holding his hand out to the boy. "You're mom's told me a lot about you."
"He's so cute Kat," Grace said and she knelt down and hugged him tightly.
"Okay, now that that's done," Edward said, standing up. "Dinner won't be ready for a half-hour or so."
"You're kidding," Jack said.
"He's not Jackie-boy," Katherine said, smiling at her brother in law.
"What do we do until we eat?" Karen asked.
"Well, we could talk to each other," Katherine said.
Karen and Jack looked at each other and then sat back against the couch they were on as the others started to chat.
~~~
Towards the end of dinner, Edward hit his fork on the edge of his plate so everyone would be quiet. "Katherine and I have a bit of news to tell you guys," he said.
"What is it?" Karen said, quickly, looking at her sister.
"Well, I found out a few days ago that I'm......... I'm pregnant," Katherine said with a weak smile.
"Pregnant?" Grace said in surprise.
"How did that happen?" Will asked.
"I thought you had your tubes tied so you wouldn't be able to get pregnant ever," Karen said.
"The doctor I consulted in England said that there's a chance of becoming pregnant still even with this being done," Katherine said. "And it looks like it's happened to me."
"No wonder you looked different," Karen said. "Are you happy?"
Katherine nodded and then smiled as Grace jumped out of her seat to hug her tightly.
~~~
Before Jack and Karen left with Elizabeth, Karen pulled Katherine into the living room and asked, "Are you sure you're going to be okay with being pregnant?"
"When I told Edward he immediately told me it was my choice whether or not I would keep the baby," Katherine said, sighing. "But he asked me to take a few days to think it over seriously before I decided."
"How did you decide to keep it?" Karen asked.
"I'm not really sure," Katherine said. "I guess I mostly thought of you and Jack and your happiness with Ebie and I suppose I wanted to have that same feeling too."
"You'll be careful though, right Kath?" Karen asked, taking her sister's hand.
"Kare, where are you?" Jack called. "Ebie is asleep and she weighs a ton. I want to put her to bed."
"Thank you for coming tonight Kare," Katherine said, smiling. She leaned over and kissed her sister's cheek before hugging her.
"I would have come anyway if I wasn't invited," Karen said as they walked out to the entryway.
"Katherine, did you let them know about Amber's birthday dinner?" Edward asked.
"Oh, I completely forgot," Katherine said. "Amber's birthday is next week on Friday and we're taking her and Patrick out to dinner at Chez Petite for dinner. You're both welcome to come with us."
"Sounds fun," Jack said, looking at his wife.
"We'll go, only if you let me take Amb out for a shopping spree," Karen said. "God knows now that she's turning eight-"
"Nine, Kare, Katherine said quickly.
"Well, whatever she is, she needs some nice clothes," Karen said, waving her hand.
"Alright, I'm letting her stay home from school," Katherine said. "You can take her in the morning."
"Good, talk to you both later," Karen said as she walked out of the penthouse, Jack following her.
~~~
The day of Amber's ninth birthday, Karen went down to Edward and Katherine's penthouse to pick her niece up.
"Hi Auntie Karen!" Amber cried, opening the door to the penthouse. "Where are we going to shop today?"
"Hi Karen," Edward said, walking up to the door. "I've got to get to work, so I'll walk the two of you down to your limo."
"Thanks Eddie, that's nice of you," Karen said as they walked down the hall to the elevators.
When they got down to the street, Edward leaned down and kissed Amber's cheek. "Have fun today kid, and I'll see you at dinner tonight," he said. "Happy Birthday."
"Bye Daddy," Amber called as he father got into a taxi cab.
"Okay Amb," Karen said. "Ready to go shopping?"
"Yep," Amber said smiling, taking her aunt's hand.
"Good, let's go," Karen said, getting into the limo.
~~~
Later that night, Katherine, Jack, Karen, Amber and Patrick went to the French restaurant for a celebratory dinner.
"Where's Daddy, Mummy?" Amber asked as they were severed drinks.
"He'll be a bit late, he had some work to do when I talked to him," Katherine said, smiling brightly at her daughter.
Twenty minutes later, Edward finally arrived for dinner. "Hello you guys," he said, kissing the top of his daughter's head. He patted the top of his son's head and then he sat next to his wife. "Sorry that I'm later then I said I was going to be."
"That's okay Eddie, at least you actually came," Jack said.
"I hardly remember my mom even remembering my birthdays," Karen said as she took a small sip of her martini.
"Umm, so, why don't we all order now?" Katherine said quickly before everyone could take in that statement.
When dinner had been eaten, the waiter came out with a cake and set it down in front of Amber. He lit the nine candles on top and then left.
The others sang 'Happy Birthday' and then Amber blew out her candles.
Before they ate the cake, Katherine gave her daughter her birthday gift from Patrick, Edward and herself.
Amber eagerly tore off the wrapping paper and took the lid off of the large box. She saw what was inside and she squealed happily. "They're so pretty Mummy, thank you!"
"What did you get honey?" Karen asked, trying to see inside the box.
"Skirts, Auntie Karen," Amber said, taking out four plaid ones. "Aren't they beautiful?"
"Kat, what is it with you and plaids?" Jack said, looking over Karen's shoulder at the skirts.
"I happen to like them Jackie-boy," Katherine said, winking at her brother in law.
"Ma, what clans are these here?" Patrick asked, touching one of the plaids.
"Ah, well, they are the MacIntyre, Douglas, Argyll, and Wallace clan plaids," Katherine said.
"Thank you all for getting me these, I love them!" Amber said, she put them back in the box and then quickly hugged her brother, dad and then mom.
"You're very welcome Amber," Edward said as she hugged him. "Happy, happy birthday."
~~~
Back at their penthouse, Karen was in Elizabeth's bathroom, trying to clean the last of the chocolate cake that was still on her daughter's cheeks.
"What are you doing Kare?" Jack asked, coming into the bathroom.
"Trying to get this frosting off her cheeks," Karen said. Their daughter was turning her head so Karen couldn't wipe her face. "Okay, go with your dad then."
Jack walked over to the counter where Elizabeth was and lifted her into his arms. "Here Kare, give me the washcloth," he said, holding his hand out.
"I should have made you clean her up in the first place, it was your idea to feed her that slice of Amber's cake," Karen said as he cleaned Elizabeth's face.
"I thought she should have a taste too," Jack said. He wiped the last of the blue frosting under Elizabeth's nose and then kissed her on the cheek.
Giggling and clapping her hands, Elizabeth turned to Karen and said, "Mama!"
"Alright Ebie, time for bed," Karen said, her face breaking into a wide smile. She took her from Jack and walked back out into the bedroom.
"Good night Ebie, sweet dreams," Jack said, ruffling their daughter's hair. "I'm going to go get a drink of water Kare; I'll be in our room though."
"Okay poodle," Karen said as she set Elizabeth down in the crib. She covered the girl up with her blanket and stroked her forehead as her daughter's eyes drooped down. Satisfied that Elizabeth was asleep, Karen kissed her fingertips and pressed them on her daughter's lips very softly. "'Night honey, sweet dreams," she whispered. She then turned and left the room, closing the lights as she did so.
Jack was looking out one of the windows in the bedroom when Karen walked inside. "Come here Kare," he said, motioning to her.
"What is it poodle?" Karen asked, going over to him.
"Just look," Jack responded.
Karen sighed, looked outside and gasped in surprise. "It's snowing Jackie!" she cried.
"I know Kare," he said, putting his arm around her waist.
"It looks so pretty huh?" she asked, leaning against him.
"Yeah," Jack said. "But I'm looking at something else that's prettier."
Smiling, Karen looked at him and saw he was staring at her. "You are such a flirt poodle," she said, kissing his cheek.
"It's true though," Jack said as Karen slid away from him.
Not answering, she took his hand and pulled him over to the bed. "I love you Jackie," she said seriously before kissing him deeply.
"Oh god, I love you too, so much," Jack said when they pulled apart to breathe. He looked at her for a long time until he got impatient and he gently pushed Karen down onto the bed. He followed her and kissed her deeply again while he unbuttoned her blouse and she took off his sweater. He trailed kisses down her cheek, down her neck, and then down her chest before stopping at her breasts and whispering huskily, "Oh......... Kare...... mine........."
As he started to suck lightly on her right breast, Karen moaned, "Jackie.........oh.........my sweet Jackie."
Jack lifted his head up at that and then kissed Karen deeply. As they were kissing, he took off the rest of her clothes, surprised that his hands were trembling a little. "Kare," he whispered, pulling back only slightly so their lips were still touching.
"Hmm?" Karen murmured, looking at him.
"Do you know how much I love you?" Jack asked. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I love you so much, my hands are shaking."
"From what?" Karen asked, a little confused.
"They want to touch every part of you," Jack said.
"Come here poodle," Karen said, her own voice thick with lust now.
The moment he touched her skin, Jack's hands immediately stopped trembling, and he ran his hands over Karen's body as much as he could as she took off the rest of his clothes.
"Are you just going to tease me by stroking me all night?" Karen asked a moment later when Jack hadn't started to make love to her.
"Sorry, got carried away with your body," Jack answered, grinning sheepishly. He slipped his hands under Karen and then pulled her up into a sitting position with him.
"It's about time Jackie," she sighed as he started to make love to her. A while later, she felt herself nearing her edge and she made Jack stop.
"Huh, wha wro?" Jack asked, his voice muffled since it was on Karen's breast.
Karen didn't answer, but she very tenderly turned Jack and pushed him down so he was lying on a pillow. Smiling, she moved again and put her hands on top of Jack's when he grabbed her waist. A few minutes later, she hit her peak and she threw her head back, yelling Jack's name in a state of euphoria.
When he reached his edge, Jack gripped Karen's waist tightly and groaned her name over and over until he was sated.
Sighing deeply, Karen allowed herself to collapse on top of his chest. She yawned slightly and said, "Is it okay if we go to sleep for a little bit poodle?"
"Sure Kare," Jack answered. He reached down and then pulled the covers over the both. "Wake you up in a while," he said, kissing Karen's forehead.
"Not if I wake you up first," Karen responded quickly. She giggled lightly and then closed her eyes, falling asleep soon after.
~~~
A few hours later, Jack felt someone kissing him all over his face. He opened his eyes slowly and saw it was Karen. "What time is it?" he asked, cupping her cheek in his hand.
"I don't know, and I don't care," she answered seductively.
"Good," Jack said, coming fully awake. He turned over so Karen was now on the mattress and lowered himself to her.
As they made love, Karen dug her fingernails into his back, moaning deeply. After a while, she started to run her hands up and down the skin when he pulled away from her. "What-" she started say.
Putting his hand on her lips, Jack smiled at her and then he started kissing her all the way down her body. He put his lips on her and started pleasuring her while Karen groaned in surprise and delight.
Karen almost started screaming when she reached her edge minutes later. While she was catching her breath, she looked up at Jack and whispered, "I love you."
Smiling, Jack brought his head up so it was even with hers and said, "Love you too," before he started to make love to her.
When she climaxed yet again, Karen screamed Jack's name and clutched at his back tightly until she was spent.
Groaning and kissing Karen's breasts, Jack hit his edge and then he fell down onto her chest, breathing harshly.
"I think we should rest again poodle," Karen said, stroking his hair.
"Yeah, that would be good," Jack said, feeling as if he had just run a marathon. He kissed the skin above Karen's heart and then lifted his head up so he could kiss her lips passionately. "Good night Kare, sweet sleep," he murmured before resting his head on her breasts again.
"Good night my sweet Jackie," Karen said, running her fingers in Jack's hair slowly. She smiled when she heard his breathing become deep, and then closed her eyes, falling asleep herself.