By Didi
Disclaimer: Though the show has been cancelled, (damn those executives) I still cannot claim them as mine. And anyone that even thinks so would be laughed out of the courts. Don't sue; I'm not making any money out of this.
Timeline: Let's just assume this is after the last aired episode. But assume that Nick Kokoris and Rae Brennan are not together. I could not stand the two on the show so I refuse to write anything where they are together. Don't worry; I won't ignore their history already established as the back-story from the show.
Rating: Thinking of raising the rating but unsure. I'll hold off on it for now.
Author's Note: Okay, when I started to write this story, I hadn't realize just how controversial stem cell research was or how current legislation and debates were taking place in Congress to forbid this kind of research and procedure from happening. (See Christopher Reeves website on more information on stem cell legislation.) I had based everything I was writing on a medical journal that I had picked up some time ago and didn't know the political side of this. Please excuse my ignorance on the subject. But for the purpose of this story, let's ignore the political problems involved with scientific research shall we? I won't totally ignore the problems but I want to minimize it for the sake of the story. I hope not to offend anyone by this suggestion. Thank you all for understanding.
Summary: What would you do in the name of love? Betray a friend maybe?
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Chapter Ten~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What was that all about?" Letty asked as she followed Jules out of the office and away from what may be a soon-to-be murder scene if the look on Matt Slingerland's face had been any indication. It certainly wasn't the first time she's seen the internist angry, but it was the first time she's seen him come this close to losing his cool.
"The usual parent-child disagreements kind of thing," Jules replied breezily. She didn't want to look back on the carnage.
Letty slanted a look at the young doctor. "And you're involved how?"
"I'm the unlikely winner of being the contested problem in both their lives."
"Really?" not sure if she was amused or alarmed by this piece of news. "How? Unless you and Matt…"
"Why does everyone think that we're involved?" Exasperation was the least of her problems.
"Hum… let's see. You and Slingerland decided to both be late this morning. Neither of you look like you got much sleep last night and while you appear to have changed, Slingerland looked like he slept in his. Anita spread it about that your pagers got switched… somehow. And now Slingerland's Dad comes looking for you. Hum… two plus two plus two plus…"
"All right, all right, I get the point," throwing her hands up in surrender. "Yes, there is a little problem between me and Slingerland. And however unlikely it seems, his parents are also involved. And no, I'm not about to announce it on the PA to satisfy everyone's curiosity."
"How about just satisfying a friend's curiosity?"
Jules made a face. "No."
~~~~
"Do I even want to know what you're doing here?" Matt asked, running a hand through his hair, messing up the already mussed hair. The amount of frustration and anger was threatening to choke him. "Not that I can't guess what you and Dr. Keating could possibly be discussing."
"We were having a perfectly civilized conversation about…"
"Oh spare me," he replied as he watched his father closed the office door so they are not seen even if the paper thin walls will guarantee that they are heard once the shouting match started… if his father could actually allow himself to be human enough to lose his temper. "I know you, Father. I know how you operate, even if Jules doesn't."
"Really?" the thinly veiled exasperation was hardly the staple of fatherly pride. "And I know how naïve you can be, especially in regards to women. Need I remind you of… oh what was the floozy's name?" he racked his brains through a score of names that's passed across his life due to his son's charming attitude toward the female population. "Lena, I believe was her name. Lena Downing."
"Can we not bring up Lena and my…"
"The women nearly got you to the alter, Mathew. Had you married that little gold digger, can you even imagine the amount of alimony you would be paying at this moment to that loose woman? Thank good you came to your senses in the nick of time."
"Don't you mean thank goodness I happened to miss work that day and saw that sordid little scene in the pool?" Dr. Slingerland's eyes narrowed under his furrowed brows. "I always wondered if you had set up Lena and Derrick for my benefit."
George made a noise that sounded close to disgust. "And how, pray tell, could I have possibly forced your ex-fiancée and former school chum into that ugly position?"
"Hum…" Matt sat on Jules's desk, picking up a rubber figurine of Duffy Duck and toyed with it for a moment. If anyone could create a perfect illusionary setup, it was his father. "I suppose it was just a coincidence then."
"Of course," he replied.
"Just like it was a coincidence that you just happened to be in this hospital, at this time, closest away with my… my friend."
His eyes narrowed. "Is she just your friend, Matthew?"
"Of course," he replied readily… especially since it was the truth-no matter what the tiny voice in the back of his head wished. "She and I have been colleagues and friends for a very long time now."
"Is that why you offered her your sperms?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," he lied forcefully.
"Because you are her good friend," George asked speculatively.
"Yes. But that's probably something you won't understand. God knows you've never done anything that didn't benefit you in some way."
Mr. Slingerland shook his head slowly, ignoring that little jab. "No, I don't think so. You may be able to fool your friends with that little lie but I know you better than you think, Matthew." He eyed his only flesh and blood curiously. Though he would never allow himself to admit it, his only child has been a constant fascination of his. Matthew's mind worked different from those around him. It's taken many years to make sense of the enigma around the young man. And while he could never say it out loud, his son was a better man that he could ever allow himself to be. "This is something different. I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure of seeing this side of you."
Matt had a bad feeling about this particular conversation. "Have you ever listened to me long enough to decipher what I actually mean? Or do you just insert your own interpretation of things?"
"You're being awfully defensive about this, Matthew." The wheels were turning on that thought, nothing like a good mystery to peak his interest. "So very unlike you."
"Don't use your corporate mentality to read me, Father. It would put you in a highly unflattering light." Annoyance was a great emotion that allows a person to justify and avoid many things. "We're off the topic."
"Which topic would that be?"
"Your discussion with my J… my colleague!" Anger was slowly setting in. Screaming like a maniac would not help the situation. And now to the heart of the most annoying problem, "Where is it?"
His own temper beginning to be prickled now, "Where is what?"
"The agreement."
"From what Dr. Keating tells me, torn into pieces and decorating a wastebasket."
"What?"
"For heaven's sake boy, were you so drunk last evening that you don't even remember what you did?"
That stung. "I was not drunk," he shouted back then winced as someone outside the office dropped a clip or a tray. *So much for not losing my temper.* Mentally counting to twenty, he reined in his irritability. "I know what I did with the agreement. I meant, where is the agreement you brought with you today?"
"I didn't bring one."
"Really?"
"Yes, really," he answered firmly. "I didn't have time to have another copy printed and brought to me before putting your mother on a plane and having to endure abominable traffic to get here."
Matt glared but understood that little explanation. Nobody kept a schedule better than his father could. Anything that should interfere with the all mighty date book must be ignored or stepped on… such as graduations and award ceremonies. "You could have saved yourself a lot of trouble by simply following Mother onto the plane and leaving San Francisco and Jules in peace."
"She doesn't seem nearly as bothered by my visit as you apparently are."
"She a lamb that hasn't realized that she's just met a wolf in very expensive imported lamb's skin." His eyes narrowed. "I see myself as more of the wolf hound type. I make sure the wolves don't slaughter the little lambs that I have under my watch. Am I making myself clear, Father?""
"As you usually do, Matthew. But allow me to remind of something vastly important."
"And exactly what would that be?"
"Only that it is doubtful that your little lamb will follow any advice you designed to set upon her. She seems to be a woman of great intelligence, more than you seem to be displaying as of late, and would most likely do as she deemed right for her future. And she, my son and heir, finds it to her liking to at least review the agreement that I've spend hundreds of dollars on lawyer fees to create."
"I couldn't give a rat's arse how much you spent on that…that… thing. It was a complete waste of money and I will save you the trouble of having to have another delivered by telling you now, in no uncertain terms, that under no circumstances will I be signing it."
George's face was a motley show of indignation for a moment and Matt braced himself for the eruption he has only seen once in his life, when he informed his parents that he will be attending medical school instead of pursuing his MBA. But just as quickly as the mounting spew of ugly retorts that had been rising to its volcanic release, it died as Mr. Slingerland adjusted his tie and got up from his chair. He went to the door, opened it, paused, turned to look at his son with a dangerously quiet smile and said, "We'll see," then left without another word.
Matt stayed in Jules's office for another fifteen minute… just to make sure he doesn't curse like there is no tomorrow in front of staff and patients. Not exactly the picture of professionalism.
~~~~
It was almost a full week and a half later that the axe he had been expecting since the confrontation with his father and the parting shot at the end finally fell. It was a raining, muggy Friday and the mood around the hospital was depressing at best and down right morbid at worse. The recent lack of good news for the population in general only added to the gloominess of the scene.
"Matt," Jules called as she spotted him down the corridor and hurried to catch up to him. "Wait up a sec, I need to talk to you."
He paused in his stride back to the relatively safe haven of his office and hesitated. The steady avoidance of the young pediatrician's presence was going to get notice he knew, but it was the only possible solution he could think of to eliminate the bevy of gossip and scores of uneasy dreams that have plagued him since that fateful night in her apartment. Not that not having any face-to-face meeting with Dr. Keating had done anything more than deprive him of her lively company and made him more sourly and difficult to deal with. He was well aware of what everyone's been saying of him lately. *And Kokoris's oh-so-helpful suggestion that I get laid.*
"You got a few minutes?" she asked as she clutched several charts and lab print outs that she has to review.
"Not at the moment, no," he answered quite seriously. "I've got two patients coming in and I have yet to review their results from the series of tests done this week."
"Oh," she bit her lip and sighed trying to think up a solution that would work. The lecture from Harriet that morning only reminded Jules that time was running out for her if she was going to tell Dr. Slingerland about her recent activities. "I wanted to talk to you about something quite important but I'd rather not do it…"
"Is this about the embryos?" he asked quickly.
"What? No…well, yes… in a way." She winced at what that could only sound like. When she was being a dork, she went all out for the occasion.
"Charles is being prepped for surgery this afternoon. Please tell me that you have not changed your mind about…"
"No," she shook her head in to emphasize the point. "I haven't changed my mind about the cells. Kokoris says that he checked with the lab yesterday and everything is steady. But we're getting a hailstorm of problems from protestors and the administration about this. This is going to be a rough ride."
"Yeah," he felt his stomach knotted just remembering the six-hour conference with the administration he and Kokoris had to endure to for permission to even perform the procedure. He could only imagine the kind of headaches the protesters will be creating once word gets out that the procedure will be tonight. And there wasn't a doubt in his mind that word will get about before the day is out. "I've got Charles in isolation with security posted. Kokoris and I will be here through the night."
"I know," she pulled a stack of printouts from the armful in her arms. "Here's the latest on the EKG. We're looking at a nice steady rhythm. Kokoris isn't expecting any complications. I'll be here until around midnight if you guys need me." She glanced down as her pager vibrated. "Shit, I've got to go," glancing at the abbreviated code. "Listen, you and I have to talk."
"About what?" he asked following her toward the elevators, ignoring the turned heads as they passed the nurses' station.
Jules glanced at the curious faces and decided that there wasn't much she was going to be able to do about her gossiping colleagues. "What are you doing for dinner?" she asked unexpectedly.
Matt raised a brow. "Kokoris and I are going to go over last minute review." "Hum…"
"But it's not necessary, just my precautious nature," he replied watching her frown with growing apprehension. "I'll order trays to your office."
She nodded. "Sounds good," she entered the elevator with a nod. "Seven?"
"Seven," he concurred with a nod. "Jules? What is this about?"
"The embryos," she answered with an apologetic look just before the doors closed.
Matt sighed resignedly. "Of course, what else could it be?."
~~~~
Playing with the edge of the documents, Jules tried to calm the uneasiness feeling at the pit of her stomach. She wished that her timing was better. With him on a rough case and going into surgery in the evening, she was seriously reconsidering talking to him about any of this, at least until next week. *Coward,* she couldn't help but call herself. *Damn straight. He doesn't need this on top of everything else that's going on. Plus he's going to be so pissed off.*
"Knock, knock," Jackie's face appeared around the doorframe. Her jovial smile was warm and inviting. "What's up? You look like you've got ten thousand things on your mind."
"Feels like it," she replied with a smile. "You need something?"
Shaking her head, "For once, life and business is good. There is no shortage of people that want unnecessary procedures. I've got a sixty year old woman that wants to look thirty and will be happy to pay a pretty penny to get there." She shared conspiratorially, "I hear she's got herself a young pool boy she's been keeping in shape with."
It always amused and amazed her how much scandalous tidbits Dr. Colette manages to dig up. "Oh my mind just went into a really bad place right now."
"Well, you can't say that the woman didn't come up with a very enjoyable way to keep in shape at her advanced age," Jackie winked and laughed. "I can only hope that I'm that inventive when I get there."
Chuckling, "So if business isn't want brings you here? What is?"
"Suspicious aren't you?"
"These days, I've got good reasons to be."
"So is it true?" coming to the point.
"Is what true?"
"You and Slingerland."
"What about me and Slingerland?"
Jackie raised a brow. "You know."
"No, I don't. Why don't you tell me?"
Surprised that news/gossip/speculation hasn't reached the subjects themselves. "That your bed is currently being kept warm by our esteemed colleague."
A full minute of disbelief passed before Jules could even sputter a response. And all this time she just thought people had concluded that she and Matt were just dating. "Who the hell came up with that one? Are you people nuts?"
"Why not?" Jackie asked candidly. "What is so wrong with thinking that two unattached, attractive, successful and friendly professionals might take their relationship to a whole new plane? I don't mind telling you that I would welcome something in that department. My social life, or lack of, has become the butt of every joke in my department."
"Well it's better than having everyone thinking that you're some sort of… of…" she didn't even know of a good word for something like that. "This is ridiculous!" Jackie looked vastly disappointed. "What?"
"Does this mean you're not getting any either?"
"Jackie!"
"Well, one of us should," she pouted. She had been looking forward to living vicariously through her friend. "What's wrong with Slingerland anyways?"
Jules wondered how they ended up in a conversation like this. Her relative peace last week seemed to be dissipating rapidly. "There's nothing wrong with Slingerland. It's a perfectly nice guy. We're just not involved the way you and the rest of the staff seem to want us to be."
"No, no, no," Jackie waved the idea away. "I mean, what's wrong with him? Why hasn't he made a move on you already? It's so obvious that he does."
"Jackie!"
"Oh come on? Tell you that you haven't notice the fact that he's practically panting every time he sees you in the hallway?"
"Jackie!"
"Or that fact that he's been scowling at everyone this week cause you and him have been keeping your 'distance?' Why, we're not all too sure about cause it's been the talk of the nurses. Man, talk about a bear. He's worse than my dad when dear old dad quit drinking. You know what the nurses are calling him now? It's not Casanova, that's for sure. Though he kind of has that dreamy look about him when he's staring at you when you don't notice, you know the kind of look that most men only reserve for the bedroom."
"Jackie!"
"You have to stop doing that, dear," Jackie said kindly as she reached over and patted Dr. Keating's hand. "You sound like my mother."
Giving her friend a look that warned of dire consequences, "Can we get off the subject of Matt Slingerland please?"
"Someone say my name?" Two head turned as one and stared blankly at the British doc for am moment until he began to squirm under the scrutiny. "Pardon me; did I come at a bad time?" He glanced at his watch then frowned. "Didn't we agree to meet here at seven?"
"You did?" Jackie's eyes went wide as she turned back to Jules who could have gotten up then and there to smack Slingerland upside the head. "Well then…"
"Jackie…" the warning clear in her voice.
"I'll just be off now," getting up to leave the two 'lovebirds' alone… and spread a little more gossip.
"Jackie!"
"We really need to work on that broken record thing," Jackie grinned before sailing past the confused Dr. Slingerland with a wiggle of her fingers. "Have fun now. See you kids later."
Jules gave a highly unladylike screech before throwing herself into her seat once more with a huff. "Nosy, underhanded, babbling…" the muttered continued on for some time as Slingerland shut the door and took a seat across from the agitated young lady before him.
"I take it that the meeting didn't go well?" he hazarded.
"It was off track," she grumbled disagreeably. "I thought you were going to order food?"
"I was then decided that I've had enough cafeteria food to last me a life time this week. Why don't we get food in Suzie Lee's. They made wonderful ham and cheese."
Frowning, she considered it carefully for a moment. On one hand, she could be fueling the obvious continual gossip around the hospital. On the other hand, he was less likely to strangle her in a public setting. Her self preservation won out. "Okay, I could use a good amount of greasy foods. I've had salads and pasta all week," grabbing purse and a folder from her desk.
"Why?" he asked as he got up and help her into her coat instinctively.
"Cause that's the stuff we tell people are healthy for them. I thought I'd try to take my own advice this once."
Matt laughed, amused by the innocence in her voice as she complained about having to eat her vegetables. "And how has that worked out for you?"
"I think I'm turning green from all the spinach."
"Is that all you had?"
She shrugged her shoulders as they made their way down the hall toward the elevators. "I hate beets. Carrots are okay but only if they're half cooked. Chewing on celeries has become a chore. Lattice I can take in small quantities. I love corn and potatoes. I kind of like cooked peas, snow peas. And I'm beginning to acquire a taste for olives."
"Why olives?"
"I think they're cute. The little green ones with the red thing in the center."
"Do you usually eat things because they're cute?"
"Sometimes."
He laughed softly, glad for these little moments of inane things. "You are a pediatrician, no doubt of that."
"Because I like cute things?" not sure if she was offended or not.
"No," pausing to let three exiting nurses out of the elevator before following Dr. Keating in. "Because you are adorable." He almost winced at the wide-eye looks he caught a glimpse of from the nurses just before the elevator doors shut. "Oh lord," he groaned softly.
"What?" turning to look at him while making a futile search of her pager. "Shoot, I think I left the beeper on my desk."
"Aren't you off yet?" he asked, patting himself to make sure he had his.
"Yes."
"So forget about it. You don't have any critical patients, do you?"
"No."
"Then allow yourself half an hour of peace," he said as the doors slide open and he led the way to the front entrances. "You don't mind walking?"
"It's across the street, Matt. Driving there would be just silly."
"Not to some women," he muttered remembering several debutantes he had the misfortune of being wrangled by his mother into accompanying to some stuffy event or other. He truly has appreciation for the practicality of American women.
"What idiot would do that?" she asked casually, looking both ways before crossing the street without any assistance.
"You know, Jules," Matt complained as he jogged to keep up with her rapidly moving body. "It's considered polite and ladylike to allow the gentleman to escort a lady across the street, or to any place for that matters, instead of having him chase after her."
Feeling particularly cheered by this, she turned and gave him a decisively sweet smile. "Now what lug head told you I was a lady?"
Matt laughed as he took her elbow and pulled her to a stop before proceeding with her at a more sedated pace. "Do you always move like someone that's ten minutes late for a five minute meeting? Or have you always been like this and I've simply been too distracted to see?"
"With that long parade of women I'm always hearing about," she teased cheerfully as she skipped along to his long legged strides. "I'm not surprised if you hadn't notice I'm like the Energizer Bunny on crack."
"The what?" distracted by the comment about parades of women.
"Energizer Bunny," she repeated. "You know; the pink bunny with the sunglasses and drums that they use to advertise the battery brand."
"Sorry, must have missed that," he replied. The look she gave him was decisively offensive. "My apologies for the lack of Americanization."
"Whoa, touchy."
He winced. "Sorry."
Laughing because he truly looked apologetic for something that he didn't really need to be, "Let's eat," she announced as she reached for the door before he could. "You've got surgery in an hour. We want to get you back with plenty of time to spare."
"Are you ever going to allow me to be the gentleman here?" he asked, grabbing the door and motioning her through.
"Why should I?" She asked as she got the waitress's attention and took a seat in a booth. "My parents didn't raise a girl that must rely upon a man for things."
"Obviously," he replied opening the sticky plastic covered menu. He couldn't help but wonder what his aristocratic parents and friends would think of him sitting at a greasy diner with a woman that he didn't have an ounce of effect on. *Oh how the mighty have fallen.* He could already see the appalled faces.
"Do you like fries?" Jules asked unexpectedly.
"Occasionally. Not a particularly healthy side dish to any meal."
"Do you like chili?"
"I'm not partial to spicy foods."
"No, I meant the thick stew."
"Oh… occasionally, though the amount of fat content in a bowl would make Letty cringe."
"Do you measure everything by health factors?"
"A professional habit."
"I don't do it," she informed him helpfully before going back to study her menu. After a moment, "Do you like chili cheese fries?" she asked hopefully.
Matt smiled, suddenly not caring a whit what his old mates thought. "Julia, would you like to share some chili cheese fries?"
Guiltily happy, "Why yes, Matt. I would love to."
Laughing, he shook his head and closed his menu as the waitress. "We'll start with some chili cheese fries. I'll have the beef stew and cornbread."
"And I'll have a small Caesar salad with a ham and cheese on wheat."
"Drinks?" she asked jolting down the order.
Matt and Jules traded quick looks before answering together, "Coffee."
"Got it," popping gum and grabbing the menus. "Be back in a sec."
They both paused to watch a passing stranger dragging a screaming child. Slingerland winced as the pitch of the child's holler reached a point where it was painful to hear. "I thought you wanted to stay away from the dreaded greens?"
"I change my mind. I figure if I'm going to splurge on chili fries, I should have something that is healthy. I truly believe in a balanced diet."
He laughed, enjoying her twisted logic. "What did you need to see me about?"
Jules motioned for him to quiet as the waitress came back with two mugs, a steaming pot of black tar that smelled like coffee and several creamers in a cracked little dish. She didn't speak again until she had several sips of the most god-awful coffee in the word. "I'm going to miss this."
"What?"
"I said that I'm going to miss this."
He frowned at her, not liking the way she was saying that. "Are you going somewhere?"
"No," shrugging her shoulder and deciding that she couldn't put off the inevitable. "Listen, I got a call from my lawyers today."
That didn't sound good. "About?"
"The Parental Rights Agreement."
To give credit where it was due, Matt didn't fly off the handle. "My father sent one to your barristers?"
"My what?"
"Legal counsel."
"Oh… yeah… yes, yes he did."
He closed his eyes, imagined choking the life out of his father and counted to ten. When that didn't worked, he counted to twenty, praying for some patience and some control… until Jules spoke again.
"On my request."
Eyes popped open, "What?"
Squaring her shoulders, "I asked your father to send a copy to my lawyers. I wanted it reviewed before I sign it." She reached next to her in the booth and pulled out the manila folder she had brought with her. Flipping to the signature page, she showed him the bold blue signature on the bottom of the page. "I can have it notarized tomorrow."
He stared at the document in front of him speechless. This was not even close to what he thought might be the topic of conversation when she had asked to have dinner with him. Granted she had said it was about what was in X-40, but this… It felt like a slap in the face. "Could I inquire as to what exactly is it that I did wrong to make you have to go in search of legal counsel and conspire with my father to…"
"Matt," she held up a hand, stopping him dead in his track in what could be a rather long and involved torrid string of thoughts. "This isn't about you. This is about me."
"I beg to differ."
"As much as I hate to admit it, and trust me I do hate to admit it, your dad's right."
He couldn't have been more stunned if she had up and kissed him. Not that he would mind that particular idea. His brilliant mind was having a rather difficult time holding onto thoughts at the moment; possibly because she was twisting and turning around him so quickly that he wasn't sure which way to turn to keep up. "Excuse me?"
"I said, your father is right," she held up her hand again when he opened his mouth to speak. "No, hear me out." Waiting until he looked to be focusing on her instead of his own thoughts, "I've had a lot more time to think this through clearer and believe when I say that I can see your father's side of this. Hey, you were going to hear me out first, remember?" she glared at him.
Matt nodded his head reluctantly and bit the inside of his cheek to keep his mouth shut and reframe from voicing his opinion about his father's manipulative side. But then again, Julia Keating was a considerably more intelligent woman that his usual bevy of dates he manages to hung on to long enough to meet his parents. If anyone can see through George Keating's mind games, it'd be her. On the other hand, she was more innocent and soft hearted than most of the women he's known in his life, his mother included.
"He's looking out for you in the only way you've allowed him to. Look, you're not some kid that needs him to watch you when you cross the streets. And from his point of view, what you did has left you with a huge liability problem. For all he knows, I could end up deciding that I don't want to work anymore, have a kid and demand that you take care of us. You'd have nothing to fall back on if that happens."
"But you're not that kind of woman."
"But your father doesn't know that." She played with the spoon in her coffee cup. "He's trying to make sure that you don't fall into some sort of trap. And at the same time, he's also created a binding way for me to insure that you are not going to interfere with my decisions as far as the embryos go."
Unable to understand, "I would never think of interfering, Jules. I agreed that these eggs would be under your control, I'd only be the donor. I haven't given any indication that I would ever…"
"Sure you have."
Shocked, "When?"
"When you question the wisdom of using an embryo to help your patient. You know... the one that's going into surgery in an hour. You initially protested when I suggested it."
"You kind of sprung it on me."
"But you immediately associated it with your sperms instead of your being just the donor. That tells me something."
"That I care?"
"That you feel that you have some rights to these embryos." She really hated this part. This was one of the reason she wanted to go to bank for a donor. "I can't have you coming into my life later and wanting to be part of my child's life when you've agreed to let go. I can't do that to my kid."
He paused, eyes on the document in front of him. She was right on some degree. He did feel some possessiveness to those embryos; they were a connection he has to this woman in front of him… the unattainable one. And he didn't want to give up that connection, no matter what his mouth speaks. But he had agreed, he had told her that he would not interfere or intrude upon her decisions once his part was done. He understood the rules, rules that he had studied so carefully before engaging in this. And now… *You didn't expect to still want her. You thought you could be satisfy to just be her friend and do her a favor, a huge favor, and know that she didn't turn to a stranger.*
Jules watched the emotions play over his features. She needed this. Pushing the document closer to him, "I want you to sign it. I want to make this official."
Staring at the document, Matt felt the twisting sensation in his stomach and decided that he really didn't want any dinner. He didn't want to do it. At least, he didn't want to do it in the middle of some greasy diner an hour before he's going into a major surgery. Picking up the document, he grabbed the folder from her and tucked it in before setting it next to him. "I'll look it over tomorrow morning. I'll call you once I've…" he made a useless gesture.
"Monday," she told him. "I won't be around this weekend."
"Where are you going?"
"To see my sister in San Diego."
"Oh."
"I'll be back by Sunday evening. We can go to a notary republic Monday morning and have it filed away by noon."
He frowned. "What's the hurry?"
Here it was, the moment of truth. "I'm scheduled to be impregnated Tuesday afternoon."
Silence.
More silence.
The waitress managed to set down the chili fries and two entrees without ever noticing the fact that her customers seemed to be engaged in some sort of staring match with one completely stunned while other seemed to be squirming under the other's unblinking stare. "Enjoy," the young waitress said cheerfully before leaving the table without breaking a stride.
Silence once more.
Matt blinked once. "Excuse me?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be continued….