Ain't It A Fine Life, Carrying The Banner!

Drabble #27 Jack+Katherine ("I'm pregnant.")

Katherine stared at the doctor in disbelief.

"You're quite sure?"

He nodded, removing his gloves and making a note in her file. "Yes. We can schedule you to get an ultrasound if you'd like to see for yourself, but I'm sure. Congratulations."

"Thank you," she said, feeling very far away. "I... Can you call to schedule the appointment later? I think I'd like to go tell my husband," she said, the word 'husband' rolling off her tongue with as much false ease as her excitement. She and Jack weren't technically married yet, but she had a feeling this would throw a wrench in their plans.

Her doctor smiled warmly, oblivious to her upset. "Of course. Let me get you some paperwork about foods to avoid, places to prepare, labor classes, that sort of thing. I'll be back in a moment."

She nodded and smiled, dropping her head to her hands when he left the room.

"Oh, God," she murmured, shaking her head and feeling her stomach clench. "What am I going to do?"

~•~•~•~•~•

Katherine paced the floor, waiting impatiently for Jack to come home. He'd called, apologetic, to say he'd be running a little late, and that she should eat if she was hungry instead of waiting for him.

She was too nervous to eat. What was Jack going to say? He'd spent his entire life taking care of someone, and appeared to be enjoying the freedom of their comfortable life together. He'd been in no rush to get married; they still hadn't really talked about it, actually. He loved her, she knew that, and he was hopelessly devoted to making her happy, but a baby? It was a lot to spring on someone, and she didn't know how he'd take it.

Katherine couldn't tell what would be worse: Jack leaving or Jack staying and slowly falling out of love with her.

The sound of Jack's key scraping in the lock startled her, and she nervously smoothed her hands over her hair and scurried into the kitchen so she wouldn't be the first thing he saw when he came inside.

Jack was whistling cheerfully. Katherine thought she might throw up.

"Hiya, Ace," he called loudly as he stepped in. "M'home!"

"In the kitchen," she called back, desperately schooling her expression into something normal.

"Hi, beautiful," Jack said with a bright smile, crossing the kitchen in three long strides and kissing her. Jack always smelled like strong coffee and paint, and despite her nerves, Katherine relaxed into his familiar strong embrace and kissed him back.

He pulled away and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "You have a good day, doll?"

She nodded. "Busy but fine," she said, leaning her face into his hand. "Are you hungry?"

Jack laughed a little. "Always. You didn't have to wait dinner on me."

"I don't like eating alone, and I wasn't terribly hungry when you called," Katherine said, trying to keep her voice level. "Let's eat."

The air in the apartment was comfortable while they ate, Jack regaling her with some wild antics he'd gotten wrapped up in at Medda's theater when he'd stopped by to help with a new set of backdrops.

When Katherine stood to clear the table, Jack beat her to it, taking her plate and dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "Sit down, baby, I got it."