Terrence's eyes were riveted to the monitor. He'd asked the resident OBGYN to do the complete checkup on Johanna, and at the same time assigned Johanna to her. Dr. Leona Martinez, known as Leo to the hospital staff, studied the monitor as she passed the wand gently over the surface of Johanna's huge stomach. The doctor had readily agreed to the impromptu appointment; she remembered Johanna from a few days back, when she'd delivered Jewl's son.

Billie stood next to her lover, eyes glued to the monitor, her hand gripping Johanna's tightly.

The sound of heartbeats was loud in the room. "The slower, louder one is yours." Leo explained, her soft voice calming Billie and Johanna. She pointed at the monitor, a gentle smile on her face. "This right here is the baby's head," she paused, studying the monitor further. She would make sure the hospital got one of those new sonogram machines, she decided, the ones with higher definition. Confirming Terrence's suspicions for herself, she looked up at him and nodded slightly, seeing the first of a smile on his face after many days. Her finger moved again, pointing towards another shape on the screen. "And this, right here, is another baby."

Billie's eyes widened at the news, her heart beating out of control. The hand in hers tightened, and Billie looked down to see a wide smile gracing Johanna's beautiful face. Tears filled her eyes, and she swallowed hard. She leaned down and rained loving kisses all over Johanna's face, receiving quite a few in return. "Two babies!" She exclaimed between kisses. The tragedy of the past few days momentarily forgotten.

Johanna threw her arms around Billie's neck and pulled her down for a heartfelt hug. Billie wrapped her arms under Johanna's shoulders and held her tightly. Burying her face into her lover's neck, she inhaled her sweet scent. "I love you," She whispered hoarsely.

"I love you too, baby!" Johanna whispered, feeling very emotional.



After the check up, Terrence left them alone with Dr. Martinez, Johanna and Billie sat down across from the doctor in her office, holding hands tightly. "Now," Leo said, closing Johanna's file and leaning back on her chair. "You have to take care from now on."

"What's going on?" Billie demanded, tensing.

"Billie, let her talk." Johanna said softly, nervous herself.

Leo smiled reassuringly at Billie. "Johanna's blood pressure is elevated, though it may be the stress of the last few days. I wish we'd had some data from earlier in the pregnancy to compare it to."

Johanna had the grace to look sheepish.

"We have to discuss a change of diet, and all that good stuff. When you're pregnant, your body must generate extra blood and iron for you and the babies, but that hasn't been the case. Honestly, right now, judging by the level of iron in your blood, you should have fainted at least three times."

Johanna's eyes widened and she felt Billie's hand tighten around hers.

"But you have other symptoms; shortness of breath, weakness, some tachycardia. We're going to keep track of your health from now on." Leo leaned forward to write in a prescription pad. "Here's a prescription for iron. You have to take it once a day, in the morning; after a meal is better." She ripped the piece off the pad and began to write in another paper. "Vitamins. I want you to come back next week, same day. Okay?" She wrote in Johanna's new file, and then stood up, handing Johanna the prescriptions. "Is there any way you can work at home?"

"It would be hard; my work requires mostly field work." Johanna replied, glancing at Billie and noticing her alarmed features.

"What do you do?" Leo asked, curious.

"I'm a real estate agent." Johanna replied, reassuring Billie with a squeeze of her hand.

"Hey, I need a house." Leo said, grinning.

Johanna laughed, and so did Billie. "I thought you said I couldn't work." She said, and Leo's smile faded.

The doctor's face was serious, but her demeanor was still reassuring. "I'm recommending you either work from home, or not work all together." She said. "It's for the babies. Carrying twins to full term is very difficult, and I want to make sure everything works out okay, especially since we didn't get you from the beginning."

"I'll take a leave." Johanna said instantly, surprising Billie. "We can more than afford it. I got careless. "

"It wasn't just you, Johanna," Billie protested. "I should have pressured you."

"You did." Johanna said. "I was stubborn. Things could have been worse, and I'm glad you insisted yesterday."

"So am I." Leo said, with a smile.



That night, Johanna watched Billie change into her pajamas, eyes taking in every feature of the woman she loved. Billie hadn't changed much since they'd met. Her hair was shorter, but as light a blonde as it had been then. From what she'd seen of Susan Jordan, Billie's mother, Johanna knew that it would be a long, long time before Billie started showing signs of age. Susan Jordan could pass for Billie's sister. Billie was naturally athletic, with a body Johanna knew many women envied and wanted sexually. Johanna's eyes traveled the length of Billie's legs, and she sighed.

Billie looked up at the sound, hands at the ties of her shorts. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"It's been a while." Johanna said simply.

Billie's eyes softened and she slipped into bed with her. Pulling her into her arms, Billie kissed her forehead gently. "I know." She whispered. "You'd been so tired, and I didn't want to push it."

Johanna took a deep breath of her lover's scent, nuzzling Billie's neck softly. "I've missed you so much." She whispered, excitement shooting through her at her lover's shiver.

Billie slipped her arm under Johanna's neck, pulling her head back and gazing down at her. She was getting excited, the sight of Johanna, pregnant and beautiful, stirring her as it always did; every single time, she pushed those feelings down. Her attraction to her partner hadn't changed, but she knew that Johanna was tired a lot, with the pregnancy, and hadn't wanted to push it. She'd missed their physical interactions, but their emotional attachment was just as good. With her free hand, she grasped Johanna's hip, pushing closer to her.

The feel of Billie's flat stomach pressing against hers made Johanna gasp. Wrapping her arm around Billie's neck, Johanna turned onto her back and pulled Billie over with her. She could hear the pace of Billie's breath changing, and it excited her to no end. The kiss they shared was hot and full of passion, and Billie began an exploration of Johanna's body, their excitement growing even more.



"I'd missed you." Johanna whispered, breathing deeply. She was resting against Billie's side, a finger tracing Billie's abdominal muscles, making her stomach jump every time she passed it by a sensitive spot.

Billie, arms wrapped around her tightly, lifted her head and kissed her again. "I'd missed you too." She said, gently. "Things have been difficult." She fought tears.

Johanna nodded, lifting her head and meeting Billie's eyes. Her own eyes filled with tears. "I know." She said, understanding fully. "This helps. Having you hold me, touch me. It helps so much."

Billie nodded. "Yeah." She swallowed hard for a moment. "I can't imagine how hard this must be for Lorna." She ran a hand up and down Johanna's arm. "I miss him so much!" The tears finally ran free, and Johanna moved up in her arms to wrap hers around Billie's shoulders. She comforted Billie until there were no more tears, and Billie rested in her arms, slowly dozing off.



Chapter Eight

Jewl rang Billie and Johanna's doorbell. She looked down at her son, who slept in his Wilkinet carrier, pressed against his mother's warmth. She'd heard that Johanna had been asked to stay home by the new OBGYN in town. She'd known that the old OBGYN, her doctor, had been about to retire, but with everything that happened, it was forgotten.

The past month had been difficult, with well wishers making sure she knew they were with her. Joseph had been a beloved member of Illuminations, and as his wife, she'd had to bear everyone coming to see her. She'd really just wanted to be with her son, and her mother-in-law, grieving in private. The worst had been when Ansel Johnson had come to see them at Jewl and Joseph's house, seeking their forgiveness, even throwing herself down to her knees and sobbing out her pain.

Lorna had been forgiving, and had calmed the woman down before helping her to her feet, gently speaking with her about their sons. She'd handled it better than Jewl could ever have, and Jewl admired her for it.

The door opened and Jewl was surprised to find Billie home so early in the day. "Hi," She said, and nothing else. Billie shifted awkwardly. She wore black jeans and shirt, mourning clothes, and their color made her light blonde hair seem brighter. She watched Billie's eyes track to Daniel, and a soft smile spread across her face. God, she's still so beautiful. Jewl thought, studying her features as they relaxed.

"He's big." Billie said softly.

"He eats a lot." Jewl replied, and looked down at Daniel, so that wouldn't keep looking at Billie. "I- ah, I came to see Johanna."

"I'm sorry, come in." Billie said sheepishly, waving her in. "She's in the living room. Right through there." She pointed. She shoved her hands into her pockets and still stared at Daniel. "Do you want anything to drink?" Billie had to admit, motherhood suited Jewl. She looked natural, with the baby pressed against her front, sleeping peacefully. His little hat cocooned his head gently, its light blue color matching his clothes and shoes.

Jewl nodded. "Thank you, anything you have." She said, and walked towards the living room.

She found Johanna lying down on the couch, her delicate hands cupping her huge stomach. Her eyes were closed, her face a little relaxed. Her chest was rising and lowering quickly, and her breathing was slightly audible. Jewl felt a touch of worry.

Johanna opened her eyes, smiling as she caught sight of Jewl and the baby. "Hi," She said.

"Hey," Jewl said, putting down her baby bag on the coffee table. She detached the Wilkinet from herself, gently cradling her son as she removed the straps from him. "How are you?" She asked, as she gently removed his gear.

Johanna smiled at the sight of Daniel, whose size was bigger than a normal month old baby's. "He's so big." She said, and tried to sit up.

"No, don't move." Jewl said, smiling gently. In a month, Johanna's stomach had grown considerably, and she was nearly dwarfed by its size. Jewl stood up and settled the sleeping Daniel right above Johanna's stomach. She sat down at the coffee table, and watched the expecting mother touch Daniel's head gently, as he slept on. "How are you?"

"Alright, considering I have two monsters growing inside me." Johanna said, smiling over at Jewl. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," Jewl said slowly, gazing at her son. "It's been hard. Everyone's been coming over, every single day." She explained. "Even Mrs. Johnson showed up."

"That poor woman," Johanna lamented, shaking her head sadly.

"Yeah," Jewl said, sighing. "She was torn up. That kid destroyed her, even in death. He'd been getting into a lot of trouble in school. But no one ever expected him to go this far, to even kill someone." She fought tears, blinking rapidly.

Johanna fought back tears of her own. "He was a good man." She said.

Jewl nodded, looking up and then away when Billie entered the living room, a tray with glasses in her hands. She watched Johanna's face light up at the sight of her lover, and she realized that Johanna loved Billie very much, probably more than Billie had once loved Jewl. She braved it and looked back at Billie, who was gazing into Johanna's eyes, a gentle loving smile on her face.

Jewl looked back at her son, who seemed to be enjoying his cushions, never stirring from his sleep. Billie finally moved, handing Jewl her glass, and placing the other with the tray on the coffee table. She glanced at Jewl questioningly, gesturing at Daniel. Jewl nodded, and watched as Billie very gently lifted the baby from Johanna's chest and tenderly cradled him in her arms.

Johanna started to try to sit up, and Jewl rushed forward to give her a hand. Once sitting up more, Johanna, out of breath, smiled gratefully at Jewl, who handed her the glass of apple juice. Jewl watched as Billie walked out of the living room with the baby in her arms, gazing down at him with wonder in her eyes. She trusted Billie with him, and relaxed in Johanna's company.

"You've gotten a little bigger." Jewl said, glancing at the taut stomach straining Johanna's T-shirt.

"A little, that's an understatement!" Johanna scoffed. "I completely was not prepared for twins! Billie and I had been shopping for one baby! We still have to go get another crib." She took a gulp from her juice.

Jewl smiled softly. She'd been surprised when she'd heard that Billie and Johanna were expecting twins. Of course, when she'd finally seen a pregnant Johanna for the first time since her marriage, she hadn't been in the best mental condition to notice things like that. "Are you alright? I heard you had to quit the real estate."

Johanna chuckled. "I took a leave." She said, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Doctor Martinez thought it would be prudent, because of my anemia. It was a little more pronounced, last we checked."

"Is she good?" Jewl asked. "My first appointment with her is in a little while today."

"I think she's great, a bit young, but pretty good." Johanna said.

"Well, I'm sure Dr. Abel wouldn't have left if she wasn't capable," Jewl said.

"Yes. She's a little worried, because my blood pressure's a little higher than two weeks ago."

"Take good care of yourself." Jewl said, concerned.

Johanna laughed softly, unconcerned. "Billie's taking care of that." She joked.

Frowning softly, Jewl said: "Speaking of Billie, I wonder what she's doing with Daniel."



Billie held Daniel gently, sitting on the swing at the back porch. He was awake now, unfocused eyes staring up at her. His little fists clenched and unclenched, his legs kicking out sporadically. She could already see a little of Joseph in him, and even more of Jewl. She'd seen him a couple of weeks before, when she'd gone to see Lorna at her house, and she could already see little differences.

He wasn't going to be as pale as his father, but would be more than likely to keep his reddish hair. His eyes had lightened more, their luminous blue color closer to his mother's than they'd been when he was born. He was so beautiful to Billie.

"You have a beautiful son." She whispered, looking out at the trees. "I wish you were here to see him."

Jewl, standing by the back door quietly, listened.

"Your mother and Jewl will make sure Daniel knows about you, I'm sure." Billie said. "You would have been the best father a kid could ever have… just like your dad!" She cried, holding the baby and tenderly nuzzling his thick head of hair.

Jewl fought against tears and turned away, very quickly making her way back to Johanna.

"What's wrong?" Johanna asked, struggling to sit up.

"Everything's fine." Jewl reassured Johanna, sniffling and sitting back down at the loveseat across from Johanna. She took a deep breath and composed herself.

Johanna sat back, exhausted. Her eyes asked.

"I think Billie's bonding with Daniel." Jewl answered, wiping at her eyes.

Johanna swallowed hard. "She misses Joseph a lot." She whispered.

"I can imagine." Jewl said. "They'd been friends since they were babies."

"What about you? Weren't you Billie's friend once?" Johanna asked softly.

Jewl's eyes widened slightly, her heartbeat picking up in nervousness. "That was a long time ago." She said, keeping her voice calm, though she was anything but. She looked down at her watch, and then looked back up at Johanna, who had a knowing expression all over her face. "I have to go. My appointment's in an hour."

"Okay," Johanna said, trying to meet her eyes, but Jewl refused to meet them. "Will you come back? I could use the company when Billie's at work; only when you can, though."

Jewl finally looked back at her, and attempted a smile. "I'll visit." She promised.

Chapter Nine

Leo Martinez was mesmerized. The woman, who had just walked into her office, was the most beautiful creature she'd ever laid eyes on. She knew she'd met this woman before, if delivering her baby was called a meeting. She had been so preoccupied, that she'd never paid attention to how beautiful she actually was.

Jewl could feel the instant attraction to Dr. Martinez. She was a handsome woman, and Jewl could not stop her eyes from roaming. Dr. Martinez stood at about five feet nine inches; her body obviously muscled under the scrubs. She wasn't grotesquely muscled, like a body builder, but it was obvious she worked out a lot. "Um, hi," she said softly, suddenly shy.

The corner of Leo's lifted in half a smile, as she fought for composure. She pushed a hand through her hair, licking her lips in an attempt at bringing moisture to her suddenly dry mouth. She gestured at the chair in front of her desk, and moved to the other side, sitting down on her chair slowly. She finally was able to tear her eyes away from Jewl's features, looking down and opening her file.

Jewl was less successful, her eyes taking in the dark curls framing the dark-featured attractive face. Dark lashes, long and perfectly curled framed deep brown eyes, and full lips curved in an ever present smile. She waited while the doctor looked over her history. Despite their very obvious differences, Leona Martinez reminded Jewl of Billie.

"As you know, I'm Dr. Leona Martinez," Leo finally found her voice, having given herself a mental shake. She proceeded to explain how she worked, and by the end of the appointment, she was happy to see that Jewl was feeling comfortable with her.



"What do you know about Jewl Marquee?" Leo demanded, abruptly interrupting Terrence's quiet lunch. She sat across from him and demanded information with intense eyes.

His head snapped up. "What?"

Leo took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. As soon as Jewl had left her office, she'd run out in search of Terrence, aware that he had history with her. "I'm sorry," she said slowly. "I- She's a beautiful woman."

Terrence chuckled. "Yeah, she is." He agreed.

Leo's eyebrows rose. "You've dated her?" She asked, curious.

Terrence shook his head. "Not my cup of tea." He said simply, meeting her eyes.

Leo's eyes widened, and she said nothing for a second, then a smile grew slowly on her face. She understood completely what he meant. "So what do you know about her?" She insisted. "Do I have a chance?"

Terrence shrugged. "She just lost her husband," he said softly.

"So she's straight." Leo said; her disappointment was written all over her expressive face.

"That's not what I said." Terrence said in a low voice, pausing for a moment and eyeing her closely. She'd been in town for a little over six months, most of that time spent getting acquainted with Dr. Abel's practice and learning a few things from him. In her free time, she dated many a lesbian in town. The women had left no doubts that the young doctor interested them, and Leo had had no doubts about tapping the waters.

Leo leaned forward in her seat. "Yeah?"

Terrence lifted a hand to stop her, and watched her smile fade. "Listen," he said. "You're new around here, Leo, and who knows; maybe one day you'll leave this town. But Jewl, she's been here since she was a very young child. She'll probably be here for a long time to come. Everyone knows her, and everyone also knew Joseph Marquee. He was a very beloved member of this town. We all loved him." He could tell she was listening, so he continued. "Let's say she's interested in you, and she dates you right now. What would that do to her? Everyone would look at her as some sort of traitor or they'd assume she'd been seeing you since before Joseph's death. It would ruin her."

Leo sat back, taking a deep breath. Terrence was right, she knew. "So what do I do?" She asked, feeling only slightly guilty about wanting to date a woman whose husband had just died; tragically, of all things. But God, Jewl Marquee's so attractive!

He shrugged. "Date the other ladies that are vying for your time already." He joked, and she laughed. They both knew there was truth to his words. Leo wasn't lacking women in her life since she'd gotten into town.

"How long do you think is proper to make a move? And do you think she'd respond in a good way?" She asked, mentally crossing her fingers.

Terrence thought about Jewl's feelings for Billie, and wondered if they were still there. He looked pointedly at her. "This conversation is between you and me, Leo." She nodded, face serious. "I think you have somewhat of a chance, but give it time." Its about time Jewl came out of the closet, I think, even if it's not right now. "You don't want to affect her life here."

Leo took a deep breath. "You haven't pointed it out, Terrence, but I know it's unprofessional to want to date a patient." She said quietly, blowing the air through her lips.

"We're human, Leo." Terrence said gently. "Sometimes things like this happen to us, and it's up to us to deal with them."

A smile spread across her lips. "She walked into that office, and I couldn't even speak!" She exclaimed.

Terrence smiled. "She has that effect on a lot of people, but she doesn't realize it."

Leo smirked. "She was checking me out too." She said smugly.

Terrence shrugged. "Just give it time."



Continued in part XV



Katia N. Ruiz