After putting his wife to bed, Lee walked back down toward the boys' room to gather up the bedding he'd tossed in the hall and carried it downstairs to throw it in the washer right away before anything could set in. He walked through the kitchen to where his mother-in-law was stirring her homemade chicken broth on the stove. "Where's Amanda?"

"She's resting," he said as he made his way to the laundry room by the back door. He set the bedding down for a moment as he reached for the dial on the washer and turned it to the proper setting.

"You should let me do that," Dotty said from behind him.

"Dotty, no offense, but I've been doing my own laundry for years. I've got this. You go take care of your chicken broth."

"Um...ok," Dotty said eying him suspiciously as he pulled the knob on the washer and dumped in soap powder, waiting a moment for it dissolve before loading the sheets into the machine. Satisfied that he was doing it right, she shook her head and returned to the kitchen.

Lee completed his task slammed the washer lid shut and walked back to the kitchen. It was then that he noticed that there was a fresh pot of coffee on the counter. "Dotty, do you mind?" He asked gesturing to the coffee pot.

"Of course not, Lee. I'd say you've earned it if you got my daughter to take a few minutes for herself."

Lee pulled a cup out of the cupboard, poured the steaming liquid into them before grabbing a spoon out of the drawer beneath it. He added his cream and stirred it in. "Actually, I don't think I really had anything to do with that decision." He said as he took a sip of his coffee tossing the spoon in the sink behind him. "I think she's picked up the same bug the boys have."

"She's sick too? No wonder she was looking so run down. I thought it was just lack of sleep combined with the fight you two had."

"Yeah, she took one look at the mess Jamie's bed was in and it sent her hurtling to the bathroom."

"Is she running a fever like the boys have been?"

"She wasn't when I last checked."

"Hmm, interesting," Dotty said.

"What's interesting?" Lee said.

"Well, I'm just thinking that if she's not running a fever, maybe it's not stomach flu. Because you stomach flu is not actually the flu. It's caused by a virus which means it almost always includes a low-grade fever."

"What else would it be?"Lee asked looking at her curiously.

"You tell me. You spend more time with Amanda than I do these days."

"Not really, not lately, not outside of work, That's actually part of what we were fighting about today," Lee said which was partially true. They were fighting about keeping their relationship a secret and how it seemed to always keep them apart.

"Lee, come on, you already know that I know you were in Amanda's bedroom last night and I know you weren't in there playing checkers."

"No, we weren't," he said with an embarrassed smile. "I know what you're thinking. I shouldn't have come here last night sneaking in her bedroom window. I just wasn't thinking about anything except how much I missed her. It had been a month since we'd..." he hesitated trying to think of how to phrase what he was thinking "...spent any quality time together."

"I'm not judging Lee. I know you love Amanda very much. It's really not my place to judge anyway. You're both adults, but I'm not going to lie to you and say that I'm not concerned for my daughter's future."

"I can understand that," Lee said.

"So, let me ask you a question, Lee. A month ago when you and Amanda last "spent quality time together' did you take precautions."

"Oh," Lee said realization of what Dotty was getting at hit him like a ton of bricks. He thought back to the last big fight they'd had and the making up after it. They'd made love through the rest of the afternoon and well into the night until they were both too exhausted to move and they hadn't taken a single precaution. They'd been so preoccupied with making up to each other, talking, kissing and making love, neither of them had thought about it. That means that his wife might be carrying his child. He couldn't help smiling at the thought even though he knew it would be a mess for a while because no one knew they were married.

Dotty, ever observant, noticed the change in Lee's facial expression. "I see," she said with a shake of her head. "So, it's entirely possible that you've impregnated my daughter." It was a statement, not a question.

"I guess it is," he said quietly.

"Do you plan to marry her?"Dotty asked bluntly. She was tired of tiptoeing around the subject.

"That was the other part of our fight today."

" Let me guess, you're ready to move on the next phase in your relationship and she's got cold feet?"

"Sort of," Lee said.

"I knew it! I just knew it! Oh, that daughter of mine. Why is she so afraid to make a commitment? She admits that she loves you, so what's holding her back? I know what it is. It's Joe King! That man has ruined her forever, leaving her with two babies to raise by herself while he went traipsing all over the place! It's made her afraid to really trust another man. You know when they first got married, I thought he was a nice, stable young man. I mean, he worked hard in college in law school. he was smart, responsible and cute, but then he took that job and everything changed. If it weren't for the fact that she got two wonderful children out if, I'd say she never should have married him at all!"

Phillip groaned from the couch, having been awakened by his grandmother's tirade. Lee quickly set his coffee cup aside and went to check on him. He leaned over the back of the couch to look at his stepson. "Hey, Chief, how you feeling," he said.

"Thirsty," Phillip rasped.

"We'll take care of that," Lee said as returned to the kitchen where Dotty was ladling some of her fresh-made chicken broth into a bowl while Lee poured a glass of ginger ale for Phillip.

"Lee, see if you can't get him to eat some of this. Poor boy hasn't had anything in his stomach since dinner last night," Dotty said as she dog a spoon out for the broth she'd just dished up and handed them to Lee.

"Will do," Lee said. The doorbell rang as Lee took the bowl from his mother-in-law. "I'll get that."

He walked carefully through the kitchen so as not to spill the broth. He set them both down on the coffee table while he helped Phillip sit up enough to eat, propping a pillow up behind his stepson. Once that was done, Lee picked up the glass of ginger ale holding it to Phillip's parched lips, "Now, sip slowly. Little sips. Don't guzzle it. We don't want it coming right back up, do we?" He helped him take a couple of sips before Phillip let his head drop back. Lee heard talking from the foyer, but couldn't quite make out what was being said until they got closer.

"Well, Amanda's resting right now, but her boyfriend's here," Dotty said. Lee cringed a little at being called Amanda's boyfriend when he was actually her husband. "If you work with Amanda, you must know him too. He's been such a godsend today."

"Her boyfriend?"Francine's bewildered voice said as she and Dotty stepped into the den together.

Crap, Lee thought at hearing Francine's voice. He chose to ignore her for the moment. There was a child in front of him who needed his help. "Come on, Chief, Let's see if we can get some of this broth that your grandmother made in you before it gets cold."

"Nooo," Phillip whimpered weakly. "It'll just make me sick again."

"We have to take that chance. Look at how cracked your lips are. That's a sign that you're getting dehydrated. We have to get some fluids in you," he said dipping out a spoonful of broth and holding under Phillip's nose. "Mmm. Smells good. Your grandma sure knows how to cook. "

"Mm-mm," Philip said still refusing.

Francine smirked at Lee and the trouble he was having with getting Phillip to eat.

"Ok, Phillip, we've got two choices here, You can either get some more fluids in you to get you re-hydrated or I can take you to the hospital where they'll stick an IV in your arm to force fluids on you."

"IV?"Phillip said.

"Yep, that means, they'll stick a needle in your arm right about there," He said poking at Phillip's arm to make his point.

"Ok, I guess I can try," Phillip said reluctantly.

"That's mu boy," Lee said with a smile.

"Where are my manners," Dotty said suddenly. She'd been so engrossed in watching Lee with her grandson and thinking what a wonderful father he'd make that she'd completely forgotten they had company. "Would you like a cup of coffee, Miss Desmond?"

"Don't bother, Dotty," Lee said without taking his eyes off his teenage stepson. "Francine, can't stay, can you , Francine."

"Don't be rude, Lee," Dotty said. "I know you have better manners than that.

"Actually, since our latest film project isn't starting until Wednesday, I have all the time in the world," Francine said. "I would love a cup of coffee, Mrs. West."

"I'll get it for you," Dotty said pleasantly. "Do you take cream? Sugar?"

"Just black is fine," Francine replied. "So, I have to ask is Lee the boyfriend you were talking about? The godsend?"

"Of course, he came over here to help with the children being ill, which is more than I can say for their own father," Dotty said bitterly.

"Dotty," Lee said in a warning tone. He had no love for Joe King, but he didn't feel it was right to bad-mouth him in front of his child. Phillip having gotten a few spoonfuls of broth down gestured for his glass of ginger ale. Lee put the bowl down and handed Phillip the glass.

"It's ok, Lee," Phillip said as he sipped his ginger ale. "I know Dad doesn't give a crap about us now that he's getting married again,"

"Now, Phillip, Sweetheart, You know that isn't true," Dotty said. "Your father loves you very much."

"Nice try, Grandma, but if that were really true, he wouldn't have dumped us here as soon as he realized Jamie was sick. We were supposed to spend the whole week with him. Some summer vacation."

"I know," Lee said placing a hand a Phillip's shoulder. It really stinks, huh?"

"Where's mom, anyway?"

"She's not feeling good either so I made sure she stayed upstairs in bed," Lee answered. "She needed her rest."

"I'm really glad you're here to take care of all of us," Phillip said as he leaned forward to hug Lee. "I wish you could be my dad."

"Me too, Chief, me too," he said, tears springing to his eyes as he hugged his stepson. "When Phillip released him, he asked, "So how's the tummy feeling? He reached out to rub Phillip's stomach. "Any rumbles?"

Phillip shook his head "Not so far."

"Good, so let's try to finish up this broth. You think you got it by yourself? I need to have a talk with Miss Desmond."

"Yeah, thanks, Lee," he said.

"Anytime, Buddy," Lee said. "If you need anything, you just holler, ok?"

"Yep," Phillip said with a nod as he slowly sipped his broth.

Lee rose from the couch, grabbed Francine by the arm and dragged her into the kitchen coffee cup and all. "What the hell are you doing here, Francine?"

"I came by to talk to Amanda. I thought she might need a friend after the knock-down-drag-out you two had at the office today."

"No, you didn't, Francine. You came here to tell Amanda once again what a ruthless cad you think I am and that she should get as far away from me as possible before I break her heart. Does that about sum it up?"

"Well, I don't know that I'd have said ruthless cad. After the stunt you pulled today, I might have said vile manipulator. The way you were pouring your heart out about how tortured you were going home to an empty apartment. Great attempt pulling at Amana's heartstrings."

"Get out, Francine," Amanda said from the stairs.

"Amanda, what are you doing out of bed?" Lee said as he watched her step down slowly to the landing struggling to hold herself up. He rushed to her to catch her before she fell helping her to sit on the arm of the couch.. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I can't. Jamie needs to go to the hospital. His temperature's up to 103."

"Oh my God," Lee said as she rushed up the stairs.

"Mom, are you ok?

"I'll be fine, Sweetheart," she said she hoped convincingly not wanting to worry her son. She turned to look at him, happy to see that he had more color in his face. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel a lot better. Lee was helping me too."

"Lee's a good man," she said with a smile.

Francine snorted and said, "How can you say that after the way he acted today/"

"Francine, what are you still doing here," Amanda said weakly. "I told you to get out of my house."

"Amanda, I just came here because I was concerned about you."

"No, you didn't. You came here to lecture me about being with Lee when you think he's nothing but a womanizing scoundrel, but you're wrong about him, Francine. He was here when I needed him in spite of the huge fight we had. That's saying something. If you're so bitter that you can't see that and all you can do is spread negativity, then I don't want you in my house."

"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you," Francine said on her way out

Lee came down the stairs with Jamie in his arms wrapped in a blanket to keep him warm and carried him out through the French doors to get to the station wagon parked in the driveway. When got him laid down in the back seat, he hurried back in for his wife. "Come on, Amanda, you need to see a doctor too."

"No, Lee, I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You can't even hold yourself up. You're going."

"Someone has to stay here with Phillip."

"I'll stay with Phillip," Dotty said.

"But what if something happens and Phillip needs a doctor too?"Amanda protested.

"Then your mother can take him in my car," he said as he fished his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Dotty. "There, that's settled, now, let's go."

"But."

"I'm done arguing with you," Lee said impatiently. "You're going and that's final!" He then swept her up into his arms and carried her out the same way he had her son.

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An hour later, Lee still sat in the ER waiting room not know what was going on. He was pacing back and forth impatiently. He stepped up to the reception desk for about the tenth time and said to the girl behind the desk, "Just when the hell is somebody going to tell me what's going on with my family? Just what the hell is the damn problem?"

"The problem, Mr. Stetson," said a voice behind him, "Is that you're not family to either of them which means we can't release their information to you without Mrs. King's permission." Lee grunted in frustration. This was just one more problem with their secret marriage. He was family and he couldn't tell that that he was. "Mrs. King has asked to see you. She's granted her consent to advise you of her son's condition, but I think she wants to talk to you herself about her own. If you'll follow me please," the doctor said. Lee followed the ER doctor through what seemed like an endless maze until he pointed to an exam room at the end of the corridor. "Right in there, Mr. Stetson."

Lee entered the room to find his wife sitting up idly toying with her engagement ring and wedding band on their chain. She was already looking better than she had been. "Hi," he said. "How you feeling?" he said as he sat on the edge of her bed and held her hand.

"Kinda dumb right now."

"I'll get to that in a minute," she said. "First, I wanted to let you know how Jamie's doing."

"Yeah, how is he?"

"He's severely dehydrated and he has not only the stomach virus, but an intestinal infection as well. They've got him on an antibiotic for the infection and a fever reducer. They've also got him on an IV drip to get him rehydrated, but they think as long as they can get his fever down, he can go home tomorrow morning."

"Good," Lee said breathing a sigh of relief. "What did they say about you?"

"They're going to keep me overnight for observation."

"But what's wrong with you?"he said.

"Well, part of it was like I said, stress combined with lack of sleep and lack of food, but those things only made the symptoms of an already existing condition worse."

"What condition?"

"That's where the dumb part comes in because I should have figured it out myself. I've been down this road twice before."

"Are you trying to tell me what I think you're trying to tell me?"he said with a smile thinking back to hi s conversation with Dotty earlier.

"Lee, I'm pregnant."