Roger returned from the lab with a printout in his hands. He hung his white coat over the back of his chair and pulled it up to the computer. As he logged in he turned to his friends and smiled cheerfully. "All right you two. I have lab certified results for you."
Both Gregory and Olivia smiled at him calmly from the other side of his desk. Roger had agreed to use the teaching lab at the hospital to give them a bit more privacy and they had been hiding in his office for the last hour as he ran Olivia's bloodwork with his students. "All tests confirmed you are pregnant. Congratulations loves."
Their faces lit up, but Roger wasn't sure if Gregory was more relieved or terrified. "You're absolutely certain?"
Roger passed the paper over to them, grinning as Gregory took it with his left hand, unwilling to let go of the death grip on had on Olivia with his right. "Completely certain. I used your blood with my advanced microbiology students, eleven different pregnancy tests came back positive."
Olivia mouthed 'eleven' back and him and started laughing as Gregory looked over the sheet. "I guess I can't argue with that."
Tapping at his keyboard, Roger started a new series of printouts from his computer. "Your hormone levels put you eight weeks along. You're in good health overall, red blood cell count, weight, heart rate are all where I'd like them to be. The only note of concern is that your blood pressure is a little lower then I'd like."
"What does that mean?" Olivia wondered as she took the sheet of tests from Gregory.
Roger tapped a pen on his desk. "Physiologically, your blood volume is increasing slower then your body is building its' demand and your heart has to beat faster to keep up. Practically it means you might be a bit dizzy, or even feel faint if you get overstressed. No physical exertion out of the ordinary." He caught Gregory's concerned expression and smiled to ease the tension in the face across from him. "No running, water polo, tennis, basketball with Sean-"
Olivia looked relieved. "As difficult as it's going to be, I think I can avoid all of those things."
"Just be mindful of your limits." Roger ordered, using his professional voice to get her attention. "If you get dizzy, stop doing what you're doing and sit down for awhile. If I hear about you fainting, the riot act will come down."
"Yes Dr. Baxter sir." She saluted mockingly.
He winked at her. "That's a good girl." Roger pulled a calendar out of his desk drawer and flipped through it. "Now, just so you can embarass the poor child in front of his friends when he gets old enough, I'd put date of conception here at the end of June. Right before you went to Wisconsin."
Olivia looked at the floor, blushing slightly. Gregory and Roger shared a gaze over her head, the fertility drugs had been successful on the first try. They'd agreed never to tell her what they had done. Gregory kissed her cheek as Roger scrolled through the calendar. "End of June puts your due date in March, probably around your birthday love."
The calendar grid for months away didn't seem real. "You'd better get me something extroadinary." Olivia teased her husband as Roger pulled his papers from the printer.
Shaking his head, Gregory reached around her arms and put his hand on her stomach. "I've already given you my present. I got you pregnant."
Resting her hand on his chest, Olivia grinned wickedly. "I'm not too sure about that. Alex is the one who spent the night with me when I took those fertility drugs. I think she's the one who really got me knocked up."
Helplessly laughing, Roger put stapled their information, put it in an unmarked folder and set it in front of them. "Olivia does have a point." He pulled the folder back from Gregory's hands and handed it to his wife instead. "Alex has as much claim to Olivia's baby as you do Richards." He leaned forward, resting his hand on the arm of Olivia's chair. "Now love, you don't have to include him if you don't want to. I can have him kicked out of my office if you like."
Roger's green eyes were dancing in amusement. Olivia opened her briefcase without saying anything, tucking her information inside. Making Gregory wait for her beause she loved the look he got in his eyes when she teased him. It excited him, and since lunch was just about over for them, he'd have to spend all afternoon thinking about her. That could be fun. She ran her tongue carefully over her lips. "I think I'll keep him around. Alex would have wanted him involved in her baby's life."
Gregory was really struggling to look serious, and he was losing the battle. Olivia stood up, knowing they had to get back to the office. She took one step before Gregory grabbed her, pulling her down to his lap and folding his arms firmly around her waist. "I'm glad you'll be able to put up with me."
"I'll try." She replied, still giggling as Roger gave them both a stern look.
He handed them a second folder. This one was marked with Olivia's name on a neat medical label. "You'll have to work out the paternity of your baby later. Remember, you're only unofficially pregnant. This folder is your official condition. Olivia you have a latent viral infection. You know you aren't contagious, but I haven't been able to give you a definitive diagnosis."
Gregory interrupted, amused by Roger's solution. "Maybe I should take her to another doctor."
"You could." Roger agreed sarcastically as he took the folder back to add a few notes. "He won't be able to find a virus either. Since Alex isn't around to contradict anyone, and I know she wouldn't mind, I'm blaming her. She must have brought it back from Africa with her, and you were unlucky enough to contract it." He shut the folder and let Gregory tuck it under his arm. "That should keep anyone from being suspicious for another six weeks or so. Once you start to show we are going to have to tell the truth."
He didn't like the nervous look on Olivia's face, or the darkness that took Gregory' s eyes. This Cole character needed to get some kind of divine retribution, and soon. Having a baby should be celebrated, not covered with a folder of lies. "But we'll have to deal with that when we get there. You two run along now, get back to your office and make me some money at Liberty. I'm going back to my students."
Olivia kissed his cheek, deeply grateful to have him in their corner. "Bye, and don't worry, because I forgive you for not being able to cure me of my 'virus'."
"Good." He returned with a wink as he punched Gregory's shoulder playfully. "That makes up for this old codger here. Have a good day you two."
"We will. Thank you again darling."
Cole held up the latest copy of the Sentinel with a new respect for Gregory Richards. "Legendary Deschanel jewels on display at special exhibit of the Sunset Beach historical society. The supposedly cursed collection is on loan from Olivia Richards- whose own life was recently threatened over the gems..." Tossing the paper to the table he smiled cooly at Caitlin. "I guess I underestimated your father. He's going to need to be reminded who he's dealing with."
"Then I have just the way." Reaching down for her backpack, Caitlin pulled out a mass of folded papers. "I got the idea when we were listening to Alex's will. On a hunch, I checked daddy's safe and found a copy of my mother's will." She spread out the papers to remove the creases. "I'll give you two guesses who she leaves the Deschanel jewels too, but I think you won't need more then one."
Cole pounced on the will, scanning through until he found the part Caitlin had highlighted. "Upon her death, you become the sole owner of the jewels."
Caitlin stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Once we have them we can run away together, get married in Monte Carlo, just like we talked about-"
He covered her arms with his hands, smiling as she started kissing his neck. "Have your parents take you to dinner tonight. I'll be waiting for you at Grenadines."
The advertising meeting continued past five. Casey stopped taking notes as it changed from discussion to a prolonged arguement. Drawing on his notes, he decided he much preferred Libery board meetings to these at the radio station. As the owner, Olivia had the final say in all things, but twice a year she had to sit down with some of the worst people Casey had ever met as they argued about money. Eventually they'd vote, and finally reach a consensus. Then they could finally escape.
He admired Olivia's patience. They'd been trapped in the windowless room all afternoon, and she could still keep a smile on her face. When one of the advertising executives misquoted Winston Churchill for the third time, he had to bit his lip to keep from correcting the windbag. Olivia looked up at the clock and interrupted him politely. "I'm afraid we'll have to finish this tomorrow morning. I have a dinner engagement." Most of the executives looked relieved as they filed out. A few grumbled under their breath about being made to waste their time.
"They don't like being told what to do, do they?" Caey asked her under his breath as they picked up their things.
"No, of course not." Olivia snapped her briefcase shut and smiled at him. "But if I didn't end it there, that Bryce Hedgely would have kept going until the janitors came through to clean the room."
Casey opened the car, pausing as he figured out her strategy. "Making them all work around your schedule reminds them you are in charge doesn't it?"
"Exactly." Sighing gratefully, she buckled her seat belt. Olivia pointed out over the ocean. "It's going to be a beautiful night isn't it?"
He glanced over as he started the car. "Looks like it. I love the water when it's quiet."
"Maybe you should take your young lady for a long walk when you get back." Olivia suggested, remembering when Gregory used to walk with her until the stars came out.
Casey turned onto the scenic byway to Ocean Avenue. "No, she's out with her research team until Friday. I'll probably just have pizza with Michael and Mark."
"You should come with us to Grenadines. Caitlin wanted to go out tonight, I'm sure my family would be more then happy to have you along." Olivia pointed towards the road back towards downtown. "Just turn here, I'll call Gregory and have him meet us there." She smiled so earnestly at him, he couldn't say no.
"All right. Thank you for inviting me along." Casey turned down the road towards Grenadines and Olivia turned on her cell phone.
"We'll meet you in twenty minutes then." Gregory lowered his voice as they said goodbye. "I love you too."
Hiding in the study, Caitlin heard every word of her father's conversation. As soon as she heard him hang up the phone she called Cole's cell. She let it ring once, just like they agreed.
Sean peered into the study. "Dad's heading for the car, you ready to go?"
Caitlin tucked her phone into her purse and smiled at her brother. "Yeah, I'm all set. Is mom meeting us there?"
He locked the door as they headed into the garage. "Yeah Casey's coming with us and their meeting ran late, so they'll just meet us."
She could barely contain her excitement as she sat in back behind Sean. She was so close to being free. Cole would wisk her away and they'd live the fairy tale she had been dreaming about all of her life.
Gregory sent Sean and Caitlin in to get a table and stood in front of Grenadines, waiting for Olivia. With the children inside he would even get a moment to whisper to her about the baby. That's what their baby was at the moment, scattered whispers between meetings, talk over the pillows in the dark. It was hard to keep that kind of joy inside of him, he was already planning the party he wanted to throw for Olivia when they were finally free of Cole.
Casey's car pulled into the parking lot across the street. Gregory recognized the green Jaguar as it parked and the doors opened. Like a gentleman, Casey waited for her to get out. Gregory could barely make out her face, but his memory filled in the details. She paused at the edge of the street, waiting for traffic to clear as she shook her hair out of the twist she wore to the office. The dark curls dancing in the wind as they fell to her shoulders.
Olivia saw Gregory waiting for her across the street and she resisted the urge to run to him. She had just seen him that morning, but seeing him again now it felt like years ago. Everything was so perfect right between them right now. As if the heavens had finally decided to give them a few moments peace.
Cole strightened the rifle on his shoulder, activating the laser sight. The red dot was birght on the roof beneath his feet and he moved it to the street across from Grenadines. Through the scope he watched as Olivia let her hair free, shaking her head as it tumbled down. The dot tracked across the car behind her, and then he brought it to her stomach.
Gregory saw the spot of red and thought for a moment she must have spilled somehting on her jacket, but he couldn't think of anything that would stain the chocolate brown of her suit bright red. Then the dot moved.
Cole brought his aim slowly up her body, watching the laser run lovingly over her stomach, then her chest. He took his time as he brought it up her neck, imaging the laser glinting as it brushed her necklace.
Olivia started across the street, trying to figure out what Gregory was staring at on her chest. She looked down, but couldn't see anything. Confused, she looked up just as he realized what the red light was.
It was running over her lips, up her cheek, resting on her forehead. Cole twitched his hand, readying himself to pull the trigger.
Cole pulled the trigger, catching just a flash of the terror in her eyes. Just as he had hoped, Gregory was just feet away from his wife as the gunshot rang out through the evening.
Time stopped for Gregory. The laser sight on her forehead promised to haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. Completely obvious to her own danger, Olivia raised her hand to wave at him. Their eyes locked for eternity as he screamed.
"Olivia get down!"
The sound of the gunshot ripped through his heart as surely as if the bullet had hit him in the chest.