Next Monday Night

Rachael stood wringing her hands at the airport terminal. The flight from Boston had been delayed so many times she'd forgotten what time it was supposed to arrive. All she knew is that it was nearing 9 at night and she was tired, especially since she'd spent the morning leaning over the toilet in her bathroom at the mansion. It had been the first and only night she'd spent at home that week, and the household staff knew to keep that information to themselves, but she'd spent it tossing and turning and the morning hours throwing up. It had to have been the Chinese food she had eaten the night before in front of an old movie, one of her favorites that she'd taken over to Eric's and watched until she'd fallen asleep. He'd taken her home after it's finish, knowing she should wake up in her own bed for once.

"Rachael!!" She heard her name across the terminal and she grinned widely to see a young man with sandy blonde hair approaching her, a black backpack sitting on his shoulder.

"Wes!" She ran for him and jumped into his arms with glee. He hugged his sister back tightly and swung her in a circle, making her laugh out loud. People walking by lifted an eyebrow at the sight, but neither cared that they were mistaking them for a couple, they couldn't help that.

"Hello Rachael." A deep voice said from behind them. Rachael released Wes and gave her father a tentative hug and then pushed back from him, holding him at arm's length and eyeing him suspiciously.

"Where's the monster?"

"What monster?" Alan said with a teasing grin at his daughter. "The man who took your phone and told Martin that he was your boyfriend?"

Rachael instantly blushed and tried to hide from his smile. He and Wes exchanged a look and Rachael pushed them toward the baggage claim without a word from her, but many a protest from Wes.

"Come on Rach, who is he?" He grinned to her bright red coloring. "One of the guys on the force? No," He corrected himself. "They're all pig headed like Eric. How is Eric, I missed torturing him all week."

"He's filled with pent up energy." She replied, breathing deeply at the close proximity of the two subjects. Wes didn't suspect Eric for a minute, and boy was he in for a surprise.

"Good, I need to spar again, and get rid of some energy of my own." Wes replied as their father walked slowly behind his children, one of whom was nearing his 22nd birthday while the other was approaching her 21st and it happened to be the same day. He kept himself out of their conversation purposefully; he'd learned that they were their own people and his interjecting into their conversation was only useful when they started arguing, which happened more than they would admit.

"Well he decided that I was good enough for the time being." Rachael continued to Wes.

"No way." Wes stared at her incredulously. "Eric said he'd never spar a girl!"

"Well I kind of started it." Rachael smiled. "It was sad to see him so frustrated, so I attacked him and he calmed down." Wes laughed long and loud at the baggage claim, making some people stare, but the three were oblivious. Once getting their bags and exiting the airport, they got into Rachael's convertible and started the drive back, Wes trying to guess who Rachael's significant other was. He still hadn't guessed by the time they'd gotten to the mansion and Rachael was laughing at his guesses.

"Lucas?"

"No!"

"Trip."

"Wes." She gave him her best glare and he laughed back.

"Come on Rach! Tell me." He whined like a little child. She quirked her eyebrows and gave him a smile.

"Well how about tonight?" She grinned and Wes looked surprised. "I invited him to dinner."

"You didn't."

"I did."

Wes' face lit up brightly at Rachael's smile. She turned from him and walked up the stairs, him behind her. She sat on his bed while Wes told stories about being in Boston, the hotel, and what Martin's face looked like when Rachael had hung up on him. She laughed and rolled on his bed while he unpacked his things and put them away in his room. "So when's he coming?"

"Around 7." She said softly, her face getting thoughtful as she leaned back on his pillow. "So how's Courtney?"

Wes smiled and stopped what he was doing for a moment. The goofy look on his face made it completely clear that he was completely in love with his girlfriend. "She's fine, she called me while we were there, and she also sent a picture." He blushed at the last part of his sentence and grimaced like he hadn't meant to say it.

"Ew! TMI!" Rachael screeched with laughter, leaning back on his pillows and laughing hysterically. Wes gave his sister a reproachful look.

"Not that kind of picture." His face flushed a little, making him look uncomfortable and Rachael sat up, interested.

"What kind of picture then?" She was more serious now and Wes shifted uncomfortably.

"A sonogram." He said softly, moving his weight from one foot to the other.

"A what?" Rachael sat up quickly, her mouth dropped open in surprise. She knew Courtney and her brother were close, but this… "How did this happen?"

"Well you see, when a man loves a woman…" Wes started mockingly, but he didn't finish his sentence because he was hit in the forehead with one of his own pillows.

"I know how babies are made." Rachael said with a scowl. "Not like I haven't done it before."

"Finally?"

"Shut up and tell me, Courtney's pregnant?" She asked, leaning forward. Wes smiled and nodded. "Wow." She leaned back on the pillows thoughtfully. "Dad is going to kill you."

"Why do you say that?" He asked, picking up his duffel bag and throwing it in the depths of his closet.

"Oh I dunno." Rachael feigned surprise, "Maybe because you're not married?" She gave him a sarcastic look that he smiled at again.

"Actually…"

"You have got to be kidding me." Rachael gaped at her brother.

"I'm not." Wes grimaced and sat down on the end of his bed next to his sister. "We eloped three months ago." Rachael didn't reply, just leaned back with a half smile, half thoughtful look on her face. "What's up?" He said making her glance up.

"I miss Mom." Rachael whispered, turning her head quickly to the small picture Wes kept by his bed of their small family. Their mother with her raven colored hair, holding the eight year old Wes and seven year old Rachael with their dad standing behind them with an attempt at a smile on his face, both of the children looked like they were happy and the current Rachael smiled at the memories.

"So do I sis." Wes pulled her into a comforting hug and they sat there for a few moments. Wes pulled back a little and looked at her. "You aren't trying to get out of dinner are you?"

"Never, but now I'm going to be on your tail about telling Dad about you and Courtney." She smiled, but her eyes told a different story. The beeper on her belt went off and she snatched it quickly and brought it to her face. "Well something wants me to get out of it. Emergency downtown, Eric's going to meet us there." They moved off the bed and they started for the door, down the stairs and directly to Wes's Silver Guardian SUV.

Later That Evening

"Sorry I had to cancel dinner." Rachael said to Eric softly when the two were accidentally left alone. He smiled uncharacteristically and continued packing up the things they were storing after their standoff. A local business had been robbed; leaving the Silver Guardian's to fight them in a standoff for a few hours that evening.

"It's not exactly your fault." Eric said, throwing the bag he'd packed up on its shelf. They were alone in the small store room, and he stepped up behind her and slid his arms around her waist and she laughed as he pulled her up and away from her work.

"You're going to get us caught."

"And what's wrong with that?" He whispered in her ear, tickling her so she turned around in his arms.

"I want to tell them straight out, I don't want to get caught like a teenager who missed their curfew." She smiled and jumped to her tiptoes to kiss him gently on his waiting lips.

"Guess we'll have to have another dinner?"

"Or something, Daddy has a lot of stuff to do these days." She bit her lip in the way that made him almost lose complete control.

"You'll think of something."

"I always do." She smiled and kissed his nose and turned back to the bag, finished it and threw it up by Eric's. Turning on her heel, she stepped out of the room and Eric watched as she went outside and into her brother's car and they pulled out of the parking lot.

Three Weeks Later

Rachael breathed deeply, leaning over the rim of the tub in her bathroom. She'd spent the morning throwing up again, and had been for the past couple weeks. Sitting down on the cool tile floor, she took a deep breath, and leaned against the wall. There weren't really any reasons why she could be throwing up, except… Her eyes widened as the thought crossed her mind. She couldn't be… there was no way… she and Eric hadn't had sex since that first week… and her father and Wes had no idea about their relationship, and that scared her the most. Wes had only recently plucked up the courage to tell their father about his and Courtney's baby, but the blow was softened by their secret marriage and the fact their relationship was out in the open. The two were now living in another part of the mansion, waiting for the arrival of their baby in October.

She slipped out of the bathroom and grabbed her cell phone, flicking it open and dialing the number she knew by heart.

"Hello?" Eric's voice came through the device and she took a deep breath and didn't speak for a minute.

"Hey." She said, her voice coming out as a harsh whisper.

"Rachael? What's the matter?" Eric asked, but Rachael couldn't tell him over the phone, heck she wasn't even sure herself.

"I'm fine; I need to talk to you though. Can you meet me after work?" She glanced up at the clock, it showed nearing ten thirty and she was thankful she took the Thursday off.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, we just need to talk."

"Alright. I'll meet you at Rossi's at 6?"

"Sounds good. I love you." She said, hoping her voice was sincere.

"I love you, too." Eric's voice sounded hurt as he said those words and it killed Rachael to know what he was thinking. She heard his phone click and she threw it down on her bed. She was alone in the huge mansion, and preferred it that way. But now she needed to get as far away from it as possible. She grabbed her purse and car eyes and headed out to her convertible.

An hour later she returned to her room with a plastic bag filled with six boxes, each with the same promise of 99.9% accuracy. She returned to her bathroom and used all six, one after the other and got the same result six times. Positive. She sat on her bed and stared off into space, not focusing on anything in her room, only the thoughts in her head, which were racing. Nothing was registering completely; the idea that she was… just nothing was sticking.

Rachael wandered around the house all day, after carefully destroying all of the tests to hide from the maid. She ate lunch silently by herself, filled with thoughts she wasn't sure how to handle. All afternoon she drifted throughout the house, unable to think, read, or even look at a computer. She tried to watch TV, but it was filled with children, their mothers or horrible news stories that disgusted her. Around 5 she showered and dressed in her blue jeans, a white shirt that clung to her nicely toned body, which; she realized with a jolt, wouldn't last much longer. She brushed on light make-up, giving her a fresh but completely pale face and let her long black hair hang loosely around her face. Eric was right on time and Rachael put on a smile for him as he picked her up and they went to the pizzeria.

Half-way through their meal Eric couldn't stand the dancing around the reason they'd gone out this night. He'd been thinking and worrying all day since she called him. He didn't want to say it, but he was terrified she was going to end it with him. "Rach, what did you want to talk about?"

Rachael froze and glanced up at him and took a deep breath, shaking her head. "Not here, later."

All Eric could do to keep sane for the next hour was talk about mindless things. They left the restaurant and walked down the street, hand in hand to the lush park. After a few minutes of walking in the darkening light, Eric squeezed her hand and stopped, making her turn to face him. The force got her right next to him and their bodies pressed against each other, only one knowing what was between them.

"Rachael." He whispered her name softly into her ear and lowered his lips to hers, but she backed away and ducked her head down. He knitted his brow and untangled one of his hands to bring her face up to look at him. Eric was startled as he saw tears streaking down her face. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Eric…" Rachael backed off slightly, squeezing his hand with hers. Eric decided now would be a good time to be quiet and let her talk. "Eric you know I love you right?" She said it softly, and in one quick breath.

"Of course." He replied, completely confused to what she was about to tell him. He thought it would have been different, more along the lines of breaking up, not her confirming how much they love each other. "Rachael, just tell me what's on your mind."

"I'm pregnant."

Eric froze for a minute, not registering what Rachael had just said. A baby? He wasn't ready to have a baby, but from the look on her face, neither was she. He took a step backward and ran his hand through his hair. They'd been careful, right? No… that first night… but you couldn't get pregnant off of only one night.

"Please say something." Her voice sounded small and scared as she looked at him through the dark. Eric said the first thing that he could think of.

"Are you sure?" He choked out and she smiled awkwardly.

"I'm pretty sure; I took six tests."

"Six?"

"I drank a lot of water." She blushed revealing that to him. He stepped a little closer to her and rested his forehead on hers.

"A baby?" He whispered, sliding his arms around her waist and pulled her into an embrace. She laid her head on his chest and sighed.

"Guess so."

"You dad is going to kill me." Eric said with her in his arms. She laughed lightly, and they lapsed into silence, both thinking about what was about to happen to them and their relationship.