By Donna

The blush of dawn across the morning sky was the signal for Kat’s eyes to open, despite the fact she had laid awake in her lonely bed most of the night. She stirred, pulling the covers over her head, wanting the world to go away. Outside her window, a noisy songbird was serenading her, telling her that it was a grand and glorious day outside.

Groaning, Katherine slid out of the bed, stretching her naked body as tall as her barely five foot in height would allow and then covered the yawn that escaped from her mouth with her hand. Her nose twitched as she smelled bacon and eggs being cooked downstairs. Sarah Jo was even more of an early riser than she was.

Throwing on her clothes, she made her way downstairs, already going over in her mind all the things she could do that day to keep her busy. It was hard to believe that over a month had passed since her arrival on this new world.

"Hello sleepyhead," Sarah Jo said cheerfully. "Breakfast is almost ready." She scooped the scrambled eggs and cheese onto the plates beside the strips of bacon and hash browns and then carried them to the table. "I’m so glad that you found that field of potatoes. I really missed them."

"Me too," Katherine said, hiding another yawn behind her hand.

Sarah Jo looked at her and shook her head. "You are working yourself towards a complete breakdown, immortal or no. Why don’t you go back to bed after you eat and try to catch up on some sleep?"

Katherine shook her head. "I would just lie awake, staring at the ceiling." As she looked at the plate in front of her, her stomach did a rather nasty flip and she swallowed hard.

"Kat? Are you feeling all right? You’re looking a bit on the greenish side," Sarah Jo said, instantly alert to the sudden change of expression on her friend’s face.

"Excuse me," Kat said, pushing herself back from the table and rising to her feet. With as much dignity as she could muster, she walked out of the room and headed straight to nearest bathroom where she immediately got very sick.

When it was over, she leaned back against the wall, her eyes closed as her breathing and heart rate slowed back to normal. Kat felt a cool cloth being pressed gently on her forehead and knew that Sarah Jo had followed her.

"That was interesting," she mumbled, opening her eyes and managing a weak smile. "Haven’t been sick like that in centuries. Not since the time I made the mistake of sampling a mug of Connor’s homemade grog."

Sarah Jo shook her head. "You are coming with me to the clinic," she said firmly. "And don’t you be giving me any sass!" She shook her finger at Katherine, doing her best to look stern.

"Yes’m," Kat chuckled, accepting Sarah Jo’s hand to help pull her to her feet. "Let me rinse my mouth out. My stomach seems to have settled down for now, and I would hate to waste perfectly good food."

Sarah Jo snorted. "Don’t think you are going to get out a trip to the clinic just because you are going to try to eat. Ah can just see it now. ~ See Sarah Jo! I’m not sick! I ate a whole plateful of food and it didn’t bounce! ~ Then as soon as my back was turned you will go toss it up again."

Kat gave her an offended *I would never do that!* look and after swishing her mouth out, went back to the breakfast table.

* * * * *

Long before the first rays of light from the rising sun even began to kiss the horizon, Connor MacLeod crawled out of his bed, stretched, and then dressed. It was his habit to go out before anyone else was stirring to do his daily sword drill. Taking his sword with him, he quietly left the fort, heading to the clearing where he liked to do his kata.

Once there, he stripped his shirt and shoes off, and then after a couple of deep cleansing breaths, he concentrated on the perfect execution of the slow, dance like movements of a series of sword katas. The slowness of his movements was deceiving. By the time he was done, dawn was spreading across the sky, and a film of sweat covered his lean body. Laying the katana on his shirt, Connor walked up to the little waterfall that tumbled off the rock wall behind him and cupped his hands under it, splashing the cold water over his face and chest.

Shivering slightly, he picked up his shirt and after putting it and his shoes back on, he paused, admiring the beautiful sunrise. A touch of melancholy came over him as he remembered sharing the experience of the birth of a brand new day on many an occasion over the years with a very special person.

"Oh, Kat," he whispered. "How I wish you were here to share this with me." Sighing deeply, he made his way back to the fort to have breakfast and then to go out to work some more on the riverboat. It was almost finished. In a few days, he hoped to have it ready for its maiden voyage down river. He hoped to establish a regular supply run between Edan, the fort, and possibly even the other town located further north. Life in this new world was a new challenge, one that he looked forward to facing. The only thing that would make it better would be to have someone to share the experience with. Someone like Katherine.

* * * * *

Although Sarah Jo did not have to drag Katherine kicking and screaming into the clinic, it was obvious that she was not happy about being there. "It’s a waste of time," she grumbled. "I have things to do today!"

"You aren't going to do anything that won't hurt being delayed a bit," the freckled face nurse said as she took Katherine into the exam room in the main part of the clinic and tossed her a gown to put on.

"You are joking, aren't you?" Kat said, looking at the gown in obvious distaste. "I'm not taking my clothes off for no Doctor. There is nothing wrong with me!"

"Why don't we determine that?" asked Robert Helm as he came in. "Aren't you ready yet?"

Katherine tossed the gown in his face and jumped off the table where she had been sitting. "I'm out of here," she growled. "I'm not sick!" Turning on her heels as quickly as she could, she made a dash for the door. Mistake. The next thing she knew, she was flat on her back on the table, a worried looking Sarah Jo sponging her forehead off. "What happened?" Kat asked, a confused look on her face.

"You fainted," Sarah Jo answered.

Helm was looking grimly down at her. So was Giles. Alex Taylor was looking over his shoulder, not quite sure he wanted *in* on this or not.

"Now," said Helm, "are we going to behave, or do we need to strap you in?"

Katherine said something rude sounding in a language he didn't understand, and then nodded. "I'll behave. What is this? A medical convention?"

"We just want to know why an Immortal being would be having physical difficulties," Giles said reasonably.

"Though we know from Phoenix' case that your species is acting oddly here," Helm finished.

"What's wrong with Phoenix?" Katherine asked, slowly sitting up, even though the room spun a bit as she did so. "I haven't been eating or sleeping all that much. Ever since..... Well, it's just catching up with me."

"I thought you knew that she was pregnant," Helm said. "I thought everyone knew. Methos hasn't exactly kept it a secret." He rolled his eyes.

"That's not funny," Kat said, her jaw set. "Not funny at all. Methos hasn't said squat to me for almost a month. Neither has Duncan."

"Maybe he's preoccupied," said Helm.

Alex nodded quickly. "I heard Faia ran off. He doesn't want to admit it, but his knockin' her up has really MESSED her up!"

"Methos knocked her up?" Katherine said with disbelieving eyes. "Oh sweet Mary, Mother of God," she whispered. Could it be? It would explain the queasiness in the mornings, and the continuous feeling of fatigue. Her hand went to her chest, feeling her breasts for signs of enlargement or tenderness.

The three men stood, grinning at her. "Spoil sport," joked Giles. "That's our job."

Her little foot caught him right on the knee and an elbow from Sarah Jo connected into his ribs at the same time. "Out!" the nurse growled. "Let me get her ready. Then you can all have your look, see and feel!"

"Oh, goody," said Alex without much feeling. Helm made a face like he was none too happy about being bossed around, and Giles, smiling gently, rubbed his hands together as if he could not wait for the chance to get at Kat.

Still shell shocked, Katherine did not fuss as Sarah Jo helped her undress and get into the gown. "I don't think I'm going to like this," she said under her breath. "I'm 431 years old and I've never had to submit to this indignity!" Sarah Jo just chuckled, and assured her all would be ok. She then went to the door and announced that the patient was ready.

Helm led the way, being the senior staff member. Alex brought up the rear and still looked like he would have rather been anywhere else on the new world than in that room. Giles was the only one smiling. "Isn't this exciting?" he asked.

"Then you change places with me!" Kat grumbled as she watched Alex get ready to take a blood sample. "Does this take all three of you? And what is the needle for?" She already knew the answers. Sarah Jo had told her that the Doctors were extremely curious about what makes an immortal tick, and they had been after her to let them take samples for *research purposes*.

"If you mean, would I like to be Immortal, not very much," Helm said, deadpan.

The three doctors proceeded to give Katherine an extremely thorough exam, knowing that it would be unlikely that they would get another opportunity like this one. Last of all was the pelvic, as if they were saving the best for last.

Alex made an excuse to get the hell out of the room. Helm acted like it was just a chore that had to be done, but Giles' grin was really getting to her. Especially when her feet were put into stirrups!

"Young man," Katherine said sourly. "You are enjoying this way too much." She then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and concentrated on relaxing her body as much as possible. Sarah Jo stayed by her side, holding onto her hand, giving her moral support with her presence.

Helm did the exam - gently, since they suspected something already - while Giles asked, "When was your last period? Do you get periods?"

Katherine shrugged. "On occasion. Not too often. It's been over a year for me since the last one. But you can't go by me." She glanced over at Sarah Jo who blushed and said she was rock steady at 28 days herself.

"Even though you're sterile? I mean," he flushed, "Your kind is normally sterile?"

"Always," Katherine sighed, answering for Sarah Jo, tears misting her eyes. "Part of the package. All the equipment works, but nothing ever takes." She had been delivering babies for over 400 years, the birth of each child painfully reminding her that she would never have one of her own.

"Well," Helm muttered, "this one did."

"Shite," Katherine sighed, struggling for control, even though tears of regret were running down her cheeks. If only it had been Connor she had slept with on her coming to this new world with its upside down rules. And now she didn't even know who the father was, and even if she did, neither one of them seemed to give a damn about her.

"I thought you said you wanted a child?" asked Helm as he stood, seeing her tears.

Sarah Jo shook her head at the Doctor. "She wanted a child by a certain man. Duncan’s elder kinsman, Connor MacLeod."

Katherine sat up and wiped her eyes. "But he's dead. Maybe this child was fathered by his cousin, Duncan. I don't know. It doesn't matter anyhow. Excuse me please, I would like to get dressed."

Giles started to say something but Helm had taken the hint. "Come," he said gently to his colleague. "We've told her the matter. It's up to her now."

Katherine got up and slowly dressed. Then gathering her dignity around her like a cloak in a rainstorm, she walked out of the clinic without saying a word to anyone.