Hope you have enjoyed the story so far. I have not written much because I have always enjoyed reading other peoples' work (the West Wing story on here I originally wrote in 2004!), but like many others I am wanting contribute to this fanfic community. I haven't totally decided on how this story is going to turn out, but stay with me!

Anne went out into the hall through the double doors of the clinic to find Hal and Tom in hushed conversation standing in front of the lockers. Hal looked different. Last night he had the trademark reactions of a teenager becoming a man, but now there wasn't a trace of that kid. He seemed to have grown taller and his chin had a light stubble that made the boyishness in his face vanish. He looked so much like his Father.

Both men turned to her. "Can I see her?" Hal asked.

"Yeah, go on in. I'll be there in a minute." As Hal went in to the room she walked to Tom. "So I'm assuming you know?" She had a look of obvious sarcasm.

Tom rubbed a hand through his hair and lightly scratched his bearded cheek. He had always been clean shaven before, but not now. Even after they had gotten supplies and he could shave every day if he had wanted, he kept the beard. He was a different man now and he needed that physical reminder when he looked in the mirror. He was no longer a history professor, he was a fighter who wore a side arm strapped to his leg and was rarely seen without an automatic weapon in his hand. Looking at Anne, relieved she was there, "Yeah, I guess everyone knows I know…"he said with a sheepish look on his face. "How is she?"

At that, all playfulness was gone from her face and she wore a very worried expression. She always had a calm confidence about her that made everyone she treated feel at ease, but she could be honest with Tom and show him her uncertainty. "I don't know, Tom. Karen appears to be well into second her trimester. I almost think the fetus has grown from my initial examination last night. Not to mention I just pumped a pregnant woman with powerful opiates for the last twelve hours. She was harnessed for a month with similar drugs pumping into her system and I have no idea why her body is reacting this way. I am in way over my head, sometimes I really do wish for those neurotic mothers and flu shots," as she spoke her voice became more rushed and frantic. She took a few deep breaths and wiped the corners of her watering eyes and tried to collect her thoughts. Her mind was racing with the possibilities and explanations.

She looked at Tom then. They had a grown up relationship, a friendship, but they both knew there was something deeper there and they were going to take their time. Everyone had baggage in this new era, but they still needed to grieve and adjust to the losses they had both had. He saw that she was scared and he took her hand in his and placed the other on her cheek. "We are going to figure this out. I know you feel like your lost, but the truth is all of us would be lost without you." He looked into her eyes, "I'd be lost without you." He let go of her hand and brought his palm up to cup her other cheek. He raised his lips and kissed her forehead while sneaking his hands into her hair. He eased back and looked into her worried face, "We are going to do this together, ok?" She silently nodded as he removed his hands and they both stepped back only a fraction of an inch.

"Tom, this may not end well, and I couldn't bare it if you…"

"I could never blame you," his voice had such conviction." Without you I wouldn't have my son back, and even if we had lost Ben, I wouldn't have blamed you, Annie." The endearment made her heart skip a beat. He was the only one who had ever called her that and it was something special and private between the two of them. One more way they shared a connection in the midst of the pandemonium they lived in on a daily basis. "So we need a gameplan, right?"

"Yeah, I think we are just going to have to monitor her for a day or so. See if she suffers any adverse effects of the drugs. She is still early in her pregnancy. We also have to consider the effect the harness has had on other kids, like Rick. Maybe it just speeds up her gestation period, maybe medically it's a good thing like it was for Rick and his cystic fibrosis."

"Yeah maybe," Tom said in that quiet way he had. He looked through the window into the clinic and watched his son sitting with Karen. They were silent. The gurney had been raised so it was in a sitting position and Hal had joined her on the bed with his arm around her careful to stay away from the wound on her back.

Clinic

"Hal?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm scared."

"Me too. What are you scared of?"

"That something bad is going to happen. I don't know, I just have this sinking feeling. Like I know how this is going to end."

"Karen, you can't talk like that. After what you have just been through it's expected that you are scared, but nothing is going to happen, Karen."

She looked at him for a long moment, taking in his face. "I love you, but I want you to promise me something, ok? You can chalk it up to hormones or a traumatic experience or whatever, but I need you to promise me this one thing."

"Anything," he looked at her square in the eye. If he had to promise her the moon he would do it.

"If in the end of this I don't make it you have to promise me to never blame our baby that I am not with you. Promise that you will take care of him and let him be a part of your family and let him know every day that I loved you both so much," she was getting tears in her eyes and so was he.

"Kar.."

"Wait let me finish. I can't explain why I feel the way I do. I am so happy to be home and with you, but I know this isn't our happy ending," she was openly crying now.

"Karen, we are going to have this family and I am not letting you get away from me." He is so much like Tom. Always believing in humanity and how things are going to eventually get better. They were going to get better, but if she was ever certain about anything, it was that something was wrong. Not wrong with her baby, but something was wrong with her. Like every minute she could feel herself getting weaker and the baby getting stronger.

"You still didn't promise."

Knowing it was the only way to calm her down and knowing it was the only thing that would bring her peace Hal looked at her solemnly, "I promise to never blame our child if something happened to you. And he will know every day how much you love him because you are going to be there to tell him. But if you are not there I will never let a day go by without him knowing, and he will know what you did to protect his life while you were gone. God, Karen, you must have been terrified," he bowed his head because he still felt the guilt from not getting to her in the first place. She leaned in and let her lips touch his. He gently kissed her, more careful now than ever. His face hovered close to hers while he whispered, "I am so sorry," a feather lite touch of his lips. "I'm so sorry," another kiss.

"I missed you," she said barely loud enough for him to hear her. "I missed this," she said with a smile on her lips as the kiss became more intense.

Cough, cough. The two sprang apart and looked at Tom and Anne. Tom looking embarrassed, "Sorry, I guess I really should learn to knock."

"Yes, you should," replied Hal in deadpanned tone.

Anne took that moment to grab her stethoscope and sit on a stool next to the patient. Hal rose from the bed in order give them more space and went to stand by Tom. Tom noticed Hal looking sad and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Karen, I'm going to be honest, we don't know exactly what we are dealing with," said Anne as she was listening to her pulse and taking her blood pressure. "I do know that physically you are much further along than two months and I can't explain it. My best guess is that it has something to do with the harness. We have seen some cases wear kids have been medically healed from them. Rick was cured of cystic fibrosis and one of the girls had scoliosis to the point she had to wear a back brace before she was taken. Now her back is as straight as a dancer's. You have also been under some pretty heavy drugs so that presents a risk also. We are going to keep a close watch on you and I'm going to ask you some questions ok?"

"Sure, I guess I'm your best source for why my body is acting the ways its acting. I've never been pregnant, but I knew I was getting too big and feeling too much too early. I thought I might be having twins, is that possible?"

"We only have some pretty limited equipment, but even doctors before ultrasounds could decipher between one or two fetal heartbeats. I only hear one so I don't think so. Any nausea?"

"Yes and whoever named it morning sickness was a man. It should be called anytime sickness."

A smile grazed Anne's lips. She hadn't spent a lot of time with Karen before, but she liked the girls spunk. "I was the exact same way with my son. What about nutrition? Did you eat regularly? If any of this becomes too painful you don't have to answer and we can stop, but the more information we have the more we can know what we are dealing with."

"I think they read the food pyramid on the side of cereal boxes and used that as a guideline for what to feed us. Every day we had a certain serving of fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and whatever else is on that stupid thing. I remember craving Twinkies and knowing there had to be some somewhere because they can survive a nuclear holocaust, and there were none to be found," she paused with a sly smile, "Twinkies were not a part of the food pyramid."

"Well, Twinkies or not, it's good you had good nutrition while you were gone. How is your energy level?" The questions kept coming and Karen answered them as best she could, from what she could remember.

After a bit Hal went to go and get them some lunch and Tom went too. "Anne?" Karen asked as the doctor was putting away her supplies.

"Yeah."

"I think something is wrong." Anne turned around abruptly and saw the girl was pail and breaking in to a cold sweat.

At her side in an instant Anne asked, "Karen, what is it? Is it the baby?"

"No, the baby is fine, it's me." Anne looked confused. " I tried telling Hal earlier, but I don't think he believes me. I'm getting weaker, Anne. Its like the baby is taking all of my life from me." Anne started to interrupt. "Look, I can't explain it, but I know how this is going to end. I think the harness was supposed to make me give birth quickly and only keep me alive until the baby was born. I know you're a doctor, but what is done is done and I am beyond your help, but you have to help my baby…my son."

Anne didn't know what to say. "Karen, you are going to be fine, you just need some rest."