Thank you as always for the reviews/adds/etc. *hugs* You are all truly brilliant :) Sorry I haven't replied personally; I'm still not 100% and the bad days are outweighing the good ones at the moment! Still, new chapter so yay for that.

Prompt: Photo
Rating: K+

She wasn't sure why she was so nervous; she was supposed to be excited, not terrified, at the thought of seeing her – their - baby for the first time.

She remembered the giddy joy she'd felt when she'd gone with Andi to her first scan when her sister-in-law had been pregnant with Lizzie, filling in for her brother because he'd been called away with work. They'd stared in awe at the grainy black and white image and the bean-shaped blob that represented the first of the next generation of Parkers and later they'd both cried happy tears over cream cakes and hot chocolate at a café just around the corner from the hospital.

Jess had always thought she'd feel that same kind of giddiness when it came to seeing her own child for the first time but instead she felt sick to her stomach – and she was reasonably sure it wasn't due to morning sickness.

Deep down, she knew the reason why.

Every so often, even weeks after her injuries had healed, she experienced an occasional twinge or ache as a result of the beating she'd taken when a rogue team from the future had tried to take over the ARC in the present time. Every so often, she was reminded of the damage that had been done to her body in the very early days of her pregnancy, before she'd even been certain there was a life growing inside her.

What if something Cartwright had done to her had hurt her baby? That was what she was terrified about, of having unwittingly failed to protect her child before he or she was even born. What kind of mother did that make her?

The hand on her shoulder made her jump, and she turned to Becker with wide eyes.

"It's our turn," her husband told her softly, his dark eyes concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." For his sake, she forced a smile, even while knowing he wouldn't be fooled by it. "Just nervous," she admitted, taking the hand he offered her and letting him pull her to her feet.

"It'll be okay." He squeezed her hand with his and led her gently to the where a woman stood waiting for them, a warm and understanding smile on the older woman's face.

"Mr and Mrs Becker?" The uniformed woman – Cindy, according to her name badge – confirmed quietly. "If you'd like to come this way…"

Though she knew to expect it from her past experiences with Andi and had been warned by the ultra sound technician performing the scan, Jess still flinched as the cool gel was placed on her stomach. Her grip on Becker's hand tightened and he murmured reassurances as he stood at her bedside.

"It might take us a little while to find the baby so don't worry if it feels like it's taking forever," Cindy assured her with a friendly smile.

Jess thought she might have somehow managed a smile back in return.

After what felt like an eternity, Cindy stopped moving the ultra sound wand over Jess's stomach and turned the screen she'd been staring at towards the expectant parents. "There you go. That's your baby."

The picture was a lot clearer than Jess could remember from any of Andi's scans. She felt her eyes fill with tears and squeezed Becker's hand to the point of pain as her husband leaned in to better see the image before them. "That's our baby," she murmured, unable to take her gaze from the mass that represented their child. "Oh, Hil."

"I know." Sounding as choked up as she felt, Becker lifted their joined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss against the back of her hand. "Thank you."

Unable to speak past the lump in her throat, Jess could only smile, tilting her head back to accept the kiss he leaned in to give her.

"I'll get a couple of copies printed and give you a moment alone," Cindy murmured, her voice low as she slipped out of the room.

It was real. It was really real.

Despite having the evidence in the form of a newly printed photograph in her hand, Jess couldn't quite believe it. She didn't think she would truly believe until the day she held her baby in her arms for the first time and that thought was both incredible and terrifying.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Becker asked quietly, his voice a low rumble against her back as she leaned against him on the sofa in the conservatory as they settled in for the evening, music on a mp3 player on softly in the background.

Lifting her face slightly, Jess tore her gaze away from the scan. "That we're really going to be parents?"

"Well, yes, that." And the grin that quirked up the corners of his mouth made her heart do a little leap in her chest. "But it also means we're going to have to tell our families."

Glancing back down at the photograph she held, Jess felt a little jolt at the thought they were going to be a family, before the meaning of his words sunk in. Looking up at him, she bit down on her bottom lip. While her family would no doubt be thrilled at the announcement – her sister-in-law had been dropping hints for a while – and she was sure his mum and sister would be equally as overjoyed…

"Do you think your father will be pleased?"

Her relationship with Colonel Becker had improved massively since she'd married Becker but there were still times when she got the impression the retired military man would prefer it if his son was free to pursue his career instead of staying at the ARC – and with her.

Tightening his arm around her shoulders, Becker kissed her forehead softly. "He'll be fine," he said, sounding far more confident than Jess suspected he felt. "Thrilled, I think. He's going to be a grandfather."

Though whether he'd really see that as a good thing, neither of the parents-to-be could say.

Continued in 'Show & Tell'.