Disclaimer: I do not own anything !

A/N: I am so sorry this is coming to you guys so late between work, unpacking, and a little thing called life and the fact i forgot i had this on my laptop waiting to uploaded, (my bad sorry) well i hope it was worth the wait. Thank you to Hippogriff-Tamer for betaing this for me.\

Chapter 1

Christy couldn't believe an entire month had passed since her wedding. So much had happened in the last month. She had returned to teaching only a week after her wedding and she almost laughed at the memory of the first time the children had called her Miz MacNeill instead of Miz Christy. Not only had she not responded at first, it had taken three times before she remembered they were talking to her. She shook her head as she finished cleaning up the schoolhouse before heading home.

As she walked back to the cabin by the river she wondered how she was going to tell her ever observant husband her suspicions. She stopped momentarily placing a hand to her abdomen sending a silent prayer up that her suspicion was right. She had a feeling he already knew but she felt the need to tell him anyway. When she walked into the house she called out his name after noticing that his fishing gear was still by the door.

"I'm in here, Christy," he called from his research lab.

She walked into the lab and stood in the doorway just watching him work. She had always enjoyed watching him work.

He saw her standing in the doorway and looked up. "How was school today?"

"Fine," she said walking up to him "How was your day?"

"Quiet," he said pulling her close.

"Neil, there is something I need to discuss with you," she began nervously.

He picked up on her change of tone and peered at her closely trying to read her body language to figure out what was wrong.

"Do you remember the talk we had right after we married?"

"Which one?" he asked though he had an idea as to which talk she was referring too.

"The one about my teaching," she returned softly.

He merely nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I think I might have to quite teaching. I had a talk with both Fairlight and Miss Alice today and well..." she stopped wondering exactly how to word her next phrase.

"Christy, why exactly would you stop teaching? You love it. I know it's a bit of a walk but I have told you that you can take Charlie."

"Neil, I … that is...the reason is... well... I think I may..."

"Yes?"

"This was so much easier in my head," she said more to herself than him.

"And what exactly was so much easier in that lovely head of yours?" he asked with a chuckle.

She pulled away and began pacing around the room. He watched her pace knowing exactly why she was finding it hard to voice her thoughts. He was a doctor and had been trained to see the changes taking place in his wife.

She finally stopped pacing and turned to her husband who, she noticed, was grinning from ear to ear. It was then that she realized that he knew what it was she was trying to say even though she had yet to say it.

"Neil, the reason I might have to quit teaching is because it think I might be pregnant and we agreed that if and when that happened I would quit to stay home," she told him.

He was silent as he looked at her. Even though he had known that she was with child he was still in shock. He was really going to be a father. Elated by the news he picked her up and carried her to their room. Once there he gently laid her on their bed before sitting down beside her.

"Neil! I said I might be pregnant not sick!" she protested as she tried to get up.

"I am well aware of the fact but I want to give you a quick check up, my love."

"Well, in that case, Doctor..." she left the rest unsaid as she laid back and waited for him to start.

CN

Later that same evening as they sat in front of the fire in the front room Christy asked if they should go ahead and tell the mission that she was indeed pregnant because they were going to need to find a new teacher.

"About that Christy, I wouldn't mind if you continued to teach as long as you are up to it."

She sat up from her position and turned to look at him excitement in her eyes.

"Really!"

"Christy, I know how important it is to you and we can tell the mission if you want. And it would give them time to find a replacement."

"You're right of course. But what if the cove won't accept a new teacher Neil? I mean if you don't mind that I continue at least for as long as I am able I guess I could help the new teacher out. I remember how hard it was to get the cove to accept me. I almost gave up and went home on more than one occasion. I would hate to see a new teacher go through that."

"See, the plan is ideal then."

Christy leaned against his side with a smile on her face.

CN

The following morning Christy and Neil both rode to the mission to deliver the news of Christy's pregnancy.

"Miz Christy you gonna have a youngun'!" Ruby Mae exclaimed excitedly after Christy told them the news.

"Yes, I am Ruby Mae," she answered the bubbly redhead then turned to the other occupants of the room. "I came to say that Neil is going to allow me to continue teaching for as long as I can handle it but we wanted to give you time to find a replacement for me."

"Thank you for letting us know," Miss Alice said with a grin.

"If you will excuse me I need to call my parents and let them know before school starts," with that she excused herself.

The call went more or less the way she thought it would. Her father was happy to know he was going to be a grandfather in eight months' time. Her mother insisted that she need to have the baby in Ashville to which she had firmly refused to do. She had told her mother that she had the finest doctor to care for her (seeing as that doctor also happened to be her husband) and she didn't need to have the baby in the city but she wanted her children to be born in the same cabin as his or her father had been and she wasn't going to change her mind. After a long talk her mother gave up and wished her well.

As she walked back into the mission's parlor a wave of dizziness hit her and she had to stop and lean against the wall until it passed. After a few moments she was able to continue into the room and walk up to her husband who had been waiting for her.

"Christy are you alright?" he asked after taking in her flushed face.

"I'm fine Neil," it was then that she noticed that he had his medical bag on the table beside him.

"Did you get called away?" she asked as she walked up to him.

"Yes, there has been an outbreak of pneumonia in Raven Gap and Alice and I are about to leave but I wanted to say goodbye to my wife before I did."

She wasn't sure how she felt about him leaving and not having a definite return date but she also knew that she couldn't ask him to stay. People needed him and he needed to go. "Have a safe journey and hurry back. Now go I will be fine," she said as she kissed him farewell and then waved him off before walking to the school house.