A/N: We all know the show is going to do a surrogacy storyline with Kristina Tolly, and considering how GH handles medical topics, I worry that they'll make endometriosis a drama point and reduce Krissy to nothing more than a baby vessel that Molly "rightfully" gets to neg around. So, I decided to take the seeds planted on the 3/3/23 episode and "write" this story in my own way. Hopefully, I do a better job. Enjoy.
Sobbing was the last thing Kristina expected when Molly called her. The young woman's cries, loud and agonizing, cut through her with ease. Molly was in pain, a pain that only comes from the world hollowing them out until there's nothing left to scrape. Kristina knows the feeling all too well; she could write a novel on it if she really wanted to. It's a sensation that comes to her too easily, and while it doesn't hurt the way it used to, it hurts worse when someone she loves is a victim to it. Molly was the next one up.
She frowns at the sight before her now: Molly sits cross-legged on her peach velvet sofa, a pink blanket lazily draped over her slim shoulders. Tears and black eyeliner dot her cheeks as she looks down at the wooden floor. The elder sister stands nearby in the kitchen, a hand on the open cabinet door. She stares for a few more seconds before turning away, looking through the different boxes and bags on the shelves.
Peppermint? No. Chamomile? No. Green…?
"Lemon balm, Krissy. Top shelf."
"Thanks."
"Do you want anything to eat? Any cookies or granola or-"
"No."
Ten minutes pass by before Kristina's able to sit back down with her sister. She nudges Molly with her elbow, giving the young woman a cup. She takes a sip, the citrus and mint flavors dancing on her tongue. Molly remains still, staring at the dulled goldenrod coloring.
"Are you not thirsty?" Kristina asks, raising an eyebrow. Molly sighs, taking a small sip.
"It's really strong," she comments.
"I hope so. The stronger, the better," Kristina smirks, looking her sister over. The girls sit in silence for a moment before she sets her cup down on the clear glass coffee table top.
"Not in the mood for tea?" she asks.
"Not now," Molly's reply is short and cold.
"I can make something else."
"That's okay."
"Okay," Kristina sighs, resting against the furniture. Silence hangs over them, weighing on them as the seconds tick by, "...Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Molls," she lays a hand on the blanket, "we can talk about it."
"No."
"It'll help to talk about it."
"I don't want to."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Kristina," Molly's glare shoots through her, "I'm sure."
"...Okay."
They sit in silence as time ticks by. Kristina looks around the apartment, noting the different cuts of gray brick that make up the apartment walls. The sun peeks through the white blinds, each one turned at a downward angle. Her eyes dart from the window to the succulents on the TV stand to the violet blazer hanging off the coat rack by the front door.
"You know," she says, "I've never really taken in how your apartment looks until now."
"Hmm?" Molly sips some of her tea, clearing her throat.
"It's got this…modern industrial vibe to it. Kinda like Sam's penthouse, but like, more dressed down. It's got a minimalistic charm to it."
"Thanks."
"Whose idea was it to design the place like that?"
"It was kind of a mutual decision," there's a sadness in Molly's smile, "TJ noticed how simplistic the place looked and leaned into it. I picked all the furniture and here we are now."
"It's nice. Who picked the succulent? You?"
"It was a housewarming gift from my dad."
"Aw, well, that's nice of Uncle Ric. Though," Kristina gets up to grab the navy pot, "he could've sent you a bigger one."
"...Yeah."
"Hmph," she sets the pot back down before leaning back against the sofa, clasping her hands together over a striped white and gray pillow, "How's the tea?"
"Not bad," Molly sips the last of it, placing the mug down on the rusted brown coffee table.
"Let me guess: you make it better?"
"Of course," Molly gives her sister a half-hearted smile, the most genuine since Kristina showed up on her doorstep. The woman's smile mirrors her sister's, a small brightness emanating between them.
"Pretty smile," she remarks.
Molly winces slightly, "Thanks."
"Seems like my little observation of your apartment helped."
"Somewhat."
"Oh yeah? Then maybe you want to talk…?" Kristina nudges her younger sister. Molly sighs, pulling the blanket tighter around her small frame, "Or maybe not."
"Can we just…talk about something else for a bit? Something not related to me?"
"Like what?"
"You."
"There's not much to discuss," Kristina shrugs, "I'm just living my sweet, single life, working hard at Charlie's and spending time with my crazy yet lovable family."
"You really haven't met anyone?"
"No one to match the greatness that TJ and Dante exude, no."
"I'm sorry," Molly smiles sadly, "People are missing out."
"Well, like I said at the brunch, I am a wrecking ball. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who's willing to deal with it."
"Well, there's nothing to 'deal with,'" Molly shakes her head, "You're a great woman and one day, someone is going to see that and fall head over heels for you."
"Yeah, sure," Kristina settles back into the couch, hugging the pillow against her chest, "when pigs fly."
"C'mon, Krissy," Molly's voice cracks, "there has to be someone out there for you. What about Sonny's guy?"
"Let's not worry about my love life, especially where my friends are concerned."
The conversation trails off, both women sitting on the sofa in silence. Words escape them in the moment, and after a while, Kristina breaks the ice. She gives Molly a curious look, eyebrows turned upwards, "Out of sheer curiosity, have you talked to Mom or Sam about this?"
"No, I haven't."
"Does TJ know?"
"Not yet," Molly sniffs, "It…happened just after he left for work. He'll find out when he gets home."
"So I'm the only one who knows right now?"
"Yeah."
"Huh," Kristina blinks, "okay. If I'm allowed to ask, and you can totally shut me down over it, why me?"
"I…" Molly inhales, "I thought you'd know how it felt…how it felt to lose something so important and loved."
Her heart stops for a brief moment, and she's not sure whether to feel honored or slightly insulted.
"Well, um, I certainly have experience with something like that," she stutters, "but, um, maybe this is a talk that's better meant for Sam? Or maybe Mom?"
"Kristina," Molly's look cuts through her again, "I called you, okay? Can you just…support me? Please?"
"Yes, yes, sorry," Kristina throws her hands down rapidly, shaking her head, "I'm here for you, Molls. You can tell me anything.
Molly stares at her for a moment, not a single crease in her features. She slowly turns away, leaning back against the sofa before ducking her head down.
"...We were so…excited."
Kristina raises her eyebrows, scooting closer to her sister.
"We…" Molly sniffs, choking up immediately, "After the brunch, we…tried. We tried and tried and tried. Test after test after test and…and for a while, we thought…we thought it just wasn't meant to be. And then, as if it was a miracle, we were having a baby. TJ and I were going to be parents to a child that was half-me and half-him."
"Yeah…" Kristina says under her breath, feeling tears at the far corners of her eyes.
"We scheduled appointments with Dr. Navarro, we started making a registry, we started picking names. God, we were thrilled. We wanted this and we were finally getting it," Molly tries to clear her throat, looking at her older sister, "and then…and then we…"
"You don't have to say it," Kristina lays a hand on her shoulder.
"God…" Molly weeps, "this is so unfair! Why do bad things happen to good people? Why?!"
"I don't know," Kristina mutters, pulling Molly in for a tight hug, "I'm sorry, Molls."
"I…" her cries are guttural, "I didn't do anything…I didn't do anything to deserve this…"
"You didn't."
"Krissy…"
"It's okay," Kristina's hold is tight, "tell me how you're feeling, Molls. Let it all out."
"I…I just…" Molly slowly pulls away, wiping the black mascara dripping down her cheeks, "I didn't think that a baby was in the cards for us so soon, y'know? I have my…my work at the DA's office and TJ's officially a doctor…and that…that was the priority. But after that scare…it just…we wanted one and we went after it."
"Well, you were always a go-getter," Kristina giggles sadly, clamming up when Molly doesn't respond.
"Maybe I have no reason to cry, or get upset. I mean, us wanting a baby was so spur-of-the-moment and-"
"No, Molly, stop," Kristina grabs her small shoulders, "Stop it. You were pregnant, you were really excited for this baby, and you lost it. You have every right to mourn it and feel the way you do."
"It just doesn't feel right."
"But it is right."
Molly's eyes sparkle with sorrow, sniffing a few times before breaking down again. Kristina pulls her into another hug, squeezing her tight. She rubs her younger sister's back countless times as she cries, black mascara staining her denim jacket.
"Have you thought about other ways to get a baby?" Kristina asks.
"I mean," Molly pulls away and wipes her nose, "not really. I know…I know that there's other ways to have a family: adoption and IVF and surrogacy-"
"But?"
"I just…I don't know, I feel like it would be special for TJ and I to have a baby that has a piece of each of us, y'know? The way I have a piece of Mom and my dad, and you with Mom and Uncle Sonny-"
"Right, right, but you know that genetics doesn't make someone family," Kristina continues, a hint of determination in her face, "I mean, you live and breathe the unconventional lifestyle, and I get that all this baby stuff is relatively new for you, but…I mean…you had to have considered alternative avenues."
If looks could kill, Molly's would've put Kristina six feet under. She turns towards her sister with a slowness only seen in the movies, anger in her features. A tinge of sweat ran down the back of Kristina's neck.
"Did you seriously just say that?"
"What?" Kristina asks.
"Did you seriously just dismiss my feelings? After everything I've said to you just now?"
"No, not at all! I was just-"
"I lost something important, Kristina," Molly's voice cracked, a slight shrillness in its delivery, "I lost my baby. I lost someone that was literally a part of me, someone I valued and wanted more than anything in the world."
"I get that-"
"No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't have said any of what you did. Like…God!" Molly shoots up from the sofa, the blanket laying where she used to be, "I thought you'd understand my feelings, what with losing your husband and Morgan-"
"Molly-"
"Y'know what, I should've called Sam or Mom instead. They wouldn't have been so ignorant-"
"Molly, I'm sorry!" Kristina cuts her off, standing up, "I didn't mean to upset you, okay? I just assumed you considered all of that and that was my mistake."
Molly's nostrils flare as she crosses her arms. Tears stain her cheeks, black mascara dotting the skin. Kristina mirrors her pose, an intensity in her brown eyes. Eventually, Molly relaxes her arms and sits back down, rubbing her face to remove the makeup. Kristina takes a seat next to her.
"I'm sorry," she repeats, her voice soft as she wraps an arm around Molly's shoulders, "I love you."
"I love you too," Molly responds, a sad smile on her face, "and you're forgiven."
"Can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"What do you plan to do now? I mean, do you plan to try again or do something else?"
"I…" Molly pauses, biting her bottom lip gently, "I'm not sure. I haven't thought about that…at least, not that far ahead."
"Not that far ahead?"
"I have an OB/GYN appointment in a few days. I was going to cancel it, but it's probably better if I talk to Dr. Navarro."
"What do you think she'll say?"
"I hope she'll say that what happened was just normal and that, after some time, I could try again."
"But?"
"...I'm worried that won't be the case."
Tears begin to fall down Molly's face again, and Kristina immediately pulls her in for a hug.
"What if there's something w-wrong with m-me?" she sobs, her cheek against Kristina's chest, "What if I c-can't have k-kids?"
"Don't think like that."
"But what if, Krissy? Do I consider IVF? Do I go looking for a surrogate? Would Sam or Mom even want to carry my baby? Do I give up on all of that and go for adoption? Oh God…what am I gonna do?"
As if on cue, the idea arrives. It rushes into Kristina's brain like blood, sudden and slightly dizzying. A lump forms in her throat at the impulsive thought, nerves and dread creeping into her. She holds Molly close, running a hand through her long brunette hair. The words come out in a gentle whisper, sincere yet scared of what may come from it.
"I'll have your baby."