A/N: Thanks to rocknrollpunksoul and itsnotrightbutitsokay for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Forty
Improved and Suspicions
For three long weeks, Katherine slowly regained consciousness and then her strength. While she was still very depressed, Katherine's psychiatrist, Susan Petrach, was visiting her in the hospital at the request of Edward and Karen. The doctor was trying to make sure Katherine wouldn't be tempted to attempt suicide again.
On the Saturday of the third week Katherine was in the hospital, Karen approached her room, carrying a bag of books for her sister. She was surprised to see that Dr. Stiles was sitting next to Katherine on the bed and they were laughing at something. Staying off to the side so they wouldn't see her, Karen watched as the doctor stood up and then picked up Katherine's hand, kissing the palm gently. She waited until the doctor had left and then went inside her sister's room.
"Hullo Kare," Katherine said when she saw it was her sister walking inside.
"I brought the books like you asked me too," Karen said, giving her the bag and kissing Katherine's cheek.
"Thanks Kare, I'll finally have something to do besides watch the bloody TV," Katherine said.
"Kath, why did I just see your doctor kiss your hand?" Karen asked after thinking a few moments.
"What?" Katherine said, already reading one of the books Karen had brought her.
"I was outside and I saw Dr. Stiles sitting on the bed like I am and then he kissed your hand before he left," Karen said, taking the book from her sister.
"Oh, well Kare, Christopher and I are friends," Katherine said, a slight flush creeping onto her cheeks. "I won't do anything to ever hurt Edward, I love him too much."
Karen studied her for a few minutes and then shrugged, giving the book back to her. While Katherine looked at the other books, Karen looked around the room and spotted something that looked out of place. "Where did you get those flowers Kath?" she asked, pointing to a big bunch of wildflowers that were blue, red and yellow.
"Those...Edward gave them to me yesterday after you and Jack left," Katherine said, hesitating at first.
"They're pretty," Karen said, turning back to her sister and smiling. "Oh, before I forget, I have to tell you what Ebie did last night..."
As Karen spoke, Katherine felt her mind wandering back to the visitor she'd had earlier that morning, the one who'd given her the wildflowers.
***
Katherine was sleeping lightly, unable to really sleep deeply because of the noises in the hospital. Around six in the morning, she was roused from her sleep by the sound of high-heeled shoes on the tiled floor of her room. Opening her eyes partially, she thought it was her adoptive mother until she realized that this woman had dark brown hair, not black.
"Hi Katherine honey," the woman said softly, placing her hand on Katherine's cheek.
"M-mom?" Katherine asked groggily, opening her eyes all the way. She was correct; it was Lois Whitley who had come into the room. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard about what happened to you Katherine," Lois said gently, setting a vase with flowers in it on the table next to the bed. "I wanted to come and see you. Tell you I'm so sorry Katherine."
As her mother placed her hand on her forehead, Katherine burst into tears. "I'm okay, I'm fine," she said as Lois hugged her. "You should go though; you don't want to be here when Karen comes."
Lois stepped away, surprised at the sharpness in her daughter's voice. "Kiki told you about what I did after her father died?" she asked.
"Yeah, and I also promised Karen that I wouldn't have any contact with you if I could help it," Katherine said, looking away from her mother.
"Then take this," Lois said, handing her a card. "The number on there is a good friend of mine in the city who lets me know what's going on with Kiki and with you now. If you ever need to reach me-"
"I doubt it, but I'll keep it in mind," Katherine said, putting the card deep in the flowers. "Now please, I'd like to get some more sleep before my sister comes."
Nodding, Lois turned and left the room without saying a word to her daughter.
***
After Karen had finished her story, Katherine smiled even though she felt like sighing. She didn't know what had possessed her to be so mean to Lois; she supposed that hearing about what she had done in the past from Karen had turned her against the woman.
"Kath, you okay?" Karen said, noticing that her sister seemed to be staring off into space.
"Huh? Oh, yeah Kare," Katherine said, shaking her head slightly. "I was just thinking on whether or not I took my medicine earlier."
"For your asthma?" Karen asked, worried.
"No, Susan gave me pills to help me with my depression," Katherine said. "Prozac, Kare."
"Oh," Karen said, not sure what to say. She took Katherine's hand and the two sat in silence until Edward came into the room.
"Hello Karen," Edward said, smiling at his sister in law. "Hi Katherine."
"Wow, more flowers Kath," Karen said, looking at the roses in Edward's hands. "Your husband's drowning you in them."
"What are you talking about Karen?" Edward asked as he kissed Katherine's cheek and put the roses on the table next to the vase with wildflowers.
"Kath said you brought her those wildflowers last night," Karen said.
"Oh...that's right, I did bring them," Edward said, seeing the pleading look in his wife's eyes. "I forgot about that."
Karen's cell phone suddenly rang and she hurriedly answered it. "Hello," she said. She listened for a few moments before saying, "Okay, I'll meet you in ten minutes poodle, bye." She hung up the phone. "I hate to leave, but Jackie wants me to go have lunch with him," she said to her sister.
"It's alright Kare," Katherine said quickly.
"I'll come back later okay?" Karen said as she got off of the bed. She kissed Katherine's cheek and then said goodbye to Edward as she left.
"Bye Kare," Katherine called after her sister. "Thank you for covering for me Edward."
"Why did I need to say I brought you those flowers?" Edward asked.
"My mother brought those," Katherine said. At her husband's surprised look, she then said, "My real mother, Lois Whitley."
"When did she come?" Edward asked.
"Very early this morning," Katherine said. "I'm afraid I was a bit mean to her."
"Well, considering what Karen told you, I'd say you were justified," Edward said. He started to stroke her hair then and leaned down to kiss her when someone came into the room.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Mr. O'Neill," Dr. Stiles said as the two looked at him. "I'm making my rounds and I wanted to check on Katherine."
"It's okay," Edward said, sounding a little irritated. "I'm going to go get something to drink and then I'll be back." He kissed his wife softly on the lips and then left the room.
As Christopher checked over her, Katherine asked, "When do you think I'll be able to go home?"
"Well, if you keep resting, I don't see why you can't leave by the end of next week," Christopher said, smiling at her.
Katherine smiled back and said, "That's fantastic news," taking the doctor's hand and squeezing it.
~~~
A week later, Jack was playing with Elizabeth on the bed in his and Karen's room as Karen watched them.
Elizabeth was now eighteen months old and she was always trying to speak. She loved to play with her father, and she also liked to hold onto her mother tightly when she was falling asleep. She loved her mom and dad and was always very happy with them and that was very obvious.
Jack tickled the bottom of Elizabeth's feet and smiled as she shrieked with laughter. He glanced at his wife, and was surprised to see that she was asleep. He was going to wake Karen up, but then decided to let her sleep. "Come on Ebie," he murmured to their baby, picking her up. "Let's go and let your mommy sleep."
Cooing quietly, Elizabeth held onto Jack's neck as he carried her out of the room. She was set down on the floor and immediately she walked over to her room.
After he quickly closed the bedroom door, Jack followed Elizabeth into her room. He saw that she had walked over to the rocking bench and was trying to climb up on it. He was walking towards her when Elizabeth suddenly fell backwards from the force of the rocking and she did a summersault. "Ebie, are you okay honey?" Jack asked, rushing to her and picking her up.
Elizabeth immediately started to cry, a bump appearing on her forehead.
"Oh god Ebie, please baby, don't cry," Jack said frantically, trying to calm her down.
"Jackie, what happened?" Karen asked, appearing in the doorway to the baby's room.
"She was trying to get onto the bench and she fell backwards," Jack said, rubbing Elizabeth's back.
"Here poodle, let me take her," Karen said above the baby's cries. When she had their daughter in her arms, she looked at the bump and told Jack, "Get some ice." When he left the room, she walked to the bench and sat down, rocking slowly. Cooing, Karen wiped the tears off Elizabeth's face and she tried to get her to stop crying. It didn't work, and she stood up, pacing back and forth and she started to softly sing.
Jack walked into the room quietly, holding a plastic bag with ice in it. He was surprised to find that Elizabeth wasn't screaming and crying; only hiccupping with sobs. Waiting until Karen was done singing; Jack went over to her and put the ice on the bump on Elizabeth's forehead. "Way to go mommy," he said, leading Karen over to the bench and kissing her temple.
"Thanks Jackie," Karen said as they sat, rocking together gently.
It took a long time until Elizabeth stopped crying and she calmed down. She rubbed one of her eyes and looked up at her parents.
"Don't ever do that again Ebie," Jack said, lifting the baby into his arms. "You scared me when you fell little one."
"Sor?" Elizabeth said, wrapping her arms around Jack's neck. That was how she said the word sorry.
"Never mind Ebie," Jack said, kissing her cheek. He felt their daughter rest her head on his shoulder and then she fell asleep quickly. "How are you feeling Kare?" he said to his wife.
"Still tired Jackie," Karen said, leaning against Jack and sighing. For the past couple of weeks, she had felt extremely tired, and she wasn't sure why.
"Why don't you go back to sleep then?" Jack suggested.
"Hmm...will you come with me Jackie?" Karen asked looking up at him.
"I'll put Ebie in her crib and meet you in bed," Jack said, smiling. He stood up and as Karen left, set their daughter down in the crib and covered her with a blanket before hurrying out of the room. He entered his and Karen's bedroom and saw she was getting in the bed.
Yawning, Karen watched as Jack walked over to the bed and took off his sneakers. When he got under the covers next to her, she immediately wrapped her arms around him and snuggled onto his chest. "Are you going to sleep at all?" she asked as Jack started to stroke her hair gently.
"I don't know," Jack said. "Probably not, I like to watch you sleep."
Karen giggled and then brought her head up to his, kissing him deeply.
"Get some rest Kare," Jack said when they pulled apart.
"I am, I am," Karen responded, resting on his chest again and closing her eyes.
~~~
Later that night, Jack and Karen were in the living room with Elizabeth, it was where they usually went after dinner. The two were sitting on the couch, cuddling while they watched their daughter play with her stuffed dog on the floor in front of them.
"Thank you for taking a nap with me earlier," Karen said, lifting her head and kissing Jack's cheek.
"You're welcome, Karebear, are you feeling better now?" Jack asked, rubbing her arm.
"A little bit," Karen answered. "I'm still kind of tired though." She was going to say something else when the phone rang. "I'll get that." She got off the couch and went over to the telephone.
Jack watched as Karen spoke with whoever was on the phone. He saw her eyes widen and heard her exclaim, "Tomorrow? That's great!"
She spoke on the phone a little while more and then hung up the phone. "Oh Jackie," she said to him, her eyes shining with happiness. "That was Eddie and he said Kath is being released from the hospital tomorrow!"
"That's fabulous!" Jack cried. He stood up and hurried over to Karen, spinning her around a few times before setting her down.
"I told Eddie we'd go tomorrow morning to bring her home," Karen said, smiling.
"This is great Kare, I'm so happy she's better," Jack said, running his hands up and down her back.
"I know poodle," Karen said, before kissing him deeply. When she pulled back, she said breathlessly and said, "I'm going to put Ebie to bed."
"Yeah, uh, I'm gonna go take a shower," Jack said nervously. He hurriedly walked out of the room and up the stairs. When he got into the bathroom, he went to the shower and stripped down before going in. He turned the water on as cold as it could, letting it run over him. He shivered and crossed his arms; he was doing this to himself since he didn't feel like asking Karen if he could have sex with her since she had gotten tired. It was killing him, but he didn't want to push her if she was sick or anything. So almost every night, he took a long, cold shower, trying to make his erection and lust for Karen go away.
Karen left her daughter's room after she made sure Elizabeth was asleep and then walked over to hers and Jack's bedroom. She didn't see Jack in bed, so she walked over to the bathroom, figuring he must have just finished his shower. When she stepped inside, she was surprised to see her husband sitting on the edge of the chez lounge, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Jackie?" she asked.
Looking up at his wife, Jack was taken aback for a moment. "Hey Kare," he said.
"What's wrong with you poodle?" she asked, sitting down next to him. She placed her hand on his arm and was surprised to feel that his skin was freezing. "Oh honey, you're so cold!"
"Water heater must be broken," Jack mumbled, not looking at her.
"You know if you just told me, I would have sex with you," Karen said, seeing through his lie.
"I didn't want to ask you while you weren't feeling good," Jack said, glancing at her.
Karen grabbed his chin and then pulled his mouth down to hers, kissing him deeply. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and rubbed it against his.
Moaning, Jack wrapped his arms around Karen's waist and pulled her onto his lap. When she pulled back and started to kiss his neck and shoulders, he said, "Are you sure you want to make love tonight Kare?"
"Of course poodle," she said. She then wriggled in his lap and smiled at his moans. "And I can tell you're up to it too."
Jack stood up with Karen in his arms and was about to leave the bathroom when she stopped him.
"Wait a second Jackie, I've got a surprise for you," Karen said.
"Can't it wait until later," Jack said, a little frustration creeping into his voice.
"Don't worry, you'll love this," Karen said. "Just put me down."
"Okay," Jack said, relenting. He set her down and kissed her deeply. "I hope you won't take too long."
"I won't, I promise," Karen said, kissing the tip of his nose.
Jack left the bathroom and walked over to the bed, sliding under the sheets. While he waited for Karen and her surprise, he hummed the lullaby Karen had sung to Elizabeth earlier under his breath.
"Alright poodle," Karen said, standing in the doorway to the room. "I'm all done."
"What's the surprise?" Jack asked, confused.
Karen, who was wearing a simple robe, walked over to the bed and had Jack sit up. "Untie this robe Jackie and you'll get it," she said, smiling down at him.
Confused and anxious, he untied the robe and pushed it open. When he saw what she was wearing underneath, his jaw dropped down and he stared up at her.
"Well, what do you think honey?" Karen asked. She had put on a silk lingerie ensemble that had a corset which pushed her breasts up high.
Jack opened and closed his mouth a few times, he was speechless. He had never seen a more amazingly beautiful sight and he could feel himself growing aroused. One thing that was killing him though, was the fact Karen's little outfit was completely white. "I-I'm not sure what...Kare you look so stunning," he managed to say.
Smiling, Karen reached down and stroked his cheek. "That's exactly what I was hoping you would say," she said. She then pulled off her robe and said to her husband, "I'm all yours now Jackie."
"Oh my god," he said huskily. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, burying his face in her stomach. After regaining his composure, he pulled back and then stood up in front of Karen. He kissed her deeply before pulling away. "Umm, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take this off Kare," he said to her sheepishly.
"That's okay poodle," she answered. "I'll help." Taking his hands, Karen helped him pull down the zipper on the front of the corset.
Jack, who was staring at her with a serious expression on his face, stopped pulling the zipper as soon as Karen's breasts were freed. He cupped one with his hand and ran his thumb lightly over the nipple as he slowly placed her down on the mattress.
Watching him and breathing harshly, Karen was about to reach down and pull off the towel on Jack's waist when he stopped her.
"I want to see you naked first Kare," he whispered, bringing his lips to hers for a kiss. When he pulled away, he pulled the zipper down all the way and then took the corset off of Karen. "How tight did you have that thing?" he asked, running his fingers over the red marks on Karen's stomach.
"I didn't think you were going to take it off," Karen said as a way of explaining.
Shaking his head, Jack brought his mouth down to her skin and lightly kissed and ran his tongue over the red marks. He worked his way down to the panties she was wearing and then as he swirled his tongue around her bellybutton, pulled them off quickly.
"Oh Jackie, I've missed you," Karen moaned, anticipating his next action.
"Not as much as I missed you," Jack said. He slipped two fingers inside of his wife and moved them in and out for a few minutes before sliding in a third finger slowly.
"Ugh...Jackie!" Karen yelled as she reached her edge, climaxing violently.
Jack smiled and kissed her stomach before going to the top of the bed and laying out next to her.
"That was great poodle," Karen said, breathing unevenly, looking at him. "But look at you," she said, reaching down and touching the very obvious bulge protruding from underneath the towel. She sat up suddenly and got on her knees next to Jack. Opening the towel, she looked at her husband seductively before descending down, placing her mouth on his member.
Gasping as if he was having trouble breathing, Jack bit his lower lip so he wouldn't wake up the entire house by screaming. He closed his eyes and ten minutes later, threw his head back, almost screaming in complete pleasure as he attained his release. When he was sated, he lifted his head and grabbed Karen's hand, pulling her up to him. "God I love you," he whispered, kissing her deeply.
"I love you too Jackie," Karen said when he had pulled back from her. She then lay on her back and waited for him to get on top of her.
It only took Jack a couple of minutes to do so, and soon, his member was at her entrance. He had wanted to tease Karen a little bit, but he was too anxious to be inside of her. So he quickly, but gently, slid into his wife, feeling a mixture of happiness and desire overwhelm him.
Starting up at Jack, Karen sighed with content as she felt herself tighten around him. "I have to tell you over and over again Jackie," she whispered, putting her arms around his neck before he started to move. "I love you so much."
"Ahh...me too Kare!" Jack said when she shifted a little underneath him. Not wasting anymore time, he started to gently move in and out of her, kissing Karen's cheek softly.
"Please...poodle, harder," Karen whispered breathily into his ear.
With a groan, Jack complied and started to thrust in and out more and more quickly.
A shudder ran all the way down Karen's body and she felt herself climax around Jack. "Oh...oh my sweet, sweet Jackie!" she moaned thickly.
Hearing her tone of voice, Jack moved his mouth down to her breast and stopped moving when he felt her about to climax again.
"What are you doing?" Karen asked, looking down at him.
Jack lifted his head and placed a finger on her lips. "Wait," he said. He returned to sucking her breast and fondling the free one with his hand. After a few minutes, he started to move again and he moved from Karen's breasts so he could look at her.
Breathing harshly, Karen opened her eyes and climaxed numerous times around Jack as she stared at him, her body trembling slightly. "Oh...oh god JACK!" she cried.
"My beautiful...Kare," Jack murmured into her ear. Then he felt himself literally explode inside of her and he screamed her name out loud.
"Jack," Karen began to say a few minutes later while they were resting.
"What?" Jack asked from where he was resting on top of her breasts.
"Nothing Jackie," she said, smiling. She ran her fingers through his hair and closed her eyes, falling asleep with a contented expression on her face.
~~~
The next morning, Katherine was released from the hospital, and Edward, Jack and Karen were there to bring her home.
Before she left, Christopher walked into the room and asked to speak with Katherine privately. "If you ever need anything, ever, just give me a call," he said when they were alone, handing her a business card.
"Thank you Chris," she said, smiling up at him. "Thanks so much for all you've done." She stepped off the bed carefully and hugged Christopher tightly.
"Oh...well it was nothing Katherine," the doctor said, a little embarrassed. He stepped back from her and said, "Well I'm sure you're anxious to get home, so I'll let you go."
"Bye Chris," Katherine called as he left.
"Are you ready to go home Katherine?" Edward asked as he came into the room, pushing a wheelchair.
"I've been ready since five this morning," she answered as she sat down.
"We're letting you use the limo since your husband doesn't have one," Karen said when they were outside the hospital.
Katherine laughed as her husband helped her into the back of the limo. When everyone else was settled and the car started moving, she took her sister's hand and said, "Are you going to go to the office once I'm back at home."
"Honey, no, I took the whole day off," Karen said, smiling. "I'm going to stay with you, if you want me to."
"Thanks Kare," Katherine said, resting her head on her shoulder.
~~~
Much later that night, Karen and Jack were going to head back to their penthouse when Katherine said she wanted Karen to do a favor for her.
"What is it Kath?" Karen asked her sister.
"Could you stay with me tonight?" Katherine asked. "It's just because I've only seen you when you could visit at the hospital and-"
"Okay, I'll stay if it's alright with Eddie," Karen said.
"Sure thing Karen, I think you should," Edward said.
"I'll walk you to the door Jackie," Karen said.
They left the room and walked to the front door of the penthouse.
"You call me if anything happens to you or Ebie okay?" Karen asked as she hugged Jack tightly.
"Don't worry Kare," Jack responded, kissing her forehead. "I hope you'll try and sleep though, I know you're still tired."
"I will poodle don't worry," she said. They kissed deeply for a few moments and then pulled apart. "I love you," Karen said.
"And I love you," Jack said. He kissed her cheek and then left the penthouse.
Karen turned around and then went back up the stairs towards her sister's room.
~~~
Katherine was sitting up against the headboard, saying good night to her husband. "Are you sure it's okay if Karen stays here tonight?" she asked yet again.
"For the last time Katherine; it's fine," Edward said, smiling at her. "I think Karen will comfort you a lot, it was a good idea to ask her to stay."
"You're both worried I may attempt suicide again," Katherine said, her gaze resting on the bed sheets.
Edward put his hand under Katherine's chin and lifted her head. "I'm not going to lie to you... Yes, your sister and I are really worried about your state of mind now, and that's why we called Dr. Petrach in to meet with you."
"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this," Katherine said, tears filling her eyes. "If you'd met and married a better woman than me-"
"I told you a long time ago Katherine, I will never love any other woman as much as I love you," Edward said, hugging her tightly. He pulled away a little bit and then kissed her deeply.
"Thank you Edward," Katherine whispered when the kiss was over.
"I love you Katherine," he said. He kissed her forehead and said before leaving the room, "Goodnight and sweet dreams."
"'Night Edward," Katherine said, lying down on her pillow.
Karen came out of the bathroom then, and asked, "Where's Eddie going to sleep?"
"In one of the extra rooms," Katherine answered.
"Oh, well I'm tired Kath," Karen said, going over to the bed and slipping under the covers. "Ready to sleep?"
"Yep," Katherine answered simply. She waited until Karen was situated on her pillow to give her a long hug. "Thank you so much for staying."
"You don't need to thank me honey," Karen said, returning her sister's hug. "I just want to help you get better."
Katherine smiled and then got up to turn off the lamp on the nightstand.
After that, Karen and Katherine spent a long time talking about different things in the dark. Katherine confided to her sister that she would like to adopt an infant now; maybe even infant twins, since she couldn't have her own. Karen told her that she and Jack had been trying to have another baby for about six months at that point; she and Jack had kept that a secret from everyone. Once Katherine had gotten over the surprise of that announcement, the two sisters fell asleep, arms around each other, both of them completely exhausted.
~~~
The next morning, Karen woke up, and was surprised to see that the room was still dark. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. She didn't know what had woken her up, until she felt her stomach suddenly heave. Trying to get out of the bed quick enough, but quietly enough so she wouldn't wake up Katherine, Karen ran to the bathroom and just barely made it to the toilet. She threw up for at least five minutes until her stomach was empty. Sitting on the cold bathroom floor, one thought ran through her mind; 'I'm pregnant."
A thought suddenly came to Karen at that point, and she realized that she needed to keep the possibility of her being pregnant a secret from her sister and brother in law. In her mind, she reasoned that the news of her sister being with child would emotionally hurt Katherine; and Karen never wanted to do that to her baby sister. So she got up from the floor and supporting herself on the counter, rinsed her mouth out and washed her face. She needed to go back to the penthouse and tell Jack what was going on.
At the thought of Jack, Karen couldn't help but smile widely. She was finally pregnant with their second child; well, at least it was likely that she was expecting. That sunk in and she let out a little squeal of happiness. Suddenly very excited to go home, Karen walked out of the bathroom and slowly shook her sister awake.
"Huh, what? What is it?" Katherine asked sleepily.
"I'm not feeling good," Karen said, the smile gone from her face. "I'm going to go back home."
"Oh, you don't need to go to the hospital or anything?" Katherine asked, concerned.
"No, no, I'm just going to go home and rest in bed for the day," Karen said.
"Alright, well let me know how you're feeling tonight okay?" Katherine asked.
"Sure Kath," Karen said, she hugged her sister and they kissed before she left the room. She felt like running from the penthouse to her own, she was so anxious to tell Jack her good news, but she knew if she did so, the whole household would wake up and she herself would probably make herself sick again. So very, very quietly, Karen walked down the stairs and then to the front door. She walked out into the hallway and closed the door behind her silently. She paused for a moment, and put one hand on her stomach.
She stared off into space for a while until she shook her head and she hurried over to the elevators to get to the penthouse. When she got back home, she immediately went up to Elizabeth's room to check on her. Seeing the baby was perfectly fine, and still sleeping, Karen left the room and went over to hers and Jack's bedroom to tell him the wonderful news.
Disclaimer: I don't own Will and Grace or its characters.
Chapter Forty
Improved and Suspicions
For three long weeks, Katherine slowly regained consciousness and then her strength. While she was still very depressed, Katherine's psychiatrist, Susan Petrach, was visiting her in the hospital at the request of Edward and Karen. The doctor was trying to make sure Katherine wouldn't be tempted to attempt suicide again.
On the Saturday of the third week Katherine was in the hospital, Karen approached her room, carrying a bag of books for her sister. She was surprised to see that Dr. Stiles was sitting next to Katherine on the bed and they were laughing at something. Staying off to the side so they wouldn't see her, Karen watched as the doctor stood up and then picked up Katherine's hand, kissing the palm gently. She waited until the doctor had left and then went inside her sister's room.
"Hullo Kare," Katherine said when she saw it was her sister walking inside.
"I brought the books like you asked me too," Karen said, giving her the bag and kissing Katherine's cheek.
"Thanks Kare, I'll finally have something to do besides watch the bloody TV," Katherine said.
"Kath, why did I just see your doctor kiss your hand?" Karen asked after thinking a few moments.
"What?" Katherine said, already reading one of the books Karen had brought her.
"I was outside and I saw Dr. Stiles sitting on the bed like I am and then he kissed your hand before he left," Karen said, taking the book from her sister.
"Oh, well Kare, Christopher and I are friends," Katherine said, a slight flush creeping onto her cheeks. "I won't do anything to ever hurt Edward, I love him too much."
Karen studied her for a few minutes and then shrugged, giving the book back to her. While Katherine looked at the other books, Karen looked around the room and spotted something that looked out of place. "Where did you get those flowers Kath?" she asked, pointing to a big bunch of wildflowers that were blue, red and yellow.
"Those...Edward gave them to me yesterday after you and Jack left," Katherine said, hesitating at first.
"They're pretty," Karen said, turning back to her sister and smiling. "Oh, before I forget, I have to tell you what Ebie did last night..."
As Karen spoke, Katherine felt her mind wandering back to the visitor she'd had earlier that morning, the one who'd given her the wildflowers.
***
Katherine was sleeping lightly, unable to really sleep deeply because of the noises in the hospital. Around six in the morning, she was roused from her sleep by the sound of high-heeled shoes on the tiled floor of her room. Opening her eyes partially, she thought it was her adoptive mother until she realized that this woman had dark brown hair, not black.
"Hi Katherine honey," the woman said softly, placing her hand on Katherine's cheek.
"M-mom?" Katherine asked groggily, opening her eyes all the way. She was correct; it was Lois Whitley who had come into the room. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard about what happened to you Katherine," Lois said gently, setting a vase with flowers in it on the table next to the bed. "I wanted to come and see you. Tell you I'm so sorry Katherine."
As her mother placed her hand on her forehead, Katherine burst into tears. "I'm okay, I'm fine," she said as Lois hugged her. "You should go though; you don't want to be here when Karen comes."
Lois stepped away, surprised at the sharpness in her daughter's voice. "Kiki told you about what I did after her father died?" she asked.
"Yeah, and I also promised Karen that I wouldn't have any contact with you if I could help it," Katherine said, looking away from her mother.
"Then take this," Lois said, handing her a card. "The number on there is a good friend of mine in the city who lets me know what's going on with Kiki and with you now. If you ever need to reach me-"
"I doubt it, but I'll keep it in mind," Katherine said, putting the card deep in the flowers. "Now please, I'd like to get some more sleep before my sister comes."
Nodding, Lois turned and left the room without saying a word to her daughter.
***
After Karen had finished her story, Katherine smiled even though she felt like sighing. She didn't know what had possessed her to be so mean to Lois; she supposed that hearing about what she had done in the past from Karen had turned her against the woman.
"Kath, you okay?" Karen said, noticing that her sister seemed to be staring off into space.
"Huh? Oh, yeah Kare," Katherine said, shaking her head slightly. "I was just thinking on whether or not I took my medicine earlier."
"For your asthma?" Karen asked, worried.
"No, Susan gave me pills to help me with my depression," Katherine said. "Prozac, Kare."
"Oh," Karen said, not sure what to say. She took Katherine's hand and the two sat in silence until Edward came into the room.
"Hello Karen," Edward said, smiling at his sister in law. "Hi Katherine."
"Wow, more flowers Kath," Karen said, looking at the roses in Edward's hands. "Your husband's drowning you in them."
"What are you talking about Karen?" Edward asked as he kissed Katherine's cheek and put the roses on the table next to the vase with wildflowers.
"Kath said you brought her those wildflowers last night," Karen said.
"Oh...that's right, I did bring them," Edward said, seeing the pleading look in his wife's eyes. "I forgot about that."
Karen's cell phone suddenly rang and she hurriedly answered it. "Hello," she said. She listened for a few moments before saying, "Okay, I'll meet you in ten minutes poodle, bye." She hung up the phone. "I hate to leave, but Jackie wants me to go have lunch with him," she said to her sister.
"It's alright Kare," Katherine said quickly.
"I'll come back later okay?" Karen said as she got off of the bed. She kissed Katherine's cheek and then said goodbye to Edward as she left.
"Bye Kare," Katherine called after her sister. "Thank you for covering for me Edward."
"Why did I need to say I brought you those flowers?" Edward asked.
"My mother brought those," Katherine said. At her husband's surprised look, she then said, "My real mother, Lois Whitley."
"When did she come?" Edward asked.
"Very early this morning," Katherine said. "I'm afraid I was a bit mean to her."
"Well, considering what Karen told you, I'd say you were justified," Edward said. He started to stroke her hair then and leaned down to kiss her when someone came into the room.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Mr. O'Neill," Dr. Stiles said as the two looked at him. "I'm making my rounds and I wanted to check on Katherine."
"It's okay," Edward said, sounding a little irritated. "I'm going to go get something to drink and then I'll be back." He kissed his wife softly on the lips and then left the room.
As Christopher checked over her, Katherine asked, "When do you think I'll be able to go home?"
"Well, if you keep resting, I don't see why you can't leave by the end of next week," Christopher said, smiling at her.
Katherine smiled back and said, "That's fantastic news," taking the doctor's hand and squeezing it.
~~~
A week later, Jack was playing with Elizabeth on the bed in his and Karen's room as Karen watched them.
Elizabeth was now eighteen months old and she was always trying to speak. She loved to play with her father, and she also liked to hold onto her mother tightly when she was falling asleep. She loved her mom and dad and was always very happy with them and that was very obvious.
Jack tickled the bottom of Elizabeth's feet and smiled as she shrieked with laughter. He glanced at his wife, and was surprised to see that she was asleep. He was going to wake Karen up, but then decided to let her sleep. "Come on Ebie," he murmured to their baby, picking her up. "Let's go and let your mommy sleep."
Cooing quietly, Elizabeth held onto Jack's neck as he carried her out of the room. She was set down on the floor and immediately she walked over to her room.
After he quickly closed the bedroom door, Jack followed Elizabeth into her room. He saw that she had walked over to the rocking bench and was trying to climb up on it. He was walking towards her when Elizabeth suddenly fell backwards from the force of the rocking and she did a summersault. "Ebie, are you okay honey?" Jack asked, rushing to her and picking her up.
Elizabeth immediately started to cry, a bump appearing on her forehead.
"Oh god Ebie, please baby, don't cry," Jack said frantically, trying to calm her down.
"Jackie, what happened?" Karen asked, appearing in the doorway to the baby's room.
"She was trying to get onto the bench and she fell backwards," Jack said, rubbing Elizabeth's back.
"Here poodle, let me take her," Karen said above the baby's cries. When she had their daughter in her arms, she looked at the bump and told Jack, "Get some ice." When he left the room, she walked to the bench and sat down, rocking slowly. Cooing, Karen wiped the tears off Elizabeth's face and she tried to get her to stop crying. It didn't work, and she stood up, pacing back and forth and she started to softly sing.
Jack walked into the room quietly, holding a plastic bag with ice in it. He was surprised to find that Elizabeth wasn't screaming and crying; only hiccupping with sobs. Waiting until Karen was done singing; Jack went over to her and put the ice on the bump on Elizabeth's forehead. "Way to go mommy," he said, leading Karen over to the bench and kissing her temple.
"Thanks Jackie," Karen said as they sat, rocking together gently.
It took a long time until Elizabeth stopped crying and she calmed down. She rubbed one of her eyes and looked up at her parents.
"Don't ever do that again Ebie," Jack said, lifting the baby into his arms. "You scared me when you fell little one."
"Sor?" Elizabeth said, wrapping her arms around Jack's neck. That was how she said the word sorry.
"Never mind Ebie," Jack said, kissing her cheek. He felt their daughter rest her head on his shoulder and then she fell asleep quickly. "How are you feeling Kare?" he said to his wife.
"Still tired Jackie," Karen said, leaning against Jack and sighing. For the past couple of weeks, she had felt extremely tired, and she wasn't sure why.
"Why don't you go back to sleep then?" Jack suggested.
"Hmm...will you come with me Jackie?" Karen asked looking up at him.
"I'll put Ebie in her crib and meet you in bed," Jack said, smiling. He stood up and as Karen left, set their daughter down in the crib and covered her with a blanket before hurrying out of the room. He entered his and Karen's bedroom and saw she was getting in the bed.
Yawning, Karen watched as Jack walked over to the bed and took off his sneakers. When he got under the covers next to her, she immediately wrapped her arms around him and snuggled onto his chest. "Are you going to sleep at all?" she asked as Jack started to stroke her hair gently.
"I don't know," Jack said. "Probably not, I like to watch you sleep."
Karen giggled and then brought her head up to his, kissing him deeply.
"Get some rest Kare," Jack said when they pulled apart.
"I am, I am," Karen responded, resting on his chest again and closing her eyes.
~~~
Later that night, Jack and Karen were in the living room with Elizabeth, it was where they usually went after dinner. The two were sitting on the couch, cuddling while they watched their daughter play with her stuffed dog on the floor in front of them.
"Thank you for taking a nap with me earlier," Karen said, lifting her head and kissing Jack's cheek.
"You're welcome, Karebear, are you feeling better now?" Jack asked, rubbing her arm.
"A little bit," Karen answered. "I'm still kind of tired though." She was going to say something else when the phone rang. "I'll get that." She got off the couch and went over to the telephone.
Jack watched as Karen spoke with whoever was on the phone. He saw her eyes widen and heard her exclaim, "Tomorrow? That's great!"
She spoke on the phone a little while more and then hung up the phone. "Oh Jackie," she said to him, her eyes shining with happiness. "That was Eddie and he said Kath is being released from the hospital tomorrow!"
"That's fabulous!" Jack cried. He stood up and hurried over to Karen, spinning her around a few times before setting her down.
"I told Eddie we'd go tomorrow morning to bring her home," Karen said, smiling.
"This is great Kare, I'm so happy she's better," Jack said, running his hands up and down her back.
"I know poodle," Karen said, before kissing him deeply. When she pulled back, she said breathlessly and said, "I'm going to put Ebie to bed."
"Yeah, uh, I'm gonna go take a shower," Jack said nervously. He hurriedly walked out of the room and up the stairs. When he got into the bathroom, he went to the shower and stripped down before going in. He turned the water on as cold as it could, letting it run over him. He shivered and crossed his arms; he was doing this to himself since he didn't feel like asking Karen if he could have sex with her since she had gotten tired. It was killing him, but he didn't want to push her if she was sick or anything. So almost every night, he took a long, cold shower, trying to make his erection and lust for Karen go away.
Karen left her daughter's room after she made sure Elizabeth was asleep and then walked over to hers and Jack's bedroom. She didn't see Jack in bed, so she walked over to the bathroom, figuring he must have just finished his shower. When she stepped inside, she was surprised to see her husband sitting on the edge of the chez lounge, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Jackie?" she asked.
Looking up at his wife, Jack was taken aback for a moment. "Hey Kare," he said.
"What's wrong with you poodle?" she asked, sitting down next to him. She placed her hand on his arm and was surprised to feel that his skin was freezing. "Oh honey, you're so cold!"
"Water heater must be broken," Jack mumbled, not looking at her.
"You know if you just told me, I would have sex with you," Karen said, seeing through his lie.
"I didn't want to ask you while you weren't feeling good," Jack said, glancing at her.
Karen grabbed his chin and then pulled his mouth down to hers, kissing him deeply. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and rubbed it against his.
Moaning, Jack wrapped his arms around Karen's waist and pulled her onto his lap. When she pulled back and started to kiss his neck and shoulders, he said, "Are you sure you want to make love tonight Kare?"
"Of course poodle," she said. She then wriggled in his lap and smiled at his moans. "And I can tell you're up to it too."
Jack stood up with Karen in his arms and was about to leave the bathroom when she stopped him.
"Wait a second Jackie, I've got a surprise for you," Karen said.
"Can't it wait until later," Jack said, a little frustration creeping into his voice.
"Don't worry, you'll love this," Karen said. "Just put me down."
"Okay," Jack said, relenting. He set her down and kissed her deeply. "I hope you won't take too long."
"I won't, I promise," Karen said, kissing the tip of his nose.
Jack left the bathroom and walked over to the bed, sliding under the sheets. While he waited for Karen and her surprise, he hummed the lullaby Karen had sung to Elizabeth earlier under his breath.
"Alright poodle," Karen said, standing in the doorway to the room. "I'm all done."
"What's the surprise?" Jack asked, confused.
Karen, who was wearing a simple robe, walked over to the bed and had Jack sit up. "Untie this robe Jackie and you'll get it," she said, smiling down at him.
Confused and anxious, he untied the robe and pushed it open. When he saw what she was wearing underneath, his jaw dropped down and he stared up at her.
"Well, what do you think honey?" Karen asked. She had put on a silk lingerie ensemble that had a corset which pushed her breasts up high.
Jack opened and closed his mouth a few times, he was speechless. He had never seen a more amazingly beautiful sight and he could feel himself growing aroused. One thing that was killing him though, was the fact Karen's little outfit was completely white. "I-I'm not sure what...Kare you look so stunning," he managed to say.
Smiling, Karen reached down and stroked his cheek. "That's exactly what I was hoping you would say," she said. She then pulled off her robe and said to her husband, "I'm all yours now Jackie."
"Oh my god," he said huskily. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, burying his face in her stomach. After regaining his composure, he pulled back and then stood up in front of Karen. He kissed her deeply before pulling away. "Umm, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take this off Kare," he said to her sheepishly.
"That's okay poodle," she answered. "I'll help." Taking his hands, Karen helped him pull down the zipper on the front of the corset.
Jack, who was staring at her with a serious expression on his face, stopped pulling the zipper as soon as Karen's breasts were freed. He cupped one with his hand and ran his thumb lightly over the nipple as he slowly placed her down on the mattress.
Watching him and breathing harshly, Karen was about to reach down and pull off the towel on Jack's waist when he stopped her.
"I want to see you naked first Kare," he whispered, bringing his lips to hers for a kiss. When he pulled away, he pulled the zipper down all the way and then took the corset off of Karen. "How tight did you have that thing?" he asked, running his fingers over the red marks on Karen's stomach.
"I didn't think you were going to take it off," Karen said as a way of explaining.
Shaking his head, Jack brought his mouth down to her skin and lightly kissed and ran his tongue over the red marks. He worked his way down to the panties she was wearing and then as he swirled his tongue around her bellybutton, pulled them off quickly.
"Oh Jackie, I've missed you," Karen moaned, anticipating his next action.
"Not as much as I missed you," Jack said. He slipped two fingers inside of his wife and moved them in and out for a few minutes before sliding in a third finger slowly.
"Ugh...Jackie!" Karen yelled as she reached her edge, climaxing violently.
Jack smiled and kissed her stomach before going to the top of the bed and laying out next to her.
"That was great poodle," Karen said, breathing unevenly, looking at him. "But look at you," she said, reaching down and touching the very obvious bulge protruding from underneath the towel. She sat up suddenly and got on her knees next to Jack. Opening the towel, she looked at her husband seductively before descending down, placing her mouth on his member.
Gasping as if he was having trouble breathing, Jack bit his lower lip so he wouldn't wake up the entire house by screaming. He closed his eyes and ten minutes later, threw his head back, almost screaming in complete pleasure as he attained his release. When he was sated, he lifted his head and grabbed Karen's hand, pulling her up to him. "God I love you," he whispered, kissing her deeply.
"I love you too Jackie," Karen said when he had pulled back from her. She then lay on her back and waited for him to get on top of her.
It only took Jack a couple of minutes to do so, and soon, his member was at her entrance. He had wanted to tease Karen a little bit, but he was too anxious to be inside of her. So he quickly, but gently, slid into his wife, feeling a mixture of happiness and desire overwhelm him.
Starting up at Jack, Karen sighed with content as she felt herself tighten around him. "I have to tell you over and over again Jackie," she whispered, putting her arms around his neck before he started to move. "I love you so much."
"Ahh...me too Kare!" Jack said when she shifted a little underneath him. Not wasting anymore time, he started to gently move in and out of her, kissing Karen's cheek softly.
"Please...poodle, harder," Karen whispered breathily into his ear.
With a groan, Jack complied and started to thrust in and out more and more quickly.
A shudder ran all the way down Karen's body and she felt herself climax around Jack. "Oh...oh my sweet, sweet Jackie!" she moaned thickly.
Hearing her tone of voice, Jack moved his mouth down to her breast and stopped moving when he felt her about to climax again.
"What are you doing?" Karen asked, looking down at him.
Jack lifted his head and placed a finger on her lips. "Wait," he said. He returned to sucking her breast and fondling the free one with his hand. After a few minutes, he started to move again and he moved from Karen's breasts so he could look at her.
Breathing harshly, Karen opened her eyes and climaxed numerous times around Jack as she stared at him, her body trembling slightly. "Oh...oh god JACK!" she cried.
"My beautiful...Kare," Jack murmured into her ear. Then he felt himself literally explode inside of her and he screamed her name out loud.
"Jack," Karen began to say a few minutes later while they were resting.
"What?" Jack asked from where he was resting on top of her breasts.
"Nothing Jackie," she said, smiling. She ran her fingers through his hair and closed her eyes, falling asleep with a contented expression on her face.
~~~
The next morning, Katherine was released from the hospital, and Edward, Jack and Karen were there to bring her home.
Before she left, Christopher walked into the room and asked to speak with Katherine privately. "If you ever need anything, ever, just give me a call," he said when they were alone, handing her a business card.
"Thank you Chris," she said, smiling up at him. "Thanks so much for all you've done." She stepped off the bed carefully and hugged Christopher tightly.
"Oh...well it was nothing Katherine," the doctor said, a little embarrassed. He stepped back from her and said, "Well I'm sure you're anxious to get home, so I'll let you go."
"Bye Chris," Katherine called as he left.
"Are you ready to go home Katherine?" Edward asked as he came into the room, pushing a wheelchair.
"I've been ready since five this morning," she answered as she sat down.
"We're letting you use the limo since your husband doesn't have one," Karen said when they were outside the hospital.
Katherine laughed as her husband helped her into the back of the limo. When everyone else was settled and the car started moving, she took her sister's hand and said, "Are you going to go to the office once I'm back at home."
"Honey, no, I took the whole day off," Karen said, smiling. "I'm going to stay with you, if you want me to."
"Thanks Kare," Katherine said, resting her head on her shoulder.
~~~
Much later that night, Karen and Jack were going to head back to their penthouse when Katherine said she wanted Karen to do a favor for her.
"What is it Kath?" Karen asked her sister.
"Could you stay with me tonight?" Katherine asked. "It's just because I've only seen you when you could visit at the hospital and-"
"Okay, I'll stay if it's alright with Eddie," Karen said.
"Sure thing Karen, I think you should," Edward said.
"I'll walk you to the door Jackie," Karen said.
They left the room and walked to the front door of the penthouse.
"You call me if anything happens to you or Ebie okay?" Karen asked as she hugged Jack tightly.
"Don't worry Kare," Jack responded, kissing her forehead. "I hope you'll try and sleep though, I know you're still tired."
"I will poodle don't worry," she said. They kissed deeply for a few moments and then pulled apart. "I love you," Karen said.
"And I love you," Jack said. He kissed her cheek and then left the penthouse.
Karen turned around and then went back up the stairs towards her sister's room.
~~~
Katherine was sitting up against the headboard, saying good night to her husband. "Are you sure it's okay if Karen stays here tonight?" she asked yet again.
"For the last time Katherine; it's fine," Edward said, smiling at her. "I think Karen will comfort you a lot, it was a good idea to ask her to stay."
"You're both worried I may attempt suicide again," Katherine said, her gaze resting on the bed sheets.
Edward put his hand under Katherine's chin and lifted her head. "I'm not going to lie to you... Yes, your sister and I are really worried about your state of mind now, and that's why we called Dr. Petrach in to meet with you."
"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this," Katherine said, tears filling her eyes. "If you'd met and married a better woman than me-"
"I told you a long time ago Katherine, I will never love any other woman as much as I love you," Edward said, hugging her tightly. He pulled away a little bit and then kissed her deeply.
"Thank you Edward," Katherine whispered when the kiss was over.
"I love you Katherine," he said. He kissed her forehead and said before leaving the room, "Goodnight and sweet dreams."
"'Night Edward," Katherine said, lying down on her pillow.
Karen came out of the bathroom then, and asked, "Where's Eddie going to sleep?"
"In one of the extra rooms," Katherine answered.
"Oh, well I'm tired Kath," Karen said, going over to the bed and slipping under the covers. "Ready to sleep?"
"Yep," Katherine answered simply. She waited until Karen was situated on her pillow to give her a long hug. "Thank you so much for staying."
"You don't need to thank me honey," Karen said, returning her sister's hug. "I just want to help you get better."
Katherine smiled and then got up to turn off the lamp on the nightstand.
After that, Karen and Katherine spent a long time talking about different things in the dark. Katherine confided to her sister that she would like to adopt an infant now; maybe even infant twins, since she couldn't have her own. Karen told her that she and Jack had been trying to have another baby for about six months at that point; she and Jack had kept that a secret from everyone. Once Katherine had gotten over the surprise of that announcement, the two sisters fell asleep, arms around each other, both of them completely exhausted.
~~~
The next morning, Karen woke up, and was surprised to see that the room was still dark. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. She didn't know what had woken her up, until she felt her stomach suddenly heave. Trying to get out of the bed quick enough, but quietly enough so she wouldn't wake up Katherine, Karen ran to the bathroom and just barely made it to the toilet. She threw up for at least five minutes until her stomach was empty. Sitting on the cold bathroom floor, one thought ran through her mind; 'I'm pregnant."
A thought suddenly came to Karen at that point, and she realized that she needed to keep the possibility of her being pregnant a secret from her sister and brother in law. In her mind, she reasoned that the news of her sister being with child would emotionally hurt Katherine; and Karen never wanted to do that to her baby sister. So she got up from the floor and supporting herself on the counter, rinsed her mouth out and washed her face. She needed to go back to the penthouse and tell Jack what was going on.
At the thought of Jack, Karen couldn't help but smile widely. She was finally pregnant with their second child; well, at least it was likely that she was expecting. That sunk in and she let out a little squeal of happiness. Suddenly very excited to go home, Karen walked out of the bathroom and slowly shook her sister awake.
"Huh, what? What is it?" Katherine asked sleepily.
"I'm not feeling good," Karen said, the smile gone from her face. "I'm going to go back home."
"Oh, you don't need to go to the hospital or anything?" Katherine asked, concerned.
"No, no, I'm just going to go home and rest in bed for the day," Karen said.
"Alright, well let me know how you're feeling tonight okay?" Katherine asked.
"Sure Kath," Karen said, she hugged her sister and they kissed before she left the room. She felt like running from the penthouse to her own, she was so anxious to tell Jack her good news, but she knew if she did so, the whole household would wake up and she herself would probably make herself sick again. So very, very quietly, Karen walked down the stairs and then to the front door. She walked out into the hallway and closed the door behind her silently. She paused for a moment, and put one hand on her stomach.
She stared off into space for a while until she shook her head and she hurried over to the elevators to get to the penthouse. When she got back home, she immediately went up to Elizabeth's room to check on her. Seeing the baby was perfectly fine, and still sleeping, Karen left the room and went over to hers and Jack's bedroom to tell him the wonderful news.