Disclaimer: I do not own Strong Medicine or the characters. They belong to Whoopi Goldberg, and Tammy Ader, and Lifetime TV. Special thanks to all my "Santa's elves"! You know who you are :-) Merry Christmas!


Two Weeks Later

Peter and Lu walked off the airplane hand in hand. Walking toward the baggage claim, Peter smiled at his wife. "Do you think Isabel is still here?"

"Yes," Lu chuckled, "She said she would be. She's probably pacing the floor, waiting on us to get home."

"I'm glad she came..." Peter said as he grabbed their luggage from the baggage carousel.

"Me too," Tears sprang up in Lu's eyes, "It was the first time I've seen her in over ten years. Marc was around six years old when Isabel moved back to Puerto Rico."

"She was excited about coming too." Peter held the terminal door open.

"Wait a minute... you KNEW she was coming!" Lu looked at Peter in shock as she walked out of the airport.

"Yeah..." Peter nodded.

Lu playfully swatted his arm, "Well, why didn't you tell me!"

Peter opened the trunk of the car and dropped their luggage in, "What? And ruin the surprise of Andy's and Lana's wedding gift for you? No way! They would've had my head!"

Lu laughed as she and Peter got in the car and he drove away.


A Week And A Half Later

Peter, Lu, and Isabel once again stood in the airport saying good-bye.

"You'll have to come and see me in Puerto Rico." Isabel tucked Lu's long dark hair back behind her ear.

"We'll do our best." Peter promised as Lu hugged her grandmother, too choked up to speak.

"Good," Isabel let go of Lu and moved over to Peter, "Now you take good care of my Luisa, treat her right."

"I will... never doubt it." Peter leaned over and hugged the petite woman standing in front of him.

"Ma'am?" An airport employee approached, "The jet is here..."

"Isabel nodded, "Thank you, young man."

Lu hugged Isabel once more, "Call us when you get home."

Isabel nodded and whispered into Lu's ear, "You take care of yourself and that little one."

Lu pulled back in surprise, "How did you know that?" she asked wide-eyed.

Isabel smiled broadly, "I know everything, darling girl."

"Know what?" Peter asked as he watched the scene unfold before him.

"Nothing." Lu replied quickly, keeping her eyes focused on Isabel.

Isabel hugged Lu tightly and whispered again, "Tell him soon."

"Tonight." Lu responded quietly.

Isabel pulled away and turned to leave.

"Right this way Ma'am." The airport employee quickly led Isabel down the concourse and out of sight.


That Evening At Lu and Peter's Apartment

"I'm glad you made it home safely," she smiled, "I know you're tired... go and get some rest." She paused and listened, "We love you too... Good night." Laying the cordless phone on the night stand, Lu rolled over in bed to face her husband.

"Isabel make it home?" Peter pulled Lu close to him.

"Yes and she's completely worn out." Lu laid her head on Peter's chest.

"I imagine so. It's been a long few weeks for her." he kissed the top of Lu's head.

"Umm humm, almost a month." she replied as she gently rubbed Peter's chest, "Honey..."

"Humm?" Peter looked down at Lu.

"We really should start looking for a house like we talked about." Lu spoke quietly.

"We will soon." Peter reassured her.

"No," Lu insisted, "We really should start looking."

Peter pulled back a little and eyed his wife, "Lu... what aren't you telling me?"

"Ummm..." Lu pulled away and rolled over toward the night stand. Pulling the drawer open, she removed something and rolled back over, facing Peter.

"What is it?" he asked worriedly.

Lu smiled and kissed his cheek as she placed something in his hand.

Looking down, Peter found a home pregnancy test in his hand, "Wha...?"

"Look at it." Lu watched his face closely.

Peter turned the stick over and looked at the display window. Speechless, he looked from the test to Lu, and back to the test.

"Peter... honey... say something." Lu searched his face for some clue... ANY clue to what was running through his mind.

"Uh... you mean... uh... we're..." Peter stuttered hopelessly.

Lu sat up and smiled cautiously, "You're gonna be a Daddy."

A smile spread across Peter's face, "Really?"

"Really." Lu nodded, still carefully choosing her words, "I just found out a couple of days ago."

"A couple of days ago? That means... that..." Peter fumbled for words.

"Yes," Lu nodded again, smiling slightly, "that night on the beach in Florida."

Speechless, once again, Peter laid the test down. Smiling, he pulled Lu close and kissed her deeply.

Lu returned his kiss then slowly pulled away, "You're ok with this?"

"More than ok... I'm ecstatic!" Peter replied as he leaned forward and kissed Lu's stomach.

"Good." Lu smiled when Peter laid his head on her stomach. She leaned back against the headboard of the bed and ran her fingers through his hair, "That's what I asked Isabel how she knew today at the airport."

"You mean you didn't tell her?" Peter looked up from where he laid, hugging Lu's stomach.

"No, I didn't want to tell anyone until I told you." She smiled down at him.

"How did she know?" Peter asked as he sat up beside Lu.

"I have absolutely NO clue! She did that when I was pregnant with Marc too." Lu shook her head in confusion.

"She did?" Peter asked incredulously.

"The only difference was... she knew before I did!" Lu smiled, "That woman never ceases to amaze me."

"Women's intuition, I guess." Peter laughed as he pulled Lu into an embrace and held her close.


The Next Day

Lu came out of her office and spotted Andy and Lana talking at the front desk. She walked over and handed Lana a stack of patient files. "Hey. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Andy sighed, "Just wasting time before my next patient comes in."

"Oh! Speaking of patients," Lu sat down on Lana's desk and put her feet in a chair, "Lana, I need you to schedule an appointment for me with Andy."

Lana glanced at Lu, "For you? As in you being the referring doctor?"

"Yeah, something like that." Lu looked through another pile of patient files, then placed them on top of the pile she brought out from her office.

"Alright kid." Lana reduced the computer program that she was working on and opened a different program. She typed in a few things, "Patient name?"

"Luisa Riggs." Lu responded casually.

Andy looked at her friend in concern, "What's wrong?"

Lana looked up from her computer screen and raised an eyebrow, "You? For what?"

Trying to remain casual, Lu smiled, "Prenatal counseling and check-up."

Andy nearly dropped her coffee mug as she stared at Lu in shock, "Prenatal? Are you sure?"

"What!" Lana practically screamed.

Smiling broadly, Lu nodded, "Very sure."

"Oh my gosh!" Lana jumped up and hugged Lu, "Congratulations!"

Andy smiled and patted Lu's back, "That's wonderful!"

"Thanks!" Lu's smile lit up her face.

"Well, come on..." Andy turned toward her office, "Let's go take care of that first appointment."

"Now?" Lu looked at her partner in surprise.

"Sure... neither one of us has a patient right now." Andy smiled before walking away.

"Alright," Lu smiled and slid off of Lana's desk. "We won't be long Lana." she called over her shoulder as she let Andy's office door close behind her.


A Month Later

Lu leaned back against the headboard of the bed and watched Peter kick off his shoes before sitting down beside her. "So... What boy names do you like?" she asked.

"Ummm..." Peter thought for a minute, "Nathan, James, Josiah, and Seth. What do you like?"

Lu ran her fingers through Peter's hair as he scooted down in bed and laid his head on her stomach, "Josiah and Micah are my favorites, but I like Dennis too." she smiled.

"What about girl names? Have you thought about those?" Peter gently rubbed Lu's stomach.

"Mercy, Faith, and Autumn... What do you like?" Lu looked down at her husband.

"Mercy and Autumn are pretty. I also like Grace, Ashlyn, Lynn, and Kelsie." Peter smiled, "At least we agree on a few of the names."

Lu nodded and laughed, "That's always a good thing."

"Yeah." Peter chuckled, "What's wrong?" he asked as he noticed Lu wince.

"Nothing." she gently tugged his hair, "You need a haircut."

"Yeah," Peter agreed, "I'll go get one Saturday." He raised up half-way and looked at his wife as she shifted uncomfortably, "Am I hurting you?"

"No..." Lu closed her eyes for a brief second, then sighed and looked at Peter.

"What is it?" he sat up all the way and put his arm around her shoulders in concern.

"Just... a little cramping." Lu reluctantly admitted as she laid her hand on her stomach.

"Cramping?" Peter quickly stood, "Come on... We're going to the ER."

"Peter..." Lu protested.

Wasting no time, Peter picked his wife up out of bed and carried her out to the car, "I'll call Andy to meet us there."


Thirty Minutes Later

Lu lay on a gurney in the ER, waiting on Andy to come back in.

Peter quickly moved to Lu's side as she quietly cried out in pain. "Shhh... I'm right here." he sat on the gurney and rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.

The curtain around Lu's ER bay parted. Andy stepped in, pulling the curtain closed behind her.

Lu looked up at Andy with tears in her eyes, already knowing in her heart what was happening.. "Ands... please..." Lu pleaded as the tears slipped from her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

Andy sighed and pulled a chair over to the gurney. She sat down and gently brushed the hair out of Lu's eyes.

Peter laid a protective hand on his wife's stomach and looked at the other doctor, "Andy..."

Andy looked from Lu to Peter and back to Lu. She took one of Lu's hands in both of hers. With tears in her own eyes, she quietly confirmed her best friend's worst fear, "Lu, sweetheart, I'm so sorry..."


Ok... Make me a happy girl... Please review and tell me what you think!