-----THREE MONTHS LATER-----
One of the younger nurses found Ginny as she came out of the bathroom. It was the third morning this week she'd gotten sick at the sight of blood. "Nurse Austin wants you," the younger nurse said.
"Wants me?" She stood, wondering.
The younger nurse nodded. "She's in her office."
"Alright." She headed for Nurse Austin's office.
"Come in, Mrs. Conlon," Nurse Austin said.
Chewing her lip, she stepped into the room.
"Please have a seat."
"U-um... All right." Tense, Ginny sat down. Nurse Austin handed her a slip of paper. Ginny scanned the contents. Andy had been killed in action! "Wh... what does this mean!?"
"Your husband died in the line of duty...You're going home."
Her eyes watered. "He... died?"
"Yes."
"No... there must be a mistake!"
"I'm afraid there is no mistake."
"No! No, it's wrong!" she cried, clutching the paper in her fist.
Nurse Austin stood and put a hand on Ginny's shoulder.
"He can't be dead..... He can't be..."
"Mrs. Conlon...you must calm down...you have to think about the baby."
"H-how... how did you know?"
"Lucky guess."
"What am I going to do?" Ginny asked, tears running down her cheeks.
"You'll pack your bags...I have you a ticket on a train to the coast tonight. You will be able to catch a ship and go home."
She sobbed. Nurse Austin put her arms around Ginny. Ginny buried her face in the nurse's shoulder.
-----
Sippi met Ginny when she stepped off the boat and wrapped her in a hug.
"Beau!" she wailed.
"I know, sweetie," he whispered, rubbing her back.
"Why Andy? Why him?" she sobbed. "It's not fair!"
"I wish I knew, Gin." She hugged her brother tighter. "Come on, let's get you home."
She allowed him to lead her away from the docks. "How's Rae?" she asked.
"She's doing all right, the last I heard."
"Andy was worried about her," she said with a sniffle, as her eyes filled with fresh tears.
Sippi hugged her tightly. "Let's get you home. You should sleep some."
"I have something to tell you...but I'm not sure how..."
"Something to tell me?"
She bit her lip and nodded.
"What is it?" he asked worriedly.
"I'm gonna have a baby..." she sobbed, burying her face in his shirt.
"Y-you're what??"
"Gonna have a baby..."
He gave a surprised noise. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
She sniffled. "I found out just before..."
"Do you need to see a doctor?"
"It might be best..."
"I'll set up an appointment with Trent then."
She nodded. "Then I want to go to Pleasant Valley..."
"Are you sure you want to do that?"
"I promised Andy that I would..."
"... All right. I'll take you there after your check-up."
"You don't have to go, Beau..."
"I don't want you to be all by yourself." He smiled. "You're my sister. I don't mind."
"Thank you Beau."
He gave her a hug. "Not a problem."
"Can we go see Trent now?"
He nodded. "Let me take your bag." He took it from her and led her down the street.
-----
"You're perfectly healthy, Ginny," Trent said.
She nodded slightly. "Thank you for taking me on such short notice..."
"I don't mind Ginny. You're like family..."
She gave him a small smile.
"Just take care of yourself, alright?"
She nodded. "I will. And thank you again, Trent."
"Anytime, Ginny."
Ginny stood up and headed for the door.
"Well?" Sippi asked when she met him in the waiting room.
She took a deep breath. "He said I was fine."
"Good. Ready to go?"
She nodded.
-----
Jeremy stepped from the train and glanced again at the letter in his hand. Joey didn't say what was wrong, only that if he saw Ann, he was supposed to tell her that she was needed at home. He had come up with only one way to get her home, but he wasn't sure how well she would take it.
She was walking out of a nearby diner as he passed.
"Ann!"
She hit him. "You said a couple of weeks...not four months!"
He yelped and rubbed his arm. "That's quite a right you have there. And I'm sorry."
She huffed and walked away.
"Ann...don't run away from me, please. I...need to talk to you."
She glanced back. "Well? What is it?"
"I found a way to get you home..."
She blinked. "You did?"
He nodded. "It's the only way."
"What is it?"
"Do we have to talk about this here? Can we go back to your place and talk?"
She frowned. "I suppose."
"Lead the way."
She nodded and headed down the street. "What took you so long?"
"I finished that assignment within two weeks like I thought...but they sent me right back out on another assignment as soon as I got back..."
"And you couldn't come and tell me?"
"I haven't been back here!"
"You just said you came back and then they send you out on another assignment! Where is back, if it's not here?"
"I work out of London, Annie. I was here on leave."
She sighed and walked on. "You couldn't write me?" She glanced at him. "I was worried sick, you know."
"I didn't have a chance to write. I didn't even get my mail until a couple of days ago. I had a letter from Joey that had been sitting there for two months!"
She frowned and led him into her flat.
"Joey's letter concerns you, actually..."
"Me? Why me? And you never told me how I could get home."
"Sit down."
She sat.
"Joey didn't tell me what's going on, but he said that you're needed at home right away..."
She frowned. "Right away? Did something happen? Did Joey not say anything at all about it?"
"He didn't say anything..."
She frowned. "I wonder what's wrong..."
"I found only one way for you to get home, Annie..."
"What way is that?" She glanced at him.
"The only way for you to get home is as a war bride."
"A what?" She stared at him.
"A war bride.
"What in the world is that?"
"A war bride is a woman who marries a serviceman...they are allowed to return to the states with their husbands."
"I don't know any servicemen."
"I am."
"You're a reporter..."
"You'll just have to believe me when I say that I am."
She looked at him for a long time. "You... want me to marry you?"
"Yes."
"Just so...I can leave?"
"You want to go home...Joey says that you're needed at home...I'm just trying to help."
"But...getting married...It's a lot more important than just to help a person get home. Besides, look at me...I look horrible."
"You're beautiful, Annie."
"I'm ragged and I look starved."
"You just need some good food, a bath, and some decent clothes."
She was quiet for several minutes. She stood up and went over to her window. "Do you love me, Jeremy?"
He walked over and stood behind her. "What would you do if I said yes?"
"I... I don't know."
He put his hand on her shoulder, but removed it when he felt her stiffen. "I like you a lot, Annie...but I don't know if what I feel for you could be considered love..."
"I see... And...there's no other way for me to leave this country?"
"I've checked with my connections...it's the only way..."
She sighed, still staring out the window. "All right... Let's get married then."
"Are you sure?"
"My family needs me home, don't they?" she said, without looking at him. "And I don't want to stay in Russia anymore..."
"We won't be able to leave town for two days...but I have enough money for us to stay in a hotel near the train station. I don't want you to stay here another night."
She nodded. "All right," she said emotionlessly. "We can just leave everything here. I don't really have anything to pack, anyway."
He glanced around the room. "You don't want anything?"
She shook her head. "Not that I can think of."
"Let's at least take a couple of those blankets...we may need them..."
She cast a glance at the blankets folded neatly in the corner. "All right."
He slung his bag over his shoulder and picked them up. "Let's go."
She looked around her flat one last time before slipping out the door.
An hour later they walked into the small hotel room...married. Jeremy placed the blankets on the bed and placed his bag in the corner. "Take a bath. I'm going to get my other bag from the station."
Quietly, she nodded and sat down on the bed for a moment.
"I'll see if I can find you some decent clothes as well."
"Oh...um, thank you."
"Until I get back, I have a change of clothes in my camera bag. Feel free to use them," he said, leaving the room.
She nodded again. "Thank you."
Once she was sure he was gone, she slipped from the filthy rags that she had been wearing and into the tub of water that one of the hotel staff had prepared for her. It had been nearly two years since she'd had the luxury of bathing in a tub. In her tiny flat, she'd had to settle for washing off with a cloth. The water felt so wonderful around her skin. Drawing in a deep breath, she sank under the water for a moment. The maid had been thoughtful enough to leave some scented soap for her to use. Vigorously, she scrubbed some soap over her skin. In just a few minutes, she felt wonderfully clean. She stepped from the tub and wrapped a large towel around herself, using a smaller one for her hair.
She glanced in the bathroom mirror. She could finally see the true color of her skin- pale and slightly pink instead of the dusty brown. "I was filthy...." she muttered. Imagine what the priest thought! She turned quickly from the mirror, not wanting to see the rest of her body. She walked over to Jeremy's camera bag and looked for the clothes that he had mentioned.
She slipped into them and managed a small smile. They nearly swallowed her up. She rolled up the cuffs on the shirt and the pants, before trying to rake through the knots in her hair with her fingers. It took her a good long while to work out most of the knots but finally, she slipped out of the bathroom.
Jeremy walked in just then. He stopped and stared at her.
She stopped as well. "What?"
"You look at lot better."
"Thanks... I finally had a decent bath."
"I got you some clothes...I hope they fit," he said, dropping a brown paper wrapped package on the bed.
She padded over to it. "Thank you."
"Welcome. I asked them to send up some food...and lots of it. We can't have your mother seeing you like this..."
"No, I guess not."
"My clothes don't look half-bad on you," he teased.
She wrinkled her nose. "If you like people to look like they're drowning." But she smiled a bit.
He laughed. "Go change then."
She scooped the bag in both arms and headed back into the bathroom. She changed rather quickly and was disappointed to see that these clothes were a bit loose on her as well.
"You about finished in there?" Jeremy called. "You're food's getting cold."
"Yes, yes, I'm coming."
She left the bathroom and joined him at the small table covered in wonderful smelling food. Suddenly she realized just how starving she was.
Jeremy caught the look in her eye. "Eat...please..."
She sat down and fixed herself a heaping plate.
He smiled as he fixed himself a plate.
"When do we leave?"
"We leave day after tomorrow...I have to report to the office in London...they'll have our travel home arranged."
"Are you no longer going to be a reporter?"
"I will be. But I'll be taking you home first."
She nodded. "All right then. It will be nice to go home."
They soon finished eating and Ann yawned. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"It's fine. You're tired. You have the right to be." He smiled.
He stood and walked over to the bed. He picked up the blankets and began to make a pallet in the corner.
"What are you doing?"
"Making myself a place to sleep."
"You don't have to sleep there... I can."
"No ma'am! You are going to sleep in that bed."
"But..."
"No buts!"
She sighed. "I don't like it."
"What's there not to like?"
"It's not right...You shouldn't have to sleep on the floor..."
"Well neither should you." He shook his head. "I'll be fine, Ann. I can survive a night or two on the floor."
"Alright," she said, slipping between the covers on the bed.
"Sweet dreams."
"Night," she whispered.
She snuggled down under the blankets and tried to fall asleep.
-----
Jackson met his twin sister at the front door with a hug. "How are you?" he asked.
"I'm fine..." Ginny said quietly, hugging him tightly back.
"I'm glad you came too, Beau...you haven't been out to see my daughter yet..."
Sippi smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing my niece.
"Come on...she's back this way." Ginny and Sippi stepped inside. He led them into the bedroom that he and Marty shared and over to the cradle.
"She's beautiful," Ginny murmured.
Jackson grinned. "Thank you."
"How's Marty?" Sippi asked.
"She's doing great...she's upstairs sitting with Rae right now..."
"How's Rae?" Ginny asked. "Is she getting any better?"
Jackson shook his head. "You'd hardly recognize her now..."
Ginny frowned worriedly.
"Doc says he doubts if she'll make it to delivery..."
She gasped. "No..."
"She made me promise to send you up as soon as you got here..."
She bit her lip. "All right."
"She wants to see you too, Beau."
Sippi blinked. "Me too?"
Jackson nodded. "She's in the first room on the right."
Sippi put an arm around his sister's shoulders and led her down the hall.
They knocked softly and Marty answered the door. "You're here already? Come on in." Marty stepped back.
"Faith's beautiful," Sippi said, hugging her.
She smiled. "Thank you."
At Ginny's soft gasp, he turned to glance at the bed. Jackson was right, he barely recognized Rae. She was so thin and pale, except for the place where her unborn child grew.
"Hello," Rae said weakly.
He moved to sit in the chair beside the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Eh... okay."
Ginny walked over and kissed Rae's cheek before sitting on the edge of the bed.
Rae managed a small smile. "Hi Ginny."
"Hello," Ginny said, tears forming in her eyes.
"Don't cry."
"I can't seem to stop crying..."
Rae took her hand. "You'll get through all of this. You're strong."
Ginny nodded, looking at the frail hand holding hers.
'You look tired, Ginny...go rest," Rae said softly. "Andy's room is on the third floor..."
Sippi nodded. "Trent wanted you to take it easy."
Ginny sighed and left the room with Marty.
"I have the feeling that you wanted to talk to me alone, Rae..." Sippi said.
She nodded weakly. "Need a favor..."
He took her hand. "What is it?"
"Find Annie...we haven't heard from her in nearly two years...I want to see her..."
He nodded. "I will."
"Thank you," she whispered, weakly.
"Where's Spot?" he asked.
"Across the him to get some rest..."
"Are you sure you don't want me to get him for you?"
"I hate to wake him..."
He nodded. "All right."
"Ginny sick?" she asked.
"No... she's pregnant."
Rae closed her eyes. "Poor girl..."
Sippi squeezed her hand. "Don't worry about her. You just concentrate on yourself."