Yay, I'm so glad that the MC peeps are enjoying and approving this story! Thanks for everyone's reviews, and I hope to get more for this chapter! Here ya go!

Disclaimer: Hey, if they were mine, the real reason that Caro disappeared would be because her and Mike got married last season, and she's at home raising their son Mike Jr. But alas, that's not true... (grumbles under breath) Stupid Dick Wolf...

This chapter is dedicated to Confused and Podie1 for their sweet reviews. Thanks, girls!

"So, you and Mike, huh?" Alex asked, handing Carolyn a cup of hot chocolate before sitting down beside her on the couch. She took a sip of the scalding beverage, then looked expectantly at her friend.

Carolyn sighed, then nodded and sank down into the couch, her hands clasping the hot mug as she relished it's heat.

Alex glanced in the direction of her bedroom, then turned to face Carolyn. "How long?"

"Just last night. God, Alex, what have I done?" Carolyn moaned, her head falling back against the back of the couch.

Alex reached over and squeezed Carolyn's shoulder. "Car, it's not the end of the world."

Carolyn scoffed.

"It's not!"

"Well, it sure isn't like with you and your partner. You two were practically made for each other!" Carolyn exclaimed.

"Not true," Alex corrected slowly. "It took us over six years to go out on a date, and even after that, we've had more than our share of ups and downs. But at the end of the day, when he looks at me..." She sighed. "It just makes it all worthwhile. And besides, who's to say that you and Mike can't have the same thing? It doesn't always have to be about sex, you know?"

"But this is Mike Logan we're talking about! It's not like he's the traditional, two kids and a cocker spaniel kind of guy."

"Maybe not. But since when has anything about you two been normal?" Alex teased.

Carolyn sighed and set her coffee cup down, then rubbed her temples. "I'm just... I'm just so afraid that I've screwed up the best partnership and friendship I've ever had, you know? I mean, once I came back from my assignment, Mike was so happy. And now... and now we've slept together. How are things ever going to be the same?" A tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away.

Alex thought for a minute. "You're right," she finally said, and Carolyn looked at her with confusion in her eyes. "Things are never going to be the same again. They'll be much better."

But Carolyn was not as confident.

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"Is this really the right thing to do?" Bobby questioned Alex as they stood side by side in the kitchen, washing the dirty dishes from dinner.

Alex sighed and bumped her hip against Bobby's as she rinsed a plate. "It's what she wants. She needs a little time and somewhere neutral to figure things out. And I can't say that I blame her. When we first slept together, I wanted to run."

Bobby's eyebrows quirked, and he asked, "Why didn't you?"

She shrugged. "I did... and I got about a block away before I realized that this was what I wanted. Carolyn... I know she loves Mike, and he loves her. But you can't convince someone of that. She has to figure it out for herself, not have it shoved down her throat. That will only make her run faster."

Bobby nodded and dried the last plate, then turned and kissed gently, smiling when her eyes closed and her arms wound around his neck. His hand drifted down to settle protectively over her belly, and they both smiled as their fingers interlaced and they walked out of the kitchen and to their bedroom.

Carolyn could hear Bobby and Alex laughing in their bedroom, and she rolled over and buried her face in her pillows, crying softly. Why did this have to hurt so badly? Wasn't she doing the right thing? She just didn't know anymore.

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Carolyn fell back onto what had become known as her bed after another long day at work. Bobby had had a ball solving the case, and she was more than happy to let him take over, since her stomach had refused to cooperate enough to let her feel like she was capable of handling things. She just chalked it up to being in the same room with Mike and still not being willing to talk to him.

Her stomach growled noisily, reminding her that she had forgone lunch in favor of just a cup of coffee, and she slid out of the bed and walked into the kitchen. All around her were pictures of Bobby and Alex, and she couldn't help but feel envious of the bond that they shared. Even though they had gone far beyond their call as friends to let her stay in their home, without Mike, she felt like she was suffocating. But her pride still stood, and until she could figure things out, she simply couldn't face him.

She continued to be lost in her thoughts, completely oblivious until she took the first bite of food that she held in her hand. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich? She looked at the food, wondering why on earth she was eating something that she detested.

"Don't you hate peanut butter?" Alex asked in amusement, and Carolyn jumped slightly, since she thought that she was alone in the apartment.

"I do," Carolyn sighed, taking another bite of the loathed sandwich. Bobby chuckled, while Alex's eyebrows knitted together, and she disappeared into her bathroom. She walked back out a few moments later and grabbed Carolyn's hand, pulling her gently along with her.

"What?" Carolyn sputtered in shock once they were in the bathroom with the door locked. Carolyn sat on the toilet seat, while Alex perched herself on the edge of the tub with an EPT in her hands.

"I've been pregnant twice, Car," Alex said gently. "You're showing the signs. You're eating something that you normally hate, when you are eating. And don't think that I haven't noticed that you've been throwing up. I've seen it. At least humor me and check."

Carolyn sighed deeply, then reluctantly took the proffered test, and Alex walked out of the bathroom, but remained beside the door. A minute later, Carolyn opened the door and motioned for Alex to come back in. Alex locked the door and returned to her seat, and Carolyn stared anxiously at her wristwatch.

"Ninety seconds," she stated, and Alex squeezed her knee.

"So... what are you going to tell Mike?" Alex asked, and the color drained from Carolyn's face. "Is Mike the father?"

"Yes," she squeaked, her hand going to her stomach. "I mean, I haven't slept with anyone else in nearly a year... he has to be the father, right?"

"Right," Alex said confidently. "But that's if the results are even positive." Just as she said that, the alarm on Carolyn's watch went off.

"Moment of truth," Carolyn joked weakly, and after several long seconds, Alex reached for the test. Carolyn looked at her anxiously as she read the results and decrypted the answer. "Well?"

Alex looked at the test, then at her friend. "It's... negative," she stated, and Carolyn deflated instantly.

"It's- it's negative?" Carolyn asked in disbelief, a single tear falling from her eye and landing in her lap, followed by more. She twisted her hands in her lap and sighed, sniffling sadly. "Maybe it's for the best. I'm not... I don't think I'm ready to be a mom... and it's Mike for God's sake. He'd..." Her voice trailed off thickly, and tears suddenly rolled in torrents down her cheeks.

She clucked her tongue and wiped her tears away, saying, "I don't even know why I'm upset. I was never pregnant. How can I be sad about something I never had?" She took a deep breath and grabbed some toilet paper to blow her nose. When she was finished, she looked at Alex and said, "Are you sure it's negative?"

"No, it's positive," Alex said casually. Carolyn's jaw dropped, and Alex laughed and showed her the results. "Congratulations, honey," Alex said warmly, and Carolyn jumped to her feet and danced around the small room.

"I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant!" she sang, and Alex couldn't help but get up and join her.

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Carolyn laid on the bed with her bathrobe over her pajamas and a pillow under the bathrobe. Is this what I'm going to look like in five or six months? she wondered, running her hand over her "enlarged" stomach. Her thoughts were interrupted when Alex appeared in her doorway, a small smile on her face.

"Hey, Mike's out here, and he wants to talk to you," she said warily, and Carolyn sat up. "I really think you should talk to him. At least give him the courtesy of telling him that you're carrying his alien child." She chuckled lightly.

Carolyn rubbed her face, then pulled off her robe and said, "Tell him five minutes. I need to get changed." Alex nodded and shut the door, while Carolyn rose to her feet and began searching through her dresser for an outfit.

Finally she settled on her favorite outfit: a pair of holy jeans, a white spaghetti strapped shirt, and a pair of flip-flops. Without questioning why she was doing it, she ran a brush through her hair, then dabbed some lip-gloss and perfume on before walking out of the room.

Mike was waiting for her on the sidewalk, and without a word, she began walking. He knew exactly where she was going, and he walked beside her, just thankful to be near her again. They walked together in perfect time until they reached their destination, Central Park. They kept walking until they reached the edge of the pond, where Carolyn sat down and just stared at the water.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, and Carolyn looked at him in amazement.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked.

"I'm sorry... if I made you think or feel cheap or unwanted in any way," he blurted out in one breath. "That night was... I can't even tell you how amazing it was."

"Really?" she whispered, and he grinned. It dawned on her that he was telling the truth, and she had never felt more low in her life. A tear fell from her eye, and he brushed it away with his thumb.

"Car, what is it?" he asked with concern, and she shook her head.

"I was... I was so afraid that I had screwed this-" She motioned to the air between them. "I thought I had screwed us up. I was so sure that you wanted nothing to do with me-"

Her voice was cut off by his shirt as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, holding her tightly to himself. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I'm so sorry, Mike," she whispered against his neck, and he rubbed her back.

"Don't be. We were both at fault here. We both should've opened our mouths," he stated. "But this is it, Car. I want this, and if you do too, there's no backing out, no more running away. It's you and me, Carolyn."

"You talked to Alex, didn't you?" she asked, pushing herself away from Mike and hugging her knees to her chest.

He was confused again. "What about her?"

"Didn't she tell you?" she asked dully.

He shook his head. "Alex didn't tell me anything."

Her spirits lifted a little. He wanted to be with her! Not because she was pregnant with his child, but because he cared about her and really, truly wanted her! And she wanted him... but would he still feel the same when she told him that there was a little piece of him growing inside of her?

She felt his arm slip around her waist, and she leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Maybe they could make this work.. make them work. It definitely wouldn't be easy, but... "Mike, I have something I need to tell you," she said softly, and she felt his breathing hitch. "I'm... I'm pregnant." There, she said it. The ball was in his court now.

He didn't speak, and for the longest time, Carolyn felt like she was going to implode. Suddenly he eased away from her, and she felt her heart break as he rose to his feet and ran one hand through his hair.

"I- I'm... I need a little time to think about... about all of this," he stuttered, and she watched through tears as he walked away from her.

TBC...

A/N: Yes, I know Mike just totally contradicted himself, but not to worry! And cookies for everyone who caught the Friend's reference in there! Shush, Confused! Now, please review!