Isobel stood outside on the sidewalk, splurging on a cup of real coffee to soothe her nerves. Since discovering her pregnancy, she had stayed away from caffeine, stuck to healthy foods, drank tea and water, anything that would protect her child. She wanted the absolute best for it, including at least knowing who it's father was. She thought it would be easier to talk to Ethan first. She felt her heart quicken as he approached, not for any good reason, but because it was impossible to see him and not remember the last week they were together. The last thing she wanted to be doing was standing here, talking to him about this, but she was using her math skills. The percentage was higher that he was the biological father.
"Hey." He looked around as if he were worried about being caught, being seen, and, in the back of her mind, she had to wonder why. It wasn't as if they were doing anything; they hadn't even spoken since the last night at the apartment until she'd called this meeting.
"Hi." The doubt, the fear, was running through her head again. Could she really stand here and say this? Would it even matter? She didn't need anything from him, only wanted to give him the option of knowing. It was the right thing to do, wasn't it?
"You look well. Spring agrees with you, but then again, it always has." There was a glow he was seeing in her skin, her cheeks, and she had always been a beautiful woman. When he didn't even get a smile from her, he knew she wasn't here to reminisce. "You wanted to talk?"
Isobel took a deep breath, reconsidering this once again. She still blamed herself for their ending, for not trusting him. There was no reason why she shouldn't tell him. Yet the queasiness in her stomach had nothing to do with morning sickness that had finally passed or the baby moving, something that happened more and more these days.
"Isobel. Are you all right?" Ethan asked, truly concerned. While she could have her quiet moments, she was the one who asked for this meeting. Now she wasn't talking at all.
She knew the answer to that. "I am, actually." She took a sip of the coffee, needing the calmness it seemed to produce in her. "I'm pregnant. Five months actually." When she wasn't wearing her coat, she was showing slightly. Not enough to show to the outside world, although she knew her team had already noticed.
"I suppose I should say congratulations. That I'm happy for you. How far along?" He chose his words very carefully.
"Five months." They had finally figured out a gestational date for the baby using an ultrasound since she had never been regular and the conception date was unknown.
"I see. December. When we were still together." He looked at her. "I am trying to help you here, but there's nothing I can do. Nothing you want me to do anyway." She gave him a questioning look. "I'm not the father."
"I'm not asking for anything. I don't need anything. I…" She started to say she just needed to know, to be able to tell her child, but he cut her off.
"For someone who lectures so much about trust, honesty, keeping secrets…" He shook his head. "When I say I am not the father, I mean it. I had a vasectomy years ago. I'm sorry, Isobel. I can't help you. I really thought Jubal would step up better than this."
Her eyes flashed protectively. "What did you just say to me?"
"He made it quite clear that he wanted me out of the way. Implying that I was cheating on you when you two were cheating on me. Like I didn't know how he felt about you. Like I was an idiot. So congratulations, to both of you." He stalked back off toward his office.
Isobel's world began turning around her, not sure what to react to first. She wished that she'd had the foresight to bring a car, but she'd never seen this coming. She had to sit down in order to breathe and her hands were shaking so badly that she was spilling the coffee all over. She pulled out her cell phone, trying to adjust, to calm down, and finally dialed a number. "It's me." She gave the address. "Can you come get me?"
Maggie slipped away from her partner and drove to the address she'd been given. She didn't see Isobel at first, so she parked and got out, finally finding her sitting down, in shock. "Are you okay?" She asked, sitting by her friend.
"Physically, yeah." Isobel nodded. The dizzy spell had passed although she still felt overwhelmed with all the knowledge that had just been dumped on her.
Maggie nodded. "Yeah." She rubbed Isobel's back like she had Jubal's earlier with his confession about Tyler. "I get it."
"Thank you for coming. I just…I wasn't sure I could make it on my own." The words were hard for her to admit.
"You'd do the same for me." There was no doubt in Maggie's mind that Isobel would be there for any person, agent or not, that needed it. The JOC was different though. Both women considered the people in it as family. "I've been meaning to tell you. Congratulations." Hers was softer, had a different meaning than Ethan's had. "You're going to be a great mom."
"It doesn't feel like it right now. I think…I needed to hear that." She looked at her coffee-stained coat. She knew she was a mess, inside and out.
"Why don't we go get your stuff and I'll drive you home?" Maggie suggested gently. Only when Isobel slowly nodded, did she add, "You know…you can talk to me, right? If you ever need…need anything?"
"I wouldn't know where to start." Her boyfriend that she'd planned on spending the rest of her life with had a vasectomy, had known she'd cheated on him, producing a child, Jubal's child. Her head started spinning again.
"You start wherever you want. But I think we need to start before you pass out on me. Have you eaten today?" She knew that Jubal usually kept an eye on that, but he'd had a meeting with his ex in the morning and been out in the field later that day.
Isobel shook her head, admitting that she hadn't even considered needing to eat until Maggie mentioned it. "Maybe some soup?"
Maggie nodded. "Yeah, sounds good. We could definitely do that." She got Isobel over to the vehicle, making sure she was inside before going around and getting in herself. "I really think you should be getting checked out. And you know, OA could bring me your stuff. Or Elise if you don't want OA involved." Just because she would trust OA with her life didn't mean Isobel wanted him involved in something like this.
"OA's fine." Isobel nodded and regretted the movement, her head killing her. "And I think you're right." Stress was prevalent in her life, but the last few hours with Jubal in the field with a gun on him, now this, she could feel something was wrong. Maggie nodded, texting OA, turning to drive to the hospital instead of the office.
Maggie waited with Isobel in the emergency room until they finally took her friend back. Only then did she take a breath, bending to catch her bearings. In less than twelve hours, she'd been there when Jubal found out his son had cancer, now this with Isobel. She did not move until she felt his hand, the long fingers, the soft touch he always used with her. It was her person, her partner. She looked up at him, struggling not to cry. "What happened?"
Maggie shook her head. She couldn't tell him about Tyler, not until Jubal told everyone. "I don't know. She asked me to come get her and she just seemed…off. So I brought her here so they could check out the baby. Maybe it's just because she didn't eat or something."
He nodded. "Been a long hard day for everyone." He handed her the candy bar he'd snagged and a soft drink, both her favorites. "Just til we can go get something."
She nodded her thanks, breaking the bar in half, handing him half back. It was all they had for the foreseeable future, but they looked after each other like that. The only person who looked after Jubal was Isobel and the only person who looked after Isobel was seemingly Jubal. What did they do if their person suddenly wasn't there for them? What would she do if hers wasn't?
Jubal was coming down from pediatrics when he saw the two agents, making his way over. "Is everyone all right?" That was always his first concern as leader, feeling responsible for his people.
Maggie and OA looked at each other for several moments, Maggie shaking her head, but OA saying, "Isobel."
Jubal paled. He knew the stress had been high that day. The last thing he wanted was for her to lose her child, last thing he wanted for any parent. "Where?"
Maggie shook her head, about to tell him they had her, but the nurse came back, looking for who had brought Isobel in. "How is she?" Jubal asked, not sure he could take any more bad news that day.
"Her blood pressure is a little high, her blood sugar a little low. Is she under any stress?" The nurse asked, reading the doctor's notes.
"Some." OA managed to say with a straight face. "It's been a long day."
The nurse nodded. "The doctor wants to keep an eye on her for a few hours, but as long as her sugar goes back up and her tests come back fine, she should be able to go home tonight if she rests. She really needs to maintain a healthy stress level though."
"Don't we all," Maggie muttered under her breath.
Jubal thanked the nurse. "Give me a minute, will you?" He had no intention on telling her about Tyler, but he wanted to make sure she was okay before he went back to his son.
The two agents nodded, hanging out in the waiting room as Jubal went back. He was scared at first. The glow that she'd been having was gone and she looked pale, still. When she opened her eyes, he felt a little bit better. "Hey." The first thing she thought about was him in the field with that gun on him.
He managed a smile, although with the day he'd had it was almost impossible. "Hey. You know, when you send everyone home, it really means you too." He tried to joke.
She wasn't buying it, not for an instant. "Jubal. What's wrong?" Something told her it was more than just the case.
"Doesn't matter. I'll tell you later. I promise." He paused. "How'd it go with Ethan?"
"Worse than I expected, but that's not why…" She paused. "Jubal, when are you going to tell me what's going on?" She remembered him working on 'personal stuff' and telling her Tyler was going to see a specialist. "Did they get Tyler's results back? Why are you here?" Something told her Maggie hadn't made that phone call.
"I'm not allowed to be here?" He tried, but with the look she gave him he stopped. "Yeah. They got his results back. It's actually…actually why I'm here." He paused. "Tyler has leukemia."
The room spun again and she rested her head against the bed, trying to get it to stop.
"I'm sorry. I probably should have waited until you were out of here. I just…I never lie to you, you know that. Or I try not to." They were too close for that. Sometimes they covered up what they were thinking, what they were feeling, but this she would have to know sooner or later.
"Oh, God. Don't even apologize for telling me that." She held his hand in her own. "How is he? How is Samantha?" She could tell how Jubal was, as in shock as she herself was.
"Bout like you'd expect. But we caught it early. Doc says…says he's got a good chance. And you know, we're gonna…" He paused. "I keep thinking about that guy today. He was just a father, just doing whatever it took for his kid. I get that. Maybe…"
"Jubal. He was not going to let you go. You were not going to walk out of there without at least one bullet hole. And if the son had died because of the conditions of that surgery? Or if the doctor had been killed? We did what we had to do. Tyler needs his father alive to help him get through this. You can't...you can't take those kinds of chances. Not anymore."
"Part of me wants to just…scream, yell, curse, whatever it takes. Be in denial. But part of me? I'm still in shock. Still numb. I don't…I know what happens next with Tyler, but as far as my life? It doesn't seem to matter much right now."
"Well, the first thing is that you're going to tell me exactly what dates he has procedures, doctor's visits, anything like that. We're going to get you covered so you can be there, okay? Second? I'm fine. Get back to your son. Don't make me make it an order."
He knew what she was trying to do and leaned down to kiss her dark hair. "Get some rest. Do not push it. I'll be there tomorrow. You will not, you got me?" He just wanted to spend the evening with Tyler. He'd be good after that.
"Now who's the boss?" She shook her head, not arguing much. "We'll see. Go be with your kid." As she watched him take off, she knew. Whether or not he was the father, she couldn't approach him about it. She couldn't put more stress on him. Tyler and Abigail had to come first.
