Author's Note: Is it Sunday yet? Read on to find out!

Sitting at lunch with Rick and Javier the next day, Kate felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out as discreetly as possible and read the message from her mother. Apparently she had an appointment with her new OB/GYN after school. Great. She pretended to listen to Rick and Javier talking about the Knicks while she debated telling her boyfriend about the appointment. Did she want him to come with her? She'd only been to a gynecologist once, and she wasn't sure it was the type of experience she wanted to share with anyone else. Rick had said he wanted to be with her through it all.

Would he even want to come? She noticed both boys looking at her and figured she must have missed something. Upon seeing her vacant gaze the boys just chuckled and continued on with their conversation. When they were leaving the lunch room Kate grabbed Rick's hand. The pair let Javier begin down the hall before Kate spoke.

"I have a, well, a doctor's appointment to go to this afternoon. After school. You don't have to go, but I'm inviting you if you'd like to be there. I don't want you to feel like you have to be there. I mean, I'll be fine on my own, You know what? Forget I said anything. I'll go alone."

"Kate, I can go with you. I don't know what goes on at these appointments, but I told you I'd be there. You don't have to do this alone. I'll meet you after school? We'll go together," he told her. She nodded her assent and the pair made their way to the third period English class they shared.

Before they knew it, school was over and they found themselves in the waiting room of her doctor. Kate had her hands folded in her lap as she stared at the floor, while Rick was staring at a poster on the wall opposite him, bouncing his leg up and down. He was nervous. He'd never been to this type of doctor before, and he felt eyes on him around the waiting room.

"Katherine," a nurse appeared from behind a door. Kate and Rick stood as one and made their way to the nurse. "Just Katherine, please," she directed at Rick. "I'll come get you in a few minutes," she added as an afterthought. Kate's eyes met Ricks for a moment before she followed the nurse to a small room where she was weighed and her blood pressure was tested. The nurse was quick with the needle as she drew blood for testing. Kate was led into another room and handed a bundle of linen with the instruction to wear nothing underneath. She sat alone for what felt like forever before she heard a light knock on the door, immediately followed by the entrance of a doctor and aide.

"Hello Katherine," the doctor greeted. "I'm Doctor Green." The woman shuffled through Kate's medical file. "It says here you've tested positive on a home pregnancy test."

"Twice," Kate confirmed.

"Alright. Well, let's go over your medical history. I need you to be honest with me, okay Katherine?" She nodded in response. "Okay. You were in this office almost a year ago. Have you had any health concerns since then?" Kate indicated no. "Are you taking any regular medications, prescription or vitamins, anything like that?" Again, no. The mundane questions went on and on, and included questions about the general health of her entire extended family. "Alright," the doctor continued with a softer tone to her voice, "was the sexual act that resulted in pregnancy consensual?" Kate looked up, alarmed.

"What? Yes, of course."

"Okay, I just wanted to be sure. Pregnancy is a difficult enough time to deal with on its own, let alone for someone of your age. Have you considered what you're going to do with the baby?"

"For now I'm entertaining the idea of raising it. I have the support of my boyfriend, who is in the waiting room, and the support of my mother. The news in fairly recent, so my father and Rick's mother don't know yet."

"It seems you've given this some thought. But as I said before, pregnancy can be emotionally taxing, so I'm going to give you some information about a counselor I trust. You don't have to see her, but if you start to feel overwhelmed I want you to contact her. It's not a sign of weakness to need someone to talk to. I don't want you to feel like I'm judging you based on your age, Katherine. But you need to expect some social backlash when your condition becomes more apparent. I want you to be prepared." Kate nodded. "Alright, I'd like to perform an internal examination now. Please lay back and place your feet in the stirrups." Kate did as she was instructed, and stared up at the ceiling while her doctor performed the exam.

"Where's Rick?" Kate's eyes never left the ceiling as she spoke. "The nurse said she'd bring him back in a few minutes."

"Well, I'd imagine the nurse has him filling out forms with his medical history, just to see if there's anything we need to look out for. Anyway, according to the date of your last menstrual period, you're about seven weeks along. I'd like to perform an ultrasound to be sure everything is developing as it should. At this stage, it will be a vaginal ultrasound, which is invasive, so we might just leave Rick in the waiting room."

"He's already seen all of me," she admitted. "And I'd hate to make him feel like he came for no reason." The doctor agreed and sent for Rick as she readied the ultrasound equipment. Rick entered the room looking nervous and settled himself in a chair near her head. When he saw the ultrasound transducer his eyes went wide. He really had the easy role in this pregnancy. The pair of teens watched the screen as the doctor performed the procedure.

"Everything looks good so far. It looks like the embryo has implanted correctly in the uterus. I'd definitely put you around seven weeks. Based on the ultrasound and your last period, I'm putting your due date at September 10th." The doctor pointed to a flickering spot on the screen. "That's your baby's heart beating," she smiled at the pair.

Before seeing the image of their child, Rick had an almost detached image of what was happening inside his girlfriend. He knew from his biology course that a rapidly dividing cluster of cells was growing in her uterus, and she would not be feeling very well. Seeing the tiny, bean-shaped image on the screen shifted things in his brain. This was real. There was a real, living thing growing inside Kate. It would continue to grow, and she would give birth to a child they would be responsible for. The thought took his breath away as the reality of the situation hit him.

The doctor removed the ultrasound wand from her patient and cleaned her up. She gathered several papers and copies of the grainy image and shoved them into a folder which she handed to Kate.

"I've given you a prescription for prenatal vitamins. It's important that you take them to help your baby grow healthily. There's information in the folder about nutrition and proper diet. If you're not already experiencing morning sickness, it will most likely set in soon. If the nausea becomes too intense and interferes with your daily life, I want you to call me and I can prescribe medication to help combat the nausea. I want you to abstain from risky activities, and under no circumstances should you be drinking or smoking. Do either of you have any questions for me?" Neither teen did. "Okay, well if you think of anything between now and your next visit, you can call the office or send me a message through the patient portal system. That's all for now, and I'd like to see you back around week fourteen. You're young and healthy with little risk of genetic disorders, so I don't see any reason to expect anything other than a smooth pregnancy for you." The doctor stood and shook hands with both Rick and Kate before leaving the room.

Once she was dressed, Kate and Rick made their way out to reception where Kate paid and scheduled her next appointment. Once on the street, Kate rifled through the folder the doctor had given her and produced a copy of the ultrasound photo.

"I want you to keep this one," she handed it to him. She tried to meet his eyes, but he seemed to be a million miles away. "Is everything okay, babe?" He looked at the photo in his hands.

"I guess it all hit me at once," he admitted. "I didn't think about how real this all is. I guess I was stuck in the idealism of it all, the rosy picture of us as a family. It's so much more. Right now it's just this tiny little thing inside you, but soon it's going to be a real baby we have to take care of. It's just... wow. It's a lot. I can't believe I didn't think of it before."

"Doctor Green gave the the number of a counselor. Apparently she's really good with helping teens through pregnancy. She gave me the number, but I'm sure this woman would be willing to help you too. If you need someone to talk to that isn't me, I understand. I respect that. I know this is a lot to take in; it's all I've been thinking about for days. But if you start to feel overwhelmed, know that you can talk to me anytime, Rick." She took his hand. "I mean it. We're in this together, and I don't want you think you have to be the strong one just because you're the man." He nodded and tucked the photo into his pocket.

"Okay. I think I'm going to go home and process this."

"Babe, don't shut me out-"

"I'm not. I promise. I just need to think. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," she frowned. The duo turned and headed in opposite directions to their respective homes.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It seemed Rick really just needed a night to gather himself, as he was back to normal at school the next day. They talked, they laughed, and they avoided discussing her pregnancy. Before either of them were ready, it was suddenly Sunday morning. Kate was agitatedly pacing in her bedroom waiting for the two Rodgers to show up for brunch. She heard the door buzzer and ran a hand through her hair before exiting her bedroom. The teen greeted Martha with a hug and Rick with a peck on the lips. Rick and Martha followed her into the dining room where her mother was just setting a plate of pancakes in the center of the table. Coffee, juice, eggs, bacon, and pancakes were passed around the table, and the teens were growing more anxious by the minute. Both were engrossed in their plates as the adults made light conversation around them.

"Richard," Martha began, "is something wrong? You and Katherine have been very quiet all morning."

"Wrong?" Rick's voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "Wrong? No, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all." His mother narrowed her eyes at him.

"Richard, you are a terrible liar. Spit it out. What did you do?" Not expecting anything of any consequence, the actress' tone was light.

"What did I do? I, uh, well," he was looking around the room frantically, looking for any out.

"Katherine," Martha prodded, "what's going on here?" Kate determinedly stared at her plate.

"Come on, Katie Bug," he dad started. "It can't be that bad." Tears started falling down her cheeks.

"I'm pregnant," she said in a small voice. Johanna's face registered no shock, but Martha's mouth fell open at Kate's words. Her father didn't seem to know how to react.

"Katie. I thought you'd be more responsible than this," her father sighed.

"We were responsible. We were safe, every time. But it still happened," Kate defended.

"Obviously you weren't careful enough," her father retorted. Something snapped inside Kate and she couldn't contain her anger.

"You know what, dad? We were careful. We managed just fine for six months. No pregnancy then. And you know what else? Rick's not my first! Yeah, I had sex with Josh too. I didn't get pregnant then either. So I think I know how to not get pregnant. Sometimes shit happens," she looked at her father, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. After a tense moment, Martha spoke again.

"So what do you two plan on doing about this?"

"Well," Rick began, "we plan on raising this baby."

"You what?!" Jim exclaimed. "You're both seventeen. You can't possibly think you're up to the task of raising a child; you are children yourselves!"

"Why not?" Martha asked. "I was only 18 when I had Richard, and I did it alone. I haven't even seen his father since the night he was conceived. I plan on supporting Richard and Katherine in whatever they choose to do. God knows my parents weren't supportive, and I really wish they had been."

"They have my support too," Johanna added. "This is a hard enough situation for them to be in; they don't need stress from us on top of it all."

"It doesn't mean I have to be happy about it," Jim grumbled.

"I, uh, went to the doctor this week," Kate spoke again. She produced a copy of her ultrasound photo and placed it on the table. Martha was the first to grab it.

"How far along are you, Katherine?"

"The doctor says seven weeks. My due date is September 10th," she explained. Kate picked at the remnants of breakfast on her plate.

"Eat your eggs, Katie," her father told her. It was a demand he hadn't made since she was six.

"I'm not really in the mood for eggs," she protested.

"Well, it's not all about you anymore, is it Katie," he retorted shortly. Her face paled as she choked down her eggs. Her stomach rolled at the taste.

"How have you been feeling?" Martha continued her questions, ignoring Jim's interruptions.

"Exhausted and nauseated," Kate replied honestly. "The doctor says that should go away when I hit the second trimester." Suddenly her face blanched. "Excuse me," she muttered as she ran from the table. The door to her bathroom closed a moment later.

Rick stood and followed his girlfriend. He paused outside her bathroom. He could hear her retching and he hesitated, rapping lightly on the door before entering. She was on the floor in front of the toilet, her frame convulsing violently as her muscles worked to bring up the breakfast she had just eaten. As soon as she caught her breath she turned to him.

"Rick, get out of here. This is gross. You don't need to be here for this part. I'm begging you, please just go wait in my room. I'll be out in a minute." For once in his life, Rick didn't argue with her. He went into her room and plopped himself on the bed. Minutes later Kate joined him.

"I told. him I didn't want to eat those eggs," she groaned. "This is exactly why."

"Yeah," Rick said. "I think he doesn't know how to respond right now." He leaned against her headboard.

"I guess things could've gone worse," she said. "I know my dad's pissed, but he'll probably come around. At least we have our mothers." Rick pulled her body into his and wrapped his arms around her lithe frame. In the distance they could hear Jim's raised voice and they knew his temper had not yet cooled. Rick pressed a kiss into his girlfriend's hair.

"Let's give our mothers a few minutes to calm him down before we go back out there," Rick suggested. Kate nodded into his body.

"My dad is a little over protective," she explained, "and I think he's a little overwhelmed right now. We have until September to make him see our way, but I hope it doesn't take that long. Everything I've ever done in my life has been supported by my dad. He's always behind me, no matter what. Even when I pierced my belly button, he was mad, but a few days later he told me that he was happy it wasn't a tattoo. He'll come around. I know he will. I just don't like the limbo we're in until he makes up his mind."

"You do get some of your determination from your father," Rick conceded. "Hopefully it doesn't take long for him to come around." They laid together for a few minutes more, hearing voices coming from the living room. Rick held her tighter as they waited for the storm to subside. Both hoped Jim Beckett would be supportive of his daughter in the end.

Author's Note: Well, this is the longest chapter yet. Sorry it took a while to get out, but I started taking medication for my insomnia, and the ability to sleep cuts into my writing time. I didn't get to proofread this, so cut me some slack on minor spelling and grammar mistakes. I did spend a good bit of time writing this for you guys, so please take a moment to drop me a line and let me know what you're thinking. Your reviews are very much appreciated.