Nine Months
Disclaimer: These characters are owned by CBS and the CW network. I mean
no infringement of any sort and am only using the characters for personal
enjoyment and for others to enjoy as well!
DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR LANGUAGE, CONSENSUAL SEX, AND REFERENCES
TO VIOLENCE. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, SCRAM! IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE WHAT YOU ARE
READING! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, SCRAM! I WON'T TOLERATE BULLYING!
#------------
Chapter 3
The plus sign is either your happiest moment...or the scariest moment of your
life...
Catherine stared at the test in her hand, with its glaring plus sign. Holy
Shit! She was having a baby! She groaned and laid her head against the
toilet. The reality hit her full force then...
Great! She was having a baby with a man she didn't even know, whose last
name she had only just learned from her sister! What was she going to
do!?
Finally, she gathered herself together. She knew she was a little over a
month along, which meant she definitely needed to make an appointment to confirm
the pregnancy and make sure everything was okay. After that, she supposed she
would have to find a way to contact Vincent. Although, according to her sister,
he had been trying to contact her. She honestly couldn't
understand why...
Time to face the firing squad...
Catherine opened the stall door, and met a wide eyed Heather. Catherine
exhaled loudly, and held up the test. Heather stared at it, her hand raising to
clutch at her chest. "Oh, Catherine!" she breathed out.
Catherine shrugged. "I guess I deserved this. I did have unprotected sex
after all."
"Why are you thinking like that? Last time I checked, It took two to tango,"
Heather said, her voice slightly angry. Then, like she flipped a switch, she
said in a low voice, "I have to ask... is Vincent the father?" At Catherine's
small nod, she exploded. "I should ring Vincent's neck! How dare he sleep with
you without using a condom!" Catherine scoffed.
"It's not his fault, Heath. We were both pretty drunk that night," Catherine
said, needing to defend Vincent for some unknown reason. After all, she had
wanted it just as much as he had.
"Still, he's a doctor, for God's sake! That should have been the first
thing on his mind!"
Catherine found it amusing that less than an hour ago, Heather was trying to
hook them up, and now it sounded like she wanted to kill Vincent for getting her
sister pregnant. She laughed at the irony of the situation.
And besides, Catherine knew exactly what the first thing on his mind
was that night...
Catherine raised her hand up, as Heather continued to rant. Heather stopped
talking, and stared at her sister.
"First, I need to make an appointment for confirmation. After that, I'll deal
with everything else," she told Heather.
"Will you tell Vincent?" Heather asked quietly.
Catherine sighed. She wanted to, but at the same time, she was scared of his
reaction. She closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she looked Heather
in the eye. "I don't know yet. I need time to process this. Please don't say
anything to Evan about all this. He would definitely tell Vincent."
"I won't. It's just between you and I, promise," Heather told her. She
wrapped Catherine in a hug, and then said, "Just make sure you look at all your
options before you decide anything important, okay?"
Catherine nodded her head against Heather's shoulder. "I will, promise."
#----------
The following week found Catherine laying on a table, her eyes glued to the
sonogram screen, at the little peanut size blur that was showcased on the
screen. Her OBGYN pointed at the screen and said, "Congratulations, you are
definitely pregnant!" She printed a copy of the sonogram picture for Catherine,
and Catherine took it silently.
Catherine stared at the picture, at the tiny being who was currently nestled
inside her. She inhaled sharply, and her eyes welled up with tears. This was
her baby...
Once Catherine was measured and cleaned up, she and her doctor sat down to
talk. The doctor opened her file and began looking it over. She paused and
looked up at Catherine. "Now, Catherine, I see on the paperwork you filled out,
that you don't know the father's medical history. Now, normally this wouldn't be
a problem, but because you also only know half of your genetic information, it
is important that you find out his history as soon as possible," her OBGYN told
her.
Catherine nodded, her lips pressing together. "Is there a reason to be
concerned about anything?"
Her doctor placed her hands on her desk, and laced her fingers together. She
sighed. "Catherine, I don't forsee a reason for concern. However, realistically
speaking, you know nothing of your own paternal information. And, you know
nothing about the father's information. It would be detrimental to know as much
as you can learn, to rule out any factors that could cause birth defects."
"I see. I'll...uh...get in contact with the father. I'll let you know if
there is anything important."
"The sooner the better, Catherine. If there is anything we need to look out
for, it's best to catch it early."
"Alright..."
#---------
After her appointment, Catherine found herself standing outside of St.
Benjamin's Hospital. Catherine eyed the doors. You can do this. Breathe
Catherine...breathe...
Just as she was getting ready to step inside, her cell phone rang. Groaning,
she checked the caller ID. Sighing, she answered. "Heather..."
"Sooooooooo, am I an aunt?" her sister asked, her voice raised in excitement.
Catherine scoffed.
"Not for about 8 more months..." Catherine deadpanned. She then held the
phone away from her ear as Heather's muffled scream emanated from it. When the
screeching subsided, Catherine returned the phone to her ear. "Thanks Heather! I
didn't need that ear at all!"
"I'm sorry! I'm just so excited right now!" Catherine could
practically see Heather bouncing through the phone.
"I can tell! Calm down a minute, will ya? I need to know..." Catherine
started.
"What, sis? What do you need?" Heather interrupted. Catherine rolled her
eyes.
"I need Vincent's cell number."
"Hold on. I think I have it in my phone. You are going to tell him then?"
"He has the right to know at least. What he does after is up to him. I won't
force him into anything," Catherine told her, sighing.
Heather rattled it off, and Catherine rushed to find a piece of paper in her
purse to write it down on. After listening to Heather prattle on for a few more
minutes, Catherine interrupted her and ended the call, then looked up at the
entrance to the hospital again. Now or never...
With shaking fingers, she dialed his number, and listened to it ring. After
several rings, she heard, "Vincent Keller..."
Taking a deep breath, she said, "Vincent? It's Catherine Chandler, Heather's
sister. Is there someplace we can meet? I really need to see you..."
#--------
Vincent told her he would meet her at a little cafe around the corner from
the hospital, and 30 minutes later, she sat waiting for him to arrive.
A few minutes later, Vincent barreled in the door. He looked around the room,
and smiled when his eyes landed on Catherine. He walked toward her, and
Catherine felt herself getting warm. He settled across from her, and a wider
smile crossed his face.
"Hey! I'm so happy you contacted me. I never got the chance to get your
number, or I would have called you!" he said. Catherine dropped her eyes,
ashamed.
"I'm sorry about that. I uh- I thought it was best to take off," Catherine
told him, her eyes glued to her plate. Seconds later, long fingers came into her
line of sight, and she felt him grasp her cheek. Her eyes flew up to his.
"I wish you hadn't. When I woke up and you were gone, I-" Vincent started,
but cut himself off. "Anyway, we're here now. That's what counts. I'm sorry for
making you wait so long. I had an emergency consult as I was literally walking
out the door. So, anyway, you said you wanted to see me?"
Catherine's eyes widened. "Um- Uh-" she tried to talk, but the words were
frozen in her throat. She took a sip of her water and tried again. "Uh...I just
want you to know, I don't sleep around. What happened that night, I've never
done that before."
"I believe you. Believe it or not, that was also a first for me," Vincent
told her. Catherine nodded, gathering her courage.
"Well, since I don't do things like that, I wasn't exactly prepared.
I, uh, take full responsibility for not saying anything that night. That being
said, I...um...I'm not sure exactly how to say this, so I'm just gonna put it
out there." Catherine took a couple deep breaths, and blurted out, "I'm
pregnant..."
Vincent sat back in his seat, shock permeating his features. His eyes raked
over her body, and Catherine began to squirm under his scrutiny. When he failed
to respond after several moments, Catherine began to panic.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have just said it like that. I'm such an idiot! What
you must think of me! You'll probably want a paternity test, although I haven't
been with anyone else in months, and...I'll just...I'll just... I'm gonna go
now. This was a bad idea," Catherine said, starting to stand up. She was stopped
when a large hand pushed her gently back down in her seat. She met his wide
eyes.
"It's mine?" Vincent asked quietly. Catherine nodded, unsure where to go from
there. Vincent took it out of her hands. "What are you- are you planning on
keeping it?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"I'm keeping it, yes. I don't want you to think I'm trying to trap you or
anything. You can participate as much or as little as you want. I just- I
couldn't not tell you. It's...kinda surreal."
Vincent sucked in a breath. "Wow! I wanted to see you again, but this...is
unexpected."
Catherine felt faint. He doesn't want the baby...
"I, uh...I'll make this very easy for you. The main reason I asked to see you
was because I need to make sure there are no genetic abnormalities in your
family. I need that information for my doctor."
Vincent stared at her. "No...no abnormalities."
Catherine nodded. "Alright. Thank you. Um...oh, and don't worry. I won't ask
you for anything. You can just...go on with your life. I won't be a bother to
you anymore." Catherine stood up, and grabbed her purse. As she walked by
Vincent, he reached out, one large hand wrapping around her waist. The other he
placed gently on her stomach. She met his eyes, and gasped. Vincent had tears in
his eyes!
"I said it was unexpected...not that I minded," he told her, his hand gently
rubbing her stomach. "A baby..." he breathed out.
Catherine felt tears welling in her own eyes. She covered his hand with her
much smaller one. "Yes...a baby."
"Catherine, I'm gonna be there for you, no matter what. I will do whatever
you want me to do. If you want to raise this baby together, then we will. If you
want to do it alone, I understand that too. But, I will help you out
financially, no matter what happens. I won't make you do everything alone."
Catherine couldn't believe her ears. Still, she had been burned before. "We
barely know each other. How do you know I would even be a good mother? How do
you know I wouldn't spend all your money on booze and drugs?""
Vincent chuckled. "We may be nearly strangers, but I know you. Your sister
talks about you all the time. I know alot of things about you. I know you like
your coffee black. I know you make this adorable clucking sound when you are
asleep. I know you are courageous and brave. I know you are a Junior Detective
at the NYPD. I know you are a beautiful, intelligent woman. I know I want to
kill whatever douche bags hurt you in the past to make you so sure I would walk
away from you now. And," he said, his voice dropping as his head lowered to her
belly, "I know you are the mother of my child. I know the night we made this
baby was the single best sexual experience I have ever had. I know you put me in
a tailspin that night, and I still haven't righted myself. And, I know I will
kill any son of a bitch that ever tries to hurt you..."
Catherine felt tears beginning to well in her eyes again. Vincent saw, and
gently wiped at her eyes with the pad of his thumb. He leaned toward her, and
his lips gently pressed against hers. Catherine's eyes slid closed, and she
sighed into the kiss.
After a few beats, Vincent pulled back, a smile on his face. Catherine opened
her eyes, feeling dazed.
"That was even better sober," Vincent said, causing Catherine to giggle. He
grasped her hand, and said," I won't be needing that paternity test. I trust
you. I hope you can trust me, as well."
Catherine looked at Vincent's earnest face, and nodded. "I trust you..."
#----------
They talked for a little longer, exchanging address. Catherine learned that
Vincent only lived a few blocks away from her. Then, Vincent had to return to
work, so they parted, with Catherine telling Vincent when her next appointment
was. Vincent readily agreed to attend.
After Vincent left the cafe, Catherine thought to herself, "Maybe this can
work..."
#------------
Disclaimer: These characters are owned by CBS and the CW network. I mean
no infringement of any sort and am only using the characters for personal
enjoyment and for others to enjoy as well!
DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR LANGUAGE, CONSENSUAL SEX, AND REFERENCES
TO VIOLENCE. IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, SCRAM! IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE WHAT YOU ARE
READING! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, SCRAM! I WON'T TOLERATE BULLYING!
#------------
Chapter 3
The plus sign is either your happiest moment...or the scariest moment of your
life...
Catherine stared at the test in her hand, with its glaring plus sign. Holy
Shit! She was having a baby! She groaned and laid her head against the
toilet. The reality hit her full force then...
Great! She was having a baby with a man she didn't even know, whose last
name she had only just learned from her sister! What was she going to
do!?
Finally, she gathered herself together. She knew she was a little over a
month along, which meant she definitely needed to make an appointment to confirm
the pregnancy and make sure everything was okay. After that, she supposed she
would have to find a way to contact Vincent. Although, according to her sister,
he had been trying to contact her. She honestly couldn't
understand why...
Time to face the firing squad...
Catherine opened the stall door, and met a wide eyed Heather. Catherine
exhaled loudly, and held up the test. Heather stared at it, her hand raising to
clutch at her chest. "Oh, Catherine!" she breathed out.
Catherine shrugged. "I guess I deserved this. I did have unprotected sex
after all."
"Why are you thinking like that? Last time I checked, It took two to tango,"
Heather said, her voice slightly angry. Then, like she flipped a switch, she
said in a low voice, "I have to ask... is Vincent the father?" At Catherine's
small nod, she exploded. "I should ring Vincent's neck! How dare he sleep with
you without using a condom!" Catherine scoffed.
"It's not his fault, Heath. We were both pretty drunk that night," Catherine
said, needing to defend Vincent for some unknown reason. After all, she had
wanted it just as much as he had.
"Still, he's a doctor, for God's sake! That should have been the first
thing on his mind!"
Catherine found it amusing that less than an hour ago, Heather was trying to
hook them up, and now it sounded like she wanted to kill Vincent for getting her
sister pregnant. She laughed at the irony of the situation.
And besides, Catherine knew exactly what the first thing on his mind
was that night...
Catherine raised her hand up, as Heather continued to rant. Heather stopped
talking, and stared at her sister.
"First, I need to make an appointment for confirmation. After that, I'll deal
with everything else," she told Heather.
"Will you tell Vincent?" Heather asked quietly.
Catherine sighed. She wanted to, but at the same time, she was scared of his
reaction. She closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she looked Heather
in the eye. "I don't know yet. I need time to process this. Please don't say
anything to Evan about all this. He would definitely tell Vincent."
"I won't. It's just between you and I, promise," Heather told her. She
wrapped Catherine in a hug, and then said, "Just make sure you look at all your
options before you decide anything important, okay?"
Catherine nodded her head against Heather's shoulder. "I will, promise."
#----------
The following week found Catherine laying on a table, her eyes glued to the
sonogram screen, at the little peanut size blur that was showcased on the
screen. Her OBGYN pointed at the screen and said, "Congratulations, you are
definitely pregnant!" She printed a copy of the sonogram picture for Catherine,
and Catherine took it silently.
Catherine stared at the picture, at the tiny being who was currently nestled
inside her. She inhaled sharply, and her eyes welled up with tears. This was
her baby...
Once Catherine was measured and cleaned up, she and her doctor sat down to
talk. The doctor opened her file and began looking it over. She paused and
looked up at Catherine. "Now, Catherine, I see on the paperwork you filled out,
that you don't know the father's medical history. Now, normally this wouldn't be
a problem, but because you also only know half of your genetic information, it
is important that you find out his history as soon as possible," her OBGYN told
her.
Catherine nodded, her lips pressing together. "Is there a reason to be
concerned about anything?"
Her doctor placed her hands on her desk, and laced her fingers together. She
sighed. "Catherine, I don't forsee a reason for concern. However, realistically
speaking, you know nothing of your own paternal information. And, you know
nothing about the father's information. It would be detrimental to know as much
as you can learn, to rule out any factors that could cause birth defects."
"I see. I'll...uh...get in contact with the father. I'll let you know if
there is anything important."
"The sooner the better, Catherine. If there is anything we need to look out
for, it's best to catch it early."
"Alright..."
#---------
After her appointment, Catherine found herself standing outside of St.
Benjamin's Hospital. Catherine eyed the doors. You can do this. Breathe
Catherine...breathe...
Just as she was getting ready to step inside, her cell phone rang. Groaning,
she checked the caller ID. Sighing, she answered. "Heather..."
"Sooooooooo, am I an aunt?" her sister asked, her voice raised in excitement.
Catherine scoffed.
"Not for about 8 more months..." Catherine deadpanned. She then held the
phone away from her ear as Heather's muffled scream emanated from it. When the
screeching subsided, Catherine returned the phone to her ear. "Thanks Heather! I
didn't need that ear at all!"
"I'm sorry! I'm just so excited right now!" Catherine could
practically see Heather bouncing through the phone.
"I can tell! Calm down a minute, will ya? I need to know..." Catherine
started.
"What, sis? What do you need?" Heather interrupted. Catherine rolled her
eyes.
"I need Vincent's cell number."
"Hold on. I think I have it in my phone. You are going to tell him then?"
"He has the right to know at least. What he does after is up to him. I won't
force him into anything," Catherine told her, sighing.
Heather rattled it off, and Catherine rushed to find a piece of paper in her
purse to write it down on. After listening to Heather prattle on for a few more
minutes, Catherine interrupted her and ended the call, then looked up at the
entrance to the hospital again. Now or never...
With shaking fingers, she dialed his number, and listened to it ring. After
several rings, she heard, "Vincent Keller..."
Taking a deep breath, she said, "Vincent? It's Catherine Chandler, Heather's
sister. Is there someplace we can meet? I really need to see you..."
#--------
Vincent told her he would meet her at a little cafe around the corner from
the hospital, and 30 minutes later, she sat waiting for him to arrive.
A few minutes later, Vincent barreled in the door. He looked around the room,
and smiled when his eyes landed on Catherine. He walked toward her, and
Catherine felt herself getting warm. He settled across from her, and a wider
smile crossed his face.
"Hey! I'm so happy you contacted me. I never got the chance to get your
number, or I would have called you!" he said. Catherine dropped her eyes,
ashamed.
"I'm sorry about that. I uh- I thought it was best to take off," Catherine
told him, her eyes glued to her plate. Seconds later, long fingers came into her
line of sight, and she felt him grasp her cheek. Her eyes flew up to his.
"I wish you hadn't. When I woke up and you were gone, I-" Vincent started,
but cut himself off. "Anyway, we're here now. That's what counts. I'm sorry for
making you wait so long. I had an emergency consult as I was literally walking
out the door. So, anyway, you said you wanted to see me?"
Catherine's eyes widened. "Um- Uh-" she tried to talk, but the words were
frozen in her throat. She took a sip of her water and tried again. "Uh...I just
want you to know, I don't sleep around. What happened that night, I've never
done that before."
"I believe you. Believe it or not, that was also a first for me," Vincent
told her. Catherine nodded, gathering her courage.
"Well, since I don't do things like that, I wasn't exactly prepared.
I, uh, take full responsibility for not saying anything that night. That being
said, I...um...I'm not sure exactly how to say this, so I'm just gonna put it
out there." Catherine took a couple deep breaths, and blurted out, "I'm
pregnant..."
Vincent sat back in his seat, shock permeating his features. His eyes raked
over her body, and Catherine began to squirm under his scrutiny. When he failed
to respond after several moments, Catherine began to panic.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have just said it like that. I'm such an idiot! What
you must think of me! You'll probably want a paternity test, although I haven't
been with anyone else in months, and...I'll just...I'll just... I'm gonna go
now. This was a bad idea," Catherine said, starting to stand up. She was stopped
when a large hand pushed her gently back down in her seat. She met his wide
eyes.
"It's mine?" Vincent asked quietly. Catherine nodded, unsure where to go from
there. Vincent took it out of her hands. "What are you- are you planning on
keeping it?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"I'm keeping it, yes. I don't want you to think I'm trying to trap you or
anything. You can participate as much or as little as you want. I just- I
couldn't not tell you. It's...kinda surreal."
Vincent sucked in a breath. "Wow! I wanted to see you again, but this...is
unexpected."
Catherine felt faint. He doesn't want the baby...
"I, uh...I'll make this very easy for you. The main reason I asked to see you
was because I need to make sure there are no genetic abnormalities in your
family. I need that information for my doctor."
Vincent stared at her. "No...no abnormalities."
Catherine nodded. "Alright. Thank you. Um...oh, and don't worry. I won't ask
you for anything. You can just...go on with your life. I won't be a bother to
you anymore." Catherine stood up, and grabbed her purse. As she walked by
Vincent, he reached out, one large hand wrapping around her waist. The other he
placed gently on her stomach. She met his eyes, and gasped. Vincent had tears in
his eyes!
"I said it was unexpected...not that I minded," he told her, his hand gently
rubbing her stomach. "A baby..." he breathed out.
Catherine felt tears welling in her own eyes. She covered his hand with her
much smaller one. "Yes...a baby."
"Catherine, I'm gonna be there for you, no matter what. I will do whatever
you want me to do. If you want to raise this baby together, then we will. If you
want to do it alone, I understand that too. But, I will help you out
financially, no matter what happens. I won't make you do everything alone."
Catherine couldn't believe her ears. Still, she had been burned before. "We
barely know each other. How do you know I would even be a good mother? How do
you know I wouldn't spend all your money on booze and drugs?""
Vincent chuckled. "We may be nearly strangers, but I know you. Your sister
talks about you all the time. I know alot of things about you. I know you like
your coffee black. I know you make this adorable clucking sound when you are
asleep. I know you are courageous and brave. I know you are a Junior Detective
at the NYPD. I know you are a beautiful, intelligent woman. I know I want to
kill whatever douche bags hurt you in the past to make you so sure I would walk
away from you now. And," he said, his voice dropping as his head lowered to her
belly, "I know you are the mother of my child. I know the night we made this
baby was the single best sexual experience I have ever had. I know you put me in
a tailspin that night, and I still haven't righted myself. And, I know I will
kill any son of a bitch that ever tries to hurt you..."
Catherine felt tears beginning to well in her eyes again. Vincent saw, and
gently wiped at her eyes with the pad of his thumb. He leaned toward her, and
his lips gently pressed against hers. Catherine's eyes slid closed, and she
sighed into the kiss.
After a few beats, Vincent pulled back, a smile on his face. Catherine opened
her eyes, feeling dazed.
"That was even better sober," Vincent said, causing Catherine to giggle. He
grasped her hand, and said," I won't be needing that paternity test. I trust
you. I hope you can trust me, as well."
Catherine looked at Vincent's earnest face, and nodded. "I trust you..."
#----------
They talked for a little longer, exchanging address. Catherine learned that
Vincent only lived a few blocks away from her. Then, Vincent had to return to
work, so they parted, with Catherine telling Vincent when her next appointment
was. Vincent readily agreed to attend.
After Vincent left the cafe, Catherine thought to herself, "Maybe this can
work..."
#------------