blackamber- How many times must I say I'm sorry before I'm forgiven?

Sadie- How about a gazillion?

blackamber- Let's try a real number…

Sadie- What? A gazillion is a real number

blackamber- ummm... no it isn't

Sadie- Yes it is...

blackamber- Well, I can see where this conversation is going.

Amy- So, what's your lame excuse as to why this chapter is late this time?

blackamber- I was packing

Sadie- For what?

blackamber- (tear tear) I am moving to the East Coast.

Amy- Don't you mean your family is moving?

blackamber- Nope just me. My school is on the east coast, so my family is staying here :D

Sadie- Your in University!?

blackamber- yeah…

Sadie- YOU'RE SO OLD!!

blackamber- (pouting) You sound like me cousins…

Amy- usual disclaimer

"I knew it, I just knew it!" Tala snarled, not even looking at the stunned, and slightly confused Amy.

"You mind filling me in here?" the confused part of her asked, for her rational part had already figured out what he was ranting about- even though it did not want to believe it.

"Don't play dumb with me Amy," he said her name so maliciously, that she found herself cringing as he spoke.

"It's not like that," she tried to reason.

"Oh really?" he asked in disbelief, "do explain what I missed."

"The fact that I was trying to get away," she stated matter-of-factly.

Tala snorted, "If you had wanted to get away Amy, you would have. I know how strong you are and I've seen you beat him in almost anything to do with strength."

"I haven't been myself lately, you know that… I-

"Yeah, I know how tired you are when you come home, but maybe that's just the aftershock of your apparent daily activities."

Amy's mouth dropped open in shock at his words, for he, technically, had just called her a whore. "Excuse me?"

Tala smirked, not really finding a reason to respond.

"You heartless bastard!" Amy shrieked at him, she would have said more, but found herself wincing from stomach pains. The horribly named 'morning sickness' seemed to be coming back, she only hoped she could keep it down long enough,

"Though, I guess if you actually talk to me I might not jump to conclusions on things, maybe give you the benefit of the doubt," every word was drenched with sarcasm, "but of course, you've always had your secrets."

"I've told you everything I could about me, what more do you want?" Amy demanded, glaring daggers.

"I want the truth."

"I just told you it!"

"All of it!"

Amy paused, swallowing heavily. "I," she paused again, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know all of it yet either!"

'Liar,' screeched her inner voice, 'you know it perfectly well.'

Tala let out a groan of frustration, fighting the urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. "How could you not know?" he tried to ask calmly.

"It's complicated." Amy's face had gone white as she snaked shaky fingers through her dark locks, "It's very complicated."

"You know… sometimes I wonder if you even trust me," Tala spoke earnestly, staring directly into her eyes.

Amy wanted to laugh at the irony. "Sometimes you wonder if Itrust you? You accuse me of cheating and then you wonder if I trust you?" Amy sighed irritably and then began to pace on the spot. She struggled with accepting what Tala had said; part of her had found it quite amusing on some sick level. It dawned on her then what needed to be done, and the thought was painful. They had, after all, been together for two years.

She let out another sigh before speaking again. "You know... maybe..." Amy paused, her voice cracking like one who was about to break down and cry, "maybe we should just... take a break..."

"What?" Tala had heard her perfectly well, just the idea was unsettling with him. Taking a break? They couldn't.

"We should take a break," Amy repeated, "look at us, we're tearing each other's throats out for no reason… we need some time apart… to really thinks things over and decide what's for the best." Now of all times, Amy could not let the mask she had worked so hard to perfect fall, she had to stay strong, and yet her thoughts kept traveling back to that tiny, nagging detail below her stomach. The tiny, nagging, slowly growing detail which would make her time alone a lot harder than his.

"We don't need a break," said Tala, almost desperately, "we just need to… sort this out."

Amy shook her head, still fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. "No Tala, we need a break."

"Well, where would you go? If we need to be alone we can't exactly be in the same house," Tala said smugly, thinking he had her cornered, unable to escape-unable to break.

"Maybe to Japan… stay with Kai for a bit-

Tala paled at the idea. If Kai just so happened to ask what she was doing there… he'd be dead and buried in less than a month.

"Or… maybe I'll go back to Canada, stay with Derek and Norah… and forget all this," Amy mumbled the last part, but she knew Tala heard.

"We can… we can forget this ever happened, just… I… I don't think-

"I'm not talking about today, Tala," she spat, another sudden mood swing catching both off guard.

"Fine," he said stiffly, "fine… if you ever start feeling like your old self, you know my number."

Amy leaned back in her chair, trying to will away the conversation that had taken place only a couple of hours ago. Not even her fear of flying could dull the voices in her head. Not even the roar of the plane's engines, nor Sadie's annoying humming along with her music. Nothing.

Well, that wasn't completely true- there was one thing. She grazed her stomach lightly with her hand, staring at it and trying not to let another mood swing send her into a mad depression of loud messy tears.

'I wonder what you are…' she thought in wonderment at the idea of a little… thing growing inside her, 'no, calling you a what doesn't seem right… I wonder…. who you are.'

When she had called Derek she hadn't told him of her condition- well she might have had she actually gotten to talk to Derek for more than three seconds. As soon as Derek had greeted her, by saying her name, the phone had been snatched away first by Norah, who talked to her for a good twenty minutes, then by Claire, who must have talked for at least an hour. Not that Amy minded, she liked hearing about Keith, her kind-of-but-not-really nephew, and Claire's husband, Matthew.

Ironic isn't it? (A/N: Cookies for whoever guesses/remembers why it's ironic)

Amy was grateful to Claire though, for talking to the older girl made her a little less uneasy about what she was about to go through. 'He might not be here with us… but at least I've got a family to stand by me.'

It was funny how whenever Amy thought of a family, it was always the Carters, Claire, and her team-mates who came to mind… well, Kai was slowly fading into view as a family member and Tala was… she wasn't so sure about him now- even though a good portion of her family was all over the world, at least she wouldn't be alone.

She stole a quick glance over to her now snoring apprentice. 'Guess I'm going to have to add you into my family as well.' As if acting as a reminder, a small wave of nausea washed over her, not enough to make her retch, but enough to make her cringe and laugh in her head, 'You are a given, I shouldn't have to force myself to think of you as family.'

"AMY!!" A loud, excited screech made the young woman cringe before she was absorbed into a tight hug from an older blond doctor.

"Hi, Claire," Amy gasped, letting the last of her oxygen escape her lungs.

Claire stepped back, taking in the younger girl. "You've actually got a stomach… I don't know whether to be worried about this are happy to know that you are actually human."

Amy rolled her eyes before nodding to the man standing not so far behind the blond. "Matthew, it's good to see you again."

The tall, brunette of medium build, nodded back, shifting a tiny baby into one of his arms as he raised a hand in better greeting. "Likewise… you look like Claire did in her early stages." The man smiled knowingly at her and stole a wink.

It was then that Amy remembered that this man worked in the hospital ward that dealt with pregnant women; of course he'd recognize the first trimester.

Claire looked back at her husband in confusion… then her eyes widened in shock… then she turned back to Amy with her hands on her hips. "Amelia Hiwatari," she said sternly, "what have you done?"

Amy flushed a deep crimson, but didn't answer.

The stern look quickly faded though, replaced by one of sheer joy. "I'm going to be an AUNT!!" Claire cheered, hugging Amy tightly once more.

"Claire… can't… breathe…" Amy gasped.

"That can't be good for the baby," Matthew muttered.

"What baby?" a small voice asked, coming up from behind Amy.

"Oh," Claire released Amy from her crusher hold, "and who's this?"

"This is Sadie," Amy introduced, once she had caught her breath.

"I'm Amy's apprentice," Sadie beamed proudly.

"I thought you gave up bey shooting?"

"I was suckered into this," admitted Amy. Her eyes fell once more on the tiny baby in Matthew's arms, "So this must be Keith?"

It was Claire's turn to beam now, "Yup, that's my baby."

The tiny boy had a light blond tuft of hair on the top of his head and baby blue eyes. He giggled and squirmed in his father's arms as his mother drew closer, motioning to gather him up in her arms.

"You are going to have to get used to holding one of these," Claire said, kissing her son on the top of his head. Slowly, she offered the tiny boy to her younger friend, "So, here's the trial run."

"Wh-what!?' Amy stumbled backwards.

"Take him," Claire ordered.

"B-but-

"Learn to hold one properly now, so that way you don't panic nine months from now," Claire insisted.

"From the look of her, I'd say it's five or six now," Matthew mused, clearly enjoying this.

Sadie squealed in a more annoying way than Mel, which Amy thought was impossible, "You're pregnant!?"

"Tell the world why don't you," Amy grumbled, finally taking Keith from his mother.

"Oh… but you and Tala broke up… was this why?"

"You guys broke up?" Claire asked, clearly concerned.

"No, we're just taking a break. And no, this is not the reason why… well, not entirely… He doesn't know I'm-

"Pregnant?" Sadie finished excitedly.

"Yeah… that…"

"How'd it happen?"

"I'd rather not talk about this right now," Amy sighed painfully, quickly handing Claire her son back.

"Well," Claire said in a sunny voice, "it's a good thing I called your two best friends, who are calling your other two best friends, and are coming tomorrow to keep you company."

Amy smiled lightly at the thought of seeing Brook, Courtney, Melissa, and Kaylie again. With Nicol staying in Russia, she really needed one of them- preferably Brook or Courtney- to talk to. "Thanks Claire."

Blackamber- YAY! Brook, Courtney, Mel, and Kaylie are coming back!!

Sadie- WOOO! Even though I've never met them…

Blackamber- BRYAN!

Bryan- (sighs) blackamber has some questions for you all in reference to Amy's… condition –ahem-

Question 1:

Should Amy have one kid or twins?

Question 2:

If one, should it be a boy or girl?

Question 3:

If twins should it be two boys, two girls, or one of each?

Question 4:

If a girl, should the child's name be: Thea (pronounced like Athena but without the first A and N), Tear, Rose, or Cali?

If a boy, should the child's name be: Dimitri, Dylan, Gale, or Jacob?

Tala: R&R

blackamber- and answer please