Chapter five

Beth

I was sitting with Abbigail in the doctor's office, both of us waiting on our blood test results. We brought Mandy with us when I started to get anxious about possibly being pregnant. Abbigail made it sound like she wanted the extra support. Shawn was okay with us taking her car, knowing that we both probably needed a minute to ourselves after what we've been through these last few weeks since prom night.

Abbigail had calmed down with the drive here, but as we sat and waited for the results, my nerves have been on edge. I almost jumped out of my skin when the doctor entered the office and Mandy came to calm me down. Abbigail and I held hands while she opened both envelopes and smiles. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. I didn't need sound to know both of us were pregnant.

I gingerly pull my hand from Abbigail and step out in the hall. I bring my hands to either my stomach or my mouth as silent sobs escape my lips. I never expected to find out before she left to join the military. Can I handle this pregnancy without her when she's still here? Should I tell or or wait?

I shutter a calming breath when I feel Abbigail take me in a comforting embrace. "I'm going to tell Melanie when we get back, you should tell Shawn," she chokes quietly.

"I'm not sure I can wait two years for her to come home to our baby. I want them to know who she is. I need her with me Abbigail," I choke in broken sobs.

"Come on, I was about to find out how far along I am," she chokes in a soothing whisper.

Abbigail steps back and Mandy comes in my view with tears of joy in her eyes. She wipes my eyes and says with a smile, "Shawn is going to be happy when she hears the news. You should have seen her last night, talking about starting a family with you when she returned home."

"I don't want to lose her when I just got her," I choke between broken sobs and Mandy takes me in a comforting embrace.

"Beth, I've watched Shawn crush the shell she's been stuck in since freshman year. She's gained respect from most of the jocks and the cheer squad. There's been less bullying in our school since the beginning of the year and it's because of Shawn," Mandy says in a soothing tone.

I shutter a calming breath and look towards Abbigail waiting with the doctor. "I'm ready," I choke quietly and take Abbigail's hand. "Let's go see how far we are."

We follow the doctor to a room with an ultrasound machine and Mandy helps Abbigail first. Moments later the doctor is waving a wand over her lower abdomen and the screen shows her baby on the monitor. "You look around eight weeks pregnant and with a very healthy baby," the doctor says with a smile.

"Your birthday was eight weeks ago," I point out. "Was this before her parents...?"

"Yes," she chokes quietly and none of us finish my question, knowing it was before her parents chopper was shot down. "Your turn."

She climbs down with Mandy's help and I take my seat in the examination chair. I expose my stomach and watch the doctor squeeze the gel on my lower abdomen before waving the wand over the area. "You look about six weeks Beth, also with a healthy baby," the doctor says softly and I nod gingerly, keeping my eyes on the peanut shaped bubble in my womb.

Fresh tears fill my eyes as the monitor is switched off and moments later I'm handed a printout. I don't take my eyes off it and Mandy guides us both back to Shawn's car. I don't remember the drive back or pulling in the driveway.

My gaze is broken away from the printout in my hands when Shawn reaches in to undo my seatbelt with concern in her eyes. I meet her eyes as tears roll down my cheeks and she caresses my face. "Do you have to go in two weeks," I ask in a choked whisper.

"I'm going for us," she says in a comforting whisper. "They made a joke of us at prom. I want to build respect for us so our future family won't be laughed at or picked on."

I hand her the printout and ask in a choked whisper, "You mean this future family?"

Shawn

I'm looking at an ultrasound printout that Beth just handed to me and tears fill my eyes. I gently scoop her from the car and hug her to my chest with her legs wrapped around my waist. "I'll do the training and see if I can stay with you until the baby is born and then do my tour," I say with a smile and take her in a passionate kiss. "I want to be here with you for this."

Beth breaks into relieved sobs and I hold onto her as her arms constrict around my shoulders. I look over and see Melanie holding a broken down Abbigail. I have a feeling they were sharing a similar news and came to the same agreement I did with Beth. "They don't want to lose either of you," Mandy chokes quietly and I nod gingerly keeping Beth held close to me.

Abbigail looks like she fell asleep and Melanie carries her inside. I follow with Beth and everyone was sitting in the living room where I left them to get Beth from the car. They all had concerned looks on their faces and my mother was the first to break. "What's going on," she asks with worry in her tone.

"Melanie and I are going to see about postponing our tour in Afghanistan, at least another year," I choke with a smile.

"You mean...," Carolyn asks in a choked whisper.

"I'm six weeks, Abbigail's eight weeks," Beth chokes quietly, handing her mother the printout.

"Your birthdays," Charlotte asks with a smile as she looks at Abbigail's printout and Beth nods virgously as tears roll down her cheeks.

"Shawn, you mind if I take Abby to your room," Melanie asks quietly, holding a sleeping Abbigail in her arms.

"I'm going to lay with her," Beth chokes in a tired whisper and I kiss her forehead.

"Sweetheart, are you okay," Carolyn asks with concern.

"I just need time to let everything set in. A lot has happened these last few weeks and Shawn is joining the army," she chokes quietly, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm tired."

She leaves the room with Melanie and Mandy walks up to me with tears in her eyes. "She's scared Shawn. She's afraid of losing you when you leave for Afghanistan the way Melanie lost her parents," she chokes quietly and I take a step to follow her. Mandy grabs my hand and I look at her. She shakes her head and says, "Don't, she'll get mad that I told you. She doesn't need the stress right now with the baby."

I let out a sigh, but nod with understanding. " Thank you for telling me," I say quietly and look back down at the printout in my hands. A light smile spreads my lips happy to have this miracle known before I left for war. "I promise to do my best to be there for you and mommy, Jordan."

"That's a lovely name Shawn," my mother says with a smile.

"It's suitable for either gender and perfect if the baby is born intersex like me," I say quietly as I trace my finger over the peanut shaped bubble. "We can decide on a middle name once they're born."

Abbigail

I woke up to a mixed smell of Shawn and Beth. I sit up abruptly and feel around the bed I'm in. There's only one body next to me and I feel for their face. Beth is asleep next to me and I let out a relieved sigh. I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach, but don't know where the bathroom is.

Thankfully I smell Shawn enter the room, probably to check on Beth. "Bathroom," I say in a wavering whisper.

I feel her strong arms lift me bridal style and briskly walk me to the bathroom. Moments later I'm kneeling in front of the toilet and get sick. I feel my hair being pulled back and a hand comfortly rubbing my back. "I was originally checking on Beth," Shawn says softly to whoever is in the hallway. "She was ready to get sick when I walked in the room."

"Melanie," I ask in a wavering whisper.

"No sweetheart, it's mom. You want me to get her," my mother asks in a soothing whisper.

I shake my head gingerly, leaning against Shawn. "Will you take me back in by Beth?"

I feel as she gently lifts me in her arms and carries me back to bed with Beth. I feel the bed under me moments later and feel for Beth. She was still asleep, but facing away from me. I curl up at her back and feel as someone sits on the bed behind me. My mother's perfume wafts up my nose and feel as she kisses my temple. I let out a content sigh and soon hear two sets of feet shuffle out of the room.

It wasn't long before Beth groans awake next to me and I feel her roll to face me. "Your wife was just in here checking on you," I say quietly and give a light smile. " She's quite a gentlewoman, helped me to the bathroom and back to bed."

"I can only imagine how she'll be these last few weeks of school before they leave for training," she chokes quietly.

"I don't want Melanie to leave either, but I also don't want to stand in her way of being close with her parents. She believes they're still alive," I choke quietly. "She's hoping to go over there and bring them home and Shawn wants to help her try to find them."

"They're going on a rescue mission," she asks quietly, as if she didn't know that was their plan.

"Shawn didn't tell you," I ask feeling bad that she didn't know and had to find out through me.

"No, but I understand why she didn't. They're going on a dangerous mission and she didn't want me to worry," she chokes quietly, her voice cracking on the end.

I feel her body tremor from her silent sobs and take her in my arms. "From the few times the four of us hung out, I can tell that Shawn is wise. She'll keep them both safe and they'll both come home unharmed," I say in a soothing tone and she shutters a calming breath.

"I have a bad feeling Abby and you know they're usually on point. I just don't know what the bad feeling is for," she chokes in a scared whisper.

I have a bad feeling too, but I don't want to dwell into it, I have my unborn child to worry about. I push the unwanted feelings aside and say in a soothing tone, "We need to think positive Beth, for our babies sakes. We need to trust our wives will come home safe or we're only going to stress our babies out."

She shutters a calming breath and chokes quietly, "You're right, I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"We need to keep each other calm, especially after they leave," I say quietly and I feel her nod against my shoulder. "Do you think you can manage going downstairs with me? I want to be by Melanie. I only stayed with you because you stayed with me."

"I want to be with Shawn, I only came up here to sleep off the stress of the last few weeks," she chokes quietly and helps guide me downstairs.

Melanie

Shawn and I were talking with her parents, Beth's mom and Abbigail's parents about our rescue mission to find my parents when the girls came down from their nap. Beth looked like she'd been crying for awhile and Abbigail looked like she was fighting to hold it together. Their mothers are the first to reach them, but Beth wriggles away from Carolyn, shaking her head virgously.

"Did you know," she asks in a choked whisper and Shawn bows her heads in guilt.

She didn't want Beth to know about the rescue mission and I didn't get the chance to tell Abbigail not to tell her. Everyone else knew about the mission but her. "I asked her not to tell you, because at the time I thought I was protecting you," Shawn chokes quietly. "I'm sorry."

Beth walks up to me as fresh tears roll down her cheeks. "She's sensitive to any form of bullying. I'm sure she'll face some during training. Above all else, you bring her back home," she chokes as her voice cracks in places and I take her in my arms looking at Shawn. "You bring her back home to our baby."

"I promise, the place we're searching is currently away from the fighting and is where tracks were picked up from locals that are aiding American soldiers. We believe it could be my parents and have no form of communication to call for help. I need it to be them Beth and Shawn offered to help me find out," I choke quietly and she looks up with sympathy. "It's all we're going over for, to find my parents. Should we need to fight our way, I'm a good shot. They taught me."

Shawn steps up next to us and says softly, "I wasn't only looking out for you when I didn't tell you. I thought I was protecting Jordan."

"Jordan," Beth asks confused.

Shawn smiles, placing her hand on Beth's stomach. "Our baby," Shawn says in a soothing whisper and kisses Beth's forehead.

I watch as a flood of emotions flow through Beth's eyes as she takes in what Shawn said. Without a word and a trembling lower lip, she embraces Shawn. Her hands grip at Shawn's sides and buries her face in Shawn's chest. Shawn wraps her in a comforting embrace and I take this as my chance to approach Abbigail.

She comes in my arms as I reach her and she lets out a content sigh. "Thank you," she chokes in relief and I knew it was about Beth. "She's scared Melanie. She has this bad feeling about something and normally her feelings are right. Please, I beg you to be safe."

"You know I have a good shot," I say in a soothing whisper and she nods against my shoulder. "My parents trained me, I'll be home before you and Beth know it and I'm bringing Shawn home with me. I just hope my parents are also with us."