Author's Note: I know, I know...I promised to update by Monday. I'm sorry guys but real life intruded again and I didn't finish this chapter until today. However there is a little treat for you all at the end. A special dedication to Allie, who kicks my butt into gear every time. :) As always...enjoy!
~JP

True North
By Jaclyn Parker

"Experience, travel - these are as education in themselves."
-Euripides
************************************************************************

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now making our final descent into the Los Angeles area." The overly pleasant voice of the head flight attendant came over the intercom and everywhere along the plane the sound of seatbelts clicking together was heard.

She continued speaking but after that statement the passenger in seat 4A, had completely tuned her out.

A hand reached and clamped itself onto Parker's thigh in an iron tight grip, causing him to look over at its owner.

"Yank, I know you're eager to be in California and see your mom, but if you don't stop shaking your leg I'm going to cut it off, right here, right now." Mattie said, her green eyes glaring at him.

Parker hadn't realized that he was doing the annoying motion, but at the seriousness in her tone and her look, he knew he was going to be making a real conscious effort not to do it again. Glancing across the aisle in first class, he saw Lee trying hard not to laugh.

Parker gave an apologetic look to Mattie, before immediately leaning forward into her space to look out the window.

"Ugh," Mattie said, practically throwing her hands up in the air as his shoulder pressed into her collarbone. "I forgot how annoying you were on a four hour plane ride."

"Hey, just be glad that your uncle got us first class seats instead of coach. At least there is a little more room." Parker said and Mattie rolled her eyes.

"For some people." She muttered.

This time, Lee couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at he took in the exasperated look on his niece's face. Then glancing at his watch he nodded in satisfaction that they were going to be landing right on time.

When it had come time for Parker and Mattie to fly out to L.A. to begin their internships, it had been Parker and J.J.'s idea for Lee to volunteer to go with them. Despite the good reports Lee had received from Dr. Meyers and shared with the two teenaged boys, it wasn't surprising that they wanted his personal opinion too. Lee knew that he was the only doctor right now that they truly trusted with their mom and he wasn't about to let them down.

Besides Lee also knew Carly and he wanted a chance to make sure that she really wasn't overdoing anything and that this extended stay in California was working out. He would give her his own brief examination as well as discretely talk to her cousin, Molly, about her stress levels.

Although, if he was truly honest with himself, that wasn't the only reason he was looking forward to see Molly again.

Thinking about honesty, Lee couldn't help the twinge of guilt that he felt as he remembered everything that had happened when he arrived at Milltown to pick Parker up earlier that morning.

While J.J. was okay with not making this particular trip out, Sage was understandably upset at not being allowed to go see her mother. Even though they all tried to appease her by reminding her that she would be going to L.A. in two weeks for the fashion show and a week late celebration of Mother's Day, in the end Sage had stomped upstairs and refused to speak to any of them.

Jack had assured them that she would be fine, even though Lee could see on his face that he was just as frustrated at not being able to go out to L.A. either. When he had asked Lee to say hello to Carly for him, the Australian had felt the tension behind his obligatory words. While Lee wasn't really dating Carly, he knew that him going out to see her was just one more piece of evidence to the contrary in Jack's mind.

In reality, Lee wanted nothing more than to reassure Jack that he only felt a deep brotherly bond with the woman they both loved, but it wasn't his place. He only hoped that when the truth came out, he and Jack would be able to become friends seeing as how Lee truly liked and respected him.

"Suh-weet, we're here!"

Lee was pulled out of his thoughts by Parker's enthusiastic statement and almost immediately afterwards felt the bump as the landed on the runway. At the smattering of applause from the people in the plane, Parker rolled his eyes.

"What? They're clapping for the pilot." Mattie said, noticing his exasperation.

"Oz, I have nothing against pilots, but clapping when they land is ridiculous. It's kind of their job to land the plane." Parker pointed out. "When a pilot safely makes an emergency landing in say, a river like that guy did in New York a few months ago, that's when you clap!"

"Okay, okay." Lee said, cutting off an argument between the two of them before it started. "Just get your stuff together and make sure you have everything while I call Carly to let her know we've landed."

With frighteningly similar sighs, the two teenagers did as he asked and he pulled out his cell phone to dial.

"Hello?" Carly's voice sounded in his ear and he smiled.

"Hey there, Stranger." Lee said happily.

"Hey, Doc! Molly said that she just saw that your plane had arrived on the display screen. We're ready and waiting for you."

"Great! You know, it really was a brilliant idea to send ahead their luggage last week. Made traveling with just carry-ons so much easier."

"Well that idea was all Molly, but I agree." Carly laughed.

Seeing that they were getting ready to let people off the plane, Lee motioned to the kids and stood up.

"Okay, Luv. We're getting off now. See you in a few."

They said goodbye and not more than 10 minutes later they stepped out in the bright California early afternoon sun, heading for the predetermined rendezvous spot.

It was Parker who spotted them first, walking faster before breaking into a jog to reach his mom's open arms.

"Oh I missed you!" Carly exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her oldest son's neck. As much as they argued more since he entered his teens, there was an enormous bond between her and her firstborn.

"I missed you too, Mom." Parker said and then pulled back to look down in surprise. "Um, you've…"

"I believe 'popped' is the term you Americans like to say." Mattie broke in, not able to hide her own shock at Carly's stomach. But Carly just laughed and hugged the teenaged girl before letting go and resting a hand on her abdomen.

It was true that while Carly was still smaller in her pregnancy than average, there was no way she would be able to hide that she was pregnant any longer. But then again, out here, she didn't attempt to. Dressed in a cute spaghetti strapped spring dress with a cropped sweater over it, Carly was obviously enjoying being able to embrace her new figure.

"You look good, Luv." Lee said, taking his own turn to hug her and she smiled.

"Thank you, I try." Carly said and then looped her arm with Parker's. "What do you think?"

"I think you look a lot more relaxed then the last time I saw you in person and that's what counts." He said pointedly and she gave him a soft smile of appreciation. Her son was growing up to be a very fine young man.

"Well, okay that's enough fawning over her. She might be the pregnant one but I'm the one who's starving. She said we couldn't have lunch until you got here!" Molly piped up and they all laughed.

An hour and half later, along with some very persistent whining from Parker and Mattie, they ended up at the beach by Molly's house after lunch. While no one was wearing bathing suits, it was the lure of being so close and not going that ended the discussion. The carryon luggage was forgotten in the back of the Acura SUV, that MoJo Designs had leased for Carly's use while she was in California, as Parker and Mattie hurried ahead to test the ocean's temperature with their jeans rolled up. When the two pointed out several sun bathers and swimmers, Carly just calmly pointed out over the ocean where dark clouds were forming in the distance.

While the two teens rolled their eyes and turned back to the water's edge, the three adults stood further up on the beach with their arms looped like a scene from a modern day Wizard of Oz.

"So, are you really more relaxed?" Lee asked, glancing down at Carly who was in the middle of the trio.

"Yes, I'm fine. And since I gave Nancy permission to share my medical information with you, then I know that you know that already."

"I also know that you tend to take on more than you should." Lee said pointedly and Carly let out a sigh of frustration.

"Lee, come on, stop it. My sketched out designs have been done for a couple weeks now, they are in the final process of being created on fabric, and my show line up is working out perfectly. The only things that are missing are my kids and I'll get to see them all soon when you bring them out for the show."

"Hmm, speaking of which, have you talked to Sage today?" Lee asked, frowning.

"Yes, actually, she called just after you guys left this morning. She's still not thrilled but she'll be okay. Lily is going to take her and Natalie to the movies tonight and then have a slumber party." Carly said, frowning as she recalled her distressed daughter's conversation. Then she couldn't help smiling again. "Did I mention that Lily and the girls are coming out for the show? They're going to be in it, along with Mattie, Parker, J.J., and Sage."

"Even Abigail, Brayden, and some of their friends volunteered to model the young adult part of the show." Molly added, bumping her chin to Carly's shoulder with a proud grin.

"What? You couldn't afford real models?" Lee teased and Carly unlooped her arm from Molly's long enough to swat his arm before replacing it again.

"No! In fact, that's whole reason I asked them all to be in it. I want this to showcase how the collection works with 'real' people, not models." She said and he smiled.

"I know! I know. I was just joking, Luv."

Carly made a noise, but didn't comment. Then, noticing that Parker and Mattie had gotten bored from just wading in the ocean and were now walking along the beach, they began to follow them.

"Did you, um, invite anyone else to come to the show?" Lee asked, trying to sound causal as he squinted up towards the sun.

Carly was quiet for a moment as they walked before sighing.

"You mean, did I invite Jack?"

"Yeah." He admitted and she shook her head.

"I...I can't. There would be too much going on that day to fully deal with what would happen when he saw me like this." Carly said and then a moment later she sighed again. "Besides, Lily heard that he was on duty that weekend anyway so he wouldn't be able to come even if I wanted him too."

"So you were thinking of asking him?" Lee pushed, choosing not to point out that Jack could easily switch shifts with someone.

"Yes, I was, but then reality set back in and I chickened out. Are you happy now?" Carly asked, stopping and glaring up at him. "And you know what? It's fine. I'm fine. My kids will be here with me and in the end that's all that matters."

Not giving either Lee or Molly a chance to say a word, she turned on her heel and began walking back towards where they started. The other two adults stood still for a second before calling to the teens and motioning that they were heading back.

Molly and Lee walked together in silence, but when he looked over at her he could see that she had the same expression of concern on her face that he was feeling inside.

"She's not 'fine', is she?" Lee asked, stopping. Following his lead Molly stopped and looked up at him.

"Well, physically, yes. She eats right, goes to the doctor, gets enough sleep, and is great about taking breaks at work. But emotionally, no, I don't think she is. I mean, she's right about missing the kids. I can tell how much it hurts her to be away from them every time she has to hang up that damn videophone, but…"

Molly trailed off and shook her head before continuing.

"There's a piece of her missing and I know that it's Jack. Lee, we both know that she's had plenty of time to figure out how to tell him about the baby. Now I'm worried that when it does happen, it'll be too late to be on her own terms. It's...it's almost as if she's thinking that if she waits long enough to tell him, then the confrontation won't come at all. That suddenly there will just be this new baby and everything will be fine."

"And what do you think?" Lee asked.

Molly looked away and saw the dark clouds that they had noticed rolling in from over the ocean earlier had become larger and more menacing.

"I think that the phrase 'calm before the storm' was never more appropriate than their situation right now." Molly answered him, switching her gaze from where the lifeguards on duty were now beginning to call to swimmers to come in to the man waiting patiently next to her. "I'm just wondering where that storm is going to leave her and Jack when it's all over."

It was Lee's turn to shake his head now and looping his arm with Molly's they began to walk again.

"I don't, Luv." He said softly. "But almost anything has got to be better than where they are now."

***********************************************************************************************
And now, for my wonderful and loyal readers...a special preview of the next chapteror.
***********************************************************************************************


As if by magic, the crowd parted enough for him to slip backstage and almost instantly he heard the voice of the woman he had been searching for.

"Carly, that was incredible. You won't believe…" Jack's voice trailed off as he finally caught sight of the woman he had trying to spot all day.

Carly's face paled as Jack's gaze swept over her body, including her well rounded stomach that was encased in the dusty-rose colored maternity pants suit that she had designed.

"Oh my God…Jack." Carly gasped.

However as much as she tried to get her brain to follow up with something else more intelligent than just his name it suddenly seemed to have turned itself off.

"Carly, what the hell is going on?" Jack said his eyes widening and his voice gaining in volume. When he repeated himself, she swallowed hard.

"Jack, I swear to you…I can explain."