Disclaimer: I still do not own anything except a copy of the book To Kill a Mockingbird. The actual words that make up the book belong to the talented Harper Lee and 7th heaven and its characters are the creations of Aaron Spelling and Brenda Hampton.

Chapter 8

Lucy's POV

I laid my head on Mike's shoulder as he continued to read. I had no idea exactly how long we had been in the closet. I knew that it had to have been a long time because Scout had already beaten up Walter Cunningham and Jem had destroyed Mrs. Dubose's camellias. Boo Radley still hasn't been seen. I was anxious to get out of the closet, but I wasn't going anywhere until I knew it was safe. Of course I had freaked when the shooting started, but I have calmed down since then. I know Mike and Simon are still concerned for the baby and me, but I'm more concerned for our parents. They had to have heard by now. I can only imagine how worried they are right now. It must be hell not knowing if your babies are alive or lying dead in a pool of blood.

"How much longer do you think we are going to be in here?" Simon asked, interrupting Mike's reading. "Not that I'm not enjoying your reading and all; I just don't want to be in here anymore."

"I know what you mean," Mike answered, putting the book down. "I'm starting to loose my voice and I'm getting a little claustrophobic."

"I'm tired too," I admitted, closing my eyes.

"You need to see a doctor." Mike told me.

"I'm fine," I told him. "I'm just a little tired."

"Yeah, but I would feel a lot better if you saw a doctor once we get out of here; just to make sure that the baby is okay." Mike wrapped his arms around me and I relaxed in his embrace.

"The baby is fine. I think I would know if something was wrong." I really didn't want to see a doctor. For one thing, that would mean telling my parents that I was pregnant. I know that I will have to tell them eventually, but being carried away to the hospital in an ambulance isn't how I want to do it. Besides, Dad's heart has probably been through enough today without me springing one more thing on him.

"Maybe so, but it would ease my mind if you saw one. I don't want anything to happen to either of you." Mike kissed the top of my head.

"You are really happy about this aren't you?" I questioned.

"Of course I am. I know we're young, but I think this is a good thing. Three years ago I wanted to take my life. I nearly did. Now I've helped to create a life. Do you know how much of a miracle that is?" Mike explained. "I feel very blessed to be where we are now. Things can always be a lot worse than they are now."

"Yeah, but aren't you scared?" I know I am.

"A little," he admitted. "But nothing is scarier than suicide. I made it through that. Sure, things will be hard, but together we'll make it through this."

I nodded. I knew he had a point, but that didn't put a stop to my fears. What if we end up being terrible parents? What if we totally screw this kid's life up and it ends up resenting us? What if our parents disown us? How would we make it? What if…… My thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"It's the police. Is there anyone in there?" I breathed in a sigh of relief as I recognized the voice as Sergeant Michaels.

"Just a second," Simon called back as he rose from his place on the floor. I watched as he turned the lock and opened the door. I noted the blood on the outside of the door as it swung open. The owner of the blood had been moved and I was relieved by that fact.

"Are you guys okay?" Sergeant Michaels asked. "Your parents have been worried sick about you guys."

"We're fine." I answered as Mike helped me to my feet. "Mike saved us."

"Mike and I are fine." Simon answered. "We think Lucy should get checked out by a doctor, just to make sure the baby is okay."

"SIMON!" I scolded. I felt betrayed. I couldn't believe Simon took Mike's side on the doctor issue. More than that, I couldn't believe he had told Sergeant Michaels about the baby as if it were no big deal.

Sergeant Michaels nodded for the paramedic to come our way. He explained my situation to the paramedic before turning back to me. "Your brother's right. You need to be checked out to make sure everything is okay." I guess that was it. I was going to the hospital whether I liked it or not. "Don't worry. Once we're out of here I'll pretend like I don't know a thing."

"Fine," I sighed as the stretcher was brought over. I really didn't see the point of having to be taken out on a stretcher, but I didn't argue. Instead I laid down on it and let them wheel me out of the school, while Simon, Mike, and Sergeant Michaels followed behind us.

I squinted my eyes in an attempt to shield the sunlight out of my eyes. Once my eyes adjusted, I noticed the amount of paramedics that were actually on the scene and I knew that the injured and dead count had to be high. I also noticed that the national media had descended on Glenoak. There weren't many students to be seen, only a number of parents waiting for news on their children. Our parents were among them.

Simon must have noticed them at the same time I did. "Mom!" He shouted and ran towards her. From my position on the stretcher, lying down with my head raised, I saw them embrace. He exchanged a few words with Mom and pointed in my direction before hugging Dad.

Mom was at my side in seconds. She embraced me tightly, planting several kisses on my forehead before turning to the paramedic. "Can I ride with her?" She asked the man. I tried to gauge whether or not Simon told her about the baby. She didn't give any indication that she knew, but I couldn't be sure.

"Of Course," the paramedic told her as we arrived at the ambulance.

I turned back toward Mike and half smiled. "Don't worry. I'll meet you there." He told me and kissed my cheek before I was loaded into the ambulance. My mother stepped inside and grabbed my hand. The doors were shut and moments later we were driving away, sirens blaring.

Mike's POV

I watched as Simon ran towards his parents. I smiled as he embraced his mother and pointed in our direction. As Mrs. Camden ran toward Lucy and me, I noticed my own mother standing next to Lucy's father. Mrs. Camden spoke to the paramedic as I smiled and waived at my mother, signaling that I would be over there in a minute. I turned back to Lucy and grabbed her hand and kissed her cheek as the paramedics prepared to load her into the ambulance. "Don't worry. I'll meet you there." I watched as she was loaded in and the ambulance pulled out of the parking lot.

I ran over to my mother and embraced her in a tight hug. "I was so worried that I had lost you again." She sobbed.

"I'm fine." I told her, pulling away.

"And Lucy?" She asked. "Is she okay too."

"She's fine." I told her. My mother breathed a sigh of relief. Lucy had brought her out of her cationic state a few months ago. In the time since, my mother has really come to love Lucy almost as much as I do.

"We're all fine," Simon spoke up. "We're all fine, thanks to Mike. He saved our lives."

I blushed. "I didn't do anything special. I just reacted to what was going on around me."

Sergeant Michaels appeared next to us once more. "Can you tell me what happened?"

I nodded. "Lucy was telling me that she was…" I stopped. I wasn't sure if Lucy wanted me to go ahead and tell her father about the baby. I decided telling her father in the middle of this story probably wouldn't be a good idea. "She was telling me a secret when I saw the shooters enter the hallway. As they continued towards us, I caught the glimmer of the gun in the corner of my eye. I did the only thing I knew to do. I grabbed Lucy and we ran."

"I was just turning the corner when Mike grabbed me by the shirt and dragged me along with him." Simon explained. "Once we turned back around the corner, we heard the shots start."

"I found an empty closet and locked us inside. We called 911, but my cell died in the middle of the call." I explained.

Mr. Camden scrunched his eyebrows and looked at me. "Wait…If you are all fine, then why is Lucy on her way to the hospital?"

"That is a good question." My mother joined him. "What is going on here Mike?"

Simon looked up at the sky, pretending to know nothing. Sergeant Michaels silently slipped away. I decided to look at the ground. "Just for observation." I answered. It wasn't a lie, but of course it wasn't the complete truth either.

"Why don't we all go to the hospital? Mom and Lucy will be looking for us to be there. Besides, you probably need to find a phone to let the rest of the family know we're okay." Simon suggested, hoping his father would drop the questioning and go along with the plan.

No such luck. "Okay, but first one of you is going to tell me what the Lucy, the two of you……." He paused looking to each side of him. "And apparently Sergeant Michaels are hiding."

Simon returned his attention to the sky, leaving me to fend for myself.

"Michael?" My mother questioned, using my given name.

"Okay." I sighed. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to freak out or at the very least not to kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you." Mr. Camden stared down at me. "There are too many witnesses."

"I'm not going to make any promises." My mother told me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before letting the words spill from my mouth. "Lucy is……Lucy's pregnant and with the stress of this situation we thought it would be a good idea to have her checked out."

Annie's POV

It felt like it was taking them forever to search the school. Not knowing if my babies were okay was driving me crazy. Most of the survivors had already left with their parents and I envied those parents for knowing that their children were okay. Eric was pacing back and forth and I knew this wasn't good for his heart. Mrs. Pierce was sitting on the sidewalk with her head in her hands. She must have been going crazy. She had already lost her husband and had almost lost Mike once before. I imagined that the thought of being alone was running through her head. "They're fine." Eric told us. "They have to be."

I tried to believe what he was saying, but it was getting harder every second. I would believe it when I saw my babies safe and alive. I stared at the front door of the school, praying that it would open and my babies would walk out safe and sound.

After what felt like another eternity, the doors opened and my prayers were answered. "Mom!" Simon ran to me and I met him halfway, hugging him tightly when I reached him.

"Are you okay? I was so worried about you guys. Where is Lucy?" I rambled as I pulled away from the hug.

"I'm fine." Simon answered. "And Lucy's fine too. Thanks to Mike."

I breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that both my babies were okay, but I still wanted to see Lucy to see for myself that she too was okay. "Where is your sister?"

"Okay, but don't panic." Simon pointed across the lawn to a stretcher. "They're taking her to the hospital as a precaution, be she is fine."

As soon as I saw her I ran towards her. Mike was with her and I was relieved to know that he too was okay. I embraced Lucy in my arms and kissed the top of her head repeatedly. I wasn't sure why she needed to go the hospital as a precaution, but I did know I wanted to ride with her. "Can I ride with her?" I asked the paramedic.

"Of course," he answered and I turned my attention back to Lucy.

I watched closely as Mike kissed her on the cheek. "Don't worry. I'll meet you there." As Lucy was loaded into the ambulance I couldn't help but think that something was going on between the two of them. I stepped inside and grabbed Lucy's hand as the doors closed and we pulled out of the parking lot. Lucy squeezed my hand tight as the paramedic started an IV and then began to ask Lucy questions.

"How old are you sweetie?" The woman paramedic asked.

"Eighteen." Lucy answered.

The next question made my heart skip a beat. "How many weeks pregnant are you?"

My eyes grew wide as the words sank in. Pregnant? My Lucy, pregnant? Of course it all made sense: her "stomach virus," Mary's visit, the cheek kiss from Mike. I swallowed hard and looked down at Lucy. I knew I should be angry, but I just couldn't be. I was just so glad that she was okay and nothing else mattered at the moment.

Her eyes were filled with tears and she looked up at me regretfully. She looked back at the paramedic. "Six weeks," she answered and then looked back at me as the tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Mom." She mouthed as more tears fell.

"It's going to be okay," I kissed the top of her head and wiped the tears from her cheek. "Everything will be fine. We will all get through this together." I smiled and squeezed her hand. Sure, my teenage daughter was pregnant, but she was alive and that was what was important.

Eric's POV

My heart sunk as Mike's words sunk in. Lucy being pregnant was the last thing I had expected him to say. Of course none of that really mattered at the moment. Lucy was alive and that was my main concern. I was actually quite happy to be an expectant grandfather. Well, maybe not happy, but relived that Lucy could still make me a grandfather.

"How long have you known this?" I questioned Simon. I knew that this had to be what Mary and Lucy were hiding and I couldn't help but wonder who else knew about this.

"I just found out today." Simon answered. "In the closet."

"And you?" I questioned Mike.

"She told me this morning. She made me look away when I told her and that's how I ended up seeing the gun."

I pulled the young man into a hug as tears sprang into my eyes. "I don't know how I will be able to repay you for saving my children. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. If there is anything, anything at all, we can do for you, just let us know."

"You don't have to do anything. I love Lucy and I would do anything to protect her." He told me as we pulled away. "But like I said, if you really want to do something for me, I would appreciate you not killing me."

"Why would I want to kill you?" I asked him. He looked surprised and I wondered exactly what I was missing.

"When I said that Lucy was pregnant, I thought you understood that I am the one who is responsible for her being that way." I smiled as he said this and the words sank in. I don't know why I hadn't realized what he was saying before. It seems so obvious now. After thinking it over for a few more seconds, I smiled wider. I was genuinely thrilled that he was the father of Lucy's baby. He is by far the best guy she has gone out with, even if he did get her pregnant.

"You're what?" Mrs. Pierce questioned her son.

"I got Lucy pregnant." Mike simplified his explanation for his mother. He looked back at me. "Why are you smiling? Shouldn't you be angry at me? At us?"

"Probably," I answered. "But I can't be. You're both alive and that's all that matters. And knowing that you're the father is, well, comforting. I know Lucy and the baby will be well taken care of."

"Wait." Mrs. Pierce commanded. "How did this happen? You told me that you and Lucy were just friends."

Mike sighed. "It's a long story and Lucy and I will tell it to you later. Right now, I think we should head to the hospital. Today has been really stressful for Lucy and I know that isn't good for the baby. I just want to get to the hospital and make sure our baby is okay."

I nodded and Mrs. Pierce seemed to agree as well. "Alright, let's go. When Lucy get's home we will all sit down and discuss what we're going to do."

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