Fake [[Completed]]

Chapter Thirty-Six -- What Now?

Mystery's POV

I stare at her. This can't be right. I involuntarily take a step back. There's no way this could be my doing. We haven't had sex at all.

"Who?" Is all my numb throat can manage.

She holds her sides and struggles to keep in tears. "I- I don't know." She stammers. "It c-could be anyone. I-" She swallows. "I assume it is the last one I stayed with. Right before we were reunited..." Her voice is barely above a whisper.

I hold the bridge of my nose and close my eyes. "But the doctors, they would have known right?"

"It was too soon for them to tell."

I breath deeply. "Well what now?" I ask.

When she doesn't answer, I open my eyes to see her silently crying. She's rocking herself back and forth while squeezing her sides.

"Jane..." I take a step forward but she pulls back.

I watch her internally struggle and something inside me breaks.

"Are you positive, Jane?" I ask hesitantly.

She nods. "I used three tests."

"Show me."

She leads me into the bathroom and I see three pregnancy tests lined up on the counter. I look them over warily, and sure enough, they all read positive.

I sigh. "So where does this put us?" I ask quietly.

She looks at me, pleading. "I- I could abort. We could pretend this never happened and continue with our lives. We could-"

"No Jane. I won't let you abort. That would destroy you." I take her shoulders in my hands and look her dead in the eyes.

We look at each other only a moment before she begins sobbing. I hold her in my arms and let her cry into my shoulder. Both of our knees weakend and we lower ourselves onto the bathroom floor.

We hold each other for a while, the only sounds being my heavy breathing and Jane's quiet sobs.

"What do we do?" She clutches my shirt.

"First, I want you to take a DNA test so we can track down the father of this child. We'll let him know and have a court trial to sign papers and such. But in order to do that we'll need to know what we plan on doing with the child. We could put him up for adoption, give him to the father, or keep him ourselves." I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and she looks up at me, her sobs momentarily paused.

"You'd be willing to do that?" She sniffs.

"I'm willing to do whatever you want to do." I offer a slight smile.

She tries to return it but it falters. "I wasn't ready for this. I'm still not. I can't handle being- pregnant." The word barely makes it out of her mouth. "I don't know if I can raise a child yet."

"You don't have to. You have other options if you don't feel ready."

"What about our wedding? If we keep the date, I'll be completely round!" She exclaims and I smile. "I'm not wearing a maternity wedding dress." She says sternly.

"We can push it back. It won't harm anyone. We haven't even confirmed reservations yet." I comfort her.

She thinks it over. "But I don't think I can wait any longer to marry you." She says.

I smile. "Then lets get married this weekend. On Sunday. I'll call a pastor and make the reservations. Your mother will be ecstatic and leap at the opportunity to help us out."

Her eyes switch from excitement to worry in a heartbeat. "My mother!" Her hands fly to her face. "What am I going to tell her?? She never found out about my other pregnancy, I'd been too scared to tell her, but I can't avoid it now!"

I smile and pry her hands off her face to tie them around my neck. "Let me deal with her. Right now, we've got a wedding to plan."

She finally gets a smile out and her eyes sparkle. Her make up is all run down her pale face and her hair is a wreck, but she's never looked so beautiful.

I lean in and kiss her. Soft and sweet. She smells of rain and warm Italian food and her skin is smooth under my hands.

"Mystery?" She asks when we pull apart. "Do you still love me?"

I'm surprised by her question. Hadn't I just made that clear?

"I'm sorry," She says, looking down. "I guess I just need reassurance because everyone else has left me."

I lift her chin to level our eyes once more. "Jane. I love you with all of my heart. No matter what mistakes you have made in your past, I will always love you. And I will remind you every morning you wake up beside me. Every night you fall asleep in my arms. Every look I give you. Every time I kiss you. Every time I say your name. I love you."

She smiles as a single tear rolls down her cheek. I kiss her once more, this time more fervently.