Della stood in front of her granddaughter in shock. She turned and went to sit on the couch. After a while, she finally looked at Natalie, "are you sure?"
"I went to a clinic under an alias. They confirmed it."
"When?"
"The party," Natalie answered.
"The one I picked you up from?"
"Yes," she said. "My dad's gonna kill me," Natalie said as she plopped down on the couch.
Della looked at her granddaughter. The girl was crying and in many ways, Della still saw the little girl who'd always ask to sit on her lap or climb into bed with her. "I'll talk to your dad."
Natalie looked up in shock, "really?"
"Yes," Della said, "but you have to talk to your mom."
"Okay," Natalie agreed.
The two drove over to the office. Natalie went to hang out with her mom while Della went to Perry's office. He and Nicky were discussing a case. Perry smiled when he saw his wife, but the smile quickly faded. He'd seen that look before. Only this time, she was giving it to Nicky. "What's wrong?" Perry asked.
Nicky turned and saw how his mother was looking at him, "it's Natalie, isn't it?"
Della shut the door, "yes."
"Two days! She had two days left."
"Nicky, I need you to let me talk. It's about that party that Natalie went to."
"The one from two months ago? The one you picked her up from?"
"Yes," Della answered.
"Mom, what's going on?"
"Natalie is telling Nancy and I promised to tell you because she's terrified you'll kill her."
"What's going on?"
"Natalie's pregnant," Della revealed. She saw the rage that overcame her son.
It was then that Nancy opened the door and walked in with a crying Natalie. Nicky looked at his daughter and his anger melted away. She really was terrified and she didn't need him to yell at her. Nicky, Perry, Della, Nancy, and Natalie sat around the table at Perry's office. "I'm not going to yell at you," Nicky said. "That won't do any good. However, I would like to know if this was after you got drunk."
"Yes, it was. I didn't really know what I was doing."
"I know that you're only fifteen, but you need to take responsibility for your actions. He does too."
"I told him."
"And?"
"He said that as long as no one knows it's his, he doesn't care what I do with it."
Now, Nicky was angry, "what's his name?"
"Jack Wilmington," she said.
"The millionaire?"
"Yes," she said.
"Natalie, he's older than me," Nicky said.
"I know," Natalie said.
"Natalie, did you consent to this?" Nancy asked.
"Well, he said it would be less painful and easier if I did. I was so out of it that I just let him do whatever he wanted."
"That's statutory rape," Perry said. "When an adult or someone who is of the age of consent has sex with a minor, sober or not."
Nancy looked at her daughter, "what do you want to do?"
"I don't know," Natalie said. "I probably should give the baby up. I mean, I'm only fifteen."
"Do you want to give the baby up or do you feel obligated to?"
"I just need time to think."
Della decided to help her granddaughter out a bit, "why don't I take her back to our house? She could use some quiet time."
"Thanks, mom," Nicky said. Della and Natalie began heading towards the door. "Natalie," Nicky called. She turned towards her father, "come here."
Nicky held out his arms and Natalie rushed into them. "I'm so sorry, daddy. I'm so sorry."
"It's alright," he said, "we'll figure it all out. Just go with grandma and try to relax. Maybe ask questions. If anyone knows about having kids, it's grandma."
Natalie laughed a little. She hugged her mom and grandfather before leaving with Della. "So," Perry said after the two had left, "which one of us is going to kill Jack Wilmington?" Both Nancy and Nicky raised a hand, "yep, that looks about right."
One month later, Vivian married Thomas Burger. Two weeks after that wedding, was the wedding of Maggie to Richard Tragg. So far, Natalie had decided to have the baby, but she wasn't sure if she should keep the little one. The girl was due in the spring of 1986. Natalie had to drop out of school to be homeschooled. Her Aunt Jenny had volunteered to homeschool her.
