Disclaimer: I don�t own these characters.
Preface: Two weeks have elapsed since the last installment. Michelle and Danny are preparing to fly back to Springfield the following day. Danny has spoken briefly with Carmen and he knows that the bombing incident has been resolved - Carmen is aware that Nino was responsible. Ray is still recovering, but so far, hasn�t talked much.
Michelle walked into the bedroom of the condo and found Danny sleeping. After their morning tryst, Michelle drove to a nearby department store to purchase a few things, and Danny went back to sleep.
She looked at him, sleeping there, so peaceful, so at ease. It was nice to see him this way. Ever since she had known him, he�d been on edge, nervous about what or who would be standing around the next corner. Here, in Nevada, he�d totally relaxed. It was as if his spirit was free.
Part of her dreaded returning to Springfield. The serenity they�d found here would not return with them. She knew that. But she also knew there were many reasons that they must go back. Ray was recovering from his head injury, and Danny wanted to be there for him. Ray was the only real family Danny had, and Danny needed to show his support. He�d also have to deal with Carmen. Michelle knew that if they were ever to be free of her, running away would not accomplish it. Danny had to break the ties, once and for all, and she truly believed he was prepared to do just that.
She wondered how he would react to what she was about to say. She didn�t really know how to tell him. It was so out of the blue.
She sat down on the bed next to him, still holding her shopping bag. Danny opened his eyes and saw her there, and his smile made her melt, the way it always did.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Danny asked, referring to the shopping bag, a she sat up in the bed.
"I guess so," Michelle smiled.
"Well, let�s see what you got," and with that he reached for the bag.
She almost stopped him, but then decided not to. She hadn�t known how to break this to him, so maybe it would be better if he simply found it in the shopping bag.
"Hmmmm," Danny said, pulling a few things out of the bag. "We�ve got body lotion, I like that! And chewing gum, for the plane ride I assume. Postcards, for souvenirs, and�"
He stopped. He just stared into the bag. He could not believe what he was seeing. Michelle could not read his expression.
"Is that what� is it� Michelle�?" his eyes were searching hers for answers.
"Yes, it is," she said, as she pulled the home pregnancy test from the shopping bag.
She could finally get a sense of Danny�s reaction. His eyes were dancing, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He was trying to contain himself.
"I don�t understand. How?" he asked.
"You mean you don�t know by now?" she joked.
"You know what I mean, Michelle," he said as he put his arms around her.
"Well, I don�t know exactly when or how, considering that we took precautions, but my period is two weeks late."
"And you�re just now telling me?"
"It was the last thing on my mind. All I�ve thought about the entire time we�ve been here is you, and us, and how wonderful this has been. It didn�t occur to me that I was late until this morning, when I was getting dressed to go out."
"Well, are you going to take it?" he asked.
"Eventually, I guess," she said. Danny could tell she was struggling.
"Michelle, I hope you don�t think I�m upset, because I�m not, at all. What�s wrong?"
"The timing. We just got married. I�m still in college. I just never expected we�d be faced with something like this, and I�m not quite sure how to deal with it. I�m scared, unsure, whatever you want to call it, and I know that the results of this test could change our lives in such a big way."
He took her face in his hands, and looked into her eyes. "Michelle, you�re right, the timing is not perfect. And we weren�t expecting this - we were careful. But if you are, I mean, if we are, then we will make it work. I�ll do anything and everything to make sure we bring this baby into a healthy environment. Hell, if we have to buy this condo, and live out here for the rest of our lives, then that�s what we�ll do. And we�ll work it out for you to finish school, and go on to medical school. I will make everything work out, baby, I promise, but we won�t know anything until you take the test." His hand was resting lightly on her stomach the entire time he spoke.
She couldn�t help but smile when she noticed the way he said "we". It was as if he was assuring her that if she was pregnant, she wouldn�t be going through it alone.
She picked up the test box and stared at it. Danny kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "If we�re pregnant, I�ll be the happiest man on earth. And if we�re not, I�ll still be the happiest man on earth, because I have you."
She smiled at him and he kissed her again, before she stood up and walked into the bathroom.
When she came out of the bathroom, Danny looked at her anxiously and said, "Well?"
"It takes three minutes," she said. "So, start timing." She was beginning to get excited about the possibility of having Danny�s child. Not that she hadn�t imagined it a thousand times before, but she was warming up to the idea of having his baby, now, or rather, in nine months."
Danny took the box from Michelle and looked at the instructions. "It says here that if we see a plus sign, then we�re pregnant, but if we see a minus sign, then we�re not." She smiled again at his use of the pronoun "we".
They sat on the bed, arms around each other, as the clocked ticked by the longest three minutes of their lives. When the three minutes were over, the were both secure in the knowledge that no matter what the test said, they would be alright.
"Let me look first," Danny said, almost begging.
"O.K.," Michelle answered.
He walked to the bathroom door, opened it, and looked at the test stick on the counter. He didn�t move, and he didn�t say anything. Michelle was sure it was negative. Her heart sank.
But when he turned around after a long moment, the smile on his face told her she was wrong.
"There�s plus sign, Michelle! It�s positive!" he yelled.
Michelle ran to the bathroom and looked at the test. There was a plus sign, just like he�d said. The were going to have a baby!
He put his arms around her and kissed her. For a long time, they stood there, in each other�s arms, staring down at the plus sign that had changed their lives forever. It was the happiest either of them had ever been.
Back in Springfield, he was again at Cedars Hospital. He sat in the lobby for a long time, hoping to hear something about Ray�s condition, or when Danny might be returning. He was anxious to get rid of that journal. Finally, he overheard Dr. Bauer tell Nurse Holden that Ray was still improving, and that Danny and Michelle were flying home the following day.
"Good," he thought. "I�ll give Ray a day to tell Danny himself, and if he doesn�t, I�m giving the journal to him."