Sean looked at his team, brown gaze sweeping over them as they made the final preparations.  It wasn't as if they hadn't done this before - each Immortal had a time and place when they had to leave a life and identity they had lead within the mortal realm.  But, he had to admit, that this was the first case he had ever heard of in all of his four hundred years of living that a mortal had been changed and was, so far, successfully carrying one of his own and needed to end her current identity and life.

And part of that was going to happen by using something the Organization had clinically created in the first place, in a sad attempt to do exactly what ended up happening with Taylor Morgan in the creation and birth of an Immortal child.

Gwen DeWitt's body now lay in waiting, Ross having arraigned her 'cremation' already and filed official papers through a third party medical examiner so it couldn't be traced back to him.  Sean grinned slightly to himself remembering how the doctor had commented that he suddenly realized how much the hospital's security protocols sucked.
 
 
 

"I thought any baby could use those." Christian admitted, turning a little pink "I'm no expert, but I know I've seen babies wearing them before."

Taylor looked at him and smiled, only to look around them curiously and then back at him, an eyebrow raised.  Was it safe to talk in there or should they keep what they said somber because of Gwen's and - unless all of the agents already knew - the baby hadn't made it yesterday.

Yesterday?  It seemed so long ago, and here Taylor was walking around as if she hadn't just been in a surgery just hours before.  And she had noticed that morning that the scars she should have had were all but feint marks on her now.

Christian smiled at her.  "I've had the place checked out regularly and Sean put some precautions in.  It's safe to talk here.  He'd know already if something had been done to change that.  As soon as I knew I had him come in.  I refuse to live in a tainted environment."

"In that case..." Taylor admitted with a soft smile as she looked at the unitards again "I think it's perfect.  She's going to look so cute in these."

She looked at him again "Unless we have to leave this here...?"

"We can take whatever you like." Christian assured her.

Taylor folded the unisuits and looked around before spotting and then picking up a carry all.  Then she spotted a stuffed doll and went to go pick it up, smiling back at Christian "You picked this out."

Christian nodded a slight tinge of pink touching his cheeks.  It wasn't as though Gwen was going to do any of that, not that he knew what babies would like, but he had done his best.

Taylor rubbed noses with the soft teddy bear before giving it a test hug and then bringing it over to the bag.  It was so soft she thought that it must have been ran through softener multiple times and checked the tag on it's leg.  Fragrance and chemical free, good.

"It's perfect." She said, adding it to the bag before turning to him with a grin and slipping her arms about his waist "And I don't think I've ever seen you blush before."

Christian cleared his throat and responded "I..I don't very often" just as he cheeks turned another shade of pink.

She couldn't help it and reached up to touch one of his cheeks, smiling slightly and asking curiously "Why are you now?"

Christian shifted the weight on his feet slightly and shrugged.  "I don't know really."

Taylor managed a quiet smile and stepped away before putting her hands behind her back and going to go look at some more decorations, not really knowing why she suddenly felt..... off? nervous?

"We could probably take the swing with us," Christian said "but most of these things can be replaced wherever we end up."

"All right." Taylor replied before turning to look at the room in general and sticking her hands into her pant pockets.

"Are you all right?" Christian asked, becoming concerned at the change in her demeanor.

She could have tried to brush it off but knew he wouldn't have bought it, so she looked at a point on the floor and shrugged "I think it's hitting me now."

"I know it's a lot to take in, in such a short period of time." He admitted.

She managed a wry chuckle "We've never even went on a date... and now we're going to have a baby."

Taylor looked at him, the small sign of worry in her gaze "What if..."

That sounded so self centered, even without verbalizing it and she bent her head.  A child was saved - the possibility that Christian's attraction to her from afar and never having gone past that until this mammoth leap to carrying his child, and realizing it could have only been from afar and nothing more.....

"But she's alive.  God, Christian... this surgery - I have a feeling it wouldn't have taken had it been another child."

"Perhaps not," Christian agreed "or perhaps it wouldn't have worked in another mother.

"I'm so sorry," He added "I know this will pretty much close the doors on your research and I know how much you loved that."

Taylor shook her head "It's not that.  And it doesn't have to but that's not even a priority to me considering the baby - and the rest."

She looked at him and then set her head on his shoulder "You sure this isn't..... closing doors for you?"

What if he decided he wanted to find someone else...?

"Just the opposite," Christian assured her.  "I feel freer to tell you things now, to let you be part of my life."

"Why?" She asked before pointing out "You do realize that the closest we've been to having a date has been... the sandwich shop or late nights we've had to work?  What if you find out I'm too opinionated for you?"

It was asked half humorously but she was serious.  Was it her not knowing about him that had kept him at arms length for so long?

"I could ask the same of you." Christian pointed out  "I want to know everything about you.  I have for a very long time.  I was just working up the courage to find out, when Gwen turned up."

Taylor raised her hand and traced the side of his jaw thoughtfully "I guess you could.  So what is it about me you don't know?"

They spent the next few minutes just talking and revealing little things they knew about the other - like Taylor's volunteer work that she did that even Ross hadn't known about, and the party that had been given to the children on the cancer ward and people were still trying to guess had been the instigator of and that Taylor had known it had been Christian.

"Well," Christian said thoughtfully "none of that was really a secret.  I just never told anyone, but I didn't make much effort to hide it either."

He smiled at her then.

She gave him a wry look and asked "Do I at least get a point or two for knowing you're not a morning person?"

"Who says I'm not a morning person?" Christian asked with a look of complete and utter disbelief on his face.

"Ugh." Taylor rolled her eyes and took a step back "Fine, have it your way. You're a morning person."

Christian tilted his head and looked at her curiously.

"Though, I'm beginning to think you might not be one." He added with a teasing grin.

Taylor picked up the small pillow near her and hit his arm with it "Here, tease this."

Then she walked into the living room and looked around, again sticking her hands in her pockets.  She couldn't help it.  It was his home but....

She didn't feel like she belonged there.  It wasn't him, it was just... this place, and she couldn't explain it beyond that.

She sighed and went over to the couch in the living room and sat down, wondering if it were physically possible to sink down into the corner to disappear from her reaction to his tease.

Christian moved and sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry, Taylor.  I shouldn't have teased."  And he felt guilty for the way she was obviously feeling.  He could understand why she might have felt out of place here but she was the one person he had truly wanted to be here, in his home.

She looked at him and chewed her bottom lip before looking at the floor and trying to explain "It's not that.  It's just..."

She shook her head and looked at her hands and the floor "You would think an educated person like myself would be able to make sense at least."

"I doubt the most educated person in the world would know how to handle all of this being dumped on them at once.  You're doing better than I would under the same circumstances."

He moved a hand to brush some hair out of her eyes.

"I had to." She answered simply, her gaze meeting his as she shrugged slightly "I couldn't let her die... and she's yours."

"A lot of people would not have done that." Christian told her seriously "You're a very special woman.  I've always known that."

She didn't know what to say to that and felt herself blush, heat rising in her cheeks and her ears as she lowered her gaze "I'm not all that special."

"Yes you are," Christian assured her as he tilted her face back up "I've never fallen for just anybody you know."

She swallowed a little and murmured "Fallen?"

He had spent so much time keeping her at arms' length that finding out he had cared during all that time... well, surprised was part of what she was feeling.  And finding out how much he cared - she was in a kind of awe over it.  Almost like she had dreamt what he had said and now, awake, wanted to know if it had all been a dream or real.

"Fallen in love." Christian clarified candidly, but saying it so bluntly made him blush too.

Taylor chuckled softly, reaching up to touch her forefinger to his cheek "Aren't we a pair?"

"Well, at least we match," Christian said with as smile.  "I hear that's a good sign."

She then leaned forward and touched her lips to his in a feather soft kiss "Thank you."

"No, thank you," He replied softly "I have a feeling I won't go through too many lonely periods anymore.  As much as I like Sean he isn't always that helpful."

She set her forehead against his and smiled, teasing a little "Whadya mean 'too many'?  You planning on leaving me somewhere and going out with some other girl?"

The phone rang just then and it startled her before she ducked her gaze sheepishly.

"No," He replied, grimacing at the shrill sound of the phone.  He hadn't seen anyone in, well a very long time.  "In fact, you can even come to every business meeting I have if you wish."

The machine clicked on and Mark Daily's voice - another member of the hospital Board - sounded over the speaker "I just heard from Ross that our good doctor Ms Morgan has checked herself out and that you'll be driving her to a clinic where she can better recoup from the surgery.  We know that she's been working double time to make up for the lack of doctors lately but Ross has assured us that he was going to pitch in to make up what he can.  Let her know that we hope she gets better soon and we've rescheduled the monthly Board meeting for when you should be getting back."

Taylor raised her eyebrow at Christian, wondering if that had been Ross' cover story or.....

Christian's cell phone rang just then.

"We've suddenly become quite popular it appears." Christian said as he pulled out the cell.
 
 
 

"Come on, answer the phone." Sean muttered, having just given Ross the cover story to lead up to the car 'accident' and ready for the next stage.  Both he and Ross had been working on transferring Gwen's body since one of his men had followed the doctor to the hospital that morning and things were in place now so that all they needed was the two to drive a certain route...

"Yes dear, what is it?" Christian replied in a teasing voice.  The caller ID had told him who was calling.

"Yeah, you two timer." Sean responded in his usual way before adding "But we both know who your sweetheart is.  It's time.  You remember the beach side cliff?  Ten minutes."

With that he hung up, giving the others the signal that it was time.

Taylor looked at Christian's facial expression and waited to find out what the call was about and knowing it had been Sean just with the way he had answered the phone.  But if Ross had already given a cover story for her and Christian's absences she suspected that the plan was about to unfold.

So soon.

Christian put the phone back in his pocket and stood.  "Did you get everything you want from her room?"

She nodded and looked up at him before slipping her hand into his and standing as well.

It was time.

Christian led her to the door, stopping to pick up a small bag from the hall closet and putting their things in it, as well as going to the baby's room and retrieving the carry all.  Then, with a final look back for both of them and then to each other they left, heading down to the car and getting in.

It was hard to tell what emotions she was feeling because they were all there together and jumbled.  But the one sure thing she felt as they headed toward the cliff Sean had mentioned was that what she was doing was the right thing, no matter what else.

Christian drove with his own thoughts, taking a long looping route through heavy traffic as they neared their destination.
 
 

As soon as Sean spotted their car, and the traffic at this point was thankfully light compared to how it usually was which was why they had chosen this time as well seeing as it was always light during this time of day, he signaled the second car, speaking low in his phone "Now."

He then flipped to the second line and rang Christian.

Christian flipped open his phone, pulling over slowly.

"All right," He said "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be."

"Just get out of the car and take your stuff with you and walk down to the plateau.  There's another car waiting for you.  We'll meet you back at the safe house."

"Right." Christian said and then hung up.

"Okay, let's take a walk."

He got his bag and the one Taylor had packed in the babies room, then he went around the car and opened the door taking her hand.

"How are you holding up?" He asked as they started down the slope.

The path they were taking effectively cut off anyone's curious view their way and she was careful as they walked.  When Christian asked how she was, she looked up at him and offered a half smile "No panic attacks yet so we must be doing okay."

Christian returned her smile, leading the rest of the way down and to the new car.  Once they were both inside, he started it and took a small curving road that ran along the coast.

"Is there anything from your place you want?  We can arrange to have the things picked up."

Taylor shook her head.  What she had there could be replaced and the plan was already being carried out so it was best if they didn't chance anyone going there anyway.
 
 
 

What they didn't see was their car going over the cliff as the brakes gave out and it plummeting to the rocky ground below.  They were already far enough from the location to miss the automobile exploding and burning with the impact.

A passing car saw the explosion and called 9-1-1.
 
 
 

A couple of hours later it was on the evening news that two people had perished in an auto accident - a doctor that was making breakthroughs with child birth and fertility options and one of the Board Members that had been driving her to a clinic after an emergency surgical procedure had been performed so that she could recoup in peace.

Taylor watched the television news announcement when they returned to the house, watching images of her and friends and coworkers being shown as the reporters got reactions from those at the hospital.  She sank into a chair watching their sadness, feeling guilty about causing it but also knowing that if they had known the circumstances, a good number of them would have understood.

Christian sat down beside her and slipped an arm around her shoulder.  "Are you sure you want to watch this?"

She shook her head.  She didn't want to watch anymore of it and pressed the power button to turn it off as she turned to him, her voice quiet "But it's done."

What now?  Did they go somewhere with new names? Did they have to have complete new identities now...?