Just to let you all know, I really don't have any knowledge of pregnancy or anything remotely medical. So if any of what I write is inaccurate, I apologize. Also, this is not my best chapter. Sort of a transition chapter. Anyway, read and review, even if you have horrible things to say.
Anyone else Olivia knew would have cried. But not Abby. Abby stood stoically as the second test showed a plus sign. Abby didn't cry in front of other people, not even Olivia. But that didn't mean she wasn't breaking inside. So for a while Olivia just hugged her friend and told her that she would get through this. Olivia didn't make promises she couldn't keep, so she normally didn't tell people they were going to be fine. But Abby was strong, and Olivia knew she would make it through. The next day, Olivia took Abby to a doctor to confirm the pregnancy and make sure Abby was healthy.
"You are in fact about four weeks pregnant." the doctor confirmed.
Abby just sat there, stone-faced.
"And is everything okay with Abby and the baby?" Olivia asked.
The doctor looked up, only then noticing that Olivia had walked into the room.
"Yes. Ms. Whelan and the fetus are healthy. Ms…"
"Pope." Olivia said smiling, offering her hand, "I'm one of Abby's friends."
"It's a pleasure." the doctor replied.
"Now, Ms. Whelan, I'm assuming you are in fact keeping this baby."
She thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Is the baby's father going to be involved?"
"Why does that matter?" Abby snapped irately.
"Only to see his medical records and determine if there are any genetic abnormalities that I should be watching for." the doctor replied as gently as possible. She recognized she had struck a nerve.
"Probably not." she answered despondently.
"Okay. That's perfectly fine. I want you to come back and see me next month."
"Thank you very much." Olivia said as she and Abby exited the room.
They made Abby's next appointment and began to walk out to Olivia's car quietly.
"Do you need me to help track him down for you?" Olivia said, breaking the silence.
"Who?" Abby asked, momentarily forgetting the situation at hand.
"The baby's father. Because we could do it discretely. No one else would kn-"
"No. I know exactly where he is." Abby interrupted.
Another silence ensued.
"Do you really think he won't be involved?" Olivia asked, concerned with her friend's lack of emotion. "Because don't forget, you have options. You can sue for child support or.."
But what Olivia was really doing, beyond her concern, was dancing around the one question she really wanted the answer to. Abby had stopped listening and started debating whether or not she should tell her friend who the baby's father really was.
"It's Stephen Liv. Stephen." she yelled, cutting short Olivia's monologue.
For once in Abby's life, she saw Olivia Pope speechless. Finally, after an extensive pause, Olivia began to speak:
"It's Stephen Abby. You know he won't leave you alone with this."
"Yeah. I know it's Stephen. The same Stephen that finally got his ex to agree to dinner so they could talk about their relationship. I'm not going to screw it all up for him now."
"Abby. He's an adult. He'll take responsibility."
" We were both drunk. It was a mistake. He wasn't planning on being tied to me for the rest of his life."
"Abby. Look at me." Abby looked up. "Tell him. He has the right to know. He may surprise you."
Abby wasn't sure if she believed it. But Olivia was right. He had the right to know.
Abby took a few deep breaths then knocked on the door. After Olivia had dropped her off at home, she came straight here. Stephen opened the door and it took all of her willpower not to turn back. She took one last breath before speaking.
"I'm pregnant."