"You know, Nikita, your second wedding anniversary is coming up in April. How would you feel about renewing your vows with Michael?" Nikita started to speak, but Madeline stopped her. "Now don’t dismiss it out of hand. Your wedding was ruined, through no fault of your own, and while I try not to feel responsible for setting certain events in motion, I admit, it is not one of my better memories."

Madeline looked intently into Nikita’s eyes. "I don’t mean to unduly influence you, Nikita, but I know that Michael still thinks about it. I realize the past can never be undone, but this might be a way to get away from it. It would give you both something special to remember in its place."

Nikita smiled enigmatically, knowing that she could never reveal how she and Michael had in fact replaced those bad memories with their almost sacred lovemaking at the altar in question. But perhaps Madeline needed expiation for her own guilt in the events that transpired the day of the wedding. The shooting, the kidnapping... Followed by Michael’s daring rescue of Nikita as well as what turned out to be Madeline’s ultimate salvation...

Madeline queried, "Is that a yes?"

Nikita nodded. "But it will be awfully close to your due date, Maddy. Aren’t you due in May?"

"On Mother’s Day, of all things." She laughed, then sobered. "But I would not miss it for all the world."

"Maddy...why don’t you and Neil renew your vows as well? After all, you’re the ones who eloped."

"I don’t want to take anything away from your day, Nikita. I did that once already, through my own unwitting role as Operations’ dupe, and I couldn’t do it again."

"Even if I asked you to?" Nikita stepped closer to Madeline, studying her expression carefully. "Even if Michael asked you to?" Nikita acted as if she knew that Michael was the key to assuaging Madeline’s guilt, and Madeline didn’t even pretend to misunderstand her.

"If he...consented to that, yes..." Madeline wiped at her own eyes, cursing herself for showing such emotion. In the time that passed since the fateful events, they had shared so much, it often seemed as if what came before had ceased to exist. But it lived on, in Madeline’s memory, as the one thing she could not let go of. Perhaps it was time.

The man in question strode into the entryway. "You were taking so long, I half-expected to find you asleep somewhere, Kita."

She smiled at Michael. "Nope. Just talking to Maddy. Oh, and boring poor Neil to death, I’m sure."

Neil shrugged. "Not really. I was wondering if this was a new way of entertaining company, though. Keep ‘em close to the front door, so when you get tired, you just pop ‘em through the door and wave good-bye," Neil commented dryly.

Nikita blushed. "I’m so sorry, Neil. I was so engrossed in talking to Maddy, I completely forgot."

Michael glanced at Neil apologetically. "It’s okay, she’s not quite herself today." He kissed the top of Nikita’s head, and she leaned on Michael, gratefully.

Neil nodded. "No need to apologize. Just didn’t want to forget to give you your presents, they’re out in the car. Would you like to help me get them, Michael?"

Sensing that Neil wanted to talk to him, Michael quickly agreed. The two men left the house, though Michael was without a jacket. Neil glanced at him. "You’ll freeze."

Michael shook his head. "No, I’ll be fine. We won’t be long."

"Well, all right. At least, you’re in the company of your doctor."

Michael laughed. "Does that mean if I get pneumonia, you’ll treat it for free?"

"Hey, now, don’t go getting any ideas about sponging off the family connection for medical attention," Neil said with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

They gathered up the presents quickly, Michael marveling at the sheer number. "You’re entirely too generous, Neil. We never expected anything like this."

"Blame Maddy. She’s been shopping like a driven woman. Most of them are for the twins, you know. She’s going to spoil those kids rotten, if you let her."

Michael smiled. "Walter, Birkoff and Declan do a fair job of spoiling them already. I don’t know if we can stand one more doting relative," he said with a chuckle.

Neil laughed. "I don’t think you have a choice."

***

Nikita walked Madeline into the living room, knowing that the others were cleaning up after dinner. "Maddy, I just wanted to tell you something else. So it doesn’t take you too much by surprise." She paused. "Declan and Birkoff are together now."

Madeline fairly burst with joy. "I’m so glad."

Nikita’s eyes widened. "You knew about them?"

"I knew about Declan. Declan confides in me, Nikita. He’s...very special to me. But we didn’t know if Birkoff could...or would...share his feelings."

Nikita shook her head at Madeline. "Maddy, they exchanged Claddagh rings on Christmas Eve."

Madeline beamed. "Oh, my."

"It gets better. The rings were Birkoff’s gift to Declan. It was his idea."

Madeline hugged Nikita. "I’m so happy for them, you have no idea how much I worried about Declan. I was so afraid he was going to get hurt. I know he’s tough, Nikita, but there is a part of him that is so..."

"Like Birkoff?" Nikita smiled warmly. "I see it, too, Maddy. Declan doesn’t see it himself, I don’t think, but there’s a sweetness in him."

Madeline nodded. "It’s always been there, but he never let anyone in long enough to see it. Except me."

"Let’s go get the others."

***

Madeline hugged Declan the moment she saw him. She grabbed his hand, to examine the ring, and Declan nearly burst into tears at the love he saw in her eyes. "You’re happy for me, Maddy, I can tell," he managed to say without too much difficulty.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, holding onto her long enough to whisper into her ear, "He loves me, Maddy."

She nodded, wiping at her eyes. "So do I, Declan."

His normally grey eyes flickered back and forth, then darkened with emotions he couldn’t express verbally. He sighed. "You know how I feel, Maddy."

Birkoff stood on the periphery of the group, not quite sure where he fit in. Truth was, he felt a bit vulnerable right now. He’d made the right decision. He didn’t regret that. But it took a little getting used to, the idea of letting the others know how he felt about Declan.

Declan turned in his direction, and Birkoff suddenly smiled. Now he knew where he belonged.

Madeline, as always, vaguely intimidated him. He was not sure if he would ever trust her, the same way that Declan did. He didn’t even know if that was possible for any of them. But he would try, for Declan’s sake.

"Sey!" Declan called to him. "Come here and talk to Maddy."

Madeline studied Birkoff. He seemed different somehow. Older? Not exactly. More mature. More...settled. "How are you, Birkoff?" She smiled warmly at Birkoff, but he didn’t return the smile.

He put his hands in his back pockets, unconsciously imitating Declan. She almost laughed, but she knew how much that would hurt his feelings. It was true then, they were really close now. "Congratulations, Birkoff. I was just admiring the ring you gave Declan."

Birkoff couldn’t shake the feeling that this was incredibly awkward. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was because Declan and Madeline shared a history at Section that he could only guess at. Maybe it was because he knew that Declan had shared his innermost feelings with this woman, and they involved him. Maybe...he should just stop thinking so much, it was starting to worry Declan.

Declan whispered to Birkoff, "Are you okay, Sey? You seem a bit off."

He nodded. He smiled faintly at Declan, then at Madeline. "Merry Christmas, Madeline."

Madeline knew instinctively that Birkoff was reacting to something unvoiced but just as powerful. He was not ashamed of loving Declan, but he was incredibly shy, perhaps even afraid that saying anything aloud would somehow make everything disappear, like a magical puff of smoke. She could understand that. It was one thing to dream something, and quite another, to realize that dream.

Suddenly Madeline grabbed Birkoff and hugged him, trying to break the barrier that was holding him back. Birkoff struggled in her arms, perplexed, then closed his eyes and gave in. "Why do you want to make me cry in front of everyone, Madeline?" he whispered to her, tears in his voice, if not his eyes.

"I don’t, Birkoff," she whispered back. "I just needed to know if your feelings for Declan were real or not. I don’t want him to get hurt."

Birkoff closed his eyes even tighter. Just thinking about hurting Declan made him hurt, too. "You want me to admit I love him?" he said shakily.

Madeline smoothed his hair back from his face. "You just did," she said softly.

Declan watched the interplay between the two with fascination. Madeline at her most protective. Birkoff at his most vulnerable. The two people he loved most right now. Except for the dog, of course.

"Sey, did you ever name the puppy?" Declan said, in an effort to relieve some of the obvious tension between the two.

"Yeah...I did."

"And?"

"I named him Zero."

"Zero. What an interesting name, Birkoff," Nikita said, blinking sleepily.

Declan stared at Birkoff for a moment, then laughed. "Okay, I have to hear the story behind this, boyo. Where did you get the name?"

"Well," Birkoff moved away from Madeline gradually, and she let him go. She knew what she needed to know now. She could rest easier. Declan was in good hands.

"You know that binary code is made up of zeroes and ones? Well..."

Declan laughed. "Never mind. I don’t think any of us would understand the explanation, Sey."

He shrugged. "Your loss."

Declan put his arm around Birkoff, the silver ring on his left hand glinting under the light in the dining room. "No..." he said huskily, "my gain..."

Michael finished pouring the champagne, and Nikita raised her glass in a toast. "Merry Christmas! And to paraphrase Dickens, which I’m sure none of you would believe I’ve read, God bless us, every one." Nikita laughed as she sipped at the champagne, and Michael kissed her, bubbles and all.

Nikita woke from a restless sleep with a start. Faith had been making tentative steps towards walking all week long, and Chris, who until now lagged slightly behind his sister in developmental tasks like this, suddenly appeared to be giving her a run for her money.

Michael’s side of the bed was empty. He’d gotten an early start this morning. He wanted to make sure everything was set for the twins’ first birthday. They had agreed there would be no more extravagant gifts for the children. Christmas went a long way towards totally spoiling the kids, or it would have, but Nikita carefully rationed out the various stuffed animals and squeaky toys over the past month. But Nikita knew that Michael was hiding something, and he was up early because he knew he couldn’t avoid her or evade her questions much longer.

***

Madeline looked out her office window, overlooking her gardens, and tried to relax. They were going to do the ultrasound today. She tried to postpone it because of the twins’ birthday, but Neil was adamant. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was concerned. Maddy’s girth was increasing rapidly, too rapidly for his liking. Frankly, he was worried.

This wasn’t something he could burden Maddy with, he was afraid of alarming her. But he desperately needed someone to talk to and the only person he could think to call was Michael. Michael, for his part, felt he had precious little experience with being a friend. He still didn’t see himself as a comforting figure, though he tried to make the effort, and he knew he was a good listener. But he often found himself at a loss for words with things like this.

His lack of "people" skills hadn’t hurt him at Section because they were not in the business of negotiating with people as a rule. But here on the outside, it wasn’t enough simply to listen. And he didn’t think his input was valuable to anyone, especially someone with a potentially serious problem. But if Neil found him reassuring, that was fine with Michael. He didn’t mind spending the time. Being objective was one of Michael’s specialties. Unfortunately, outside Section, it was seen as being cold because Michael relied heavily on logic, and he spoke as directly as he thought.

Neil took Michael into his office and closed the door. Michael was shocked at the change in him in the past month. He was thinner, and he had never been heavy to begin with. His hair was long on his collar, as if he’d forgotten to have it cut, and he was dressed casually, as if he’d pulled on the first things he came to in his closet.

"I’ll come right out and say it, Michael. I’m damn worried about Maddy."

Michael frowned. "What’s wrong?"

"She’s gaining weight too fast, way too fast, but she’s barely eating. Her blood pressure is up, and her hands and feet are beginning to swell." Neil shook his head. "This pregnancy is turning high-risk on us, and I don’t have the heart to tell her." Neil’s voice broke, and Michael suddenly realized just how worried Neil was.

Michael considered what Neil said, then wondered what he wasn’t saying. "Are you saying you think she can’t carry the baby to term?"

Neil’s blue eyes were bleak. "I’m saying she shouldn’t...carry the baby to term."

***

Nikita pulled her hair up into a long ponytail and flounced downstairs in her bunny slippers. She didn’t feel like getting dressed in street clothes today. So off came the boots, and on went the bunny slippers. It was her way of staying sane in a basically insane world. The world of having two babies turn one year old on the same day. The world of having a three-month old puppy destroy Declan’s kitchen. The world of wondering what her husband was doing up and out of the house before breakfast.

She padded into the kitchen, trying not to see the scarred cabinets and scratched chairs that Zero had left in his wake. Zero, as it turned out, liked to chew. He liked to chew so well, in fact, that nothing was safe from his sharp little puppy teeth. Socks, furniture, basically anything not tied down or locked up was fair game. It was almost as bad as having another child in the house.

She poured herself a glass of milk and picked up a few homemade chocolate chip cookies. Declan, bless his heart, still baked cookies for Nikita. She was back to her normal eating habits, which was to say, she ate virtually nothing for breakfast, slightly more for lunch, and occasionally a big dinner, if there was something special to celebrate. In between meals, she snacked on milk and cookies, or cereal. As Birkoff was fond of saying, you could take the girl out of the streets, but you couldn’t always take the streets out of the girl. For Nikita, milk and cookies was comfort food. It was a treat she rarely had as a child, but as an adult, whenever something went wrong, she searched high and low for the nearest cookie.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, scuffmarks and all, she contemplated what Michael was up to. Sigh. She could not teach the man to leave a note so she wouldn’t worry. Truth was, she didn’t understand why she felt their separations so keenly. They were so rarely apart, there was little need to experience separation anxiety. Yet, Nikita thought, that was exactly what this felt like to her. How strange. When they were at Section, they had mere minutes to spend together, and those were almost never spent alone. While they were at Section, they never admitted to having a relationship, even to each other, until just before they escaped.

She knew one thing for certain. Michael wasn’t cheating on her. He was probably just off being a man, running errands and saving the free world. She shook her head as she sipped the rest of her ice cold milk. Men.

***

Michael never shouted, but he wanted to raise his voice so badly, it hurt. "Neil! My God, Neil, what are you saying?"

Neil looked as if he would cry. "Whatever is causing all this...could take her life, Michael. If I have to choose between Maddy or the baby...I’d choose Maddy...in a heartbeat."

"She could die?" Michael sank down into the chair behind him slowly. "And you haven’t told her?"

Neil shook his head. "I’m terrified of losing her."

"Neil, have you gotten a second opinion?"

"No...I’ve been taking care of her, Michael. That’s not a problem."

"That’s not what I said, Neil. Don’t you think you’re too close to the situation to be objective enough to help?"

"No, I can do this."

"At what cost, Neil?" Michael jumped up and moved close to Neil, his muscles tensed as if for a physical struggle. "I know if it was Nikita, I couldn’t do it. If you love Maddy, you’ll let someone else take over her case."

Michael blinked as he thought about what he’d just said. The fact was, he had repeatedly been put into Neil’s situation by Section One. How many times had he been forced to watch while Nikita fought her way back against unfathomable odds? How many other times had he tried to protect her, as best he could, without letting her or anyone else know? How many times had he taken the heat for taking control of her life, for making decisions that were really hers, for refusing to give up on what little they had? He knew exactly how Neil felt. He’d been there too many times not to know. But he could see what Neil was doing was wrong.

"Neil, think about it! If you go on like this, and Maddy dies...how are you going to live with yourself? Knowing you could have found someone better equipped to help her?"

Neil sat down behind his desk and buried his face in his hands. "I don’t want her to die, Michael."

"Of course, you don’t. Get a second opinion, Neil. Give her case to someone you trust. But don’t leave it like this."

Michael felt so frustrated. At times like this, he missed Nikita. She would have known exactly what to say, and exactly how to say it. She would have convinced Neil to do the right thing. Right away.

Michael underestimated the compelling argument he made. His terseness made his advice sound like commands. It galvanized Neil into acting. He stopped thinking about himself for a moment and realized he had to make a decision. Now.

Neil’s vision blurred when he thought about the number of truly horrific things that might be happening to Maddy. He passed a hand over his eyes quickly, knowing he could not waste time thinking like that anymore. It could be that she was simply gaining weight for some unknown reason. But his medical training told him that something else was wrong. PIH? Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension was right at the top of his list. But there were other things, much much worse to contemplate.

Hydatidiform mole? Placenta previa? Abruptio placentae? Any one of those made pre-eclampsia sound like a walk in the park. Abruptio was one of the number one causes of maternal mortality. He could not get his mind to stop. The very idea of Maddy lying on a table somewhere, bleeding to death, while he could do nothing to stop it, made him go numb with grief.

Michael realized that Neil was beyond being able to make a decision. He walked over to Neil’s desk and picked up the phone. "Give me the name of an OB-GYN you trust to take over Maddy’s case."

Neil blinked, his eyes wet with unshed tears. He gave Michael a name as well as a number. Michael dialed the number and asked for the doctor, using Neil’s name as leverage. Michael held the phone out to Neil, willing him to speak to the doctor, but Neil stared at Michael blankly, unable to process anything more complicated.

Michael told the doctor what Neil had said about Madeline’s potential condition, and the doctor agreed to see Madeline if they brought her right over. Michael was just about to ask how they could convince Madeline to move without scaring her half to death.

"Michael? Thank you." Neil put his head down on his desk and wept. Michael touched Neil’s shoulder, and Neil gripped Michael’s hand, treating it like the lifeline it was.

Michael didn’t want to seem unsympathetic, but time was of the essence. If there was someone willing to see Madeline right now, they had to go. Now. Not later. But Michael doubted if Neil was going to be able to speak to Madeline without breaking down, much less convince her that it was imperative.

He took it upon himself to go to Madeline. He stole quietly into Madeline’s office, noting her still figure at the window. "Madeline..."

Madeline turned, tears shining brightly in her dark eyes. She knew. She knew that something was wrong. Michael’s presence only confirmed what she suspected. She was going to lose this baby, too. But this far along? She closed her eyes, knowing it was going to kill something deep inside of her, if she could not carry this child any further.

"Michael..." she began, but she never finished.

She began to sway, and her body hit the floor before Michael could reach her.

Michael wasted no time in ascertaining if Madeline was responsive or not. He touched her neck, feeling for a pulse. There was one, but it was weak and thready. She was breathing without difficulty, but her face was cool and clammy to the touch. God, Michael thought, she’s going into shock. He took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her. Leaping to his feet, he bolted down the hall to Neil’s office.

Poking his head in the door, Michael yelled for Neil to call 9-1-1. Neil stood unsteadily, his eyes gradually focusing on Michael. "9-1-1? Maddy!" Neil screamed.

Suddenly all of Neil’s instincts and training took over. He dialed 9-1-1 and calmly spoke to the operator, staying on the line as directed. After giving her his name and address, he hung up the phone. "They’re on their way! Michael, come with me!"

He took out his penlight and shone it into each of Madeline’s eyes, one at a time. Her pupils were still equal and responsive to light. But she was unconscious. He shook his head, as if to clear it. He smelled her breath, and he noted immediately it was a bit sweet. It took Neil a second to make the connection, but when he did, he blamed himself for not seeing it sooner. Gestational Diabetes.

"Her blood sugar must be sky-high! She’s going into a diabetic coma, Michael!"

He jumped up and retrieved his glucometer. After swabbing her finger with alcohol, he carefully pierced her finger with the lancet. When he was sure to get a good drop of blood, he held her finger over the spot indicated. The moment he touched the spot with the drop of blood, he knew he was right.

"Her number’s so high, it’s unreadable. She needs insulin." Neil grabbed an insulin syringe and a vial of Regular insulin and drew up 10 units. After swabbing her arm, he injected her with the Regular insulin. Within a few minutes, she began coming around, moaning that her head hurt.

"Good guess, Neil." In fact, Michael was in awe of how quickly the man recovered and managed to diagnose the problem.

Neil nodded without speaking, concentrating on Madeline’s reaction. "I have a headache."

Neil agreed. "Yes, you do, Maddy. You probably feel thirsty, too."

She smiled faintly, as if indicating that he guessed correctly.

"You’ve got a couple of problems that need taking care of, Maddy. I’ve already called 9-1-1, they should be here in another minute or so."

Madeline tried to sit up to protest going to the hospital, but Neil and Michael both held her back. "You’re going, Maddy, don’t even pretend otherwise."

Madeline was understandably upset. "But I’m going to miss the twins’ birthday," she wailed.

Michael suddenly went pale. "Oh, my God...I never called Nikita!" He jumped up and left Neil alone with Madeline, choosing to use the phone in Neil’s office rather than Madeline’s.

When the phone kept ringing and ringing without answer, Michael started to worry himself. Someone should be home. Where was everybody?

***

Nikita was kneeling outside in the garden when she heard the phone ring. It rang so long, she imagined that there was no one inside to pick it up. Slowly she got to her feet and went inside. By the time she arrived, the phone was no longer ringing. However, the caller ID box indicated that someone called from...Neil’s office. Neil. Why would Neil be calling this early?

She dialed Neil’s office number, expecting to hear Neil’s voice. When Michael answered the phone, she almost dropped it. "Michael! There you are!"

Forgetting her earlier reaction to finding his side of the bed empty, Nikita realized that she was so happy to hear from him, she could forgive just about anything. Except another woman.

Michael sighed. "I’m sorry, doucette. I wasn’t trying to frighten you by disappearing. I just had an urgent call from Neil, and when I got over here, Neil was in pretty bad shape."

"He was? What happened?" Nikita asked, imagining Michael meant that Neil had been in an accident or something.

Michael unconsciously shook his head, even though Nikita couldn’t see him. "Something’s wrong with Madeline, Kita. We were in the process of getting her out to see another doctor when she collapsed."

"Why would she need another doctor, Michael? Neil is an excellent doctor!"

"Yes, Kita. When he’s able to think straight. But he wasn’t thinking, he was reacting, and badly, too. This is his wife we’re talking about now."

Nikita immediately grasped what Michael meant, and it briefly crossed her mind that Michael must have found something strangely ironic about the situation, knowing how many times Section had put them at odds with one another themselves.

"Is she going to be all right, Michael?" she asked in a small voice. Clearly, Nikita was beginning to get the sense of things at last.

"I don’t know, Kita." Michael raked both hands through his hair. "I think Neil saved her life, though. He managed to assess her, and it turned out her blood sugar was very high. After he gave her some insulin, she came to. He said something about Diabetes."

Nikita nodded, holding the phone with her gloved hand. "We should postpone the twins’ birthday celebration, Michael. We have to go to the hospital and be with her."

"I hear what you’re saying, Kita, but I don’t know how long Madeline is going to be there. She’s very upset."

"But she wants this baby so badly, Michael. She can’t afford to take the risk of not going. Make her go, Michael, please." Michael heard the plea in Nikita’s voice and for her sake, he agreed to give it his best shot.

She rubbed the back of her neck. Her neck felt stiff. Actually, her body ached all over. She felt like she could use a nap. Strange. She hadn’t been out of bed all that long.

"When do you think you might be home, Michael?"

Michael shrugged. "I don’t know, Kita. Do you want me to stay with Madeline or come home to get you?"

She closed her eyes for a second. She had the most piercing pain in her forehead now. She so rarely had headaches, she almost didn’t recognize what it was.

She decided she was overreacting to nothing. Resisting the urge to mention how she felt to Michael, she hung up the phone, leaving Michael free to go with Neil to the hospital.

***

Michael was right. Madeline was extremely unhappy about going to the hospital. When the police ambulance came, Madeline tried to convince them that she was all right. To no avail. Both Michael and Neil protested that she was not all right, and the fact that Neil was a doctor evidently counted for something. Once she was on the stretcher, Neil kissed both her hands and told her she was going to be okay. He didn’t know that. He could only pray that she would be.

Neil rejected the idea of riding in the back of the ambulance in favor of taking his own car to the hospital. But Michael was not sure that was wise. "You’re too distraught to drive, Neil," Michael stated flatly.

Neil nodded absently. "You’re right."

"I know I’m right, Neil. Agreeing with me won’t get you into the driver’s seat." Michael held Neil’s keys in his hand.

Neil looked quite forlorn. He didn’t have much he cared about in this world, but Madeline was the center of his universe. He wouldn’t allow himself to think about negative outcomes anymore, but it was hard. He needed to be with her, by her side. If Michael didn’t give him the keys, he would take them. By force, if necessary.

It wouldn’t be necessary. Michael pocketed the keys and led the way to Neil’s car. "I’ll drive."

***

Declan brought the Jeep into the driveway and set the parking brake. He had gone out early to shop for the twins’ first birthday. Grocery shopping. He was going to bake today. Everyone loved his cakes. Especially Nikita. Who barely seemed to eat anything. Declan frowned. She was losing weight again. He was sure of it.

He was about to give Nikita a call when he suddenly realized something. He hefted the groceries into his arms to carry them into the house. He got to the front door, where he had to shift the groceries to one arm, to open the door. As he crossed the threshold, he knew instantly there was something wrong. His eyes searched, flickering back and forth.

There. He saw something. He moved further into the room, cautiously. It was Nikita. She was on the floor. Lying on her back.

Declan dropped the bags of groceries where he stood and ran. Reaching Nikita in seconds, he quickly determined she had a pulse and she was breathing without any difficulty. He touched her face, and she stirred.

"Nikita!" Declan called sharply.

Nikita opened her eyes. "What happened?"

"I think you fainted."

"No way."

"I think so. You were out on the floor when I came in."

Nikita nodded. "If you say so. I was on the phone with Michael, and then...I don’t remember what came after that."

"What’s up?"

Nikita shook her head. "I dunno. But Michael said that Neil was upset, and Maddy had to go to the hospital. Something wrong with the baby."

Declan stared at her, his eyes unseeing. "Maddy!"

"Maybe you fainted because of that?"

"No, Declan, I remember telling Michael to make sure Maddy went to the hospital. She was giving the ambulance crew a hard time."

Declan helped Nikita to her feet, and she immediately swayed unsteadily. "Whoa! What’s going on with you?"

"I dunno. I feel woozy. And nauseous. Can you help me into the bathroom, Declan? I need to splash some cold water on my face."

"I can do better than that, Nikita." With that, Declan picked Nikita up in his arms and carried her to the first floor bedroom she once shared with Michael, when he was recuperating from his fall.

"You lie down. I’ll get the cool compresses."

She nodded. This was exceedingly odd. When she lay down, the room started spinning madly around her, and she felt as though she would fall off the edge of the bed. Clutching the bed, she tried to prevent the room from moving, but it refused to obey her already overtaxed mind.

"Oh, God, Declan, I feel so sick at my stomach. Help!"

She leaned over the bed and threw up. She could barely move now. Her body felt like it was being crushed by a gravitational force that was holding her fixed to the bed.

Declan held the cold compress to Nikita’s forehead, and she sighed in relief. "That feels good."

"Declan, what’s wrong with me?"

"Are you sure you’re not pregnant?"

Nikita gasped. Declan held her hand for a moment as he dialed Neil’s office. No answer. "They already left for the hospital."

Tears ran from both of Nikita’s eyes. "I want Michael."

"I know, Nikita, I know. I’m trying to find him for you."

Declan finally got through to the emergency room and asked for Michael to be paged. Stat.

He smiled to himself. He learned that word from Neil. Some things came in handy now and again.

Nikita leaned over the bed and retched again. Declan handed the phone to Nikita as Michael came on the line.

"Kita? Kita? There’s no news yet on Madeline. Is that why you called?"

Declan held the phone to Nikita’s ear for her. Suddenly she felt weak and shaky. "M-Michael?"

"Yes, Kita?"

"I think I’m pregnant."

Michael hung up the phone. He looked like a man who’d been poleaxed. "Pregnant?"

The nurse sitting at the desk asked him, "Are you all right, sir?"

He shook his head affirmatively, but the nurse didn’t look at all convinced. Sometimes the visitors needed more help than the patients. She returned to her work, but she kept glancing at Michael out of the corner of her eye.

Neil caught up with Michael quickly. "They’ve got Maddy inside one of the cubicles now. The house doc is doing a work-up, but I’ve got more experience than he has. I feel like I should be looking over his shoulder, you know?"

"Maybe you should, Neil." Michael’s voice sounded like it was coming from far away. It wasn’t just that he was stunned to find that his wife was pregnant. It was more like a premonition. Something wicked this way comes. He had no idea why that phrase popped into his mind, but it was exactly how he felt. He had a bad feeling. A very bad feeling.

Neil stared at Michael. He had the oddest expression on his face. To be honest, it was scaring Neil. "What did Nikita want, Michael?"

Michael’s eyes darkened. "She said she was pregnant."

"Again?" Neil was surprised. "I thought you said you two were going to wait another couple of years for the next one."

"So did I." Michael shrugged. "But that’s what she said."

"What makes her think she’s pregnant?"

Michael blinked. "I forgot to ask."

Neil smiled. "Sounds like you’ve got more celebrating to do."

"You seem awfully relaxed now, Neil."

Neil crossed his arms and leaned against the porcelain wall. "I am. The preliminary report looks like Maddy has gestational diabetes and maybe, just maybe, a little PIH."

"PIH?"

"Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension. A fancy name for saying, she has high blood pressure because she’s pregnant."

"Can’t that be serious?" Michael frowned, trying to remember what he had heard about it.

"Deadly sometimes. If untreated. But we’ve got everything under control." Neil beamed.

Suddenly there was a tremendous crash over in one of the cubicles. A nurse came flying out of the cubicle, followed by a young doctor in a short coat. "That was totally uncalled for. She’s a crazy woman!" said the doctor to the nurse. The nurse simply shook her head and headed for safety, taking cover behind the nurse’s station.

Neil sighed. "Why do I have the feeling they’re referring to my wife?"

"Cause we both know how much Madeline likes being in the hospital. Almost as much as me." Michael smiled wryly, and Neil couldn’t help but echo that gesture.

"Neil!" A female voice called out loudly across the ER.

Neil waved at Michael. "That sounds like my cue. Are you going to stick around until Maddy gets stabilized?"

Michael looked pained. "I’d like to, Neil. But I feel like I should be with Kita."

"She’s just pregnant, Michael. It’s not like she’s sick or something. Besides, if something was wrong, don’t you think you would have heard from her?"

"I suppose," Michael admitted, albeit reluctantly. He just couldn’t shake the feeling he had. It didn’t matter how irrational it sounded. He just knew there was something else going on with Kita, and he should be home.

***

Declan held Nikita’s head as she retched for perhaps the fourth time in as many minutes. "Nikita...this can’t be normal. Are you sure this is morning sickness?" Declan looked dubious.

Nikita’s face was colorless. Her eyes were like two glass chips set in stone. Dull. Lifeless. Unmoving. Her hair was damp, tendrils curling wetly across her forehead. Her lips were almost blue. "I had a pretty rough time with morning sickness the last time, Declan."

"But like this? Nikita, you look fair feverish, if you ask me." Declan was worried about Nikita. She didn’t look well at all. He wanted to call Michael back, but he wouldn’t do it while she was awake. Earlier, she had been begging for Michael to come home, but now, she was urging Declan to join Michael at the hospital. She wanted them to be with Maddy, to support her, so that she could better sustain her pregnancy. That was Nikita. Always thinking of someone else.

"I want you to go to the hospital, Declan. I know you want to be with Maddy."

"Maddy has Neil with her, Nikita. She doesn’t need anyone else."

He propped the pillow up behind Nikita’s head, sighing as he realized Nikita looked vastly more uncomfortable than a mere minute ago. "Besides, I won’t leave you alone."

Nikita could tell by what Declan said that he meant it. She could also tell that he had given the matter some thought, which meant that he had been contemplating joining them at the hospital. "Declan, please go. If you’re that worried about me, you can always send Michael back home. I won’t kick him out." She smiled weakly, and Declan could see what the effort cost her.

"I said no." Declan smiled at Nikita, but he was far from reassured. She was denying how badly she felt now, but he was sure it had little or nothing to do with pregnancy.

He stood up, a considering look on his face. "I’m going to find Walter. He can sit with you for a bit, while I make some soup."

Nikita’s stomach roiled violently at the thought of eating anything. "Please, don’t even mention food."

"Nikita, you’ve been throwing up. Now, I don’t care what reason you want to give me, but the fact is, all that fluid has to be replaced. You’re too thin, you don’t have much left to lose, girl." That Declan felt strongly about this was obvious. She had never heard him address her as anything but Nikita.

***

Declan found Walter in his workshop, his head buried in a technical book. "Walter..."

Walter looked up, sparing a moment to smile at Declan. "What’s up, acushla?"

Declan smiled tightly. "You do like living dangerously, Walter. Next time you try to impress me with your knowledge of Gaelic, choose a different word. You just called me darling."

Walter sputtered anxiously. "I never meant it that way, Declan. Honest."

"Don’t I know it?" Declan’s smile faded just as quickly as it came. "Seriously, Walter. Something’s happened, and Madeline was taken to the hospital. I need to see how Maddy is doing myself, but I don’t want to leave Nikita alone."

Before Declan could finish, Walter was on the end of that thought, like a flea on a dog. "What’s wrong with Sugar?"

"I found her passed out on the floor earlier. Then she started throwing up. She’s trying to pass it off as morning sickness, but I have a terrible suspicion that Nikita is sick and feverish."

Walter dropped the book he was reading. Thud. "What do you want me to do, Declan?"

"Could you sit with her while I make her some soup? She says she can’t even stand the thought of eating anything, but we’ve got to replenish some of those fluids she’s losing. She’s already pretty weak."

"Does Michael know?"

"Only what she told him. She told him she’s pregnant."

"So he thinks everything is hunky-dory, while everything is really going to hell in a handbasket." Walter growled, predictably, at the thought of his Sugar being wounded in any way at all, but he couldn’t fault Michael on this. He only knew what Sugar wanted him to know. It wasn’t as if he were psychic or anything.

"I’m going to make the soup first, then call Michael. I think he needs to know about this."

Walter grimaced. "When you’re right, you’re right."

***

"What do you mean, they’re keeping me overnight for observation? Neil, I want to go home! Now!" Madeline seldom raised her voice, but when she did, no one would dare challenge her. Except for her husband, of course.

"Why? Michael’s already canceled the twins’ birthday celebration. There’s no place for you to go, Maddy."

"All right." Suddenly she began screaming at the top of her lungs. Neil, shocked out of his mind, pressed his fingers to her lips, to no avail.

Neil said carefully, "You’ve been very ill, Maddy. If you don’t stop this screaming, I’ll shoot you full of Ativan and four-point you till it takes effect. Don’t think I won’t."

"You wouldn’t dare," Madeline growled.

Neil faced Madeline nose to nose. "Don’t try me."

They stared at one another for several moments. Suddenly Madeline burst out laughing. "You’d do it, too!"

"I sure would, Maddy," said Neil. He leaned closer and kissed her. "I love you, my Maddy, I’d do anything for you. But I won’t let you risk your life."

"Or the baby’s?" Madeline said hopefully.

Neil closed his eyes painfully. "Neil! Is the baby okay?" His blue eyes looked sad. "I don’t know, Maddy. I’ve been so worried about you."

"You didn’t ask someone to check?"

Neil colored, knowing she was probably right to be angry, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted her life to be the main priority. "I told them, if it came down to a choice between the two of you, I wanted them to save you."

Madeline flushed. "How could you?" She began to cry, certain that the baby was gone and they just hadn’t gotten around to telling her.

Neil stared at her with tears in his own eyes. "I love you, Maddy. I was afraid I was going to lose you."

He abruptly pulled back, but Madeline grabbed him, holding him to her chest. "I’m sorry, Neil, I’m so sorry." Lost in grief, she kept chanting the same words over and over, but he didn’t even hear them, trying as he could to regain control of himself.

He finally gave up, burying his face against her neck. "Maddy, please try to understand. I didn’t want you to leave me here alone. I know that’s incredibly selfish, but it’s the truth."

"Oh, Neil." Madeline sighed, her breath gently wafting across the top of his head. "I know I said I would accept whatever happened, but I can’t help fighting it. I want it so badly. For both of us."

Neil kissed her, feeling her tears mingling with his own now. "Whatever God wants us to have, we’ll have, Maddy. I just wanted to make sure we’d have each other."

As they clung to one another, the house doctor impulsively intruded upon them, eager to impart his news. "Dr. Hunter?"

Neil released Madeline briefly. "Yes?"

"We got the results of the ultrasound back."

"And?"

"And your son is doing just fine."

Walter took one look at Nikita and bit back the harsh words that came to mind. There was no one to blame for this. It was no one’s fault. Nikita looked terrible, and if she looked half as bad as she felt, he was seriously worried. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Sugar?"

She opened her eyes slowly. "Is Michael here yet?"

"No, honey, he isn’t. Is there something I can do for you?"

She tried to act like it didn’t matter, but her bottom lip quivered, giving her away. "I don’t feel so good, Dad."

"I know, Sugar. Can you drink something for me? How about some tea? You like tea."

She shook her head weakly. "I don’t want to throw up anymore."

He reached out and stroked her hair. "Does that feel good, Sugar?" She closed her eyes, and ever so slightly, her breathing slowed down. Maybe she would be able to rest now.

"I’m just sorry it takes something like this for us to spend some time together, Sugar." Truth was, Walter was aware of the many demands Nikita had upon her time, but he could not help feeling neglected. It had been a long time since he felt this alone. Maybe not since Belinda died.

He didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. But he saw a tear sparkle on her lashes, and he knew she had heard what he said. "Aw, I’m sorry, Sugar, you know me, old foot in mouth."

Nikita began to cry again, her breath coming in sharp little spurts, as if it hurt to breathe. "I’m sorry, Daddy." That took him aback. Nikita acting as if she were a little girl again.

He picked up her frail body and held her against him, trying to absorb some of her pain and give her some of this strength. "Ssh, Sugar, you’re gonna be just fine."

A few minutes later, he wasn’t so sure. She was still throwing up, though her body had precious little left to give up. Now she had the dry heaves. All of this was making her chest hurt, literally, hurt.

He lay her back against the pillow, but continued to hold onto her hands. "Sugar, please drink something. I don’t want to scare you, but if you don’t drink, they’ll have to put an IV in your arm to give you fluids."

She nodded solemnly, looking like a pale copy of his Sugar. Walter wanted to rail against the world and exclaim, what have you done with my Sugar?

She cocked her head and looked at him, her blue eyes huge in her all too pale face. "Daddy, I want Michael. Why won’t he come home?"

"I dunno, Sugar. You want me to call him for you?"

She sniffled and wiped her face with her arm, looking more and more like a little girl. "Please..."

He hated to leave her, even for a moment, but Declan had been gone way too long. He found Declan on the phone in the kitchen. His face looked positively grim.

He could only hear Declan’s side, but it wasn’t good. "Michael, you’ve got to come home now."

"Why? Because I found Nikita passed out on the floor an hour ago, and she’s been throwing up ever since."

"I know she told you she was pregnant. Maybe she is. But she’s also totally dehydrated."

"Bottom line, Michael. She’s calling for you."

Declan hung up the phone, resisting the urge to slam it down. "Bloody hell! Maddy is staying overnight in the hospital, but she’s going to be fine. Michael says she’s stable now. But he didn’t come home earlier because Nikita didn’t tell him how bad she was feeling. Just that she was pregnant."

"That’s probably so. What are we going to do in the meantime?"

"Well, I’m operating on the assumption that whatever Nikita has is infectious. So the first thing we need to do is stop Seymour from bringing the kids back home."

"Good idea, Declan."

Declan pulled out a beeper and beeped Birkoff. Moments later, the phone rang. "What’s up, Declan?"

"Nikita’s sick, Sey. I don’t want the kids exposed to whatever this is, so you’d better stay wherever you are."

"But it’s getting late, Declan. I can’t keep them out when it starts to get dark."

Declan pondered a moment. "I know. Bring the kids to Maddy’s house. Maddy’s going to be in the hospital overnight anyway. I’ll come and join you as soon as Michael gets home."

"But if you’ve been exposed to whatever she has, won’t you give it to the kids?"

"Good point, Sey. I’ll wait and see what Neil says."

***

When Declan reached Michael, he was only confirming the disquieting thoughts running through Michael’s head. That was it. The reason that he kept feeling there was something wrong with Kita. When he got off the phone, he was white as a sheet. He knew he had to find Neil. Right away.

After Michael told Neil about Nikita’s condition, Neil frowned. "I’m sorry, Michael, I guess my advice was totally wrong."

"Is that the best you can do, Neil? Now I need your help. It’s the least you could do."

Somehow their roles had gotten reversed. But Neil was fine with that. He admired Michael, even though their roles had somehow switched. He listened to what Michael said about his conversation with Declan. Neil frowned. "You’re right, Michael. Something else is wrong. Nikita may or may not be pregnant, but there are symptoms that just don’t match."

"Can you come home with me, Neil?"

"Michael, Maddy has to stay overnight here, I can’t leave her."

Michael looked right through Neil. "I see." Michael felt hurt and betrayed. He knew that was probably putting too much emphasis on something relatively trivial, but so be it. His eyes turned into green chips of ice, his features glacial.

Neil took one look at Michael’s face and knew there would be trouble if there was anything seriously wrong with Nikita. "Michael, let me call an ambulance, and we can admit Nikita to the hospital here."

He shook his head. "No. She wants to stay where she is. She wants me to be with her. I should have gone earlier. I told you she needed me." Michael hated the emotional tone that crept into his voice, but he could not help himself. He felt incredibly guilty right now. He should have gone home when she first called. He knew that now. There was that strange compulsion he felt, followed by that bad feeling, that feeling of impending doom.

Something wicked this way comes. Maybe it was already here.