A/N: I promise that Harm's reaction is coming soon, I just need to fine tune a few things.


CDR Stockland says, "Sarah, why don't you use the restroom to wash up, get dressed, and come meet me in my office so that we can discuss how your prenatal care will differ from your previous pregnancies?"

Mac was already reeling with emotions from the news of triplets, but now she is just plain scared.

Mac's OBGYN can sense the tension rolling off of Mac in waves. She pats her hand, and says, "The first thing I need to tell you is I don't want you to be alarmed at all. You are probably between seven and eight weeks currently. Many women who carry multiple fetuses have similar pregnancy symptoms the first two trimesters as they do with singletons, minus gaining extra weight. I want you to remain calm, and carry on with your normal life, and listen to your body. Both Trisha and Matthew turned out perfect, and these three little ones will do the same. Go ahead and get dressed, and take a few moments to digest the news. When you are ready, come to my office so that I can explain the rest. I promise you; everything will be fine."

Trish glances over at her daughter-in-law and asks, "Mac, do you want me to head over to the office with the doctor, or do you want me to stay in here and help you?"

Mac lets a single tear streak down her face as she answers, "Go with Doctor Stockland, Mom. I'll be in there shortly. I just need a few moments alone to let this sink in."

Trish nods, she completely understands needing time to process.

As soon as Trish leaves the room, Mac wraps the hospital gown around her further, and lets out a few more tears. Some are very happy ones, and some are very confused ones. And the ones that aren't yet falling deal with how she is going to tell her husband. She starts testing out various ways to tell him to the empty room, "Hey Honey, we're either getting a litter or a harem, do you have a preference? You know sweetie, they say that all good things come in threes. Harm, how would you feel about a three-ring circus in the house?"

Mac sighs, hoping that the right words will fall out of her mouth when he calls to figure out how things went. She chuckles to herself, 'Knowing our luck, we will probably have the second generation of the three stooges!"

Mac slowly finishes dressing, and calming herself down in the process. She makes her way to Dr. Stockland's office and knocks quietly on the door.

The OBGYN replies, "Come on in, Sarah, and have a seat."

Mac takes the seat next to her mother-in-law, and Trish reaches over to grasp her hand. Mac lightly squeezes back, finding comfort in the fact that even if it isn't her husband's hand, it is the woman that raised him. If it were Harm's hand, she might consider breaking it at the moment, so it's probably better he isn't here.

Dr. Stockland speaks quietly, not wanting to alarm her patient any further. She grabs a few pamphlets from her desk, and lays them out in front of Trish and Mac. She explains, "As a precaution, regardless of your age, we consider multiple pregnancies higher risk."

Seeing Mac's features pale slightly, she emphasizes, "This does not mean that anything is wrong. We just like to keep a closer watch on you and the little ones to ensure everything is progressing naturally. I will need to see you a little more frequently than you probably saw your doctor when you were pregnant with Matthew or Trisha. For now, I will see you every three weeks, but as we progress into your second and third trimesters those visits will become bi-weekly and then weekly. There are also a couple of specialists that I want you to decide on before we get to your third trimester, a perinatologist and a neonatalogist.

Mac gives her a confused look.

CDR Stockland explains, "A perinatologist is an obstetrician who specializes in higher risk pregnancies. A neonatologist may need to be consulted if you end up having preemies, which is very common in multiple birth pregnancies. You probably won't carry to full term, the average with triplets is usually around thirty-three weeks. We will also probably deliver them via a C-section. This is safer for both you and them. Don't be concerned right now about them coming early, we will cross that bridge a little further down the line. You are in luck. I am already a certified perinatologist, but I do want you to find a neonatologist that you are comfortable with also." She hands Mac a sheet of paper, "Here is a list of the ones that I would recommend, but you can find your own if you don't think any of these are suitable to your needs."

The doctor chooses not mention that with the size that Trisha and Matthew were when they were born, it is likely Mac will need to be induced earlier than the average. Harm and Mac have previously had rather large and healthy little ones, partially influenced by their height and Mac's fondness of Beltway Burgers.

Mac is slowly taking everything in. She asks, "What about diet and exercise?"

CDR Stockland says, "I will write you a prescription for standard prenatal vitamins, and an iron supplement. I want you to eat approximately three to four thousand calories a day. A good combination of proteins, dairy, vegetables, and grains, and limit your sugar intake. You will probably need to eat about five times a day, three regular meals and a few snacks in between."

Mac's eyes go wide, wondering if she will ever be able to gain her figure back after this pregnancy. She laughs, "Oh, Harm is going to love this! He already claims I eat more than I should, and he doesn't know where I store it all. I can just see the look on his face when I tell him the doctor ordered me to have a juicy steak!"

Both the doctor and Trish laugh with her.

The doctor continues, "As for exercise, you can do what you want for now. However, as you gain more weight, you may find that cardio is a bit taxing, and you might become winded very quickly. Some good alternatives will be walking, swimming, and a yoga class designed specifically for those who are expecting."

Mac laughs out loud! She replies, "There is no way in hell that I am taking a yoga class! I have no desire to have people see me trying to make the shape of a tree, a half moon, or anything that resembles a downward dog. I would be the butt of jokes for forever. Swimming and walking I can handle!"

CDR Stockland folds her hands together on her desk, "That's about it. Unless either of you have any questions?"

Mac bites her lower lip, not really wanting to ask the next question in front of her mother-in-law, "Umm..what about sex?"

The doctor answers, "As long as you feel up to it, having intercourse is perfectly fine. You may have to experiment with a few different positions to find what is comfortable for you. Anything else?"

Mac supplies, "Not at the moment, but I am sure after I talk with Harm that we will have some, or at least he will. That husband of mine is over-protective by nature, but gets a thousand times worse when I am pregnant. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if he buys out half a bookstore on anything related to multiple pregnancies."

Everyone stands up, and the doctor hands Mac her card, "My cell phone is on there. Feel free to call me at any time. If you experience any issues and need to see me, just come on in and we will fit you in. Otherwise, enjoy your pregnancy and I will see you in three weeks."

Mac and Trish both reply with a "Thank you."

As they walk out of the hospital, Trish glances over, noticing how shocked Mac is, and offers, "Sweetie, why don't you hand me the keys, and let me take you to lunch. After all, you have a group of little ones inside you to feed."

Walking through the parking lot, Mac places her hand over her jacket pocket, containing the photographs of her three little ones tucked inside. As she slides into the seat of her car, now that the initial shock has diminished, she examines the photographs more closely. The first photo contains a picture of the three of them. She traces a single finger around each of her babies, vowing to herself to keep them safe and healthy. She doesn't even notice the tears that are running down her face, until she notices a wet drop when she is looking at the individual picture of Baby B. She gently dabs the wet spot with a tissue, and smiles.

Trish glances over at her, "Mac, they are beautiful. Just please tell me that you aren't going to chop off any of Harm's errr… parts. I'm a little old to raise five children."

Mac chuckles, "I won't say that the thought didn't cross my mind, briefly. But, these children are a product of our everlasting love, and he didn't do this by himself. So, I guess I can't totally blame him. However, I might consider cutting off his access to that section of my body for the rest of his natural life. Or at the very least limiting what parts of his body are allowed near there."

Trish offers, "Well dear, you could always get a hysterectomy or ask him to get a vasectomy."

Mac smiles softly, "No, I don't want to interfere with Mother Nature's plan. I just might have to intervene with her schedule though. Let's go to lunch."