Weeks later...
 

Gwen had gone out that morning, having been contacted by the Organization.  She wasn't really showing but she was feeling the symptoms of pregnancy. And feeling the atmosphere around her.

She hadn't bothered to get a ring for herself.  In fact she was starting to feel sorry for Christian.  It was obvious he was miserable and that he wasn't alone.  It was becoming hard to watch the both of them during the ultrasounds - in fact, it was reminding her the emotions she had thought were long and dead within herself, toward her own fiancé.

And there was something happening, although she hadn't said anything to anyone.  The baby knew things.  She didn't know how but she could tell.  She knew the baby was aware of the fact Gwen didn't love it, but the baby knew that Christian did.  It knew the sound of Taylor's voice and that the woman cared about it.  It never failed to happen - when it was time for Taylor to be present, for the ultra sound and consults, the baby would react.  When Christian would speak or pick something out for the baby, the baby would react.  When Gwen lay trying to sleep and considered the thing growing inside of her, it knew.

It wasn't stress from Christian that was the problem, it was stress from her own self that was the problem.

She wanted out.

It was with this in mind that she drove to the newest meeting place to report to her superiors.  Maybe they should just impregnate Taylor and do the experiment that way.  They would probably get a whole hell of a lot more positive information and results that way.

"Are you getting cold feet?" the first Agent asked once she had reached the meeting place and spoke her mind "And do you really think the Organization is going to just scrap what they've accomplished, just because you're suddenly getting a conscious?"

"This experiment isn't going anywhere except that there's something growing inside of me that'll be born in a few months.  You know how it's been at his place.  Surely that's not what you wanted..."

She didn't know it but that was what they wanted.  They wanted something born of Christian's kind and to see how long it lived.  They wanted to tap into that and become like the man.  The baby would be used for genetic testing on how to gain the same cells it had.

Gwen left half an hour later, knowing that the Organization wasn't going to change its mind.  And for the first time, she was scared.  The baby inside of her was scared.
 
 
 

"How long do you plan on pushing yourself, Tay?" Ross asked after seeing her, yet again, with slight bruises under her eyes from lack of sleep and taking on yet another shift at the hospital "You and Christian look like hell.  Why don't you go talk to him?"

Taylor signed off on another case and picked up another chart, heading toward one of the hallways and Ross keeping up.

"He's married, remember?" she asked, flipping the top of the chart up so she could read a patient's stats.

Ross was still angry at DeWitt for what he had pulled with the whole marriage thing and hurting Taylor but he wasn't blind.  The man was feeling as bad as she was.

It was because of this that Ross had left a note on the man's desk to get his ass down here and do something.

"Doctor Ross, what is this about?" Christian called, striding towards the man note in hand.  He didn't take well to being ordered around and the brevity of the note gave him few clues as to why the doctor was taking such liberties.

Taylor flinched, hearing his voice, and looked at her friend in silent accusation.

"You'll thank me for this later." Ross whispered and turned her around so that DeWitt could see her before leaving.  He had managed to put her in the way of DeWitt so that the jackass would have to run her over if he wanted Ross.

Christian's mouth dropped open slightly at seeing Taylor's haggard appearance, though he did manage to recover his expression of shock.  It was obvious Ross's little surprise shocked Taylor too and for that Christian was ready to throttle the man, unfortunately the coward was hiding behind her.

After a stretch of silence, filled with the daily routine noises of the hospital around them, Christian cleared his throat and shifted the weight on his feet.  What was he supposed to say?

"The next appointment isn't for another three days." Taylor said, letting him off the hook from having to talk to her as she picked up a patient's chart and started to walk around him.  She'd hurt Ross later, when she caught up with him.

Christian automatically moved back in front of her, gently taking her by the shoulders.

"You look like you could use some rest." He said.

"I'm sure we all could use something, Mister DeWitt." She said, looking at a spot on his blazer as she spoke "But what we could use and what we get are two different things.  How's your wife doing?  The baby?"

"Fine," Christian said letting go of her and feeling another jab in his heart "Physically at least."

He had noticed Gwen's depressed mood lately and it concerned, mostly because of the baby, but partly because he had come to think of her as somewhat of a friend.  They were after all in the same boat.

"Rest is something your body won't let you do without forever.  I don't want to see you make yourself ill."  True he wasn't sleeping all that well himself, but that didn't stop him from worrying.

She finally met his gaze, her own torn "It doesn't matter."

Nothing really mattered anymore, she thought, starting to walk around him again.  He'd made his choice, the moment he left the hospital and concentrated on his wife and child in a new way.  A way that indicated he did care about Gwen.  She saw it each time they came in for an exam, the way he acted and reacted to his..... wife.

"Your wrong," Christian said falling into step beside her.  "It matters to me and to Ross."

"Don't worry," Taylor assured him "I'm not going to let the baby's or your... wife's medical treatment suffer.  And as for Ross, he won't care after I knock him on his arse for pulling this latest stunt."

"I'm all for knocking him out," Christian agreed, "but that other stuff is not what I'm talking about.  I'm talking about you.  You need to put yourself first sometimes and this is one of them."

Taylor stopped and finally looked up, into his gaze "Why?  Why are you worried about me, Christian? You have your wife and child."

Christian lowered his voice to make certain their conversation was private "I care about you, that's why I'm worried.  And yes I have a child and if you want to call Gwen my wife then do so.  But my marriage is only a marriage on paper."

She hugged the clipboard to herself  "If you cared then why am I being shut out?  And Christian.... you did take vows, and I've never known you not to be a man of your word."

Christian bit his lip.  "I promised to take care of her and I'm doing that.  I did not promise to love her or cherish her.  It was a civil ceremony, not a wedding."

He took a breath and looked back into her eyes.  "I gave you something the day I told you.  If you didn't want to be shut out, then why didn't you follow up on that?"

"The way you left with her," Taylor said, remembering it still "You made the decision you were going to try and have a relationship with her, no matter what kind of relationship it would have been it was going to be one that involved caring.  I couldn't... I couldn't interfere with that.  I can't be the other woman, Christian, no matter how much I... "

She shook her head and ducked her head, needing to blink back tears.

"I'm not asking you to be," Christian replied his voice still low in an almost whisper that only she could hear.  "But you shouldn't have presumed things that you have no knowledge of.  Yes, I made a decision.  A decision to make sure my baby was born healthy.  As part of that decision I decided to try and be civil to Gwen so as not to put stress on her that might hurt the baby.  Maybe that's what you call a relationship, but I don't.  We are only barely friends, if you can even call it that.  I understand if you don't want to get involved with me because of that and I can accept that.  But you can't expect me to stand idly boy and watch you destroying yourself, when you don't even know all the facts.  And if knowing is what needs to happen then you need to find what I gave you, because I can't discuss that here.  Not even like this."

"I have it." She admitted, having kept it in her pocket no matter what she was wearing.  She looked at him for a long moment before asking in a near whisper "What do you want me to be Christian?"

His answer would decide what she'd do.  If it was just to be friend then she would have to work through what was keeping her up at nights now and just deal with it.  It if was more.....

Christian was quiet for a moment.

"What I truly want with all my heart is you and my child.  A few months ago it was just you, but I love that baby now too."

Of course she said it herself what we need and want is not always what we get.

"I never thought I could have either of you, you and the baby." He clarified so she would know he wasn't talking about Gwen.

She reached out and touched his chest, where his heart was, and watched her hand before looking up at him and promising quietly "I'll call."

Christian nodded, assuring her "It's a friend, he'll arrange a safe place for us."

The sound of the hospital was still going on about them but Taylor focused on what he said and asked softly "Is it really that... bad?"

"Yes," Christian told her honestly "it is."

He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them gently "I should go, please go home and get some rest."

"Will you?" She asked, having noticed the signs of lack of rest within his gaze herself  "Please?"

"If that's what it takes for to you rest, yes." Christian agreed.

Taylor smiled for the first time in a long time, even if it was tiredly and half humorously, but she agreed "Okay, you win.  Ross can cover for the extra shift for the prank he pulled.  My shift doesn't start for another four hours."

Christian returned her smile with his own weary one.  "Let's go find him and let him know.  Then, I'll walk you to your car."

She did one better than that and nodded at the nurses' station before going over, having Ross paged, and then leaving her work load for him in his basket before turning back to Christian "All set.  Ready?"
 

"Yes." Christian said and began to walk beside her out to the parking lot.

They made it to her car and she opened the driver's side door before turning to him and then getting into the car and letting him close the door.  Once he did she looked up at him, not yet putting the key into the ignition.

"Christian..." She spoke his name, waiting for him to lean down in order to hear what she had to say.

Christian bent down to the open window, resting his hands and forearms on it, his head framed in the opening. "Yes."

No one she could see was around, but just in case they were, the tinted windows would work at making it hard to see what was going on inside.

Which was why she had gotten him to lean into it before she turned and cupped the side of his face and kissed him softly on the lips.

Christian was surprised to say the least, but pleasantly so.  He returned her kiss and after he moved back he smiled at her.

This was the best he'd felt in weeks.

"I promise I'll explain everything." He told her softly.

She was worried about what could be involved to the point that he couldn't tell her about it any other way but she trusted him.

He would tell her and they would work it out from there.  That was all she needed to know at the moment.

She smiled again and nodded once, slowly "I know.  Drive carefully okay? And rest."

"You too." Christian advised before straightening and heading towards his
own car.
 
 

Taylor made it home and ended up sleeping the full four hours, waking up to the sound of the alarm going off beside her and realizing she hadn't even bothered to change - which really didn't matter since she would have ended up having to wear it anyway.

She looked at the clock and then took the number from her pocket and then reached for the phone on her night table.  She dialed with her thumb as she read the number and pushed the buttons.  Then, finished, she put the phone to her ear and waited.

"Carter." a man's voice answered on the other end.  His end of the line was a highly sophisticated secure line, which created a secure connection even on Taylor's end.

What was she supposed to say?

"I.. I was given this number to call." She said, not wanting to use Christian's name on the phone.  If he were that worried about security, maybe saying it on a telephone line wasn't the smartest thing to do.

She had to stop herself from winding her finger around the telephone cord and turned her gaze to the far wall and the picture there "Now what?"

Sean became serious now.  "I'm going to give you some directions to a little place I have just outside of town.  Just give me a time and I'll get the big guy over there.  You'll be safe there."

"Is he in danger?" Taylor asked, worried.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.  "In a manner of speaking, but I think it would be better for him to explain all of that to you."

"Should I find out the information on where to meet another way?" She asked, thinking of the telephone line "I mean I'm no security expert but what about the telephone line?  He was pretty sure it wasn't secure at work..."

"These people aren't good enough to tap this line," Sean assured her.  "I secured it myself.  If they tried all they'd pick up is static."

He then gave her the directions.

She memorized them, not wanting to write them down anywhere.

"Is there anything I need to do or know before then?"

"Just go about your business," Sean told her.  "When you come out, take as many turns and exits as you can and stay in heavy traffic as much as possible.  Makes you harder to spot."

"James Bond stuff." She murmured to herself and actually blushing when she realized she had let it slip out for him to hear "But okay, I'll be careful. Thanks."

Sean chuckled "No problem.  And hey, James Bond is cool, you should be excited."

"I'm worried about .... Chris." She admitted, remembering to keep with the name he was using, even if he did say the line was secure.

"But I have to go. My shift starts soon."

"I'll see you when you get out there," Sean said "Try not to worry.  He can take care of himself, trust me."

She said thanks again and then hung up, leaving to go work her shift.