Once and Again 1. Distracting

"Distracting"

Disclaimer:  These characters did not originate here.  I'm simply borrowing.

Show: Once and Again

Rating: PG for now

Author: Colleen

Synopsis: Post-Jake and Tiffany's wedding.  Jessie frets about Australia… Katie frets about Jessie's fretting...  Lily frets about everything (par the usual).

Email: vegasbaby81@yahoo.com  Feed back welcomed.

Part 1: "The Outer Reaches of the Dance Floor"

Jake and Tiffany's Reception

Toasts had been made, dinner had been finished, high heels and cumber bunds had been removed.  As the reception wound down, Jessie and Katie gravitated toward a few chairs lining the edge of the dance floor.  They sat, watching the others continue to dance and celebrate.  Katie couldn't help but notice that Jessie had been a bit distracted all night.  Sure, they had gone through all the motions—tormenting Eli, dancing, chatting with Rick and Lily during dinner, who, oddly enough, also seemed distracted.  The motions were right, but the feeling behind them was somewhat lacking.  In fact, the only real, positive emotion Katie had felt from Jessie all night came during the ceremony when Jessie reached for her hand.  The public gesture, while totally welcomed and appreciated by Katie, was also completely unexpected.  Jessie had been very clear about wanting to keep their relationship discreet.  And, Katie couldn't help but wonder what had charged Jessie's momentary change of heart.   

Jessie herself realized she had spent most of the night distracted and preoccupied.  The idea of Australia, having to leave Katie behind for an entire year, missing out on thousands of moments to hold hands, kiss, look into each other's eyes—it terrified Jessie.  And, she was sick of wasting time.  She knew Katie was special to her—she wanted to be with Katie.  And, when she reached for Katie's hand during the vows, for the first time all night she felt connected.  It was a feeling she wanted to stick around.     

As they sat together on the edge of the dance floor watching the dancing and general merriment, there came a point where Katie could no longer silently fret about Jessie's preoccupation.  She needed to talk to Jessie about whatever it was that was bothering her.  Katie worried that Jessie's mind was chastising her heart for reaching for her hand.  But, just as her fears surfaced, Jessie leaned her body into Katie's, resting her head on Katie's shoulder.  The simple affection was comforting, and certainly appreciated.  Katie brought an arm around Jessie, and rubbed her back in soothing circles.  Jessie closed her eyes, trying unsuccessfully to tap into the comfort Katie was offering, trying to dispel the worrisome thoughts of other continents from her mind.  No matter how much she wanted to believe that everything would be all right, the reality of Australia pulled at her, demanding her attention.  

"Someone's been quiet all night," Katie whispered.  With her free hand, she reached for Jessie's.

"I know.  I'm sorry."  Jessie sighed, attempting to concentrate on Katie's hand in hers.  She didn't want to worry Katie unnecessarily.  For all she knew, her dad might turn down the job, and all this worrying would be pointless.  But, Jessie knew that Katie picked up on her melancholy mood no matter how she wished to hide it.  

Katie waited for Jessie to speak, but her girlfriend's thoughts only seemed to drift farther away from her.  "Something's wrong," Katie pressed.  Jessie shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  "What's wrong, Billie?"

Katie kissed Jessie's forehead, letting her lips linger against Jessie's skin.  The gesture nearly broke Jessie's spirits.  She didn't want to cry there, in front of everyone.  She knew that she had to tell Katie about Australia at some point, but Jake and Tiffany's reception wasn't the time or the place.  She didn't want to get into the entire emotional conversation until they were alone, away from all other distractions, all other prying eyes.  But, it was too late to hold back all of the emotions, and a few tears escaped from her eyes.    

"My dad got a job offer—to make more hotels…" Jessie trailed off.

"Isn't that good news?" Katie asked innocently.  She let her thumb run back and forth across Jessie's hand soothingly.  

It should be good news, Jessie thought.  For everyone but Jessie it was good news.  But Jessie couldn't bear to think of a year without Katie.  Young love, the kind of love built on desperation and discovery, couldn't wait a whole year.  After all, Jessie just found Katie.  She couldn't expect Katie to sit at home and be miserable.  And, Jessie didn't want to be miserable either.  If she was headed to Australia she wanted to be able to enjoy it.  Her head began to throb.  

"Jessie?"  Katie asked.  Jessie hadn't answered her question.  Instead, she had drifted into her own thoughts again, leaving Katie alone with her own fears.  She wanted Jessie to get to the point.  Actually, she wanted to drag Jessie to the point so that they could get past whatever it was bothering her.  Katie looked out at the dancing couples, wishing she and Jessie were gliding up and down the dance floor.   She wanted Jessie to sing in her ear as they swayed back and forth, pressed up against each other.  She wanted to convince Jessie that they should be celebrating now: celebrating the wedding, celebrating their new relationship.  She wanted to kiss Jessie and take away all her fears, doubts, and worries.  She wanted to do a lot of things, but for now, all she could do was wait—wait for Jessie.  

Jessie took a deep breath.  "The hotel would be in Australia.  And he'd—we'd have to move.  To Australia."    

"Oh."  Katie couldn't really think straight.  What did all this mean?  Jessie was going away?  Was this set in stone?  Finally, Katie caught herself, admonishing her selfishness.  Very smooth, Katie.  Your girlfriend already feels like shit and you're just sitting here feeling sorry for yourself.  Katie took a deep breath before finally managing to muster the nerve to speak again.  "When?" she asked.

"I don't know.  It's not even, I mean he hasn't accepted the job—yet.  As far as I know."

**********************************************************************

Lily's dancin' feet never quite showed for the reception.  Her feet and ankles were swollen and sore, her stomach was churning, her head pounded.  Needing to get off her aching feet, Lily looked around for a place to sit down.  She eventually spotted the row of chairs along the edge of the dance floor where Jessie and Katie were curled up, apparently talking.  They looked as exhausted as herself.  Lily couldn't help but smile at the two of them.  Jessie's head was leaning against Katie's shoulder; she looked so comfortable there.  It really was sweet.   As Lily made her way over to join them, she noticed the two were holding hands, and then she saw Katie brush a few wisps of hair away from Jessie's face.  Lily couldn't help but feel she was intruding on an intimate moment.  But, after her paranoia about Grace turned out to be totally unfounded, she didn't want to jump to any conclusions.  After all, just the other day Tad had come to the house looking for Jessie.  It seemed as though the two were entering the beginning stages of dating.  Consequently, after a fleeting moment of worrying that perhaps the girls wanted to be alone, Lily's aching feet and back won out, and Lily finished the trek across the dance floor to the row of chairs.  She sat in the empty chair beside Jessie.  

"My feet are killing me," Lily explained as she removed her shoes.  Katie managed to smile in response.  Jessie sat up, suddenly aware of her proximity to Katie.  Lily, busily removing her shoes, didn't notice Jessie's reaction.  "You two looked so comfortable.  I thought I'd join you."

Jessie couldn't help but be a bit mortified.  She dropped Katie's hand and stared into her lap, too paranoid to even look at Lily.  She knows, Jessie thought.  Katie sighed audibly and stared out at the dance floor, trying to hold back her tears.  Jessie's quick escape from her embrace left Katie feeling rather helpless.  

"What brings you two to the outer reaches of the dance floor?" Lily asked, attempting to make conversation, anything to get her mind off Australia, the pregnancy, her fight and subsequent reconciliation with Rick.

"We couldn't quite keep up with the wonders of Jimmy Buffet." Katie half-heartedly joked.  Jessie smirked in spite of herself, not able to resist Katie's humor.

"Ah." Lily slumped back in her chair and rubbed her forehead.  She had developed a splitting headache over the course of the evening.  Seems that lately she'd been getting a lot of those.

"You Ok, Lily?" Jessie asked, watching Lily's obvious discomfort.  

"Yeah.  I'm just nauseous and aching and my head is pounding…" Lily attempted to smile reassuringly.

"Are you getting sick?"

"You could say that," Lily answered coyly.  Jessie peered back at Lily, obviously concerned.  Lily didn't want to worry her.  "There's just a lot going on right now," she added.

"Heh." Katie responded, receiving a quizzical look from Lily.  

"Are you nervous about Australia?" Jessie asked, ignoring Katie's reaction.  

"That among other things." Lily answered.

"Other things?" Jessie pressed.  

Lily managed a very exhausted looking smile.  "Can you two keep a secret?" she asked.  

Jessie and Katie looked at each other.  "I think we can manage," Katie said, throwing a sidelong glance to Jessie, who smirked.  Katie definitely had a point.  

"Yeah." Jessie nodded.  

Watching Jessie's smirk turn into a beaming smile, Katie couldn't resist the irony of the moment and let a soft laugh escape her lips.  Jessie just smiled wider at Katie, before turning to a bewildered Lily. 

"What's so amusing?" Lily asked.  Jessie, still grinning like an idiot, merely shrugged her shoulders.

********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Lily divulges her secret to the girls.  Jessie witnesses tension between Rick and Sam.  And, Katie and Lily discuss the prospect of Australia.

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	2. Distracting 2a

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Previously in "Distracting," worry enveloped the cast of _Once and Again_, as Jessie and Katie contemplated the possibility of being separated by ocean and continents, and Lily prepared herself to confide a secret to the girls.

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Part 2a:  "Thoughts of Babies and Oceans"

"You two are making me nervous," Lily stated.

"Sorry, Lily," Katie said.  "When Jessie's tired she tends to get a little goofy."

"I get goofy?" Jessie asked indignantly.  She reached over and playfully shoved Katie. Katie was beginning to relax a bit, to give into Jessie's charms.  Lily watched the exchange with a smile on her face.  "So, what's the big secret?" Jessie asked, returning her attention to Lily. 

"I think I'm pregnant," Lily said.  Jessie's mouth dropped open and Katie leaned in closer to Lily as if she didn't believe what she heard.  "But, we haven't told the rest of the kids, so I'd appreciate it if you two didn't tell anyone."

Shock lingered on Jessie's face as she attempted to sort out the situation. "Aren't you and dad a bit… well…"

"Old?" Katie finished.  

"Thanks," Lily answered sarcastically.  

"We don't mean—" Jessie began, before Lily stopped her.

"It's Ok.  It was a… surprise."

"Who knows?" Jessie asked.

"Just your dad." 

"Wow, congratulations."  Katie said, smiling brightly.  Jessie nodded her agreement, and reached over to hug Lily.

"That's so neat.  I'll have a little brother or sister to play with." 

Lily was relieved that Jessie seemed to be so thrilled with the news.  "I know.  The next few months are going to be busy, getting ready.  We'll really need you kids' help."  

"Anything," Jessie responded instantly.  

"Well, as a start, would you mind going to find your dad for me?  I think I'm all partied out." Lily crossed her legs and began to massage her propped up foot.

"Oh, I can go," Katie offered, but Jessie had already stood up.

"That's Ok, I see him over there talking to Sam.  I'll get him."  Jessie walked off in the direction of her father leaving Lily and Katie by themselves.

Jessie could not believe the news.  It was incredible—a new brother or sister.  Why hadn't her dad mentioned this yet?  What would this mean as far as Australia was concerned?  Any thoughts Jessie entertained of staying home were now called into question.  If she stayed with her mother for those nine months she would miss everything with the baby—Lily's pregnancy, the birth, picking out names.  Maybe Lily won't go, Jessie thought.  Maybe she'll stay home.  After all, her doctors are here, and her mother and sister… 

As Jessie approached, it became apparent that her father and Sam were just finishing a somewhat heated discussion.  Sam seemed to be a bit agitated, and her father looked extremely frustrated.  She tentatively brought herself into her father's sightline, hoping that he would see her, rather than having to interrupt the conversation.

Rick noticed Jessie approaching out of the corner of his eye.  He and Sam had been arguing over the possibility of going to Australia in light of Lily's pregnancy.  Rick was no longer sure that leaving would be the right choice.  After all, in terms of medical care and family it seemed more practical to stay.  But, Sam was understandably upset.  After all, Australia would be a big career move for the two of them.  And, it meant a hefty paycheck and publicity as well.

"Jessie," Rick said, trying to put his frustrating conversation with Sam out of his mind.  

"I didn't mean to interrupt…" Jessie began, moving closer.  "Lily's not feeling the greatest.  I think she's ready to go."

"Of course," Rick said, and then turned to Sam.  "We'll talk about this later, Ok?"  Sam nodded and walked off to find Judy.

"Is everything Ok?" Jessie asked.  

"Oh, yeah.  We were just discussing some ideas.  About Australia."  Jessie nodded.  Rick smiled and ran a hand through his hair.  "Where's Katie?"

"She's over with Lily."

"Does she need a ride home, too?"  Rick put his arm around Jessie as she led him over to the chairs where Katie and Lily were sitting.  She put her arm around his back, returning the gesture.

********************************************************************

Katie watched Jessie make her way through the dancing couples to her dad.  Katie really was excited to hear about the new arrival, but her thoughts had begun to drift back toward the possibility of Australia.  Lily was lost herself in thoughts of babies and oceans and aches and pains.  The two sat looking onto the dance floor, alone with their thoughts.

Eventually Katie broke the silence, unable to hold back her curiosity.  "So are you really moving to Australia?" Katie asked.  She had to know whether Jessie was really leaving her.

Lily sighed.  "Honestly, I'm not sure.  It's a great opportunity for Rick, but with the baby and everything—"

"She'd have to go.  It's too great an opportunity not to go," Katie interrupted.  She hadn't really listened completely to Lily's response.  She was too distracted by her own worries and fears.  And, her attention span, not known for being the longest in Sinclair, grew even shorter when she worried.

"For Jessie?  Yeah, it would be a good opportunity.  Living in another country could be—" Lily began before Katie interrupted again.

"It's just—I'd miss her.  You know?"  Katie's eyes began to tear.  Lily could see something was really bothering Katie, something Katie wasn't quite ready to divulge.  It was an awkward moment really.  Lily liked Katie; she considered her a polite, young girl and a good friend to Jessie.  But Lily wasn't used to seeing the serious side of Katie.  Seeing the tears in Katie's eyes made Lily's heart empathize with the girl.

"Of course," Lily replied.  She studied Katie for a moment longer before adding, "she'd miss you, too."  The two were quiet for awhile, both holding their own internal dialogs.  Lily couldn't help but think that Katie had a point.  Australia would be an amazing opportunity for the kids.  Another country, another culture—the experience would be invaluable.  At any rate, with the baby on the way, Lily figured she might not be able to start her syndication immediately anyway.  And, Lily thought, they'd only be gone for nine months.  Looking over at Katie, who was still very much visibly upset at the prospect of losing her best friend to Australia, Lily decided some perspective might be useful to Katie as well.  "Try not to worry, Katie.  Even if we were to go, it would only be for nine months or so."

"Nine months," Katie repeated.  It was obvious to Lily from the tone in Katie's voice that Katie did not agree with her conception of the time span.  

_Soliloquy Lily_:  When you're fifteen, nine months seems like eternity.  When I was a freshman in high school, there was this boy, Jimmy Panden.  He was the captain of the speech and debate team, played junior varsity tennis.  Very smart… very cute.  We went to the spring formal together.  He bought me a corsage and everything.  I remember I wore this pink floor-length dress with tiny white beads on the top around my neck.  We danced to every slow dance they played.  After the dance, during the last two weeks of school, Jimmy and I were nearly inseparable.  He took me out for ice cream, I went to his tennis meets, we talked on the phone for hours.  But, after those two weeks, school let out for summer vacation and Jimmy left to spend the summer in Oregon with his dad.  And after a month of sporadic letters, I met Ben Fisher…

"It's all happening kind of fast, isn't it?" Lily asked Katie.  

"Huh?"  Katie asked.  She had obviously been lost in her own thoughts again.  Lily attempted to smile reassuringly.

"Australia?"

Katie appeared to be on another planet.  "Yeah," she managed to answer.

"Are you Ok, Katie?" Lily asked.  

Katie took a deep breath before she answered, "Yeah.  I'll be Ok."  She sniffled.  Lily riffled through her purse for some Kleenex.  She handed a wadded tissue to Katie, who smiled thankfully.  The two sat there in silence for another moment.  Lily watched Katie wipe the tears from her eyes and the snot from her nose.

"Because if you ever need anything, someone to talk to…" Lily trailed off.  She felt like she had made her point.  Lily had been through the teen years with Grace.  And, while she still made the occasional mistake of pressing Grace just a bit too far, Lily found this moment a little easier to gauge.

"Thanks."  Katie managed a weak smile in response.  Lily returned the smile and spotted Jessie and Rick approaching out of the corner of her eye.

*********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Rick and Lily discuss Australia.  Meanwhile, Sam and Judy hold a similar discussion, as Sam tries to allay Judy's fears.   

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	3. Distracting 2b

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Previously in "Distracting," Lily divulged her pregnancy to Katie and Jessie, while Rick and Sam fought over Australia.  Later, while Jessie was off finding Rick, Lily consoled Katie who was upset at the looming prospect of Australia. 

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Part 2b:  "At Her Age?"

After dropping Katie off at her house, dropping Jessie and Eli at Karen's house, getting Zoe and Grace settled, and prepping for bed themselves, Rick and Lily climbed under the covers.  The two were both mentally and physically exhausted.  It had been a rough couple of days.  Yet, as much as their bodies craved sleep, neither could seem to actually doze off.  They had spent the last thirty minutes or so flopping from side to side, turning and tossing, churning sheets.  

Lily decided she'd never be able to sleep with all that was on her mind.  She rolled back over so that she was facing Rick, who had his eyes closed in a valiant effort to sleep.  She scooted closer, trying to decipher whether he was actually asleep or just trying.  After a few minutes under Lily's study, Rick opened his eyes and sighed.

"Can't sleep either?" Lily asked, relieved that he was still awake.

"No," Rick answered.  "You?"

"Nope."  Lily propped herself up onto her elbow and turned on the bedside light. "I think we should go."

"Go where?" Rick asked, closing his eyes again.  He settled down further into his pillow, attempting to make himself comfortable and sleepy.

"Australia."  Lily sat up, leaning against the headboard of their bed.  Rick re-opened his eyes, squinting up at Lily into the light.  He could tell this wasn't going to be a short conversation.  "How can we pass up an opportunity like this?  Financially it's a no-brainer.  Career-wise it's a great move for you.  And, for the kids—they'd get to experience another country, culture… With the baby there's a good chance I won't get the syndication deal anyhow, and if I did chances are I wouldn't start until after I had the baby anyhow."

"Lily, slow down."  Rick said, sitting up and putting his arm around Lily, who leaned into him gratefully.  Rick kissed the top of his wife's head and rubbed her upper arm, attempting to sooth her.

"You're going next week to look at houses.  How can I slow down?" Lily asked, closing her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere.  We talked about this tonight," Rick explained calmly.  "We both agreed that staying in Sinclair was the best thing for everybody.  Especially with the baby."  Lily moved out of Rick's embrace about to interrupt him, an interruption which Rick anticipated.  "Besides, I already talked to Sam.  About everything."

"And?"  Lily asked.

Rick ran his hand through his hair.  "And… he's a little upset."  Lily nodded.  "But, I think he understands."  

Lily rubbed her forehead and sighed, obviously still stressed about the situation.  "I just can't imagine letting something like this just pass by.  How often does an opportunity like this come along?"

Rick reached over and placed his hand on Lily's belly.  She looked at him.  He smiled reassuringly and then leaned in to kiss her, a kiss she gratefully returned.  After pulling away, Rick looked down at Lily's stomach.  

"How often does an opportunity like this come along?" he asked, as he began to soothingly rub Lily's stomach.  She couldn't help but smile.

"Especially at our age," she quipped.

"We're not that old," Rick answered, looking insulted.  Lily just laughed.

"We may not be members of the AARP, but in baby rearing years—we're ancient."

"Speak for yourself," Rick responded cattily.  He kissed Lily on her cheek before lying back down on his side with his back to her.  Lily placed her hand on Rick's shoulder and smiled.  After a moment, she reached over to the light and turned it off.  

***********************************************************************    

"There is no Australia," Sam explained, a hint of annoyance still left in his voice as he removed Judy's coat from its hanger.  Sam understood that Lily's pregnancy factored heavily into Rick's decision, but he was convinced they could work around it.  After all, Australia had obstetricians.  

"What does that mean?" Judy asked, completely shocked.  Sam approached Judy to help her into her coat; she stopped him.  "You don't want me to go with you?"

"No," Sam insisted.  "It's not that."  He glanced around to make sure they were still the only people in the vicinity of the coats at the reception.  To be honest, he didn't really want to have the conversation there—he was still too upset to think through anything logically.  But, Sam knew that Judy certainly wouldn't drop the subject now.  "He doesn't want to take the job."  

"Rick?" Judy asked, trying to sort through the information Sam was offering.

"Yes, Rick.  All of the sudden.  Do you know he actually suggested that I might not even follow through on it?" Sam answered.

Judy shook her head, still trying to keep up with the conversation.  "Rick—Rick doesn't want to take the job?  How can he turn this down?  Just yesterday he was gung-ho—it was Lily who—"

"I know."  Sam threw his hand in the air in a gesture of frustration.  "I still can't believe it."  Judy shook her head in disbelief.  Sam took a deep breath, trying to reason through everything.  "Don't get me wrong… I'm happy about the baby."  Sam continued.

Judy looked at him as if he'd cracked up.  "The baby?  What are you talking about?"

"Lily's pregnant," Sam answered matter-of-factly.  Judy stared at him as if he had just claimed RuPaul was his mother.  "You know this…" As the words were out of his mouth, it occurred to him that Judy may not actually know.  And, the look on Judy's face confirmed his thought.

"Excuse me?"  Judy asked incredulously.

Sam shook his head and, realizing the situation he had gotten himself into, let a puff of laughter escape his lips.  Judy just looked at him in disbelief.  "Lily's pregnant.  Rick told me tonight.  She didn't—you didn't know?"

"Oh, my God."  Judy wasn't sure she could believe it.  Lily, pregnant?  Then thoughts of the past few days began to run through her mind.  "The nausea and the back ache…" Judy shook her head.  Lily, pregnant?  There was no way, no way that Lily would have kept this from her.  "No.  No.  I mean—she can't be pregnant."  Sam looked back at her with a raised brow.  "At her age?" Judy concluded.

"Well, that's what he said.  And now there's no Australia."  Sam helped the now completely preoccupied Judy into her coat.  She stared into space attempting to sort out the information just given to her as he drew the coat up over her arms.  When he had finished with Judy's, Sam reached for his own coat and began to put it on.  

"Wow," Judy muttered.  She knew she wouldn't really be able to believe any of what Sam had told her until the words actually came from Lily's mouth.  And even then… "She would have told me," Judy insisted.

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Next time in "Distracting," in a moment of distress, Katie confides a secret.  Judy helps Lily with a developing dilemma.  And, Karen's household shares a moment. 

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	4. Distracting 2c

Part 2c: "Between People" 

Karen's House

Jessie and Eli slid out of the back seat of Rick and Lily's van and made their way to the front door of their mother's house.  The outside light was on, but the house was still—it didn't appear that Karen was home.  Eli fumbled as he hurried to slip his key in the lock.  His mother was not exactly nimble on her feet.  And, pictures of Karen slumped on the floor after tripping with her crutches and falling down the stairs flashed in his mind.  Eli's hurried motions caused Jessie's anxiety level to rise as well.  She realized that he feared that something was wrong.  

Once inside, the two split up to check the house for Karen.  After a thorough examination of the upstairs and downstairs, Karen was nowhere to be found. 

"Any sign of her?" Eli asked a bit perplexed at his mother's unexplained disappearance.

"Nope," Jessie answered, attempting to figure out her mother's absence as well.  She thought a moment.  "You don't think she called Henry, do you?" she asked with an undeniable smirk crawling across her lips.  

Eli smiled back.  "After the pep talk we gave her at dinner anything's possible."

_Soliloquy Jessie_:  (holding Katie's letter)  What I told Mom earlier, I really believe that.  (She looks down at the letter, and looks up with a huge goofy smile on her face.)  Things happen between people… and they don't always make sense or they seem wrong or weird, but those things—they really are _the ones that change your life_.  (She takes another moment.  She folds the letter back up and holds it in both of her hands.)  And, maybe Henry could be one of those things for Mom—someone who changes her life.

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Henry walked Karen to her front door.  The two paused on the stoop.

"Looks like someone's home," Henry commented, seeing the TV flashing inside.

Karen looked in the window, realizing the kids had beaten her back.  What should she do now?  Invite Henry in, or say goodnight on the stoop?  If Karen knew her kids, inviting him in would only lead to incessant teasing.  She had intended to beat them back from the reception just to avoid this sort of an awkward moment. 

"Well, goodnight," Henry said, tentatively leaning in to kiss her.

Karen made no movement toward Henry, but also didn't back away.  She simply let him kiss her.  The kiss itself was rather short and a bit awkward—it had been awhile since Karen had kissed someone.  After the kiss ended, Henry said good-bye and walked to his car.  Karen made her way inside, attempting to slip past her two children, who had fallen asleep in front of the television while waiting for her to get home. 

But, just as Karen thought she was in the clear, Eli groggily sat up and turned to see her sneaking up the steps.  He moved to help his mother.  

"I was trying not to wake you two," Karen whispered as they made their way up the staircase.  "How was the ceremony?"

"It was Ok, pretty nice," Eli responded.

"Did Jessie have a good time?"

"Of course—Katie showed up, and you know how those two get."  Eli rolled his eyes and Karen laughed softly.  

They reached the top of the stairs, and Karen figured she was in the clear.  Eli had yet to bring up her late-night activities.

"So," Eli began with a knowing grin on his face.  "What'd you do tonight?"

Karen knew she was busted.  She couldn't help but return his smile.  "If you must know, I called Henry."

"Way to go, Mom."

"Thank you.  But, your poor mother is exhausted and her legs are killing her.  So I'm headed to bed."  She kissed his cheek and then turned to walk towards her bedroom.  "Please reserve any teasing for tomorrow at breakfast," Karen called over her shoulder as she opened her bedroom door.  She winked at Eli before heading inside.

*********************************************************************  

Even after her conversation with Rick, Lily still had not slept well.  Around seven a.m. she found herself wide awake, so she got up and dawdled in the kitchen drinking coffee and cleaning up from the night before.  The plus side to being up so early was that everyone else was still asleep, which afforded Lily some time to herself to think and recoup—such was a rare opportunity in her usually full and bustling house.

Around eight a.m., while Lily was sitting at the kitchen table, nursing her coffee and reading the paper, she heard a knock at the back door.  Lily looked up from the paper.

"Come in," she called in the direction of the door, a bit surprised that anyone would come by so early, let alone that anyone would actually knock before entering.  The door swung open and Katie tentatively entered.  "Katie?" Lily asked, completely baffled.

"I know it's early, I'm sorry," Katie responded, still standing in the door.

"No, it's no trouble.  What are you doing up so early?"

"Couldn't really sleep last night."

"Yeah, me neither."  Lily noticed that Katie seemed a bit preoccupied about something.  "Well, Jessie's still at Karen's.  She won't be back until later but you're welcome to come on in."  Lily motioned for Katie to join her at the table.  "You want something to eat?"

"No, that's Ok."  Katie crossed over to the table and sat down in a chair next to Lily.  She pointed at the saltines on the table.  "Morning sickness?"  Lily nodded.

"So, what brings you by?"

Katie fidgeted in her chair.  "Oh, I left my English book in Jessie's room, and I have an assignment due tomorrow.  I just thought, you know, as long as I was up I could maybe get something done."  Technically, it was true; she had left her book in Jessie's room.  But, what teenager does homework at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning?  Lily looked at Katie skeptically as she took a sip of coffee, obviously not buying the story about the English book.  

Feeling under the microscope, Katie began to ramble.  "I know I said some things at the reception—It probably seemed weird.  I mean, I was just kind of—I mean, Jessie and I—Australia's a ways away—" Katie couldn't seem to finish her thoughts.  Each sentence she began seemed to be headed toward a dangerous ending: revealing her feelings about Jessie.  

Something was going on that Lily couldn't quite put her finger on.  Something about Katie's manner during their conversation at the reception, and now as they sat at the table, nagged at her.  The whole situation seemed a bit off.  

"Katie?" Lily stopped the girl's ramblings, convinced that Australia was not the only thought troubling Katie.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to overstep myself," Lily paused to gather her words carefully.  "You've been spending a lot of time here lately.  And at Karen's.  Is something going on at home?  Are things Ok?"

Katie took a deep breath.  "No.  Nothing's wrong at home.  Nothing besides the normal teen-parental relations."  A tear ran down Katie's cheek in spite of her attempt at humor.

Lily couldn't help but feel her parental radar was an exquisite machine.  Katie's tear was clearly a sign of troubled thoughts.  "I know I may just be your friend's stepmom, but maybe I can help.  Maybe talking about whatever it is will help."

"That's the problem.  I'm not—I can't talk about it."  Katie wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"Can't?"  Lily reached into the napkin holder on the table and handed a napkin to Katie for her to use to wipe her eyes and nose.

"I promised someone."  Katie looked at Lily.

Lily nodded.  The two sat in silence a moment.  "Well, if you decide you want to talk about whatever it is, I can keep a secret.  And, you know, that way we'd both have dirt on each other."  Lily smiled warmly.  She realized that she was pressing Katie, probably unfairly, but truthfully she just wanted to help.

Katie thought a moment and another tear escaped.  She was confused—about what she felt, about being in a relationship, about having to hide all the time.  She wanted to believe that Lily could help, after all Lily seemed to be a pretty liberal parent.  Grace practically led the Gay/Straight Alliance and Lily supported her.  

Katie sighed and looked at the ceiling.  "I think I'm in love."

"You are?" Lily asked gently. 

"Yeah.  I'm in love…" Katie paused.  "And, I'm kind of afraid.  I guess that sounds stupid."

Lily shook her head.  "It's not stupid at all."  

Katie rolled her eyes and dabbed at them again with the napkin.  "I know that you're probably thinking that it's just a crush or like, puppy love or something.  Maybe it is."  Katie sniffled.  She tried to stop the tears from falling.  "I can't help it," she choked out.  "God, why am I crying?"  

"Oh, Katie," Lily started, pulling Katie into a hug.  "Love can be confusing and scary—for anyone—but, especially at your age." 

Katie took some deep breaths.  As her tears subsided, she whispered, almost to herself, "I just—I can't help how I feel.  I can't…  I love her."

Lily was unsure she'd heard correctly.  She studied Katie's face as the girl pulled out of the hug.  Katie wiped her eyes and blew her nose on the napkin.  Her? Lily thought.  And, then it all began to come together.  Katie spending twenty-four hours a day with Jessie, Jessie and Katie cuddling at the reception, Katie's dramatic concern about Australia… "HER" was Jessie.  It had to be.  The question, though, was whether Jessie knew of Katie's feelings.

"Does 'she' know?  Did you tell her how you feel?" Lily asked, cautiously gauging Katie's reaction.  Katie simply nodded.  "How did she react?"

Katie shrugged.  "She told me she just wanted to be friends."  Lily couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.  But Katie wasn't finished, "But then I asked her for my letter back—I wrote her a letter, you know, to tell her—I told her she should throw it away and forget it.  But she wouldn't."  By now Katie had regained a little control over her emotions.  It felt good to talk about this, and Lily was one person that Katie felt she could confide in.  She did have her own talk radio show; advice was her job.

But, Lily didn't know what to say or how to digest all the information Katie had shared.  She sat there, silently, trying piece everything together.  

"Do you think she feels the same way?" Lily managed. 

"I think so.  But it's complicated."  Katie got up from her chair and threw away the napkin she had been using for Kleenex.  

Lily, still seated at the table, mulled over Jessie's reaction to Katie's letter.  "She's afraid," Lily said aloud to herself.  Of course she was afraid.  Poor Jessie was going through all of this alone—as was Katie.  Both girls must be terrified.      

Katie made her way towards the door.  "Please don't tell Jessie I was here."

"Of course," Lily answered, startled out of her thoughts by Katie's voice.  Katie opened the back door and went to leave.

"What about your English book?" Lily asked, stopping Katie's motion.

"I'll get it later.  And, Lily—thanks," Katie responded before leaving.

So, all this time Lily had been worried that Grace was gay, when really Jessie was the one struggling with her sexuality.  She couldn't help but wonder whether Jessie and Katie were in a relationship, whether anyone knew about them.  How was Jessie handling all of this—her mother's accident and her new relationship?  And, what should she do now?  Should she try talking to Jessie, should she tell Rick or Karen?  Lily knew she had been sworn to secrecy, but she wasn't so sure that secrecy was the best method here.

Before Lily could reach any sort of conclusions, the back door opened and Judy entered.

"Thank goodness you're awake," Judy said, shutting the door behind her.  

It took Lily, who was distracted by the implications of her conversation with Jessie, a moment to react to Judy.  "I couldn't sleep," she answered absentmindedly.

"Me neither," Judy replied.  She set her purse on the table next to the saltines.  Morning nausea, Judy thought.

"Must be going around," Lily quipped.

"What?" Judy asked, turning her attention away from the saltines.  

"You just missed Katie." 

"Katie?  Jessie's friend?  It's 830 in the morning."

"I know," Lily replied.  "She couldn't sleep either…" Judy looked confused.  "She came by to get an English book that she left in Jessie's room," Lily explained.  She had to fight back an almost undeniable impulse to tell Judy all about her and Jessie's conversation.  Truthfully, she was unable to concentrate on anything else.

"At 830 in the morning?" Judy asked, obviously as skeptical of the reasoning as Lily had been.  

 "We ended up having a long chat."

"About what?"

"I promised I wouldn't say anything."

"That good?" Judy asked with arched brow.  Lily nodded.  "C'mon, Lil.  I won't tell anyone."  Lily took a deep breath, trying to decide whether or not to divulge the news to Judy.  

"Apparently Katie's in love—" Lily began, her voice lowered.

"Ooooh." 

"With Jessie."

"Ohhhh."  Judy was completely shocked.  "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."  Lily sighed.  "I mean, she never said exactly who it was, but she did say it was a 'she.'  And Katie has been very preoccupied with the idea of Jessie going to Australia."

"That doesn't mean it's necessarily Jessie—"

"She is," Lily interrupted.  

"How can you be so sure?"

"I saw the two of them at the reception.  They were sitting along the edge of the dance floor.  Jessie was leaned up against Katie with her head on Katie's shoulder.  And they were holding hands.  Not to mention, they've been attached at the hip lately—here, at Karen's."

"So Jessie…" Judy looked completely shocked.

"Apparently."  The two stood there, both attempting to sort through everything.  After a few moments, Judy broke the silence,

"Well, at least she's not dating Mr. Dimitri."

***********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Colleen finally re-titles this story and moves on to part 3.  Judy tells Lily the reason why she showed up at 830 a.m.  And, Grace makes her entrance in this fic at a very inopportune time.

***********************************************************************    


	5. Distracting 3

***********************************************************************    

Previously in "Distracting," Henry and Karen kissed, Katie confided to Lily her feelings about an anonymous girl, who Lily deduced must be Jessie.  Lily then immediately disclosed the information to Judy after promising secrecy.

*********************************************************************** 

Part 3:  "Waking Up" 

"Very funny, Judy."  Needless to say, Lily did not look amused. 

"So Jessie…" Lily nodded.  "And Katie…" Lily nodded again.  Judy just shook her head.  "There's certainly a lot going on."

Lily, lost in her own thoughts and concerns, seemed glazed over as Judy continued, "What with going to Australia… and now not going to Australia… and Jessie and Katie" she still received no reaction from Lily other than an absentminded nod.  "And the baby…"

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, unsure she had heard correctly.  Judy simply looked at Lily, letting her know that she knew all about what she didn't think she knew.  "How did you—?"  

"Sam said Rick told him—so you are?  Why didn't you tell me?" Judy asked indignantly.  

"I've only told Rick so far.  I just found out."  Lily moved to sit at the table.  Judy followed.

"It's official?  You've seen the doctor?"

"Well, no.  I haven't."

"Then how do you know?"

Lily gave Judy a look that implied Judy was a fool to question Lily's certainty.  "I have been through this a few times."

"Sure, but that was _years_ ago."

"Thanks," Lily said sarcastically.  "Women my age can still have children.  I'm not in the nursing home yet."

"But it's rare.  I mean you're pushing 44, Lil."  Judy paused as Lily conceded her point.  "What if it's menopause?"

"Menopause?" Lily asked, almost insulted.   

***********************************************************************

Grace stumbled down the stairs, still groggy from the early morning wake-up from her bladder.  Unfortunately, she couldn't fall back asleep, so she decided to meander downstairs to grab something to drink.  As she reached the end of the stairs, Grace heard Lily and Judy's whispers from the kitchen.  Always curious, Grace slowed her approach.  As long as she was awake at such an early hour, she could make it worth her while by catching a few choice bits of the two women's conversation.

Judy was in mid-sentence, "… all I'm saying is that the house is full as it is.  What are you going to do with—"

"I don't know," Lily responded.  Grace peered in the doorway to see Lily stand up from her seat at the table and cross over toward the sink.  She seemed tired and worried.  "It's horrible timing.  Rick's job offer, my job offer, Mom, not to mention everything going on with the kids."

"And now Jessie's… thing" Judy added.  Grace's eyes widened.  

Lily took a deep breath.  "There's so much going on.  And, I don't know what to do."  Her voice broke slightly.  Grace suddenly felt guilty for listening in on her mom's pained conversation—she was obviously upset.  Grace entered the kitchen awkwardly, causing Lily to immediately tense up.  Judy hid the saltines under the table.  

Lily and Judy exchanged a look; an awkward silence followed.  "I was just going to get a glass of water.  I couldn't sleep."  Grace stated, heading for the cupboard.

"Heh," Lily snorted at the statement.  Grace got a glass out and filled it.  She turned to face her mother, who had her head cradled in her palm.  

"So did Jessie talk to you?"  Grace asked, hoping to discover exactly what her mother knew.

Lily and Judy exchanged another look, this one of intrigue.  What did Grace think was going on?  And did she know more than them?

"Um, no." Lily answered vaguely.  A moment of awkward silence followed.  "Grace, it's probably best if you forget that you heard anything."

"Why?"

"Well…" Lily began, looking to Judy for help.

"Well…" Judy started, also unsure of what to say.

"Whatever," Grace huffed.  "I probably know more than you anyhow," she mumbled before leaving the kitchen.  Judy and Lily exchanged yet another look.

As Grace made her way through the doorway to the kitchen, Rick entered, noticing the obviously perturbed Grace making her huffy exit.  Rick watched with amusement as Grace stomped off.  He made his way over to Lily and kissed her good morning. 

"What was that all about?" Rick asked, reaching to pour himself some coffee.  Lily rolled her eyes.

"Nothing," Lily muttered.  Rick turned with his cup, a quizzical expression on his face.  Realizing that Lily wasn't paying any attention to the expression on his face, he directed his look of curiosity towards Judy, who shrugged.

********************************************************************

Karen's House  8 a.m., same morning

Jessie squinted her eyes open, and sat up.  She had fallen asleep on the couch watching TV and had apparently spent the entire night there.  She wondered if her mother had come home last night, and if she had a good time.  Jessie could hear the coffee perking, and since Eli never rose before early afternoon, she guessed her mother had in fact made it home safely.      

She made her way into the kitchen, finding her mother at the table with a cup of coffee and a smile on her face.

"Good morning, Honey," Karen greeted her daughter.  Jessie walked over to her mother and embraced her from behind, planting a kiss on Karen's cheek.  

"Good morning."  Jessie found herself enchanted by her mother's good mood, the drifting smell of coffee, and her own pleasant memories of the time when her family life wasn't so confusing. 

"How was the wedding?" Karen asked.  

Jessie made her way to the fridge for some orange juice.  "Gorgeous.  Tiffany's dress was so pretty."

"I hear Katie made an appearance."

Jessie blushed as she poured herself a glass of juice, her thoughts drifting back to the ceremony.  "Yeah.  It was fun."  Jessie joined her mother at the table.  "You certainly look happy.  How was _your_ night?"  Jessie asked knowingly.

"Very nice," Karen answered with a smirk.  Jessie looked at her mother, clearly expecting more of a report.  

"Nice how?" Jessie asked.  Karen stood and walked to the sink, rinsing her cup and placing it in the dishwasher.

"What do you mean?" Karen responded, keeping up the coy act.  Jessie sipped her juice.

"I don't know.  Like, did anything or any_one_ in particular contribute to the 'very nice' quality of the evening?"  Jessie grinned, anxiously awaiting her mother's response.

Karen blushed slightly before answering, "There was someone.  And yes, we did have a very nice time."

"Hmmm," Jessie teased.  "They must be pretty special."

"Maybe," Karen answered, the hope evident in her voice.

"So what made you decide to call them?" Jessie asked, pleased with herself.

"It turns out my daughter is very wise for her age."

"I am, aren't I?" Jessie responded as her mother came over and kissed her forehead.  

"Thanks for the advice," Karen said, sitting down next to Jessie.  Karen brushed some stray hairs from Jessie's face.  "How did my daughter get to be so wise?"

"Experience."

"Oooh," Karen said.  "Sounds like some juicy gossip."

"Wouldn't you like to know?"  Jessie answered coyly.

"Does this experience involve anyone I know?"

"Maybe."

Karen looked at Jessie intrigued.  Jessie smirked and stood up from the table to place her glass in the sink.  Karen's expression became more serious.  "Does this experience need to involve a mother-daughter conversation—?"

"No, Mom," Jessie interrupted, embarrassed at the direction their conversation had already taken.  "It's completely innocent.  You don't have to worry."

"Like hell," Karen said, moving to join Jessie at the sink.  "Some young boy has stolen my daughter right out from under my nose."  Jessie rolled her eyes.

"It's nothing like that."

"Alright."  Karen pulled Jessie into a hug.  "Just remember that having sex isn't all fun and games…"  Jessie hoped that her mother's pause meant she was dropping the subject.  Karen, however, felt she should say a little more.  "There are consequences, you know."

"Mom!"  Jessie let the tone of her voice beg her mother to quit the subject of conversation they were headed towards.

**********************************************************************

Jake and Tiffany's Honeymoon

Jake attempted to approach the bed quietly, but a baby toy hidden under Tiffany's slip, which was strewn on the floor, gave him away.  Hearing the squeak, Tiffany startled awake to see Jake standing in his boxers holding a single rose.  They shared a smile until the baby, whom the squeak also woke, began to cry—loudly.  

Jake made his way to the crib, putting the rose between his teeth to free his hands.  He lifted his daughter and began to rock her.  Tiffany got out of bed and put on her robe to join him at the crib's side.  

She reached over and took the rose out from between Jake's teeth, cooing at the baby, trying to calm her.  Tiffany kissed her daughter and then Jake on the cheeks.

"I was trying to be stealth," Jake said in between the cries.  Tiffany smiled.  She placed the rose back between his teeth and took the baby from him.  She sat down in a chair and began to breastfeed.  

Jake placed the rose on the bedside table and knelt down next to Tiffany.  Tiffany looked at him, noticing he seemed lost in thought.  "What are you thinking about?"

"Hmmm?  Oh, I was just trying to decide which of you two I loved more."

"And—?"  Tiffany asked, her grin as wide as her still recovering from maternity figure.

**************************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Rick and Sam prep to meet with Colin, while Lily's health takes a potentially alarming turn.

**************************************************************************


	6. Distracting 4

************************************************************************

Previously in "Distracting," the characters of _Once and Again_ shared some warm and fuzzies the morning after.  

***********************************************************************

Part 4:  "Everything's Fine" 

Manning Bathroom, the next morning (Monday)

Lily clutched the toilet, trying to support herself.  Her morning sickness had definitely gotten worse.  She had spent all Sunday alternating between worrying about the Jessie situation and repairing Judy's ego.  While her sister was excited about the baby news, Lily knew Judy had also been a tad hurt that she had kept the pregnancy from her.  And, Lily's reward for all her extra worrying was extra nausea—she was probably developing an ulcer.  That would be fitting.  

Rick entered the bathroom as Lily was finishing up.  "Geez, you look awful," he told her, concerned.  

"What a coincidence.  I feel awful."  Lily splashed some water on her face and sloshed some mouthwash around for a moment.  "You're all dressed up," she mentioned after spitting.

"Sam and I are meeting with Colin today."  Rick handed Lily a towel.  She lowered the toilet seat and sat down, exhausted.  "Are you sure you're Ok?  Do you want me to drop Zoë at school on my way?"  

"I'm fine.  It'll pass in a few minutes."

"Lil—you're sweating," Rick said, looking at his wife's paled skin.  

"I'm fine," she insisted.  Rick looked skeptical.  "Remember morning sickness?"

"Lil—"

"I'm fine."

"All right.  I just—" Rick dropped the subject after seeing the look on Lily's face.  Instead, he leaned over and kissed her.  "Wish me luck."

********************************************************************** 

Downstairs the kids were making last minute preps and gathering a last minute breakfast before school—that is, except Eli, who was still asleep.  

"What's wrong with your hair?" Grace asked Zoë.  

"Nothing.  I braided it."

"I can see that, but the braid isn't straight."  Grace walked over to inspect more thoroughly.  "And you have ribbon stuck in it."

"I like it."  Zoë stepped away from Grace, not wanting her sister meddling with her hair. 

"Jessie, do you see this?"  The squabbling sisters turned to appeal to Jessie, who rolled her eyes at the scene.  

"It looks fine," Jessie offered.

Lily made her way into the kitchen, hoping that some milk might calm her stomach.  "What looks fine?" she asked.

Zoë spotted her mother and immediately made her appeal, "Mom, tell Grace my hair looks fine."

"If by fine you mean unbelievably crooked and ridiculous, then yes your hair looks fine," Grace shot back.

"Grace, leave your sister and her hair alone," Lily half-heartedly commanded.  She opened the fridge and found the milk.

"Fine," Grace huffed.  "Jessie, let's go.  I don't want to be late _again_."

"Alright, alright."  Jessie rinsed her glass out in the sink, exchanging a look with Lily, who was getting a glass from a cupboard nearby.  Jessie leaned over and said under her breath, "And you're having another one?"  Lily smirked.  

With that Jessie and Grace left for school, and Zoë came over to the sink to rinse off her plate, which allowed Lily to get a good look at the offensive braid.  It appeared that Zoë tried to braid a ribbon into her hair, but just ended up with a funny looking braid with a ribbon jammed in it.  Lily smiled.  

"What?" Zoë asked.

"Nothing," Lily answered, giving Zoë a quick hug and kiss on her head.  "You ready to go?"  

***********************************************************************

Grace and Jessie rode in silence, which wasn't odd in itself considering Grace's incredibly sweet morning disposition and Jessie's low tolerance for Grace in general.  However, Jessie did consider Grace's manner over the past few days odd—she had become especially surly.  It was obvious that something was bothering her.  But no matter how curious Jessie was about Grace's preoccupation, there was no way Jessie would ever ask Grace about it.  More than likely, Jessie's inquiry would just spark a fight, something Jessie really didn't feel like dealing with at the moment.  And since Jessie considered the easiest way to not fight with Grace was not to talk to her, Jessie kept quiet.

In fact, Jessie didn't say a word the entire ride until Grace's attention drifted off at the next stoplight.  "It's green," Jessie stated, bringing Grace out of her daze.  Grace didn't say a word, but simply resumed their trip and her internal conversation.

Grace wasn't sure why she cared.  After all, it wasn't her problem if her mother and Judy had somehow discovered Jessie's "secret."  Perhaps she was a bit jealous of Jessie and Katie, but she had every right to be.  After all, Jessie and Katie didn't have to make everything so hard on themselves.  All they had to do was just be honest about it and eventually no one would even care.  Grace was the one with the love problem—the last two guys Grace had fallen for (first, her step-brother and then her English teacher) were both completely off-limits.  Just thinking about it made Grace grow more and more angry until eventually she couldn't hold back any longer.  

"You should just tell everyone about you and Katie," Grace commanded in a tone of voice that hid none of her annoyance and anger.

"Thanks for the advice," Jessie answered curtly.  The last thing she wanted was another heart-to-heart with Grace concerning her relationship with Katie.  It was truly becoming annoying.  Her relationship with Katie was none of Grace's business and Jessie was sick of hearing Grace's opinions on it.

"Besides, Lily already knows," Grace added.  Jessie froze, wondering if she heard right.  "I overheard her and Judy talking.  It wouldn't seem so bad if you would just tell them instead of sneaking around like a couple of cowards."

"We're not sneaking around."

"Please," Grace countered.  The car pulled into the school parking lot.  Jessie couldn't wait to set foot on solid ground again, because it meant she could make a more expedient escape from the conversation.  

***********************************************************************

WIXP

"You don't look so good." Les mentioned as he passed Lily's desk.  

"I feel fine."  Lily retorted, starting to become annoyed at the seemingly endless commentary on her health.  Since she had arrived at work that morning everyone short of the janitorial staff had mentioned how she 'didn't look so good.'    

"Fine," Les answered totally unconcerned.  "The—"  

"Really, I feel great," Lily interrupted.  "I feel fine."  Les, who was of course completely uninterested, waited for Lily to finish. 

"We done here?"  

At that moment, the syndicators arrived in the office for their meeting with Lily.  Les went to greet them.  Lily stood, but remained near her desk.  Truthfully, she was feeling a bit dizzy, so instead of meeting them at the door, she waited for Les to escort them over.  As the execs approached her desk, Lily attempted to put the "everything's fine" smile on her face.

"Good morning," Lily managed, extending her hand for a handshake.  Pleasantries were exchanged before the suggestion was made that they move to the conference room to discuss the promos Lily was to record in the afternoon.  Lily felt horrid, and the more she stood, the more she understood that she either needed to get to the bathroom soon, or the radio execs' shoes would need a new shine and she'd need a new career.

"Could you just excuse me for a moment?  I'll be right behind you," Lily said plotting her escape to the restroom.  She barely reached the stall in time, and once she began, it seemed as though she would never stop vomiting.  She had spent so much time convincing everyone (including herself) that she felt fine, that it wasn't until that moment that Lily realized exactly how dehydrated and exhausted her body felt.  She began to wonder if it was only morning sickness plaguing her.  

And, that's when she noticed the blood.

**********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Lily visits the doctor, Rick and Sam meet with Colin, and the Sammlers have a family meeting.

**********************************************************************


	7. Distracting 5

**********************************************************************

Previously in "Distracting," Rick worried about Lily's health, Lily later vomited up blood in the WIXP restroom, and Grace told Jessie that she suspects Lily and Judy know about Jessie's budding relationship with Katie.

**********************************************************************

Part 5: "Nothing Too Terrible" 

Jessie's Locker, High School

Jessie was relieved to escape the Grace-mobile, but she still didn't quite know how to take the news.  She supposed that her source was Grace, so maybe her information was skewed.  But, deep down Jessie believed Grace.  After all, she and Katie hadn't been the most discreet of late, what with the holding hands during the ceremony and cuddling through the reception.  It wouldn't take a PhD to discover that she and Katie were "friends" in a different sort of way.  Truthfully, now that she figured Lily knew, Jessie felt strangely better about the entire situation.  Lily hadn't mentioned a thing about anything, which means she couldn't be too terribly upset by the news… unless she was too freaked out to mention the Katie thing.  

Jessie had just about tapped out her mind's capacity to analyze when she spotted Katie waiting for her by her locker.  Katie grinned at her, and with the smiling and all Jessie momentarily abandoned the internal monologue she'd been entertaining.

"Good morning, Billie," Katie greeted, giving Jessie a hug.  "I see you survived another car ride with Grace," she teased.

"Barely."  Jessie rolled her eyes as she unlocked her locker.

"Another installment of Grace's Life Endangering Driving Chronicles?" Katie asked.  (She loved these installments.)

"Not exactly.  I mean, we did sit at a green light for a good minute before she decided to go, but it wasn't really the driving that nearly killed me."

"Wow, mark today on the calendar."

"I know."

"So if it wasn't the driving, then what?" Katie asked, leaning against a nearby locker, settling in for what would probably be a long story.

"She wanted to talk," Jessie said, the disgust showing on her face.  Katie groaned in sympathy.

"God, she wanted to talk?"

"You mock.  But yes, she apparently had something on her mind."

"Sounds dangerous," Katie mocked.  Jessie gave Katie the 'will you shut up and quit making stupid jokes' look.  "Oh, c'mon," Katie pleaded, snapping to her feet to defend her point more rigorously.  "That was funny on so many levels.  See, it's funny because Grace thinking is dangerous _AND_ at the same time I got to belittle your point."  Jessie was still only mildly amused.  "Uh, so what did Grace have on her mind?"  Katie asked with a poorly disguised smirk in remembrance of her under-appreciated earlier attempt at humor.

"She said that she overheard Lily and Judy talking about you and me."

"And?"  Maybe it had been her preoccupation with her former amusing comment, but Katie failed to see the problem.  

"_You_ and _me_," Jessie repeated.

"You and me?" Katie repeated, confused. 

"As in _you_ and _me_," Jessie paused.  Realizing that Katie wasn't coming any closer to understanding what she was trying to say through simple repetition, she added, "_together_."

"Together together?"  Katie asked, finally picking up Jessie's hint.  Jessie nodded.  

For a split second Katie found herself about to make light of the situation.  She felt somewhat relieved that Lily knew about them.  But that's when Katie remembered her Sunday morning trip to the Sammler's.  And, she remembered the conversation she and Lily had, and that as she was leaving, Judy was pulling up the street.  Katie realized of course that Lily was not blind, nor was she an idiot, but it wasn't the fact that Lily had figured out who Katie had been confiding about that really irked her.  She was pissed because apparently her "confidential" conversation with Lily didn't remain confidential for long.  

"It's not the end of the world," Jessie commented, seeing how concerned Katie had become.  "It's Grace we're talking about after all," Jessie added.  

Katie was more upset about the obvious disrespect Lily had shown, than about the fact she and Jessie had been "outted."  Katie had been distraught and sought Lily out for advice.  She had trusted her.

Katie was silent, a phenomena which didn't often occur, so immediately Jessie could tell something was up.  In fact, Jessie found Katie's reaction pretty unreadable.  Was she nervous, angry, confused?  It was nearly impossible to decipher, and unfortunately class indefinitely impeded Jessie's ability to figure it out.  Katie left for class with an absentminded goodbye and a promise to meet up for lunch.

***********************************************************************

Dr. Wellman's Office

Lily sat in an exam room, wearing one of those paper gowns.  After the incident in the bathroom stall, Lily had immediately called her doctor's office.  She set up an appointment and talked to the syndicators about pushing back promos until she was feeling a little better.  They weren't thrilled with the turn of events, but eventually settled on a few days the following week that would work.  

In the hour or so that had passed since the incident, Lily had begun to feel much better—it figured that the second she called the doctor her body began to feel better.  (It seems to be some sort of unspoken law.)  In fact, Lily was beginning to think she had been a bit over-sensitive.  After all, it wasn't _a lot_ of blood.  Her stomach lining was probably just a bit irritated from the morning sickness.

The door to the exam room opened and a nurse walked in.  She introduced herself and then began asking the standard obstetrical questions.

"When was your last period?" the nurse asked, opening Lily's chart.  

As she answered the nurse's questions, Lily realized that with the timing of everything, they must have conceived the baby that afternoon Rick had been working on the car and they had used the backseat—

"What kind of symptoms have you been having?"  

"Umm, well the normal things—I've been nauseous.  I've had some back pain, some headaches, really nothing out of the ordinary besides the blood."

"Any abdominal pain, trouble urinating?"

"A little I suppose, uh, but nothing too terrible." 

The nurse made some notes on Lily's chart.  "The doctor will be in to see you in a few minutes."

Lily didn't have to wait long before Dr. Wellman arrived.  She took a moment to peruse the chart and the notes the nurse had made.  Then she did a quick examination of Lily and inquired about Lily's symptoms again.  As the doctor began to press on Lily's abdomen, Lily showed obvious signs of discomfort.  After a gynecological exam, Dr. Wellman decided on a course of action.

"Well, what I'd like to do is run some tests, just some standard procedures.  I'd like to have some blood drawn for a pregnancy test, for the record. Your abdominal area seems to be a bit tender, so I'd like to do an ultrasound.  Also, I want to schedule you for an endoscopy to check for ulcers or abscesses in the stomach."  Lily nodded.  

The doctor left and sent the nurse in to draw blood.  As they were finishing up, Dr. Wellman reemerged with some materials for the ultrasound.

"While we wait for the lab results, I thought we could go ahead and do the ultrasound.  Peak around a bit." 

Dr. Wellman began the procedure.  Lily kept a close watch on the screen.  As the ultrasound made its way about Lily's abdomen, a round object about the size of a half-dollar appeared on the screen.  Lily's breath caught in her throat; she could feel herself tearing up.

"Is that the baby?" Lily asked her doctor.  

Dr. Wellman, who seemed to be intently studying spot on the screen, shook her head 'no.'

**********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Rick and Sam meet with Colin to turn down the project and Lily's test results come in. 

**********************************************************************


	8. Distracting 61

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Previously in "Distracting," Katie discovered Lily betrayed her confidence, Jessie began to entertain the possibility that Lily knows the true nature of her relationship with Katie, and Lily visited the doctor after a particularly disturbing bout of morning sickness.

**********************************************************************

Part 6.1: "Breaking the News" 

Dr. Wellman's Office

"The spot is too large to be a fetus at this stage of pregnancy," Dr. Wellman explained.  She continued to study the spot on the sonogram as Lily asked questions.

"Then what is it?"

"It could be one of a number of things.  Really we won't be able to tell much without some additional tests—"

"But, it's not—what does 'a number of things' mean?  What could it be?"  The doctor's serious demeanor had begun to frighten her.  Just minutes ago, Lily believed that she had another human life inside of her, one she would nurture and love.  And, now, she had no idea what was happening.

_Soliloquy Lily_:  I had the two girls, and I always thought I'd have another some day—a little boy.  You know, my mother had me and my sister and my brother.  Two girls and a boy.  It thought it would be fitting for Rick and I… It just felt right.  It felt like it was time for a boy.  I even had the name picked out… Philip.  After my dad.

"I'd rather not theorize until we run a few more tests," Dr. Wellman explained.  Lily nodded, distracted by all the thoughts—worries, dreams, disappointments—running through her mind. 

At that moment, the nurse returned with the blood test results.  As Lily watched the doctor examine the results, she became convinced that the news could not be good.

*********************************************************************

Colin's Office

"I'm so glad you called this morning," Colin stated as Sam and Rick sat down opposite Colin's desk.  "I just got the pictures of the site in Sydney.  Wait until you see them."

Rick and Sam exchanged a look.  "That's kind of why we're here, Colin," Rick began.

"Of course it's why you're here.  We've got a lot of work to do.  Oh!  I've got the information on the houses I want you two to look at on our trip next week."  Colin passed a few packets of information and the pictures across the desk to Sam, who browsed them.  By his facial expression, he was obviously impressed.

"Wow," was all Sam could manage.  

"I told you, didn't I?"  Colin smiled broadly and motioned excitedly for Sam to pass the pictures to Rick.  "Rick, take a look at those.  You are going to love Australia!"

Rick smiled awkwardly, taking the pictures from Sam.  He didn't so much as glance at them.  "Ah, actually Colin," he paused to glance at Sam, who was engrossed in thought of the possibilities awaiting him in Australia.  "Sam and I have been discussing your offer…"  

Sam's expression pleaded with Rick.  Sam never hid the fact that he wanted this job.  He had fought Rick every inch of the way as they argued at the reception.  It's not that Sam didn't understand Rick's reasoning—he did.  Hell, he even figured that if he was in the same position as Rick, he would probably want to do the same thing Rick was prepared to do today—turn down the job.  But, Sam was in a completely different stage of his life… and he wanted Australia. 

"Is something wrong?" Colin asked innocently.  "Because whatever it is, trust me, is nothing compared to what I'll be paying you."

"Well, I wish it were that simple," Rick began.  "It's an incredible offer… really incredible.  I'm just not sure Australia is really feasible at the moment.  You see, there's some news.  We just found out that Lily's pregnant—"

Colin rose from his desk with his arms spread wide.  "Congratulations!" he boomed.  Colin reached across the desk to shake Rick's hand.  "That's incredible!"

"Thank you," Rick said, shaking Colin's hand.  He couldn't help but grin.  It _was_ incredible.  He and Lily were going to have a baby.  

"Great news," Colin continued.  "Great, eh?" Colin asked Sam, unaware of the tension between the partners on this subject.  Sam forced a smile, which did not go unnoticed by Rick. 

Of course Rick felt badly about Sam's position in this whole situation.  He had seen Sam's reaction to the pictures of the site, he had seen Sam's pleading eyes… but Lily's health, the baby's health, and the happiness of his family came first.     

"We really hate to turn this down—it is a great offer—and if you have any future projects, we'd love to—" Rick said, returning the conversation toward its original purpose.

"Turn this down?  Future projects?" Colin interrupted, confused.  

"Well, with Lily's pregnancy, you can see how Australia will be problematic for—"

"Problematic?" Colin asked.  "Wait.  I don't understand.  How does Lily's pregnancy affect anything with Australia?"    

*********************************************************************

Dr. Wellman's Office

"But—I don't understand.  I'm not pregnant?" Lily asked.  After last week, Lily wasn't sure she could take much more stress or worry.  

"I'm afraid not, Lily."

"I took a test."  

The doctor nodded.  "Unfortunately, a blood test is the only reliable measure of pregnancy."  Lily stared blankly into her lap.  "I'm sorry," the doctor offered.

Lily sat on the table stupefied.  She was having trouble processing the ramifications of what Dr. Wellman had told her, and unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for her to truly grieve the loss of her hopes and dreams of a baby boy.  There was the more pressing issue of the sonogram to discuss.

"Truthfully, I'm concerned about the spot we found during the ultrasound.  I'd like to have an MRI and CAT Scan done right away.  Merely precautions of course..."  

*********************************************************************

Colin's Office

"There are doctors in Australia—we'll get her the best care we can find.  We'll fly and house the entire family for the duration of the project—"

"Even so," Rick interrupted.  Colin had been completely unwilling and unable to accept Rick's refusal.  The project was slated to be off and running in a few weeks, and if he had to find another firm to work with, the process of selection and negotiating could take weeks, if not months.  Not to mention, Colin had been thrilled with the work Rick and Sam produced on The Dreiser project.  

"It's not as if we're turning you down, Colin." Sam interjected.  Colin and Rick had nearly forgotten Sam was still in the room.  After all, he hadn't spoke since he began to look over the pictures of the site.  Colin turned all attention toward Sam, intrigued by the prospective hope Sam's statement gave for their inclusion in the project.  Rick, on the other hand, seemed utterly perturbed at Sam's suggestion that they may take the job, since Rick had been very adamant about turning down the project after news of Lily's pregnancy.  

But, Sam wasn't of the same frame of mind.  Rick's decision-making process left Sam feeling excluded and expendable.  He thought Rick had failed to take _his_ best interests into consideration.  The whole thing reeked of selfishness.  This was a huge opportunity, and even if Rick intended to slam the door, Sam wasn't ready to give up Australia just yet. 

"While it's not feasible for Rick to continue on with the Australia project, I still intend to be involved," Sam explained.  

*********************************************************************     

Next time in "Distracting," Sam makes his own decision regarding Australia, Rick calls a family meeting to announce Lily's pregnancy, and Jessie and Grace have a rematch.

*********************************************************************


	9. Distracting 62

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Previously in "Distracting," Sam and Rick met with Colin to turn down the Australia job, but upon seeing pictures of the site, Sam abandoned the plan in favor of a new proposal.  Lily learned she wasn't pregnant, and Dr. Wellman ordered more tests to determine whether her bout of "morning sickness" was another form of illness.

*********************************************************************

Part 6.2  "Breaking the News" 

Colin's Office

Just as Sam sat perched to propose a solution to the Australia problem, Colin's intercom beeped in.  "Sir?" his secretary asked.  Colin sighed.

"Yes?" he answered, annoyance latent in his voice.

"Is Mr. Sammler still with you?  His wife is holding on line 2."

Rick stood with the intention of excusing himself from the meeting.  Truthfully, he was slightly relieved to have been interrupted.  "I'll take this out in the hall," Rick explained before exiting the office.    

The secretary handed Rick the phone and, in the interest of his privacy, went to make some photocopies down the hall.  "Lily?"

"Hi, Rick."  Lily couldn't quite decide how to tell Rick what she needed to tell him.  It was as if the minute she picked up the phone she went dumb (of course meaning she can't speak… I know this term cannot be p.c. in this day and age, but I am unaware of what the correct term would be.  Anyone know?)  

Rick was a bit confused by his wife's silence.  "Honey?" he asked, hoping to prompt her into speaking.  As much as he dreaded it, Rick knew he should get back to the office.  He couldn't keep Colin and Sam waiting forever.  Hell, they were probably plotting right now without his input at all and he'd be stuck in some scheme… "I should really get back to the meeting soon.  Is there something you needed?"

Lily squirmed on the other end of the phone.  She hesitated for another moment before she just launched in, "I'm sorry to call you at work.  I just—I have some news.  Can you meet me when you're done at Colin's?"

"Sure.  Are you at the station?  I'll come over—" 

"Actually, I'm at Dr. Wellman's right now," Lily responded.

"The doctor?"  Rick didn't remember Lily mentioning an appointment with Dr. Wellman. 

"I got sick this morning at the station.  I called Dr. Wellman, and she squeezed me in this morning."

"Oh, well are you Ok?"   

"Actually," Lily paused.  "She thinks we should run some more tests.  She's referred me to this specialist, so I'm heading over to the hospital in a few minutes."  

Rick remained silent on the other end.  Did Lily just say 'hospital'?  If Lily was headed to the hospital for tests, the news must be worse than he originally suspected.  Lily must really be sick—the baby must be sick.  "Meet you in admitting?"  

"I'll be here for awhile, so if you need to finish your meeting—"

"No, no.  I'll meet you there."  Rick ran a worried hand through his hair.  "Colin and Sam will understand."

Rick and Lily wrapped up the conversation and hung up.  Rick was completely engrossed in concern for Lily.  He needed to get to the hospital right away.  Completely forgetting to talk to Colin or Sam, Rick set off down the hallway for the building's exit.  On the way, he spotted Colin's secretary.  He asked her to apologize to Colin for him, and to tell her that he had to meet Lily.  And, with that, he hurried off.

***********************************************************************

Parking Lot Outside Jessie's Psychologist's Office

Grace and Zoë waited in the car for Jessie to come out.  Grace had received a phone call from her mother saying she was running a little late today, so Grace picked Zoë up while Jessie had her appointment.  Honestly, Grace sometimes thought her mother considered her to be no more than a chauffer service.  Take Jessie here, pick Zoë up from there.  Grace almost wished she had never passed her driving test.

"What is taking her so long?" Grace asked, not really expecting an answer.  "Her appointment was over ten minutes ago."  She turned off the car's ignition.  She had wasted enough time without wasting gas idling the engine.  

"Hey," Zoë protested.  "I was listening to the radio."

"Too bad," Grace answered, leaving no room for bargaining.  Zoë rolled her eyes.  Judging Grace's mood, Zoë decided it was better to just stew, rather than challenge Grace further.  Grace fidgeted with the steering wheel, obsessively checking the dashboard clock for changes in time.  

Before Grace could launch into another tirade, Jessie emerged from the building.  Jessie's session had been particularly awkward today.  She spent most of it discussing Grace's insistence that Lily and Judy had discovered that her relationship with Katie was more than friendship.  In the end, it became apparent to Jessie that it was inevitable that she and Katie would be discovered.  After all, with the kissing at the fridge, holding hands during the wedding, and cuddling at the reception, it would only be natural for someone to put two-and-two together.  She and Katie weren't exactly stealth about it all.  

It wasn't the fact that Lily knew that bothered Jessie, it was how Lily found out.  Jessie always thought that when she was ready, she'd talk with her father and mother about her and Katie.  She didn't imagine that they'd have to piece it together on their own, or that they'd hear it from someone else first.  Jessie felt that perhaps it would be best if she talked to Lily, asked her to not tell her father or mother until she gathered the nerve.  

Jessie, completely engrossed in her internal monologue, climbed into the back of the mini-van.  Grace attempted to turn the van's engine back on, but it wouldn't seem to turn over.

"What took you so long?" Grace grumbled as she turned the key in the ignition.  It made a few sputtering noises but still wouldn't start.  

"What?" Jessie asked, taken aback.  Zoë rolled her eyes again.

"Your appointment was over ten minutes ago.  And, now the car won't start."  Grace huffed and leaned back in her seat.  She took a deep breath, giving up on her attempts to start the engine.  

"Sorry," Jessie muttered.  "What's wrong with the car?"

"I don't know," Grace answered, frustrated.  "It won't start."

"You shouldn't have turned it off," Zoë offered.

"Thanks, Zoë," Grace countered sarcastically.  She tried the ignition again.  No dice.

"Maybe we should call Lily or something," Jessie suggested.

Grace nodded, unbuckling her seatbelt.  "Yeah, I'll go in."

Jessie and Zoë waited in the mini-van while Grace went into the office and used the phone.  A few minutes later she reemerged.

"Is Mom coming?" Zoë asked before Grace even had a chance to climb into the driver's seat.

"No, she wasn't home."

"What about Dad?" Jessie asked.

"Rick isn't there either.  No one's home."

"Not even Eli?" Jessie pushed.

"No. One. Is. Home."

"So what are we going to do?" Zoë asked, a little nervous.  

"Judy's coming," Grace said.

"Is she coming soon?" Zoë continued to press Grace.

"Yes.  She will be here soon.  Relax, Zo."

The three sat in silence waiting for Judy to show up.  

*********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Judy shows up to bail the girls out of their jam and uses the opportunity to do some reconnaissance in regards to Jessie's sexuality, the girls return home to an empty house, and Judy becomes overloaded with news at Booklovers. 

*********************************************************************  


	10. Distracting 7

*********************************************************************  

Previously in "Distracting," Rick left his meeting with Sam and Colin to support Lily who needed more tests, while Grace played chauffer to Jessie and Zoë only to become stranded with a stalled mini-van in the parking lot of Jessie's psychologist.

*********************************************************************

 **Part 7  "No Idea"**

Parking Lot Outside Jessie's Psychologist's Office

When Judy arrived there were three rather cranky girls waiting for a ride.  

The girls filed into Judy's car with barely a word.  Grace mumbled something that resembled a "thanks," Zoë (easily the most enthusiastic of the group) threw a "hi aunt Judy" in the mix, while Jessie quietly slipped into the backseat with a poor attempt at a smile.  Judy could instantly tell that her chauffer job would be less than a bouquet of roses.

"What seems to be wrong with the car?"  Judy asked the rowdy bunch, attempting to 'jump start' the conversation.

Zoë pounced on the question, "Grace turned it off while we were waiting for Jessie and now it won't start."

As soon as Grace's eyes stopped rolling, she shot Zoë the death glare.  Judy, anxious to diffuse the situation, decided to launch directly into a change of subject.

"I tried to call your mother and Rick, but neither seem to be around."  

Judy babbled for a few minutes about how Lil and Rick seemed to have dropped off the earth, but no one was very interested in the report.  After realizing she was largely talking to herself, Judy gave up.  She glanced in her rearview at Grace and Jessie in the backseat.  Jessie seemed a bit preoccupied, which of course proved intriguing.  Judy still couldn't believe she and Lily had been so off the mark—about both Grace _and_ Jessie.  There they were speculating about Grace's sexuality and thinking that Jessie and Tad were a hot item, when in fact Jessie was dating Katie and Grace was straight.  Judy truly hoped Jessie would eventually feel comfortable enough around her to be open about her relationship with Katie.  Katie was a nice kid.  Judy really liked her.  So, Judy decided that the best way to wade the waters (and get some choice information) might be to start the dialog herself.  The 'ask some questions, get Jessie talking' route.         

"So, Jessie.  Did Katie ever find her English book?"

"Katie lost her English book?" Jessie asked, obviously uninformed of the subject.  Katie hadn't mentioned anything to her about an English book.  And, besides that, the question seemed odd.  Even if Katie_ had _lost her English book, how would _Judy_ know that Katie lost her English book?  

"Oh, didn't she leave it at the house?"  

"I don't know."  Jessie was completely suspicious now, and her tone indicated so.  "What makes you think Katie lost her book?"

"Uh, well, I ran into her the other morning—" Judy began before being cut off by Jessie's rapid-fire inquiry.

"What morning?"

"Sunday.  At Lily's."  If anything, Judy feared that instead of opening a dialog about Katie, she had made Jessie even more defensive.  And, worse yet, Judy was unsure whether the quickest method of damage control would be to abandon the topic, or to continue the topic in order to explain how innocent her question had been.  The only thing that _was_ clear was that Jessie appeared to have no idea what English book she was talking about, and the atmosphere was becoming more awkward by the moment.  

Jessie hadn't known Katie visited Sunday morning.  No one had mentioned it to her.  So, while Jessie stewed in the backseat, Judy's mind was racing in the front.  She felt she needed to justify herself to Jessie, who had become eerily silent.

"I dropped by to see Lily and Katie was there.  She said she came by for the book," Judy added, her tone attempting to regain a casual atmosphere.    

"She must have gotten it," Jessie responded, totally confused by the whole conversation.  

After Judy's sparkling attempt at 'dialog,' the conversation stalled to a completely unbearable halt.  No one in the car had any idea what the other was thinking, or even what had just taken place really, but everyone seemed to sense the residual uneasiness.  

Finally, Judy couldn't bear the silence anymore.  So, she unwisely she tried her hand again at small talk, "It was really great Katie was able to make it to the reception."

"Yeah," Jessie answered skeptically.  Judy was talking a lot about Katie.  And, she was totally ignoring her nieces.  Something was up.

"And I really loved her dress," Judy continued to babble, checking the rearview for reaction.  

_Wow,_ Grace thought. _The only thing worse than this car ride was being stuck in an immobile car with Jessie and Zoë._  

"Oh yeah," Grace deadpanned.  "Katie's the _greatest_."  Grace leaned forward to talk to Zoë sitting in the front seat.  "What do you think, Zo?"

"What are you talking about?" Zoë asked.

"Precisely," Grace answered, leaning back into her seat.  There was another awkward pause.

"So…" Judy began in an effort to divert the conversation and save some dignity.  "Any big stories from school today?"

"Oh, look.  We're almost home," Grace observed, relieved.  The car was just pulling onto the Sammler's street.  

"Thank God," Jessie quipped under her breath as Judy pulled into the Sammler driveway.

"Thanks for the ride, Judy," Grace said as the girls scrambled to exit the car.

"Have your mom call me!" Judy yelled after them. 

Judy pulled away as the girls entered the eerily empty house.  It was not often the Sammler residence was devoid of life, which probably should have been a clue that something wasn't quite right.  However, after the incredibly uncomfortable ride home, no one's perceptions were quite right either.   

Zoë headed straight for the kitchen.  Jessie took the opportunity to get Grace's opinion on the bizarro ride home.  "What was that about?" Jessie asked, her voice lowered so that Zoë would not hear them in the other room.

"Honestly," Grace said, her tone utterly dismissive, "I have no idea."

Jessie didn't believe that Grace wouldn't have a single clue about what just unfurled in the car.  In fact, since Grace helped diffuse the situation (if that's what you call it), she must have a pretty good idea what it was all about.  Jessie herself was quick enough to link the information Grace shared that morning on the ride to school with the weirdness on the ride home in question.  To summarize: Jessie suspected Grace at least had a _hunch _of what was going on.  "What about what you told me this morning?"

"What about it?" Grace retorted before following Zoë's lead to the kitchen.

Jessie had known Grace long enough to recognize that when Grace got stubborn and incommunicative, there was nothing anyone could do to force her into a conversation, and wisely she chose to drop the subject.  "Never mind," Jessie muttered, opting to forego the kitchen for the time being and instead make her way up to the attic.  

*********************************************************************

Booklovers

When Judy arrived back at Booklovers, she found Karen browsing the front display.  "Karen!  It's great to see you."  The two exchanged a hug, made only slightly awkward due to the cane Karen used to maneuver around.  

"Well, since I'm finally more mobile I decided I might as well take advantage," Karen smiled.  Judy couldn't have been more relieved; Karen appeared to be in good spirits.  

"How did you get here?" Judy asked knowing Karen wasn't driving yet.  

"Eli dropped me off on his way out."

Just as Judy was about to suggest they move the conversation to somewhere with seating, Sam came through the front door.

"Sam?" Judy said, surprised at seeing him in the bookstore.  Karen and Sam exchanged greetings. 

"Well, I'm going to head off toward the non-fiction… there's chairs over there," Karen excused herself, heading off in that direction.

"I'll meet you in a sec," Judy called after her before turning her attention to Sam.  "So what brings you here?"

"Guess who's still going to Australia?"  Sam grinned.

Judy paused for a moment, "Wait a minute… you're going to Australia?"

"_We_ are," Sam responded.

"I don't understand," Judy said, shaking her head.  "I thought you and Rick were turning down the job because of the baby."

"Well, I was thinking about it, and I decided I really didn't want to let the opportunity go.  So when we met with Colin I pitched him an idea, just off the top of my head—Rick stays here, works on the project from Sinclair, I go to Australia and deal with everything hands on.  He and I collaborate through email and phone, that kind of thing.  Everyone's happy."

For the little amount of effort or thought Sam had apparently lavished on his plan, he was certainly confident.  Judy on the other hand was a bit slow to catch up to his level of enthusiasm.  "And that's feasible?"

"Well, Colin seems to think so.  I think it's a great chance for both Rick and I."

"What does Rick think?"  Judy had a hard time believing that Rick shared Sam's enthusiasm for his impromptu plan.  

"He doesn't really know," Sam answered, seemingly unconcerned with the fact that Rick hadn't even heard his plan, let alone agreed to go along with it.  

"What?" 

"Lily called and he just ran off."  True, Rick's departure had been abrupt.  But, overall the nearly two and a half hour meeting ended up being fairly productive despite Rick's absence.  Sam pitched his plan to Colin, who then expounded upon the idea.  Between the two of them, they managed to pretty much set up all the specifics.

"He ran off?  In the middle of a meeting?"  Judy had a hard time following most of Sam's narrative.  Rick running off seemed pretty out of character for starters.  And, the idea of Colin and Sam hatching a plan without Rick's consent seemed even more unorthodox.

"Yeah.  Sometimes I have no idea what's going on with that guy."  

"This is all very bizarre," Judy commented.  "Don't you think so?"  She hoped Sam might take a step back and re-evaluate this plan for what it was… seemingly premature and idealistic at best.  Who's to say Rick even wanted to be attached to the project anymore?  After all, just yesterday Rick had been gung-ho for turning it down.

But, Sam was unshakeable in his enthusiasm.  He had managed to plow right through every question Judy had thrown at him.  "Yeah, pretty wild.  So, you better get packed.  We take off in less than a week."

_Soliloquy Judy:_  Wow… When all of this happened the first time, Australia and everything, I really didn't want anything more than for Sam to ask me.  I pictured the outback and beaches and exotic, romantic locations.  I thought it was the perfect opportunity.  You know, Sam and I could really connect, get away from Sinclair for awhile… But, now?  I don't know, it all just feels a bit rushed and hectic now…  And with Lily's pregnancy.  Being away, missing all of that.  And with Mom.  And the store.  I just—it's not that I don't want to go, with Sam.  It's just—it feels more complicated (she takes a big breath and sort of drifts away, deep in thought.)

"I've got to go make some arrangements and all that, so I'm going to go.  I just wanted to come by and share the good news with you."  Sam gave Judy a peck on the cheek and beamed at her before he headed out the door, leaving a totally overwhelmed Judy in his wake.

But before Judy had too much time to twist her panties into a jumble, Katie came through the door.  

"Katie?" Judy asked, not suspecting a visit from Jessie's girlfriend.  Judy had flashbacks of the monstrosity that was the car ride to Lily's just minutes ago.  _Of course_, Judy thought, _maybe Katie was just there to shop_.

"I was hoping to find you," Katie responded.  Her whole mission in coming was to grill Judy about her 'alleged' conversation with Lily in which some rather sensitive Intel about herself and Jessie had been exchanged. 

"You were?" Judy could tell by Katie's demeanor and tone of voice that this was not a casual visit.  Something was up.  "Um, well, we could talk in the back if you wanted?  Just let me drop by and let Karen know—she's over in non-fiction."

Judy led Katie over toward Karen, who oddly enough was making her way back toward the front of the store.

"Judy, phone's for you," Karen said as she approached.  She saw Katie and smiled.

"Wow, when you're popular, you're popular—I'm sorry, I better get that.  I'll be right back."  Judy hurried off to answer her call leaving Katie and Karen in the front of the store.

*********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Rick fills Judy and the girls in on Lily's doctor visit, Katie and Karen share a moment, and Lily gets a visit from the specialist. 

*********************************************************************


	11. Distracting 8

*********************************************************************

Previously in "Distracting," Judy picked up Grace, Jessie and Zoë, who were stranded in the parking lot of Jessie's psychologist.  Later at Booklovers Judy was high in demand as Karen, Sam, and Katie all stopped by to chat.

*********************************************************************

Part 8  "Don't Worry" 

Booklovers Counter, where Judy is answering the phone

"Judy?  It's Rick."  Rick was tired, and he was afraid his voice betrayed it.  He and Lily had spent all evening at the hospital, test after test.  And, frankly, no one had been able to tell them anything.

"Oh, good!  I've been trying to get a hold of you and Lily all night, what with the mini-van breaking down on Grace."

"It did?"  Rick answered, a bit distracted.  "Did she get it going?" 

"Actually, no.  It's at Jessie's psychologist's office.  I picked them up.  Grace didn't mention it?" Judy asked, a bit surprised this was the first Rick was hearing about the van mishap.

"Well, I haven't seen her—I haven't been home yet.  That's why I was calling.  Lily had a little situation at work earlier and we're at the hospital."

Judy didn't want to jump to conclusions, think worst-case scenario just yet.  "What happened?  Is everything Ok?"

Rick ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.  In truth, he was rather tense and somewhat frustrated that the specialist still hadn't managed to come back by and go over Lily's test results.  But, Rick didn't want to upset Judy with news, which could conceivably be nothing, so he tried to stay casual.  He tried not to sound as worried and tired as he felt.  "Well, that's what we're trying to figure out.  She threw up a little blood earlier.  They've been running some tests—and they want to do a CAT scan and MRI in the morning.  It doesn't look like we'll know anything too soon."

"In the morning?"

"Yeah, they're keeping her overnight."

"Wow."  Despite Rick's relative calmness, Judy couldn't help but think that if they were keeping Lily overnight and running more tests in the morning, that everything couldn't exactly be hunky-dory.  "Can I come see her?"

"Well, that's why I was calling.  I'm going to head over to the house in a little bit.  Talk to the girls.  I figured I'd bring them over to see Lil.  You know, so they don't worry."  Rick knew that no matter what they'd worry, but he hoped seeing Lily would make it all a little less scary.  Plus, he knew that she was anxious to see them as well.  

"Of course."    

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming up to the hospital after you close.  Pick up the girls, maybe stay with them tonight?  I'd like to stay here, keep Lil company."  With Jake out of town still on his honeymoon, the girls would need someone to stay with them, and Rick was glad Judy was home to take the job.  

"Sure.  Whatever I can do."  She imagined that trying to sleep in an empty house would be difficult for Grace and Zoë with the added worry about their mom.  And, she assumed that she wouldn't be getting much sleep herself.  It might be nice to have some company tonight.  "I'll be over around eight?"

"Thanks, Judy.  That'd be great.  I better get back to her, though.  We're waiting for the specialist."

*******************************************************************

Booklovers Entrance, where Katie and Karen are waiting for Judy 

"Katie, it's good to see you," Karen said, smiling.  "What brings you to these woods?"

"Oh, you know," Katie said, suddenly feeling a bit awkward.  

Katie's arrival at Booklovers was hardly what one could consider an innocent 'social call.'  She planned on doing some recon to determine how much Judy knew about her and Jessie.  And, if the knowledge turned out to be as extensive as she figured, Katie intended to ask Judy to keep it quiet until Jessie was ready for the secret to be, for lack of a better word, out.  

But, Katie certainly hadn't expected to run into Karen tonight, and therefore hadn't had anticipated needing a cover story for her trip.  "I ran into Judy the other day at Lily and Rick's.  I kind of have a favor to ask her."  

"Hmmm," Karen said, looking back in Judy's direction and seeing that she was still on the phone.  "It looks like she's a bit busy… Is the favor anything I could help you with?"

"Oh, well, it's not really all _that_ important," Katie said, downplaying the favor in the hopes that Karen wouldn't pursue the topic.  She definitely didn't want Karen to become suspicious of what favor Judy could offer her, so Katie decided on a quick change of subject to cover her tracks.  "What about you?  Out and about and all."

"Oh, a bit.  Getting some payback for all the chauffeuring I did for Eli when he was young," Karen joked.

"Making him run you all over town?  Very _Driving Miss Daisy_ of you...  I like it."

Karen laughed.  Katie really was a good kid—funny, helpful around the house (and didn't cook half bad either).  Karen generally enjoyed having Katie around.  "I don't think Eli finds it as amusing as you or I do."

"Cramping his style?" Katie asked, settling into her cheerful/charming side again.  She liked Karen.  In fact, if she had it to do over, she'd probably have confided in Karen, rather than Lily.  

"Mom is no longer his favorite female to be driving around."

"Well, maybe not, but he's still living at home, so you can't be too far down the list."

Karen smiled.  "You know, it's easy to see why Jessie's been in such a better mood lately, hanging around you and that quick sense of humor."  Since the accident Karen had been worried about Jessie.  She'd been so depressed, but since Katie came along Jessie had been doing much better.  She'd actually been happy, smiling, upbeat.  Karen truly couldn't have been more grateful that Jessie had found a friend like Katie.

Katie blushed.  "She's not half bad herself."

Karen nodded.  "She's a good kid.  She is."  

The mood remained slightly serious for a moment before Katie restored the mood to that of their previous banter.  "If it weren't for the kleptomania… she'd be _perfect_."

Karen laughed, this time a little more cautiously.  (She was a mother after all.)  "I'm going to assume that was a joke."

"Probably better that way," Katie countered, smiling broadly.  Karen had actually managed to put Katie at ease.  Earlier, she'd been so concerned about what Lily and Judy must be thinking about her, that she had fallen into a generally bad mood.  But, knowing that Karen thought she was a good part of Jessie's life really helped Katie's perspective.  

Judy returned to the front of the store, obviously not in the same chipper mood which Karen and Katie shared.

"Katie, I'm going to have to take a rain check on that conversation," Judy said softly, attempting (and failing) to put a smile on her face.    

"Is something wrong?" Karen asked after noticing Judy's stiff posture.

Judy sort of frowned before answering.  "That was Rick on the phone.  Lily's having some tests run at the hospital."

"What happened?" Karen asked, confused and surprised by the news.  She hadn't known Lily was sick.   

"He didn't really have many details.  As soon as I close up I'm going to meet him and the girls at the hospital and then stay with them tonight."

"I'm sorry, Judy."

"Thanks.  I think I'm going to close up soon.  Get over there."

Katie couldn't help but feel concerned for Lily; Judy seemed awfully shaken up about the situation.  "Do you need any help—picking up or anything?" she asked, wanting to help out.

Karen smiled warmly at Katie.  It isn't many high schoolers who would offer to help out her friend's step mom's sister, essentially work for free.  And, Karen could tell Katie had meant every word when she offered.  The girl hadn't hesitated, hadn't flinched one bit.  Yes, Karen was quite convinced that Katie was one of the sweetest teenagers she'd ever met.  

*********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Rick tells Grace and Zoë about Lily, while the specialist arrives to update Lily on her condition.

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	12. Distracting 9

********************************************************************* 

Previously in "Distracting," Katie's plan to interrogate Judy was foiled by Rick's phone call explaining his and Lily's disappearance.  Meanwhile, Karen kept Katie company, allowing the two to bond a bit.

*********************************************************************

Part 9 "Antibiotics and Bed Rest" 

Sammler Residence

Jessie's hunger finally forced her to emerge from the attic and head for the kitchen.  She had spent the last half hour thinking about the car ride home with Judy.  Judy's recent fixation on Katie definitely indicated that she knew something, which meant odds are Grace was right in thinking Lily knew as well.  

Jessie honestly hoped that her parents wouldn't have to hear about her and Katie from some outside source.  It would be best if she could tell them both face-to-face, so that it didn't appear as if she was trying to keep her relationship with Katie from them, like it was some horrible secret.  And, if Lily and Judy both suspected something and then let it slip… 

_Perhaps_, Jessie thought, _it would be better to talk to Lily and Judy before anything disastrous occurred.  _Jessie resolved to ask the two to respect her privacy until she could find the right time (and the courage) to tell her mother and father.

Upon entering the kitchen, Jessie found Grace finishing a bowl of cereal.  Neither girl, however, was searching for stimulating conversation.  So, instead of acknowledging Grace's presence, Jessie walked over to the fridge to scavenge for dinner, while Grace silently polished off hers.  

**********************************************************************

Lily's Hospital Room

Rick left a few minutes earlier to go and talk to Grace and Zoë, leaving Lily alone in her hospital room.  She felt guilty about having to send Rick off by himself to bear the news, but there was really nothing she could do.  After all, she was hooked up to machines, clad only in a hospital gown, and pretty damn exhausted.  She wasn't in the market for traveling.  

The specialist still hadn't come by with results of her tests or news about tomorrow's barrage of scans.  An MRI, a CAT SCAN—Lily guessed that whatever was happening with her health, it probably wasn't going to be fixed with antibiotics and bed rest.  

Just then, Dr. Nailor knocked on the open door and entered, studying Lily's chart.

"Hi, Lily," the doctor said, looking up from the chart sporting a smile.  "I'm doctor Nailor."  He reached out and shook Lily's hand.

"Nice to meet you." Lily said, sitting up straighter in the bed.

"Looks like you've been having a rough few weeks."

Lily smiled weakly.  "No, not the best.  Any theories?"

Dr. Nailor flipped a few pages on Lily's chart and got a serious, down-to-business expression on his face.  "Well, the tests we've run so far have been standard: blood, urine.  We re-ran the pregnancy test, as you requested."  The doctor paused.  "Unfortunately, they came back negative."

Lily had expected as much after her visit with Dr. Wellman, but she still couldn't help but be disappointed.

"I'm sorry," the doctor added sincerely, before continuing.  "The rest of your blood tests, both those that Dr. Wellman ran, and those that we ran earlier this evening, look fairly normal.  Your white blood cell count is a bit high, which would occur with infection.  However, you tested negative for mono, pneumonia, the viruses which would probably linger, causing you this discomfort.  Still, I'd like to begin an IV of antibiotics to be on the safe side.  That way, if you do in fact have an infection of some sort to fight off, we can clear it up quickly."

"You think that I may have a virus?"  Lily asked, feeling a bit foolish for being hospitalized because of a measly virus.

"Well, not entirely.  I reviewed your sonogram from this morning, and I'd like to be able to better identify the spot, for which Dr. Wellman referred you.  Hence the MRI and CAT SCAN tomorrow."

"What exactly are you looking for?" Lily asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"The tests are merely precautionary, I can assure you.  But, I do want to make sure that you don't have an abscess or mass of some sort.  Even a benign mass could be causing discomfort and may need to be removed."  

"You mean a tumor?"  
"At this point, there's no way to be sure that you do in fact have a mass at all.  These are strictly precautionary measures.  There's no need to worry now.  Especially since we won't know anything substantial until tomorrow."  Dr. Nailor smiled reassuringly.  "The thing to do now is get some rest."

Lily nodded.  

"I'll have your nurse come by and hook up the IV, and then I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."

And, with that, Dr. Nailor left Lily alone in the room with her fears to keep her company.  She didn't see how she'd be able to "rest," knowing the possibilities.  

**********************************************************************

Sammler Residence

Back at the Sammler residence, Rick walked in the kitchen door, interrupting Jessie's sandwich construction and Grace's cereal crunching.  Both girls seemed a bit surprised to see him, and both were definitely intrigued to hear where he'd been.  Both he and Lily had effectually disappeared, leaving the girls to call Judy for car support and fend for themselves for dinner.  Even more mysterious was the fact that neither Rick nor Lily had left a note explaining their disappearance. 

"Hi, Grace.  Hi, Jess," Rick greeted.  He crossed the kitchen and gave Jessie a quick hug.

"Hey, Dad.  You want a sandwich?" Jessie asked.

"No thanks, honey."  

"The van broke down again," Grace interjected, her mouth half full.

"Yeah, Judy told me," Rick responded.  "I'll try to get over there tomorrow and see what I can do."

"So where have you been?  You didn't leave a note," Jessie said, looking up at her father who still had his arm around her.

"I know.  I'm sorry about that.  Is Zoë around?"

"She's up in her room," Grace mentioned, finishing off her last spoonful.

"Would you mind running up there and getting her for me, Grace?  I have something I need to talk to all of you about," Rick said evenly, trying not to get the girls too paranoid.

"Sure," Grace said suspiciously as she headed out of the room and up the stairs toward Zoë's room.

Jessie also looked at her father suspiciously as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured himself a glass of water.  "Is something wrong?" she asked.  Rick walked over and gave her another small hug and a kiss on the forehead without answering.  Jessie took his avoidance of her question as a sign that she was definitely right.  She guessed that he'd wanted to tell all three of them together, though, so she didn't pursue her question.

Grace returned to the kitchen with Zoë in tow.  They sat at the kitchen table.  Rick remained standing with Jessie at his side.

He didn't know of any easy way to break the news, so he did his best to ease his way into the conversation.  "I know you've been wondering where me and your mom have been this evening."  Rick paused, gathering his thoughts.  Grace, Zoë, and Jessie looked on expectantly.  "I got a phone call today from Lil.  She got sick at the radio station and ended up going to the doctor."

"Is Mom Ok?" Grace asked, understanding that the little 'family meeting' Rick had going definitely indicated that something was wrong.  She just wished he'd get to the point.

Zoë looked from Grace to Rick, anxious about his impending answer.

"Well, the doctor wanted her to get some more tests, and sent us over to the hospital.  So that's where we've been."  Rick took a good look at both Grace and Zoë, hoping he wasn't scaring them too much.  He continued, "we don't know much quite yet.  I've been waiting with her for the specialist to come and give us the results.  But, it looks like she's going to be kept overnight, because they want to do a few more tests early tomorrow morning."

"What kind of tests?" Zoë asked, a bit confused.  She hadn't known her mother was sick at all, and now she was in the hospital.    

Rick walked over and sat down at the table with Grace and Zoë.  "They're doing an MRI and a CAT SCAN," Rick began.

"What are they for?" Zoë followed up.

Grace explained for him, "they're like x-rays of your organs."

Rick could see that the girls were both worried.  "Your Mom's doing fine though."  The tenseness of the room indicated everyone's skepticism of Rick's comment.  "If you would like to come with me, I'm headed up to the hospital again to see her in a few minutes."

Grace definitely wanted to go, and Zoë seemed to want to go as well, so Rick sent them to grab their shoes and get ready.  He made his way back over towards Jessie.  

Without saying a word, Jessie gave her dad a huge hug.  

"You're welcome to come, too.  Lily would love to see you," Rick told Jessie as they ended the hug.

"Maybe I should stay here—give Grace and Zoë some time with her," Jessie answered.  "Besides, someone should probably wait for Eli to get home—tell him."  Rick nodded.  

"I think I'm going to stay at the hospital with Lil tonight, but Judy's going to stay with you guys in case you need anything."

Jessie couldn't stand to see her father so worried.  "Tell Lily I hope she feels better."

"I will."

Grace and Zoë returned, and the three packed into Rick's car and headed to the hospital, leaving Jessie alone at home.    

**********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Grace, Zoë, and Rick arrive at the hospital, Judy and Rick talk privately, and Lily fills Rick in on what the specialist had to say.

**********************************************************************


	13. Distracting 10

**********************************************************************

Previously in "Distracting," Dr. Nailor (the specialist) paid a visit to Lily reaffirming the fact that she is not pregnant, while Rick told Zoë, Grace, and Jessie about Lily's hospitalization.

**********************************************************************

Part 10 "Before Anything Disastrous" 

Karen, Katie, and Judy were finishing up all the details that come with closing a store for the night.  Karen was balancing the books, Katie was taking care of a few disorganized aisles, and Judy was putting out some new releases in a display.  Between the three of them, they were making quick work of the tasks.

When she had finished up with her display, Judy made her way to the register, where Karen was putting the finishing touches on the books for the night.  "Thanks for all the help tonight," Judy said, leaning against the counter.  Karen could see the stress in Judy's posture.  Her body was a mixture of tension and exhaustion.  

"Oh, it's no problem.  You know that," Karen explained with a gentle smile.  "I'm almost done here.  Just another minute or so."  Judy nodded.  She picked up some things scattered around the counter, grabbed some cleaner and a rag to wipe it down—anything to keep herself busy.  Karen picked up on the anxiety.  "I'm sure she's going to be Ok." Karen said.  She put the last total into the registry and closed it.  Judy continued to wipe down the counter, only nodding slightly.  

"I know," Judy responded without looking up.  "I'm just worried about her."  Rick had been so cryptic on the phone—she didn't even know what exactly was wrong.  And, she couldn't help but think of the baby.  Was it a complication with the pregnancy?  Judy tried to stop all these worse-case thoughts from continuing.  Besides, if Rick knew that Lily was dangerously ill, he surely would have told her.  

Karen watched Judy wipe the counter.  Her friend was clearly in another place.  "Don't do this to yourself," Karen said gently.  "It may be nothing after all."

"I know.  I know." Judy repeated.  She stopped wiping the counter to look at Karen.  "I'm just…" Judy paused.  She glanced over to see that Katie was still busily arranging up books in the corner of the store.  "Lily thinks she's pregnant," Judy explained in a whisper.  

"Oh, wow," Karen replied, understanding more completely the gravity of Judy's concern.  "When did this—I mean—"

"She told Rick right before Jake and Tiffany's wedding.  They haven't really told anyone yet.  It's not quite a certainty—she hasn't gone to the doctor, but—"  Karen was surprised to say the least—it was written in the expression on her face.  "Yeah," Judy said in response to Karen's stunned silence.  

Karen as well as anyone could empathize with Lily—being hospitalized with kids to care for… she had been there.  But, add a new baby into the mix—that was heavy stuff.  

The two women were lost in their own thoughts for another moment before Judy interrupted their shared silence, "You don't think that something's wrong.  With the baby?" Judy asked, afraid to voice her concern too loudly, as if she would jinx everything.

Karen certainly hoped not.  She shook her head and gave her shoulders a half-hearted shrug.  "I don't know."  Karen did her best to smile reassuringly, and Judy did her best to return the gesture.  

"I should get to the hospital," she said, the words kind of sticking in her throat.

Karen nodded and reached over to give Judy a hug.  "If there's anything you or Rick or Lily need…"  

Judy nodded.  "You know," she began.  "We've all spent entirely too much time at the hospital lately."  Karen laughed softly.

"Yes we have," she agreed.  

"Do you need a ride or anything?" Judy offered.

"Oh, I'll just call Eli.  You get going."    

Katie had finished up her portion of the work and was approaching the two women at the counter when she overheard the last few seconds of their conversation.  "I can give you a ride," Katie motioned toward the door of the store.  "My car's outside."

Judy smiled.  "I really appreciate your help tonight," she said, looking both Katie and Karen in the eye.

"No problem," Katie said with a shrug.  

"Anytime," Karen added.

With that, the three filed out of the store.  Judy locked up and headed toward the hospital.  Katie took her girlfriend's mother home.  

**********************************************************************

Rick steered Grace and Zoë down the hallway toward their mother's hospital room.  When they reached the door, Rick knocked and then slowly opened the door.  He peered in to make sure Lily wasn't with a doctor or in the bathroom.  He found her lying in bed—he couldn't help but think she looked considerably more run down than she had before he left.  He also noticed the I.V. she was now hooked up to.  Lily smiled when she saw him poke his head into the room.  Rick smiled back.  "There you are."

"Right where you left me," Lily replied.  Rick ushered Grace and Zoë in and then closed the door behind them.  "Hi girls," Lily said motioning for them to come over to her.  Both went over and gave their mother a hug.

"How are you feeling?" Grace asked.  Rick pulled the two chairs in the room next to the bed, so that the girls could sit by their mother.

"Better actually.  How was school?" Lily countered, wanting the conversation to stay as light as possible.  She didn't want her daughters worrying needlessly.  After all, it was possible that a virus was the extent of her illness.

"Fine," Zoë said.  "But we got stuck at Jessie's appointment."  Lily looked at her, obviously confused by what the statement meant.

Luckily, Grace clarified.  "The van broke down when we went to pick up Jessie."  

"Ah," Lily replied.  "How'd you get home?  Did you get it started again?"

"Judy picked them up," Rick answered.  "I'm going to try to get over to the doctor's office in the morning to check on it."

A knock on the door disturbed the festivities in the room.  Rick went to answer the knock and found Judy in the hallway.

"Speak of the devil," Lily said, seeing who had come for a visit.  Judy came inside.  "I hear you picked the girls up today," Lily explained.

"Right.  The van incident."  Grace and Judy shared a look, both clearly remembering the awkwardness of the ride home.

"How's the store?" Rick asked.  Judy was thankful for the change of subject.

"Pretty busy," Judy moved so that she was standing behind Grace and Zoë's chairs.  She gave Zoë an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder and smiled.  Zoë looked up, grateful to see her aunt.  "So what's the scoop?" Judy asked, returning her attention to Lily.  

"Well, the doctor was just in," Lily started carefully.  "He had the nurse set me up with this I.V. of antibiotics."

"Thought that looked new," Rick said. 

"They're going to do some tests tomorrow morning and then hopefully I'll be able to go home," Lily said, forcing an enthusiasm she really didn't feel.  

"What do you have?" Zoë asked, glad to hear that her mother may be home as soon as tomorrow.

"They're not quite sure.  The doctor says it may be a virus of some sort."

Judy nodded, her brow furrowed, trying to understand what was going on with her sister's health.  "Hence the antibiotics."

"Right."

"Well, that's good," Grace said, looking to her mom for assurance.  "If it's just a virus."

"Yeah."

The room was quiet for a moment.  Lily caught Judy's eye for a moment, and Judy could see the worry in her sister's face.  Despite Lily's attempts to assure her daughters that she was feeling good, Judy could tell that there was something Lily wasn't quite forthcoming about.  

Rick made the first move to break the silence in the room.  "Well, I'm going to run and get a coffee.  Lil—you need anything?"

"Maybe some more water."

"You got it.  Anybody else?  Gracie?  Zoë?"  The girls shook their heads 'no.'  Rick turned to Judy.

"I'll go with you," she answered, picking up the water jug from the bedside table.  Judy saw the trip as an opportunity to talk to Rick, get the scoop on what was really happening.  She hoped that talking face-to-face, Rick might be more forthcoming about what was going on than he was earlier on the phone.

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Next time in "Distracting," Rick and Judy hypothesize about Lily's health, Katie asks Karen for some advice, and Lily feigns bravery for Grace and Zoë's benefit.  
**********************************************************************


	14. Distracting 11a

Author's Apologies:  Hey, this is short… I know. And really kind of delayed… Sorry about that. More soon. School hard. (Buffy, Buffy…   
your season premiere is only a few weeks away...)

Want me to hurry it up?  Write me: vegasbaby81@yahoo.com  I'm here to entertain you.  So, am I?

***********************************************************************

Previously in "Distracting," Judy filled Karen in about Lily's pregnancy, Katie offered to give Karen a ride home from Booklovers, and Grace, Zoë, Rick and eventually Judy convened at Lily's hospital room for a visit.

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Part 11a "Reassure Me" 

The Hospital

Rick and Judy walked down the hall toward the nurse's station.  Neither said anything at first, both waiting until they were out of earshot of the room.

"I suppose you're looking for the real story," Rick began after they had traveled a safe distance.  He ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"When did all this happen?" Judy asked.  "I mean, I know you said she threw up blood earlier."

"Yeah.  At the station.  She apparently went to see Dr. Wellman, who did an ultrasound."  Rick paused as they approached the nurse's station.  He asked the nurse at the desk for a pitcher of water.  When the nurse left to get the pitcher, Rick and Judy resumed the conversation.

"What did they find?"  Judy prompted.

"Well, there was a spot that looked suspicious.  Dr. Wellman wanted to be safe—do a CAT Scan and an MRI.  You know, just to be sure what we're dealing with."

"A spot?"

"Yeah.  I'm not really sure what that means.  I'm trying not to jump to any conclusions.  The specialist was supposed to come and fill us in on some things tonight.  But, I'll have to get the story from Lily later since he obviously came the second I left."

Judy seemed a bit overwhelmed.  Rick wished there was something he could tell her definitively.  Hell, he wished he knew something definitively.  But, right now all he knew was based on speculation and worry.  There wouldn't be concrete answers until tomorrow's tests were done.  Which left all of tonight for more speculation and more worry.

As they both stood there trying to reason through their anxieties, the nurse returned with the pitcher.  Rick thanked her and led Judy down the hall to the vending machine alcove.  After Rick ordered a cup of coffee out of one of the machines, he led Judy to a few chairs in the corner of the alcove.  

"That's not all," Rick said.  The tone of his voice caused a lump to form in Judy's throat. 

"The baby?" she practically whispered, barely able to choke out the words. 

"Exactly, the baby… I don't really know what's going on to be honest."  Rick took a deep breath.  "Dr. Wellman ran a pregnancy test earlier.  It came back negative."

"So she's not pregnant?"

"That seems to be the consensus."  

_Soliloquy Rick_:  Our family is already big.  And, at first, the idea of another kid… at our age, at this stage in our lives—well, it was somewhat intimidating.  But, somewhere along the line, I guess I really started to look forward to it.  I mean, Lily and I—having a  baby.  (He smiles.) 

Rick shook his head.  There was a lot to digest.  "We should probably get back."

Judy nodded, still trying to comprehend everything herself.  "Yeah.  Lily is probably waiting for her water."

The two stood from their chairs, manned with beverages, and made their way back to the room in silence.

***********************************************************************

Next time in "Distracting," Lily talks with her daughters and Katie receives some impromptu advice from Karen on the ride home.

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End file.

Once and Again, Drama