Disclaimer: I don't own the TV show Passions or its characters, plot, or setting. This story is a creative work based on the established Passions universe (with some of my own original additions you'll meet here) and is intended for entertainment purposes only. It is not meant to infringe on any copyrights.

As always, a big thank you to Ashley (divinelyfine) for beta reading! I appreciate your help making this story come alive.

January 2002

"No. This can't be happening." The blood on the white towel made Ivy freeze in place in the shower. She carefully finished drying herself off as she choked back tears. She was seven months pregnant. It was much too early for the baby to come. Everything about her pregnancy had been going well until now. She'd been having a bit of discomfort earlier in the day, but she hadn't thought it was anything to worry about. Now that she was bleeding too, she wasn't so sure.

The discomfort had turned into cramps by the time she got dressed and called her doctor's office. A physician's assistant put her through to Julia, who told her to come to the hospital right away. She'd been sitting on her bed during the call, and she stayed there and closed her eyes after she hung up. She'd never been very religious, but she tried a simple prayer in case anyone was listening. Please, God, don't punish the baby for the things I've done. Please, please watch over her and bring her safely into this world.

She opened her eyes. She desperately wished she didn't have to go through this by herself. Sam. He told me I wasn't alone. She picked up the phone again and called him. After she explained what was happening, he said he'd come over right away and take her to the hospital. He made it to her house in record time with Kay in tow; she was visiting her dad for the weekend and was concerned about Ivy too. Ivy was waiting for them in the foyer when they arrived. Sam must have sensed her panic because he squeezed her hands tightly in his and looked into her eyes. "Hang in there, okay? It's going to be all right."

Ivy nodded silently, not trusting herself to say anything without crying. Sam ushered Ivy and Kay out of the house, keeping an arm snugly around Ivy's waist as she walked down the three stairs from the front door to the sidewalk.

Ivy was grateful that Kay was there when they sat together in the backseat of the car and Kay held her hand on the way to the hospital. Even though she knew she'd been frantic before, she felt an unexpected calm as they sped towards the hospital. She focused on the back of Sam's head and the unexpected warmth coming from Kay's hand—they centered her.

At the hospital, Kay and Ivy sat in the waiting room while Sam went to find a wheelchair and let the nurses know they were there. Ivy felt the baby move and placed a hand on her belly. Her cramping had subsided by then.

"What is it?" Kay asked when she saw Ivy's reaction.

"The baby's moving, that's all." She hoped that was a good sign.

Kay reached out a hand towards Ivy and stopped. "Can I touch you?" Ivy nodded, so Kay scooted closer to her and put a hand on her belly. She looked at Kay in confusion when she didn't remove her hand after a few seconds, but she stopped short of asking her to do so. Soon, Ivy felt a gentle warmth spread through her body and center around her lower abdomen.

Ivy tried to pull away. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Just trust me," Kay said under her breath. When Ivy sat still, Kay put her other hand on Ivy's belly. The warmth faded eventually, and Kay took her hands away, but the same unnatural calm she'd felt when Kay held her hand in the car returned and remained.

It was hard to be weirded out when she felt calm, but Ivy couldn't help but wonder what Kay had done. "You did something to me," she said, her accusatory tone weak.

Kay kept her voice quiet, but no one else seemed to be paying attention to what they were saying anyway. "I know. I'm not sure how to explain it. I just felt like something was wrong and I could help."

A chill ran up Ivy's spine. "Your mom and cousin have premonitions, right? Is this related?"

"Yeah, they do. I know it sounds crazy, but I've seen Charity do things in the past, like she has magical powers. I wonder if it runs in my mom's side of the family?"

Ivy wanted to laugh and say that was ridiculous, but the memory of Grace cursing her at Harmony Hospital was enough to keep her quiet. "Maybe." Whatever Kay had done, it felt completely different from when she'd been cursed; this was healing and peaceful instead of frightening and loud. The baby adjusted herself again and grew still. Thank you for getting off my bladder. "You know, I do feel better, and I think the baby does too. What you did seems to have helped."

Sam returned around that time with a nurse. He helped Ivy into the wheelchair he'd gotten and then the nurse led them to a room. Sam and Kay sat in another waiting room while Ivy changed into a gown and Julia examined her. Ivy explained what she'd noticed in the shower. "I had sex for the first time since I got pregnant about three weeks ago," she added when she finished describing the cramping and bleeding. "I know you said it was all right as long as I was careful, but could it have caused this?"

Julia reached for the ultrasound wand. "Probably not, since so much time has passed, but we'll know for sure soon. Lay back, please."

Ivy did and replayed her conversation with Kay in her mind as Julia continued the examination. Premonitions, supernatural powers, curses—it made Ivy very grateful she'd gotten away from Harmony when she did. But had some of it followed her to Boston? Her eyes widened as the pieces came together. Oh my God. The curse. Is this because of the curse? Grace had cursed Ivy to suffer the same pain she'd experienced a million times over. Ivy would never forget those words. Did that mean Ivy was cursed to have a miscarriage? Will I lose the baby, and maybe Sam too if the baby isn't around to bring us closer? She'd rather be at the bottom of Boston Harbor than without them.

Ivy felt Julia's hand on her knee. "I need you to be still."

"Sorry." She hadn't realized she was squirming in response to her anxious thoughts. Ivy forced herself to be still. What happened next, she'd never be able to completely explain. She had something that was like a dream, but she was awake, and it was much more clear than anything she'd ever experienced when she was sleeping.

In her vision, she was back in Harmony, climbing a ladder outside in a terrible storm. When she saw herself reach the top of her destination and hand something to Sam, her behavior made sense. Sam used what she gave him to fix the navigation beacon on top of the tower she'd climbed as she watched on. He told her to get back down before she got hurt and said he'd be down soon, but it was too late. A bolt of lightning struck her as she was going down the ladder. She lost her grip and fell to the ground before Sam could help her. Her vision shifted to the image of Sam with her a few minutes later: he was cradling her unconscious form in his arms and begging her not to leave him. Then the vision moved forward one more time to what she assumed was weeks or months later. She saw herself sitting in a wheelchair at the Crane mansion, alone and crying.

"Ivy? Ivy." Julia's voice pulled her out of her vision. "Did you hear me?"

"No. Sorry," she apologized again.

When their eyes met, Julia's kind expression showed Ivy she wasn't judging her for being distracted. "You're both all right. You can stop worrying because nothing looks out of the ordinary. The pain and bleeding you're having is common for women around your age in this stage of pregnancy. I'm going to put you on modified bed rest, though, so hopefully you'll carry the baby to term."

"Okay."

"One bit of bad news is you shouldn't have sex again until after the baby's born, to make sure it doesn't aggravate your condition."

"I understand."

"If anything else happens that doesn't seem normal, we're just a phone call away. The man outside—he's the father of your baby?"

"Yes."

"Do you think he'd like to see the baby while I've got the machines on?"

This brought a smile to Ivy's face. "I do." Sam hadn't been to any of her doctor's appointments, but he always seemed happy to see new sonogram pictures of the baby.

"I'll go get him," Julia said.

He hugged her in relief when he was in the room and Ivy told him everything was fine. They were both slow to let go. He stood by the examination table with a hand on her shoulder as Julia reviewed the sonogram with them and they listened to the baby's heartbeat.

When they were done, Julia left the room so Ivy could change out of her gown. Sam handed her clothes to her before he left. "I'm really glad you and the baby are going to be okay," he said.

"Thank you for watching out for us."

"Anytime."

Ivy and Kay sat together in the backseat again on the way back to the townhouse. They didn't hold hands this time, but Kay kept glancing down at her hands and peeking at Ivy's midsection out of the corner of her eye. She looked like she was trying to figure something out.

Back at the townhouse, Sam and Kay made sure Ivy was settled in. Sam hugged Ivy in the living room when Kay went to the kitchen to get a glass of water for Ivy. She allowed herself to press her cheek against his shoulder for a few seconds. He rubbed her back. Her pulse quickened as she thought about the last time he rubbed her back, and what it had led to. Would he have kissed her if Kay wasn't around? Instead, he released her and, again, she sensed reluctance in the separation. "I have to go home and get ready for work. You rest, okay? Take care of yourself and the baby."

"I will. I promise." She didn't want him to go, but she consoled herself with the knowledge that she'd see him again soon.

Kay was standing in the doorway to the room, holding Ivy's water. "Dad, I want to stay with Ivy," Kay said, surprising Ivy. Their eyes met. "I mean, if it's okay with you."

Ivy nodded. They had a lot to talk about. "I'd like that. Go ahead, Sam. I can get my driver to take Kay home later."

After Sam left, they sat down in the living room. Ivy told Kay about her vision at the hospital. "What's going on? What does this mean?"

"I don't know," Kay said. "I've been trying to figure out what happened when I touched you." She paused. "Hang on a second. You said in your vision you were helping my dad fix a navigation beacon in a storm?"

"That's right."

"Hurricane Peggy!" she cried.

"What about it?" Ivy had heard about the hurricane on the news. Oddly enough, it hadn't been anything more than a light rain shower in Boston.

"My dad fixed the navigation beacon during Hurricane Peggy so Hank and T.C. could bring me and my friends back from Warlock Island. That was months ago. No one helped my dad fix the beacon, though—he was able to do it himself. Everyone was fine. You were already living here."

"So you're saying it was something that could have happened, but didn't? Like an alternate reality?"

"Maybe. I don't understand this stuff any more than you. I'm just now figuring out I might have powers."

"Well, it sounds like I don't have anything to worry about as long as I stay away from that navigation beacon."

Kay looked at Ivy skeptically. "If you're not in danger from that, why do you still look scared? Why did I feel like you needed my help earlier?"

"Grace may have cursed me after she found out about Ethan and lost her baby…"

Kay's first response was a frustrated snort. "Great. I really need to talk to Tabitha," she muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me? Tabitha? The weird woman who lives next door to you? Why?"

"I really can't say. I've already said too much," Kay said nervously.

Ivy shook her head to herself. She didn't know why she felt a rapport with this girl who was turning out to be almost as odd as Charity or Grace, but she did. "Okay. Well, would you like something to eat and drink? We missed dinner since we were at the hospital. I can order pizza."

"Count me in."

Ivy excused herself to call in the pizza and make one of her increasingly frequent stops to the bathroom. When she was heading back to the living room, she heard Kay's voice coming from her office.

"It's the only way, Simone. I'm going to get Miguel to sleep with me so I'll get pregnant. There's no way he'll stay with Charity then." She paused to listen to something Simone said. Ivy looked around the doorframe and saw Kay pacing the room with her back to the door. "It will work! I know it will." Kay was silent again. She sounded bored the next time she spoke. "I don't have to listen to this anymore if you're just going to be negative. I'll talk to you later." She hung up, turned to walk out of the room, and almost ran straight into Ivy.

"Ivy. How long have you been there?" Kay looked petrified.

Ivy smiled slyly. "Long enough."

"Please don't tell."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't."

Kay seemed to regain some of her composure. "For one thing, it's none of your business."

"It is my business because it's wrong. He's not your boyfriend. And you're both so young."

"Oh really?" Kay put a hand on her hip. "If it's so wrong, why are you doing the same thing with my dad?"

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are. You slept with him so you could get pregnant and use the baby to get him back."

"No," Ivy said. "I didn't plan to get pregnant, and I'm not trying to use the baby to get him back."

Kay looked skeptical. "So why is he hanging around you so much?"

"Because it's complicated," Ivy said, remembering Sam's words when they told Ethan about the baby. "Sam wants to have a good relationship with our child. He has to be around me if he wants to do that." It was also complicated because she and Sam couldn't seem to stay away from each other, but she didn't mention that part.

Kay wasn't completely buying Ivy's explanation. "I don't think that's all. You're doing the same thing I am."

"It's not the same." Ivy insisted. "You've never been in a relationship with Miguel, right?"
"No, but we—"

"Your father and I were in love and together for almost two years. We'd be married today if my father and Alistair Crane hadn't broken us up."

"Miguel and I have been best friends since we were kids. He said he would have asked me out if Charity hadn't shown up. We're more alike than you want to admit."

"But he's with someone else. How are you going to get him to sleep with you if he doesn't want to?" She chose to ignore the fact that Sam had slept with her, even though he'd insisted he loved Grace and only Grace right up to the night he gave in.

"He'll want to. I know he wants me. I just have to make him see it."

Ivy raised an eyebrow and tried to pretend that line of thinking didn't remind her of what she used to tell herself about Sam. "Sure." Perhaps Kay had a point about them being alike.

"My dad wanted you enough to sleep with you one more time, right?"

More than once. "Yes."

"If you could make him see that he still has feelings for you, I'm sure I can get Miguel to realize he has feelings for me."

"Maybe I should tell your dad what you have planned."

Kay's face lost its color. "You wouldn't."

Now it was Ivy's turn to place a hand on her hip. "Try me. Promise me you'll leave Miguel alone or I'll tell your father what you're trying to do."

"No."

"Have it your way then." Ivy pulled her phone out of her sweater pocket and started toggling through her contacts list to find Sam's name.

Kay's eyes followed Ivy's movements. "Okay, okay. I promise," she said.

Ivy wasn't sure how much Kay meant what she said, but at least her words were a start. She slowly slid the phone back in her pocket. "I still know a lot of people in Harmony. I'll be keeping tabs on you."

"Can we talk about something else now?"

"We can. What do you want to talk about?"

"What's up with all that?" Kay gestured to Ivy's desk and sewing materials. Ivy told Kay about her business until the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of their dinner. Kay seemed interested in Ivy's business and liked the clothes Ivy showed her.

They took their pizza in the living room and ate with The Witches of Eastwick playing on TV in the background. Kay had soda to drink and Ivy had water. Ivy was grateful Kay didn't comment on how many slices of pizza she had. She blamed her cravings for junk food on the baby, but she couldn't deny it was nice to have an excuse to eat food she normally wouldn't let herself have. Before Kay left, Ivy handed her some garments. "Take these with you. I could tell they were your favorites."

Kay looked surprised. "Ivy, I can't. I don't have the money for them."

"I'm not asking you to pay for them."

"But they've got to be worth a lot."

"Think of it as a thank you for your help today. You're practically sample size anyway, like my Cassandra, so you won't even need to alter them."

"Thanks," Kay said, hugging Ivy unexpectedly. Ivy smiled and hugged her back. With Charity coming to town and the revelation about Ethan being Sam's son, Ivy wondered when the elder Bennett girl had last gotten something special that was just for her.

Despite Ivy's threat about talking to Sam, she and Kay both knew there was only so much she could do when they were living in separate cities. The pretty purple dress Ivy had made several months before was in the pile of Kay's new clothes, and she thought she noticed a glimmer in Kay's eyes when the teen ran her fingers over the dress. I bet I know who you want to wear that dress for. She decided to offer some advice as they walked to the door. "I'm going to have my fourth child soon. Trust me when I say having a baby is a big responsibility and it changes your life in a lot of ways. If you break your promise, I hope you'll at least use protection when you're with Miguel."

Kay didn't reply, but she seemed to be considering Ivy's words. "Thank you again for the dinner and clothes."

"You're welcome."