Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters and stories belong to NBC and Dick Wolf.
A/N: New Chapter. Wow...another pregnancy...but that doesn't excuse the actions of someone in this chapter. Poor Claire is all I have to say. Please review. Thanks. Love, SilverInk2011.
The next morning, Claire found herself up early, throwing up. Jack heard the distant sounds of this vomiting and ran into the bathroom. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't know," she whispered. He bent down and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I felt fine last night, but this morning I woke up and-." She had another wet heave into the toilet. Bile stung her throat as she moved back. "I don't know. Unless I'm... oh my God." She vomited again.
"Here's what I want you to do," Jack began saying. Claire listened attentively. "Call in and take the morning off. Call the doctor and schedule an appointment."
"Are you thinking the same thing I am Jack?" she asked before standing up.
"I'm thinking that you're pregnant."
"Wonderful," Claire breathed. "Just what I needed before my first trial as a White Collar prosecutor." She ran the water, washed her hands, and began brushing her teeth to clean her mouth of the tant of bile. She brushed vigorously. Jack sighed and pulled himself onto the bathroom counter.
"It's mine, right?" he asked. The question caused Claire to terminate the process of brushing her teeth and spit the foam out onto to the mirror. She ran to get a paper towel to wipe up the second mess she created. Then she finished the job before answering his question.
"Whose would it be, Jack?" Claire asked.
"Jesus, Claire. I don't know."
"Well, we haven't exactly had a kosher relationship, Jack."
"But Claire-."
"Maybe a condom broke, Jack. Things like this happen. We're adults. We can handle something like this." She rinsed her mouth and then walked toward Jack, placing her arms around his neck. "I haven't been with anyone else since I started sleeping with you. Okay?" She kissed him, slowly. It was a kiss of reassurance. A kiss to let Jack know that she was still in love with him.
"Okay," he whispered, sliding himself off the counter and pulling Claire into his arms. "I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered back, burying her head in his neck to absorb his scent.
"Go get some rest, okay? I've decided to go into work early."
Claire obeyed her fiancé. She kissed him one last time, exited the bathroom, but turned back to give him a glowing smile. Jack appreciated every curve of that smile.
"Should I draw up a subpoena?" Jamie asked from her position at the conference table right next to Jack's desk.
Jack nodded absentmindedly. His mind was still on what could be forming in Claire's uterus. "You okay, Jack?" Jamie asked him, waving her hand in front of his face.
"Huh?" he asked, looking at Jamie's hand.
"Is Claire okay?" she asked.
"Why would you ask that?"
"Um...because that's the only thing that could possible cause you not to pay attention to what's on your plate in front of you."
"She's fine," he said, trying to protect something that may possibly be untrue. She could just have a stomach bug or a delayed reaction to last night's supper. He wouldn't know until she came to work... or called him.
"No she's not."
Jack stared at Jamie. He couldn't believe how quick she was when it came to reading people. "Is she pregnant?"
Jack did a half-nod, confirming that they were both unsure.
It wasn't until Claire stormed the office and dropped a copy of pregnancy test results on Jack's desk. He stared at them. The word "pregnant" jumped out at him. He looked at his fiancée. Her young face suddenly looked much older. She stared at him with the same disbelief. But she smiled. Forgetting that Jamie was in the room, he kissed her and pulled her into his arms.
"I'll leave you two alone," Jamie said suddenly. She packed up her papers to go and start the subpoena for a company's records that were pertinent to a case. "Oh, and congratulations. Children are essential in marriage... and divorce."
Claire pulled back slightly. "What did you tell her?"
"She guessed."
"Uh-huh," Claire hummed. "And exactly what did she guess?"
"Um..."
"I knew it. You are easy to read."
"I love you." She looked at his eyes. They were full of innocence.
"I love you too." Claire pulled Jack in for a kiss. She kissed him slowly. The office was empty. No one else was in the room... until someone cleared their throat.
"You must like them younger, Jack," said a familiar voice. Sally Bell was standing in the office.
Claire looked from Sally to Jack and back to Sally. Her eyes were territorial. She leaned her head on Jack's chest to tell Sally "He's mine." Jack wrapped an arm around Claire.
"What exactly is so important that you have to go around attacking my fiancée?" Jack asked.
"That's legal?" Sally asked, pointing to Claire.
"She's over 18, so yeah. It's legal."
Sally rolled her eyes menacingly. "Was she another one of your assistants?"
"So what if she was? She is no longer."
"Fine," she hissed, "you go through them until you can find one that's young and fertile enough to withstand you. We can talk deals later." She left the office, slamming the door behind her. Claire slipped out from Jack's grasp and followed suit.
"Where the hell do you get off?" she asked, causing Sally to turn around.
"What do you mean?"
"You have no right to call me a whore!" Claire spat.
"Well-"
"Just because I'm young, doesn't make me a whore."
"Claire, stop it-"
"Just because he stopped sleeping with you doesn't mean he shacked up with a whore."
"Okay, Claire-"
"No," Sally said. "I think you got pregnant to make Jack stay with you."
"Is that what you think? That I'm young and desperate? Getting married was the last thing on my mind until Jack proposed three weeks ago."
"Okay, then let me ask you this. Why is it that people think you're a skank?"
"I'm not a skank."
"Yes you are. People know about you two."
"Then they'd notice the ring on my finger."
"They don't. They just think that Jack wasn't getting action from anyone his own age, so he resorted to a young piece of ass."
"I am not a piece of ass."
"Yes you are. Didn't you sleep with that judge?"
"That's ancient history, and a mistake. He treated me like a whore."
"Because you are one."
What happened next surprised all three of them. Claire, who's normally good natured, quiet, and non violent, waltzed up to Sally and smacked her across the face. The crack was loud and audible, and left the deep red impression of a handprint. Claire stormed away in tears. Jack tried calling after her, but she blocked out all noise. It wasn't until she plunked down at her desk, she whispered, "I'm sorry you had to hear that." She put her hands over her abdomen and cried.