by Margaret Kay
Elizabeth swallowed hard and sucked in a deep breath for courage. She blew it out loudly. “I do not expect anything from you. But I felt you had the right to know that I am pregnant, with your child.”
His eyes went wide, and all the oxygen got sucked from his lungs. A feather could have knocked him over.
There, she said it, just as she had rehearsed in her head since finding out. He stood still; his wide eyes focused on her. His face held no other emotions, and he didn’t say a word. The silence stretched into more than a minute before he finally spoke.
“Are you sure?” He asked.
Her lips pulled into a small grin. “Yes, I’m sure. It’s quite a simple test, not that my symptoms weren’t conclusive on their own.”
“I’m sorry. That was a stupid question. Of course, you would be sure.”
“So, that’s all I came to tell you.” She stared at him, keeping her hope tamped down.
He ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at her. She looked petrified. “We were in Africa nearly three months ago. How long have you known?”
“For just over a month, six weeks maybe,” she replied.
He shook his head. “Elizabeth, why didn’t you get in touch with me as soon as you knew? You could have called the office.”
“I didn’t know where you were. I wrote Sister Bernice John, and it took a month to get a letter back from her with this location. Besides, I had to save up the money to afford the train ticket. It was nearly two-hundred dollars.”
This made no sense to Doc. “Save up? Where were you working?”
“Well, to be given room and board at the shelter, I worked in the free clinic I used to work at, that is run by the Sisters. To have spending money, I waited tables at a neighborhood diner.”
A pang of guilt hit Doc like a Mac truck barreling through his chest. She worked two jobs to afford a lousy train ticket to come see him to personally deliver this news. “Elizabeth, you didn’t need to work waiting tables to afford to be able to travel here. I would have come to where you were if you told me you were pregnant, or I would have bought you a plane ticket.”
“I made it here didn’t I?” She said defiantly. “Besides, I wasn’t sure you would talk to me. When we parted, you made it clear that you didn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Aww, honey, I did what I thought was best for you.”
“How could that have been best for me? I thought what we did meant something. I thought you at least liked me as a person.” Her calm demeanor quickly crumbled. And she had told herself a thousand times that no matter what, she wouldn’t beg him, wouldn’t cry, wouldn’t show him she was upset, or that she wanted him in her life.
That Mac truck exploded in his chest, shredding his heart. He wrapped his arms around Elizabeth’s tiny frame. “It meant a lot, honey, more that you know. And I do like you. I haven’t been able to forget about you or the time we spent together.” It felt good to confess this to her.
“Then why?” She whispered.
“It’s a very long story and has nothing to do with you. It’s all on me.” He rubbed her back gently. What the fuck was he going to do now? “Please don’t cry, honey.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling away. “As I said, I don’t expect anything from you. I just believed you had the right to know and to hear it from me in person.”
“What do you mean you expect nothing from me? It’s my child. I’m going to take care of you, of both of you.”
“That’s kind of you, but unnecessary. I’m not afraid of hard work. I can take care of,” she started to argue, but he interrupted her.
“I’m not being kind and it is necessary. Damn-it Elizabeth, let me take care of this. This is my responsibility.”
“I don’t see this as a mistake or a bad thing. We created a life. A life that is inside me.” She paused as tears filled her eyes, but she jutted her chin out and raised it. “I love this child and don’t want you or anyone else in its life that is there out of responsibility or guilt.” She knew that sinful pride was flaring again. But she would not beg him, for anything.
Doc jammed his hands into his hips. He was fucking this up, royally. He breathed out the heavy weight from his chest. “Let’s put this on pause for just a second.” He went to the cabinet and grabbed two cups. He brewed an herbal tea for her, and then a coffee for himself. He pointed to a chair. “Please sit.”
She nodded and complied. He sat the cup in front of her and then took the seat beside her. She took a sip. When her eyes met his, she noticed he was watching her with a sharp focus. “What?”
“I have thought about you often. And I am sorry about how I was when we parted. I promise you an explanation in time, when I’m ready. I have a past that has haunted me, Elizabeth. As I said, how it was when we parted was on me, not you.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Fair enough.”
“What are your plans?” He knew she was hardheaded and independent. He couldn’t dictate anything to her. And after how he had treated her, he knew he would have to ask her to stay. He hoped she would. He absolutely didn’t want her going back to Seattle.
She shrugged. “I have two-hundred thirty dollars to get me back to Seattle.”
He shook his head no. “Please stay.”
She nodded. This was what she had hoped for. Well, part of it.
“You can stay at my place. We’ll work this out.”
“I’m not sure how we’ll do that.”
She looked like she was going to cry again. “Stay right here,” Doc said. “Will you do that for me?”
She nodded her head yes.
Doc opened the door and saw Angel in the hallway holding baby Sammy in her arms. “Angel, can you keep Elizabeth company for a minute?”
“Sure,” Angel agreed stepping towards the kitchen.
“And don’t let her leave,” Doc whispered as he passed her. He went out through the public entrance and took the stairs down to the lobby.
Elizabeth glanced up at Angel and the baby as they entered the kitchen. He had grown so much from the last picture she had seen of him that Angel sent her mom in Africa. Elizabeth smiled wide; her hand unconsciously gripped her own abdomen. “He’s precious,” she said coming to her feet.
Angel grinned. “This little man is my world.” Doc’s words to not let her leave hit her. She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew how to keep her from leaving. She leaned Sammy towards Elizabeth. “Can you hold him for a second while I make myself a cup of tea?”
“Certainly,” Elizabeth said with a smile, taking him from her arms. “You are a handsome guy, aren’t you? Your mommy and daddy are blessed to have such a good boy.”
“Yes, he is, and I am truly blessed,” Angel said. After her cup of tea brewed, she brought it to the table. “May I join you until Doc returns?”
“Yes, thank you,” Elizabeth said, handing the little boy back to his mother. She wondered if her child would be a boy or a girl. She hadn’t allowed herself to think too much about it before now.
When Doc returned, Angel was seated at the table with Elizabeth. They were both sipping tea and talking about Angel’s mom. “Thanks, Angel.” He nodded towards the door. “If you don’t mind.”
Angel came to her feet. “Not at all.” She smiled at Elizabeth. “It was nice chatting. Hopefully, we’ll have many more opportunities to get to know each other better.”
Elizabeth nodded and came to her feet. “I’d like that.” She watched Angel leave and close the door behind herself.
Doc took Elizabeth’s hands in his and slid the decorative gold band he’d just bought at the jewelry shop in the lobby onto the ring finger of her left hand. “We’re doing this out of order. But the ring belongs there.”
“Alexander, what are you doing?”
“We said our vows in Africa before we made love and consummated our union. We’ll get the marriage license at the county building tomorrow, and have Lambchop sign it on Friday, when it’s valid. We are husband and w
ife, Elizabeth. I want you to stay here with me as my wife. I want to be with you during this pregnancy and after.”
She was stunned. This was more than she hoped for. “You don’t have to do this.” Her voice was soft.
“Yes, I do. I want to make this right, want you to understand we’re in this together.”
New tears filled her eyes. Happy tears this time. She nodded her head yes. Then he drew her in close and held her. “Come on,” he said when he released her. “Let’s go home.”
She smiled and nodded.
He lifted her backpack from the chair. It had to weigh twenty pounds. When he reopened the door, the hallway was empty. He had the backpack in one hand, her hand in his other. He led her to Angel’s desk, where she sat. Sammy was in his activity chair at her feet.
“Where’s Cooper?”
“In with Shepherd,” Angel replied.
Doc nodded and then led her back through the suite towards the back corner where Shepherd’s office was. The door was closed. He gently backed her against the hallway wall. “Wait here for me.” He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and sat her backpack at her feet. “I’m going to check out with my boss and then take you home.”
Her lips trembled. “Okay,” she said softly.
Doc gave Shepherd’s door one loud rap and then opened it without being invited in. He closed it behind himself. Cooper stood in front of Shepherd’s desk. He turned to look at Doc with a ‘what the fuck’ expression on his face.
“Doc, what the hell is going on?” Shepherd demanded.
“I’m leaving for the night, taking Elizabeth home with me. And I need to take tomorrow off. She and I need to go to the county building and get a marriage license.”
Cooper and Shepherd exchanged surprised glances. Shepherd shook his head. “What the hell?”
“You’re marrying her?” Cooper asked a beat later.
“She’s Catholic and pregnant with my child.”
Cooper’s trademark smirk formed on his face. “You slept with her in Africa during the mission.”
“Look, I’m not proud of it, but I’m trying to make it right now. She’s alone in this world, got nobody else.”
“So, this explains why you’ve been a pain in the ass since Africa,” Cooper said.
Doc ran his hand through his hair and then slid it down his tense neck. He massaged it for a second. “It’s complicated, and yes, this is one of the reasons I’ve been a pain in the ass.”
Shepherd’s gaze shifted to Cooper. “We can push the next mission off a few days. Contact the client.”
Cooper nodded and then turned his attention back to Doc. “Will you be ready to go by Monday?”
Doc nodded. “Yeah, I’ll have my affairs handled by then.”
Shepherd nodded. “Take tomorrow off and Friday too, if you need it.”
Doc nodded again. “I’ll need her added to our medical insurance and get a secure phone issued to her before I go on this next mission.”
“Anything else?” Shepherd asked. The annoyance in his voice was obvious.
“I’ll want to install a tracker in her, and have it monitored in Ops, just like the other women.”
Shepherd’s lips drew into a thin line. “You do realize we don’t really have a protocol for this.”
“I guess we better write one then. And I’ll want her to meet Sienna too. She’s going to need support from the other wives with me gone.”
Cooper and Shepherd exchanged glances again. Shepherd was not pleased. “You’ll need to talk with Garcia about that one. As far as the other items, Cooper and I will discuss them and get back to you.”
Doc nodded. “Fair enough.”
Doc left Shepherd’s office, closing the door behind himself and he rejoined Elizabeth. She stood where he left her. “Come on,” he said, nodding to the stairs. “I’m checked out for the day.” He led her down to four. He needed to get his gear from his office before he left.
She watched as he pressed his palm to the scan pad and entered his code into the door lock. She was intrigued by the security. She followed him to his office. There were four offices in the area marked with a plaque that said ‘Medical’.
Beside the door was a name plaque that read ‘Williams’. That’s right, Alexander Williams was his full name. Elizabeth Williams, she ran through her thoughts, giving the name a mental test run. Her eyes flickered to the wedding band he had put on her finger. It wasn’t that different from the band she wore as a Sister, indicating she was married to God. This one was wider and had a delicate floral design etched on it. It was pretty.
Her eyes swept over his office. It looked just like any medical office room she’d ever been in. She watched as he opened a few cabinets and packed various supplies into a large backpack. It was only then that the flannel shirt he wore untucked, shifted to the side, and she noticed the gun on his right hip. She would have to ask about it, but she wouldn’t ask now.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Doc said. He grabbed a very warm looking coat from the hook behind the door and put it on.
She put her coat on, as well. It wasn’t that warm. She froze on her way to this office. January in Chicago was colder than she thought it would be. She bought the warmest coat the Goodwill Store had that fit her. She’d just have to add more layers beneath.
Doc carried both their backpacks and led her down the stairs to subbasement two. She followed him, still surprised and curious about all the security. She followed him across the large underground parking lot, that had at least twenty cars and SUVs parked in it, to a newer dark blue SUV. He sat the backpacks on the backseat. She climbed into the passenger side. The garage wasn’t cold, and neither was the car, she noticed. It wasn’t over fifty degrees, but it wasn’t below zero like it was outside.
Elizabeth pressed her back against the comfortable leather heated seat in Alexander’s big SUV, but she wasn’t relaxed. The double garage doors and security gate to exit the parking garage was something like she’d never seen. She wasn’t sure who this group was. Sister Bernice John had referred to them as some sort of paramilitary, whatever that meant. Again, she tamped down her curiosity and tucked away the many questions that ran through her mind.
They drove in silence. The radio wasn’t even on. She tried to take note of the street names and the route he took. He pulled into the lot of a big, fancy grocery store and parked.
“We were supposed to leave on a mission Friday. I spoke with my boss on the way out and we’ll push it off till Monday so I can get you settled in my place, but I don’t have enough fresh food in the house for us both. They have good premade meals and sides. If it’s okay, I thought we’d just pick up something to bring home for dinner and probably something for breakfast too. Then we can do a proper shopping trip to stock the house for you tomorrow.”
The parking lot light shone through the window illuminating Alexander’s face. Elizabeth studied his face as he spoke, trying to judge his mood regarding his words. “I’m sorry your team’s plans changed because of me. It’s not necessary. I can fend for myself.”
Doc felt his lips tug into a grin. “It’s no trouble. Besides, there is a lot to do to get you settled beside the marriage license. We need to add you to the team’s medical insurance to cover your pregnancy, get you a secure cell phone so we can be in contact while I’m away, and I need to be sure you have everything you need at my place. I also want you to meet Garcia’s girlfriend. She and Angel will be a good support system for you while I’m away.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“Maybe two weeks.”
A pang of disappointment hit Elizabeth. She’d only have a few days with him and then he’d be gone for two weeks, half a month. She hid how she felt and forced a smile. “Okay, whatever you think is best.”
“Come on,” Doc said nodding to the grocery store.
He got out of the SUV. She followed and walked beside him, pulling her coat more tightly around her. The frigid wind went right through her, chilling her in
stantly. No, this coat was not meant for the cold winter temperatures in Chicago. And she needed a winter hat and gloves too. If she was staying, she could use the money she earmarked for the return train ticket to buy adequate clothing.
Once inside the huge store, he led her to the prepared deli case. The amount of food and the variety surprised her. She didn’t shop in places like this. They had large perch fillets encrusted with pecans. For no additional cost, they would cook them.
“Do you like perch?” He asked pointing to the fillets in the case.
Elizabeth saw the price. “They are very expensive,” she replied softly.
