I don't know if you'll like this chapter. But don't worry, things will soon be back to normal! I just thought we needed a bit more drama before it all resolved itself!

Chapter 8

Grace gave Karen the next few days off work, to help her get her head together and also to give her chance to break the news to Will and Jack. Karen knew she would have to be careful how she did it, especially with Jack. She didn't know how he would react; she'd already told him she wasn't pregnant. Would he be angry that she lied? Would be react like Stan? Karen kept remembering what Jack had said to her "I love you." Maybe he'd be ok with it…maybe…

"Hey, Grace!"

Jack bounded into the quiet office where Grace was working on some designs. "Where's Kare? I want to go shopping. I need a new look, I'm thinking 'Jude meets Liza."

Grace laughed as Jack envisioned his shopping trip. "She's not here."

"What? Well where is she?" Jack looked confused; Karen didn't usually go shopping without him.

"She's at home; she wasn't feeling too good this morning." Well, Grace thought, that wasn't a total lie. Karen phoned her earlier telling her she had morning sickness.

"Hmm, ok. See ya." He started to leave but Grace stopped him.

"Wait a minute; aren't you going round to see her?"

He stopped at the door. "What? Why?"

Grace paused. "Well, she's ill and you're her friend…"

Jack thought about this for a minute. "Well, I was going to get some food from your place but…I guess I could go see her. Poor Kare, she hates being ill."

Grace smiled. "Hmm. Yeah." She felt pleased with herself, now Karen had the opportunity to tell Jack about the baby.

Karen was pacing her bedroom. She had just had a phone call from Grace, telling her that Jack was coming round to see her. Now she had to think about what to tell him. She had thought up an entire speech but it was pointless, it would be forgotten when he arrived, she knew it.

"Mrs Karen?"

That was Rosario. That meant Jack was here. Act natural, she told herself; he'll know something's wrong if you act nervous. "Up here, Rosie."

The soft patter of Jack's trainers against the stairs grew louder and eventually her door was thrown open and he entered the room, grinning as usual.

"Hey Kare! Gracie said you're not feeling too good!"

She smiled faintly at him, "Yeah, I've just been a little sicky. I'm ok now."

"Oh, I wonder what it was. I hope it wasn't those mushrooms we ate yesterday…" Jack started to ponder the meals of the previous day while Karen saw an opportunity to tell him. This is your chance, she thought. "No, Jacky, it wasn't them. It's something else."

"Oh, so you've been to the doctors?"

She hesitated. "Well…I went last week…"

Jack looked very puzzled. "Ok, little confused here! Rewind! I thought you were ill today."

Karen could see this was going nowhere; she was just going to have to tell him.

"Ok, Jack. I need to tell you something. Sit down." They both settled themselves on Karen's bed and she grabbed his hand.

"Ok, you're scaring me here, Karen! What's happening?"

She took a deep breath and began. "You know last week, when I took that pregnancy test with you, and I told you I wasn't pregnant? Well, I lied. I was…I mean, I am. I'm pregnant, Jack. I'm having a baby."

It took Jack a few minutes to register what she had said. "So…you're pregnant."

She nodded, "Yes."

"Then…you lied to me. Why would you do that?" Jack looked hurt. His wounded look was like a knife in Karen's heart. She didn't want to hurt him, that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Jack, sweetie, it wasn't intentional. I was just upset, I was confused. I didn't know what to do so I thought that if I just pretended it wasn't happening, it would go away. It wasn't to hurt you, honey. I was trying to protect you. I knew how excited you would be if I was pregnant that I didn't want you to be upset if I…" She couldn't finish the sentence. Looking back, she couldn't believe she was going to abort her child. Her hands instinctively went to her stomach.

Jack finished off her sentence in his head. "You were going to get rid of it?"

Karen shook her head. This wasn't going as planned. She completely understood Jack's point of view and that's what made it so difficult for her. She knew she should have told him, she didn't know why she lied in the first place. But the damage was done now, and she had to deal with the pain Jack was going through now because of her.

"I thought about it but…I couldn't do it. Grace found me after…"

"Woah, hold on! Grace knew before me?"

"She found the test, Jack, I didn't tell her."

"That's not the point, Karen. The point is you lie to me about it but then as soon as Grace has a slight inkling that you could be pregnant, you tell her everything!"

"Jack…"

"No, Karen. You didn't tell me. I thought I was your friend."

"You are, Jack! You're my poodle."

But Jack had heard enough, and he left the room.

"Jack!" She called him but it was no use. He'd gone, leaving Karen sat on her bed.

Alone.