AN: There will be at least one more chapter of this before it is complete, but there is about a 99% chance that it will not be posted tomorrow since it hasn't been written yet...anyway, to fill that void, I posted a poll on our profile page about a sequel to this, and a tentative summary is posted on the profile as well. If anyone is interested, I would love to hear about it!
Olivia's back was to the door and she knew Sam was on the other side. He was going to be her fiancée in some sham of marriage. It turned her stomach to think about it.
She felt the kick of her little girl. The breath came through her nose raggedly and she closed her eyes focusing on just her baby. Eventually her heart rate beat steadily and regularly. Olivia pushed back from the door. She couldn't stay in here forever, and she knew Sam, he wasn't going to leave her alone for long when she was like this. Even if he was the cause of it.
She opened the door. Sam was leaning on the wall opposite of the door, larger than life.
"I'm sorry." He said quietly looking down at her. Olivia glanced down at his hands and saw they were freshly washed.
She didn't speak to him as she walked past him to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.
"Is the baby…" Sam trailed off.
"She's fine." Olivia said shortly. There was a pregnant pause and Olivia drained the glass and then put it into the sink with a clink,
"Sam." She said with her back to him. "Did Roman talk to you too?"
"Yeah." Sam's voice was raspy.
Olivia nodded, her back still to him. She turned and looked him square in the face. Her arms crossed above her huge stomach.
"I don't want to marry you." She said. "I don't want to be part of this sick campaign that Roman has going on."
"And you think I want to?" Sam asked looking angry.
"No, but you've got more say than I do-"
"No, I really don't. Not in this situation." Sam said cutting her off, "We're stuck and I'm sorry but there is nothing I can do about it. So we are just going to have to smile for the cameras suck it up."
"Have you thought about the baby? What kind of environment she's going to grow up in? Two parents that hate each other? That don't even have control over their own lives?"
Sam shook his head, lost for an answer. "This is the only way she can survive." He finally said.
This is the only way they could survive. In order to live Olivia had to do what she was told, and by default her baby would live to and so it began.
The first event was a press conference. Roman sent specialist to do Olivia's hair and makeup and she was dressed in light blue dress that made her stomach unmistakable. A card was attached to the dress, "Here's your statement, make it believable," hand written in neat script. A small paragraph was attached and Olivia began to read. The words made her so angry her hand shook as she held the small card.
Finally she was ushered to a foyer that had been staged for the press. Sam kept his distance from her until Roman walked up.
"Winchester, stand behind Olivia, I want you to look protective yet tender." His tone was light but there was a warning in it. Olivia thought back to the note, make it believable. So she let Sam stand behind her. His hand came to her shoulder and rested there. The reporters began to file in, many of them zoning in on Olivia immediately. There were flashes of cameras and the heat from the glare of the lights was making Olivia feel slightly nauseas.
"Make it believable." She thought to herself and she took a step closer to Sam so that she was almost pressed against him, her hand going to her stomach, as if the crowd's attention wasn't already focused on it.
Roman went up the podium.
"Good afternoon. So glad you all could make it." He smirked at the whispering of the crowd. "So you can see that we have a special new addition. I suppose many of you are familiar with Olivia O'Malley and her story. Her time with us before was cut short, but she has returned and not exactly alone this time. Now, I know we want to hear from her so I'll let her say a few words.' He stood back from the podium and Olivia walked forward, Sam's hand falling from her shoulder. The crowd looked expectantly at her and Olivia saw them, they were her audience to fool. She smiled and leaned towards the microphone.
"Hello, I never quite thought I would be back in the North again. However, Sam and I, that is to say Captain Winchester," She gave a laugh and looked back at Sam who smiled and nodded on cue, "are expecting a baby. That is when I found that my loyalty to the South was not as strong as my love for him and for my desire to have a family with him. The North is my home now. Thank you."
The reporters jumped to their feet shouting questions at her. Before she could say anything else however, Roman jumped up, with the air of a director who had just shouted "cut" and took the microphone.
"Now, now everyone, let's not keep this poor woman on her feet for much longer." He smiled indulgently back at Olivia. "Sam, will you escort her back?"
Sam took her hand and placed the other on the small of her back, leading her out the door. As soon as they were alone he dropped her hand.
"How soon until the South sees that?" Olivia asked kicking her shoes off.
"They probably already have." Sam said.
Olivia shook her head. She had betrayed her country, albeit unwillingly but she still hated it.
"So right now, I'm supposed to madly in love with you and pregnant with our child." Olivia said.
"Yes." Sam said. "Don't think that this is over. Roman is going to have a lot more things in mind to really convince the South that you've changed sides."
Sam was right in his prediction. There were interviews that Olivia had to give, she had to smile and nod and say yes of course, Sam was the most important thing to her, that the war didn't matter at all.
xXx
Elizabeth was nursing a very strong coffee in the meeting room. She was alone for now and she was bone tired. Her knuckles were purple matching the skin under her eyes. She was going over what information they had right now, desperately trying to find something, anything, that she had missed. The door opened behind her and she turned. To her amazement President Robert Singer stood in the door.
"Captain Harvelle." He said by way of greeting.
"Sir." Elizabeth replied standing and saluting him.
"I was told you would be here. There has been some information that has led to the decision to call off the search."
The words punctured her tired mind and she took a step forward.
"What do you mean?" She asked shrilly.
"I mean, that we have undeniable evidence that Miss O'Malley has betrayed the South. As President I am expected to take an active role in this case, and with the information put before me, I can't go any further with it."
"What evidence?" Elizabeth spat at him.
"There has been a message from the North. President Roman has held a press conference and we are trying to get a handle on it before the media gets to us."
He reached over to the computer and typed in a few commands. There were a few minutes as he opened a secure document, and a video popped up onto the screen. Elizabeth had to grab the back of her chair. Olivia was standing next to Sam and politely listening to Dick Roman's address.
"- know we want to hear from her so I'll let her say a few words." Roman looked smarmy as he stepped aside.
Olivia walked forward and the camera zoomed in on her unmistakable stomach before she stood behind the podium. Elizabeth looked at Olivia's perfectly steady hands move to adjust the microphone.
"Hello, I never quite thought I would be back in the North again. However, Sam and I, that is to say Captain Winchester,"
Olivia turned around and gave Sam a dazzling smile, and he nodded back at her affectionately.
"are expecting a baby. That is when I found that my loyalty to the South was not as strong as my love for him and for my desire to have a family with him. The North is my home now. Thank you."
There was uproar before Bobby muted the scene.
"As you can see from her behavior, it is now evident that she left of her own free will. The timing fits for Sam Winchester to be the father of the child."
"But that doesn't mean anything!" Elizabeth said. "She's terrified of him! She would be doing all of this to stay alive for the baby."
"Captain." Bobby said shortly "Miss O'Malley has a long history of PTSD. She is not stable at all, there is no way she could be the way she is and put up an act that convincing. She did nothing in that video, which she knew we were going to see to indicate that she was being held captive. The facts are clear, she is in the North on her own choice and she pregnant by Sam Winchester. She did not even disclose that information to anyone."
"That is her right to privacy!" Elizabeth said furious.
"Not when she becomes pregnant by an enemy of the state. At this point there are no indications that the conceiving of this baby was by force."
"He tortured her for months! He knows everything about her, Mr. President you have no idea of the hold he has over her!" Elizabeth spat out.
"Then that makes her even more unstable. My decision is final. Go home and get some sleep.
Elizabeth looked at Bobby in disbelief, but she knew if she spoke anymore it would just bite her in the ass and then she would lose the bit of power she had to help Olivia. She saluted him bitterly; Bobby returned the salute and left the room. Elizabeth waited a minute and then walked out. As she walked through the twisting mazes of the building, slowly returning to the surface she felt the situation grab her heart and twist it.
Looking down at the insignia of the South on her sleeve, it blurred as angry tears coursed down her cheeks. She had always tried to wear it with such pride and now, it felt more like shackle, one that she had put on willingly, stepped onto the scaffold and insisted that they put the noose around her neck. Her finger that Sam had almost taken seemed to sear and she pushed through the doors into the inky night. The humid air filled her lungs and she walked towards her car.
Her phone buzzed and she looked down to see who it was.
Dean.
"Hey." She said rubbing her eyes
"Did you-"
"Yeah I saw it." Elizabeth cut him off,
"I don't believe it, that is not Olivia. Not after everything Sam did to her."
"I don't either, but everyone else has swallowed Roman's message. They've called off the investigation, the rescue, everything."
There was silence on the other end, but Elizabeth knew Dean well enough that his fury was tangible.
"I'll see you back at the apartment." Dean finally said and then hung up. Elizabeth instead of feeling dread at those brief words, took heart in them. Dean was planning something and Elizabeth was willing to partner in it.
xXx
Olivia couldn't sleep. The baby was moving and had the hiccups. Every twinge had her pause and wonder if she was going in labor, she didn't know what the felt like. She felt a sharp twist in her heart thinking this is something that a girl would talk to her mother or sisters about, and how she had no power to do that. Finally, she thought maybe if she moved it would settle her down. Walking into the kitchen she grabbed some bread to toast and walked around the kitchen rubbing her hand over the taut skin of her belly.
"I read that if you tried talking to them, it calms them down."
Sam's voice made her jump. She whirled around. He obviously couldn't sleep either, his hair was mussed and his face was stubbly.
"What?" Olivia said stupidly
"If you talk to the baby it's supposed to calm them down." Sam repeated.
"I have talked to her, she's just restless tonight." Olivia said grabbing the popped toast and buttering it. She took a few bites before she saw Sam was looking at her stomach and then at her apprehensively. Olivia wasn't in any mood for coy bullshit right now.
"What?" She said around a mouthful, not caring about the crumbs on her cheeks.
"Can I try?" Sam said looking more at her stomach than at her.
"Try what?" Olivia asked
"Talking to her, please."
Olivia would have said no, but at that moment, Baby decided to give a very intense kick and almost brought the toast up from Olivia's stomach. She sat down abruptly and Sam took a step over to her.
"Fine, you can talk to her, but not about torturing or the North or anything like that." Olivia said.
"Don't worry I won't start her that young." Sam said his tone almost a chuckle. That almost shocked Olivia into silence.
Sam slowly reached out and very carefully, almost as if he was scared he would break her, touched Olivia's stomach. He leaned forward just a fraction,
"Hey." He said clearly. "I'm your Dad. My name is Sam Winchester." It was so formal that Olivia almost laughed at the utter absurdity of the situation.
"I don't know what your mom's told you about me, but it's probably true." Sam said, not looking away from her stomach.
"I want to promise you something, I will never hurt you. I will never give you a reason to be scared of me." Sam said his voice calm, soothing. "You're safe when you're with me."
Olivia was so astonished by his words that she almost didn't notice that the baby had stopped moving.
Sam was talking again but Olivia wasn't listening. She was focused on his face, it was intense as if he was talking to the baby face to face and not just a bump under an old t-shirt. What surprised her most was the tenderness under that intensity. He actually wanted this baby. Olivia almost could not believe it, he wanted her as much as she did. He wanted a family. That's why she was here and it astonished her.
"She's stopped." Olivia said quietly.
Sam looked up at her and then removed his hand from her stomach as if suddenly realizing he was touching her.
"I'm going to try and sleep now." Olivia said standing, and was relieved that there wasn't any more stirring. "Goodnight." She said before she could stop herself.
"Goodnight Olivia." Sam said looking just as surprised as her that she had said it. "Goodnight M-" He stopped and Olivia was confused.
"What?"
"I just, I was thinking Miranda would be a good name for her. Mandy for short."
Olivia looked down,
"You don't have to name her that, it was just a thought."
"I like it." Olivia said. "Mandy." The baby had a name now.
"Goodnight Mandy."
xXx
Elizabeth got back to the apartment. The sky was lightening ever so slightly and every inch of her was begging to be put to bed.
"Dean?" She said as she closed the door.
"Yeah." It came from the living room, even from here he sounded distracted.
He was sitting on the edge of the couch, the coffee table pulled up until it touched his knees and a map of the North and the South was spread out over it. He held a blue and a red pen and dots littered the map.
"What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked taking a seat next to him.
"How many red dots do you see to the blue dots?" Dean asked.
Elizabeth focused her tired eyes on the dots, it looked like a mass of red with a smattering of blue dots, she told him so.
"Exactly." Dean said "You know what we keep putting on our posters for recruitment?"
"Equal Victory means Equal Defeat?" Elizabeth said. It was meant to imply that for every victory that the North and the South gained in tandem it might as well be defeat. It was in response to the stalemate that had been going on between the North and the South and to encourage young men to enlist and help end the stalemate.
"There isn't a stalemate." Dean said.
"What?" Elizabeth said startled.
"I brought together each division, special forces, black ops, army, everything, with our victories and losses and this is what we get. The blue is victories and the red is losses. We've all been in separate departments so no one has been able to tie this all together. Our top officials have been telling us that we are either at a stalemate or at least at the turning point but they are lying. They are having us fight a losing battle. It keeps the public from rioting and it's easier to lie to us than for all of us to lie.
Elizabeth looked at the map in astonishment.
"Where did you get all this?" She breathed.
Dean gave a smirk, "Ash. I may have lied a little but I got them eventually."
"Wait, Ash knows this?" Elizabeth said
Dean nodded grimly.
"And they've just been covering it up? Instead of telling us the truth so we can plan, they're just going to keep sending us out there to be killed?"
"Seems like it, as long as it keeps mass panic down."
"What's keeping the North from just taking us right now?" Elizabeth asked.
"Our intelligence network. We know too much, they'll keep attacking us but they know what we know and they don't want to risk it being exposed to their population."
"Why Dean, why do you have all this?" Elizabeth asked
"I know what the North needs and I know what the South is keeping from them. Every day the South just keeps giving me more and more reasons to not trust it, now they've cut my sister loose. I want the North to suffer and I want the South to suffer and we've got the power for it. So what do you say Elizabeth?"