rejazzz: Hmmm, you'll have to wait, won't you?

katydid13: Thank you

Brown eyed Girl 75: Oh geez, my bad. Well, we don't know for sure yet, and as you said pregnancy tests weren't that reliable in 1980. When Viv finds out for sure though, well... hmmm... Thank you for the review and the help

ooOoo

Ah well come gather all around me, there is something you should know. There is no place quite like this place, when we get it on the go. So pile your boots up in the corner, hang your jacket from the door, there's thirty people in the kitchen, and there's always room for more

Going Up- Great Big Sea

ooOoo

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Craig for another month after I found out. Apparently the world was still so interested in what had happened that the team was needed to appear everywhere they went. Unless I was wrong, and something horrible had happened. Wouldn't most of them be back with the teams they'd been scouted for before this had happened? Wouldn't they be finishing up their college degrees and establishing themselves a good career?

Well certainly, if they were the players, but why hadn't I heard from Craig? This was really unusual. Where the hell could he be?

God, I sound so paranoid, don't I? He's a grown man, why should I be worried about what he's doing? For all I knew he was back at work and busy with his own shit… stuff, I should say stuff. Besides, being back home was the best thing for me, I got to see Bane and Marcie and the kids. They were so excited to know that I was home, and that I had come home with all sorts of stories of my 'travels'. Okay, I know I hadn't gone very far, just to Boston and Minnesota and New York, but when you're as young as Abbie and the others are, you might as well have traveled to China.

"Tell us again, Auntie Viv," Abbie begged, settling with me on the couch.

"Tell you what, honey?"

She leaned in to my ear. "Is the change room smelly?"

I chuckled as she leaned back on the couch. "How would I know that?"

"You were there!" she pointed out matter-of-factly. Of course, how could I be there and not know if the change room smelled? One of life's greatest mysteries, I suppose.

"Yes I was there, but young ladies aren't allowed in the boy's change rooms," I explained.

"You're not a young lady…" Abbie told me.

"I'm not?"

"No, you're old!" she answered.

"Old?"

"Like Mummy!" she informed me. Oh right, anyone over the age of eleven is practically mummified, according to an eight year old girl.

I pulled her into my lap and ruffled her hair. "You're a little brat!" I poked her until she squealed with laughter, begging me to stop.

"Alright munchkin, let me up, I have to pee!"

She was still laughing as I pushed myself up off the couch and headed for the bathroom. True, I had to pee, but at the same time, I felt like I needed to cry. I needed to see him, I needed to tell him what was going on; he needed to know.

Then again, maybe I'd been too hasty in assuming I was actually pregnant. Throwing up and feeling dizzy had other meanings as well, not necessarily that I was pregnant. And pregnancy tests aren't very reliable. Still, my period is due in a week, and if nothing happens, I'll go to the doctor and see what he has to say.

And if I don't hear from Craig in another week, well then, that's too bad. I'm not going to chase him up and down the East Coast. He's a big boy (in more ways than one), he can do what he wants.

There was a knock at the bathroom door as I finished washing my hands. "Viv, you okay in there?"

Bane was back!

"Uh… yeah, I'll, uh, I'll be right out!" I called. Drying my hands, I opened the door and smiled at him.

"Where did Marcie end up?"

"Grocery shopping," he answered. "And I've got nothing to do today. Abbie asked if we could kick around a soccer ball outside. Do you want to come?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Uh… no, I gotta get going, Bane, but thanks." I walked past him toward the front door. "Unless you need me to stay, of course."

He looked from me to Abbie getting her shoes on, Michelle sitting at the kitchen table with markers and paper, Linda doing a puzzle on the floor and Debbie clawing at his leg, proclaiming 'UP DADDY, UP!"

"I think we're alright," he answered. "You're okay?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay, thanks." Turning toward the kids, I waved goodbye, gave them each a hug, and went out the door.

ooOoo

When I got home, my mother greeted me with a hug and a smile.

"There are a couple of messages for you," she told me.

Messages? Who'd be calling me?

She'd written them down on a piece of paper, with a name and a contact number.

Craig Patrick, 212-555-6358

Say again? He'd actually called? God, I sound like a love struck school girl. Perhaps he'd figured out that six weeks is longer than a month, who knows with men? If anything, if this whole thing didn't work out, I didn't want him to get his hopes up. To tell him that I might be pregnant now, and then find out that it was a false alarm, I didn't know how he'd take it. In fact, I didn't even know if he wanted kids, we'd just have to wait and see.

I dialled the number and waited for him to pick up.

"Craig Patrick's office, Chris Bennett speaking," I heard.

"Hello, Chris, my name is Vivianne Hallet, I'm just returning a call from Craig. Would he be available?"

"I'm sorry, he's not," Chris answered. "He's out of town for a week or so. Would you like for me to leave a message for him when he gets back?"

"Sure, just tell him I said tag, you're it," I smiled to myself as I hung up. If he was going to play phone tag, well fine, two could play at that game.

Soon after that, there was a knock at the front door. Not sure who would be calling now. Bane had the kids and Marcie was grocery shopping, Mom was at home…

I opened the door to find none other than Craig Patrick standing there.

My mouth dropped open.

"You're here…" I gasped. "You're here, you're actually here!" I jumped into his arms, laughing. "Oh my God, how did you find us?"

"I phoned here when you weren't home and talked to your mother," he answered as he set me down.

"It's a wonder you're still alive, then," I kissed him quickly. "Come in, sit down. Can I get you anything?"

"What are you running around like a chicken with your head cut off for?" he laughed as he stepped inside and took off her coat.

"Oh just keeping busy," I picked up a glass and put it into the cupboard before checking the oven. "Wait a minute, I didn't put anything in the oven!" I slammed it shut. "Blah, what am I doing?"

"Viv," he caught a hold of her shoulders. "Relax, what is going on?"

"Oh it's just…" I shrugged, and then hit him in the arm. "Where the hell have you been the past six weeks?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Never again do I want to have to wait for six weeks to hear from you again, Craig Patrick!" I could feel my face flushing. "Especially not at a time like this, that's just unfair…"

"A time like what?" God, the look on his face…

I sighing, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand.

"I think I'm pregnant…" I confessed.