Disclaimer: Not mine...Except for what's original...

Summary: Tatertots chapter five...

Author's Note: Thank you to all of you who have read and review my story, I assure you I haven't forgotten to update, life got in the way and I couldn't update for a while...So here's chapter five. Enjoy!

Chapter Five

The drive to Kate's parents house from the airport had been a silent one. If this meeting went anything like the meeting with Tony's parents a few days earlier, the two of them were in for it big time.

Although Tony apoligized for the way his parents, mostly his father, acted when he and Kate broke the news of the baby, Kate still felt like she wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

As Kate pulled the rental car up the long gravel drive of her parent's house, she felt all jittery and childish. She felt as if she had done something wrong and she was about to face the firing squad. Her mother met her at the door, explaning that Kate's father was waiting for them in the kitchen. Nervously, Kate took Tony's hand and together they followed Mrs. Todd into the rambling farmhouse.

"Your father doesn't have any knives does he?" Tony wanted to know.

"Knives? Yes, Tony he hunts. He's a damn good shot too." Kate said. Her statement did little to calm the swell of emotion drive nerves that Tony felt.

Kate's father stood up to greet them when the two walked into the kitchen. He was a tall man, six foot two inches and he far outweighed Tony. His rough and calloused hands suggested that he spent many days and nights out in the fields.

"Hi dad." Kate greeted her father with a warm hug and kiss. "Dad, this is Tony. Tony, this is my dad."

Mr. Todd removed his weathered John Deere cap and shook hands with Tony, then as he sat down he replaced the cap on his balding head.

"Katie, your mother mentioned you had something you had to tell us." Mr. Todd hinted.

Kate inhaled a deep breath, then she looked at both her parents and then at Tony.

"Mom, dad, Tony and I are expecting a baby." she blurted out in a rush. For a moment, no one said anything. Mr. Todd shot a dark look Tony's way and Mrs. Todd pulled a rosary out of her pocket.

"Caitlin, but you're not married." Mrs. Todd gasped.

"We plan on getting married as soon as the baby is born." Kate told her mother. Evelyn Todd tsk'ed her daughter and began to say her rosary.

"I don't like that my daughter is bearing a child out of wedlock." Kate's mother sighed, "James, think of the neighbors, what will they say?"

"Caitlin, I'm surprised at you. You were raised in a two parent home, doesn't that child deserve the same?" her father, James, asked.

"Kate and I already live together, if we get married or not, our child will be raised with two parents." Tony said. James didn't say another word, he got up from his place at the table and walked outside, slamming the screen door behind him. Evelyn went quiet.

"I need a moment with my daughter please." Evelyn said, "Alone."

"Tony, it's okay. I'll meet you in the car." Kate gave his hand a squeeze and kissed him on the cheek.

Reluctantly, Tony wandered out onto the porch, a young girl with dark hair and hazel eyes was sitting on the porch swing. Tony guessed that this was Molli, Kate's younger sister.

"You must be the reason my father stormed out of the house so quick." the girl, no more than twenty, said with a sly grin. Tony pointed to himself and gave the girl a questioning look. "I'm not talking to anyone else, boy I'm talking to you." Molli slid over and Tony sat down on the swing. "When my dad stormed out the house, he was mumbling something about a baby. Are you and my sister..?"

"Kate's pregnant." Tony said.

"Ah, and you you came all this way just to be shot down and called a heathen?" Molli asked. "Who's idea was that?"

"Mine."

"How very noble of you." Molli stood, "Don't worry about them. Mom will talk about you until the cows come home and dad will not talk at all. Then all they'll do until they see their grandbaby, is talk in hushed whispers about how my sister is ruining her life." Molli said with a flourish, "She's not making a mistake in having this baby is she? You intend on marrying her and raising this child together?"

"I love Kate, and our baby. I want to be with her for the rest of my life."

"Actions speak louder than words." Molli said. Just then, a car pulled up in the driveway and Molli bounced down the steps. "Think about what I said." she called to Tony. Then she was gone.

While Tony was outside talking to Kate's sister. Kate was inside talking things out with her mother.

"Caitlin, your father and I want what's best for you. Are you sure you don't want to come home and have this baby here?"

"Mom! My life is in Virginia. My job is there, my friends are there and this baby is going to be born there. Tony and I can manage on our own just fine." Kate replied.

"I'm just saying my piece dear." Evelyn fussed. She sighed for a moment and looked at her daughter with an apprasing eye. "Oh Katie." was all she said before the tears began to form in her eyes.

"Oh no, don't you start that mom. My hormones are already crazy I don't need to be crying too." Kate wiped her own eyes and gave her mother a hug.

"Well, I can't say I approve of you and you're beau having a child together, and I can't say that I approve of you living together, but what's done is done and you can't change that." Evelyn gave her daughter a small smile. "Promise me that you will do right by your child."

"Mom, I love Tony with all my heart and soul, and he loves me just the same. I know he already loves this baby too. He may be childish in some aspects, but he'd never leave me or our baby. He's a good man mom."

"Katie, he's Italian."

"Jimmy's wife is German and you like her."

"She converted to Catholicism when she married your brother." Evelyn stated. Kate rolled her eyes, but gave her mother a hug despite herself.

"I love you mom." Kate said.

"I love you too Katie."

Just then the screen door could be heard swinging on it's worn hinges. Kate looked up to see Tony standing in the foyer looking a little forlorn.

"Is he alright dear?" Evelyn asked. She had followed her daughters gaze and frowned at the young man.

"He'll be fine." Kate got up and walked over to her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his chest. "You okay?" she asked.

"I am now." Tony kissed the top of Kate's head. He glanced over at Evelyn, who was watching the couple intently. "How'd it go?" Tony whispered in Kate's ear.

"Okay I guess. She doesn't hate me, you on the other hand..." Kate teased, "Where were you?"

"Outside talking with your sister. You know, for being young, she's got a lot to say that actually makes sense."

"That's Molli for you." Kate hugged Tony and then parted. "Mom, do you think dad's cooled off by now. I wanted to say good-bye."

"You're leaving so soon? You just got here." Evelyn looked surprised.

"Our boss wants us back in Virginia by Tuesday. And I got sick on the plane so were driving back."

"I see. Well your father's probably out in the barn I'd suppose." Evelyn said as she headed for the kitchen. "At least stay for supper."

"Mom, we don't want to intrude."

"Caitlin Mary Frances Todd! You and your beau will be joining us for supper." Evelyn planted her hands on her hips and shot a glance at her daughter. "Patrick and little Emma are coming over in a while too."

"Alright we'll stay." Kate said to her mother. She gazed up at Tony, "I have to talk to my father. Why don't you go make yourself useful in the kitchen."

"I love you." Tony quick kissed Kate on the lips.

"I love you too."

James Todd had never been the type of man who would strike fear in the hearts of his children. He ruled with a firm hand and one time or another, he'd resort to physical punishment if his children got out of line. His punishments usually revolved around a swat on the butt and an extra helping of soap in the mouth and that was that. Kate was James Todd's "favorite" child. He already had three boys that made him proud to be a father in their own ways. When Kate was born he was that much prouder. He quit drinking and smoking and went to church more often than he did when his sons were little. Kate was his pride and joy, and she knew it too. Not that James spoiled Kate, he simply let her know that she was always to be "daddy's little girl." That in itself would be a reason why he was so miffed when Kate came to them earlier and told them she was pregnant. In his mind, James couldn't see the woman Kate had become, he still saw the brown eyed baby girl that they brought home from the hospital, he still saw the chubby toddler who shakily took her first steps into his outstreched arms, he saw the shy first grader climb onto the bus and wave furiously as the bus drove down the road. In his mind, James Todd felt like he was losing his little girl.

"Dad?" Kate stepped out of the fading sunlight into the dimly lit barn. James looked up from his workbench, and Kate noticed his eyes were slightly misty.

"Where's your beau?" he asked gruffly.

"In the house with mom."

"Oh."

"I just wanted to let you know that Tony and I are leaving to go home soon."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, our boss wants us back in Virginia by Tuesday."

"It's Saturday."

"Well, we're uh driving back."

"When are you leaving?" James asked.

"After supper."

"See that you go to church tomorrow." James brushed by Kate.

"Where are you going?"

"I got chores to do." James replied, "Tell your mother to keep a plate warm."

Kate watched as her father went out into the small field behind the barn. So that was it, the heart to heart talk she planned to have with her father had evaporated faster than water on a hot skillet. Kate's eyes misted up with tears and she brushed them away with the back of her hand. Slowly she walked into the house to wash up for supper.