A/N: Wow, two chapters in a day! Lucky, lucky readers… just kidding! Please, please, please review… Don't make me pout, it isn't pretty!

Disclaimer: If I owned them, they'd be fornicating wildly right now.

Chapter Three- Accustomations, Friends, and One Hell of a Surprise

Tammy knocked on the white door, stepping back on the patio. A woman opened the door and scowled. Tammy didn't understand how one person could look so kind and so harsh at the same time. Life had clearly not been kind to this woman.

"Um- hi- I'm looking for Iris-" she said.

"You're looking at her," the woman said. "What do you want?"

"I was looking for a room to stay in. I read your ad in the paper."

"Oh. Okay…" she said. "We got a baby in the house now, so if you don't mind-" Tammy interrupted, "Oh, not at all! I've got a baby sister."

Clearly, Iris did not care. "Okay, then. I'll show you the room." She led Tammy through a small living room, where a girl about her age was rocking a baby boy. "Hi, Mom," she said. "Who's this?"

Iris said, "She might be renting a room."

Tammy stuck out her hand to the girl. "Hi. I'm Tammy Winslow."

The girl took her proffered hand, adjusting the baby on her hip. "Gwen Norbeck, and this is Rory."

As the baby turned to look at Tammy, she cooed, "Oh, he's so cute! I have a baby sister, but she's younger than Rory. I love babies!"

As Iris led her down a corridor, Tammy said, "See you soon."

She paused before entering the room, and as she stepped in, she gasped. A small park was visible through the window, and a cushiony sofa bed was next to it. Some miscellaneous pictures were scattered along the walls, and a minifridge was next to a door.

"This one has a shower, a sink, and a minifridge. It costs twenty bucks a week." Iris stated.

"I'll take it." Tammy smiled at Iris as she felt ready to begin a new life- at least, for now.

Three Weeks Later

Tammy woke up smiling; she felt like she'd had for the past three weeks. She'd called her mom, letting her know where she was, and her mom was completely supportive of her. Life in Oakdale was terrific. She and Gwen had become instant friends, and she'd even gotten a job at Al's Diner with Gwen. She couldn't live off of the three hundred dollars from her savings account alone! After work, she'd go somewhere with Gwen and her friends, whether it was a restaurant or even the little park outside their house. Tammy honestly felt that she could leave Springfield behind forever if it meant living like this. But she couldn't. She couldn't do that to Jonathan.

She spent the next few days living normally, thinking about Jonathan a little and planning on when she would return to him. But something was wrong. Tammy felt defective, or wrong, somehow.

While waiting in the hospital lobby with Gwen, she said, "I don't know what's wrong; I just know that something is."

"Don't worry. My uncle Bob can do so much. He delivered Rory, even though he was premature, and Rory made it through fine. My uncle will figure out what's wrong with you," Gwen's boyfriend, Will, said reassuringly.

"Thanks, Will," Tammy said. "I just hope that it can be fixed soon."

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"Miss Winslow?" the doctor said. "I have some important news. We have the results of all your tests back, and nothing is wrong with you."

"Thank goodness," she sighed.

Gwen hugged her. "See? I told you that you'd be fine!"

Bob stopped them, though. "But the news isn't over yet. Tammy, through the test results we discovered something very important, something which will change your life… Tammy, you are pregnant."