Chapter 1

Fred didn't know this hospital.

This was a good thing, in his opinion. As he quickly walked down the third floor hallway looking for room 308, Fred hoped to never know the fastest way to get to the cafeteria, where the ice machine was, which shift had the most intelligent nurses. To be well versed in these things meant that a loved one was dying in one of these white rooms, that the hospital had become a second home. It had happened to him too many times in the past decade, and he'd do anything to prevent it from occurring again.

Taylor.

He stood in the open doorway to 308, and saw her in the bed next to the window. His Taylor.

"Fred!"

The slight brown haired woman sat up quickly, a surprised ecstatic expression on her face. The light blue gown clung to her slight curves, not flattering her to be certain but Fred had seen enough of what was concealed in the past month to feel a stirring none the less. Her green eyes were wide, and thin arms outstretched towards him. As he quickly closed the distance, he noticed the I.V. tube attached to her left arm.

Taylor's arms went around Fred as he leaned down for a slow, welcoming kiss. His right hand stroked her hair, which he often felt had a life of its own given it was almost half as long as she was. His left caressed her arm. She seemed so fragile, but he knew there was strength in her. He only hoped he had some left.

Breaking the kiss, Taylor pushed him back a bit and looked at him in surprised wonder.

"Why are you here? How did you find out?"

"I called him."

Looking over, Fred saw a tall black woman sitting next to the bed. She had on black slacks and a white blouse, and a name tag from the same supermarket Taylor worked at. She stood.

"I didn't want to leave you alone here, so I borrowed your phone and called the first number I saw. I obviously picked correctly," she added with a smile. "I really have to get back."

"Thank you," said Taylor, "for everything." Fred shook the woman's hand, liking her instantly, then turned back to Taylor as they found themselves alone. He pulled the now vacated chair up closer, and held Taylor's hand in both of his. They were both silent.

"So ... how was your day?"

Taylor burst out laughing, and he grinned and squeezed her hand. When she quieted down, he went on.

"What happened?"

"Oh, it's nothing to be worried about," she sighed. laying down again. It was easier to not look him in the eye like that. "They say it was just a small blood clot..."

Fred was on his feet in an instant, his hands tightening on hers as the chair skidded back a few inches but didn't fall over. No, not this. anything but this. She refused to meet his gaze, not wanting to see the pain and fear. They had only been together for a month, and he still wasn't even two months into his grieving for Lisa. Did the gods hate him that much? Should he stop caring for anyone if it would only lead to their death?

Finally letting out a breath, Fred sighed and loosened his grip. He looked around the room. On the stand next to him was a battered paperback he recognized. Taylor was not a reader, nor did she consider herself smart, but in an attempt to impress him had taken to reading some of his favorite books and had surprised herself by loving them. She was already up to the fourth Rift War book (third, if you considered the first had been split in two for later printings), and he was so proud of this woman ten years his junior. Parts of her she had never known about were awakening, and just as she was soaking up new knowledge and seeking new challenges he was learning as well. Her paintings were wonderful, and while he had enjoyed a good picture before a whole new appreciation of art was opening up. Next thing you knew he'd be listening to classical music instead of Rush...

"I'm sorry, Fred..." He looked down at his love, and saw her looking back with such a sad expression. She looked so much like the little girl she fought not to be, and Fred reached a hand over and caressed her cheek. She nuzzled him back.

"It's not your fault," he smiled, his heart up in his throat. He couldn't lose her.

"They have some blood thinners in me. The clot was in my leg, and they got to it in time. They say if I change my prescription..."

"No."

Fred was gazing out the window as he said it, and Taylor looked at him with shock. His expression was firm. He had made up his mind, and no argument of hers would sway him.

"But ... the new birth control..."

"NO! No..." He turned to her, the pain returning to his eyes, and once again she felt her heart swell. She never wanted to see pain in those eyes again. "That's what they told Lisa. I'm not going to lose you too." Taylor sat up, and put her hands on either side of his head. He had to bend down a bit to let her.

"So ... we use other means?" He took both her hands in his and held them together between them.

"Do you love me?"

Her eyes widened. They had never used that word. Both had been through too much, and had wanted to make sure this wasn't just about sex and rebounds. Both had agreed to wait, having only a half dozen dates since their return from that fateful canoe trip even as they talked every night. Both knew they were in love, but were unworthy of the affections of the other.

"Yes ... oh, yes..."

"Would you live with me?"

"Yes..."

She closed her eyes. To be with him, to stay with him...

"Would ... would you stop using birth control, and let what happens happen?"

Her breathing stopped. He was asking ... GOD! She had dreamed about this, picturing her small frame swollen with his child, of even nursing his son while she rode him in an attempt bring another life into the world. To be his ... woman.

"I love you, Taylor. Would you have my children?"

"Oh god, YES!" She flung herself into his arms, almost tearing out the I.V... "I love you!!"

The nurse found them like that a few minutes later, and quietly left the room to give them more time. It was the shift with the intelligent nurses.

Taylor wandered into their library.

She liked the sound of that. 'Their Library'. She lived in a house with its own library. As a kid such a thing had seemed a place of fantasy: this house in a movie had a dungeon, that one had a library, and this castle was full of secret passages. Real people didn't live in places like that. It was a small library, she had to admit, just an unused bedroom in this small city house, but once she set foot in it Taylor understood. For someone like Fred, it was almost a shrine to knowledge and no house could be a home without it. It was coming to be the same for her. Her hands ran down a shelf of books, science works by Gardner and Randi. There was so much to explore in here, and once the baby came she'd raise them in a world of books.

Taylor once again looked down and rubbed her belly. Their baby.

Laughing, she brought her attention back to the matter at hand. There would be time to talk to her unborn bundle of joy later, a full 6 months. Now she wanted to find that book Fred had mentioned she should read before the trip. Let's see, this was the non-fiction side, and history was up ... Ah, there it was. "Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan", by John Stephens. They liked their long titles back in 1841, didn't they? She took down the softcover of volume one, then paused to run her hands above the cover of the battled second edition hard cover next to it. No way she was touching that without him here. She went back out to the living room and settled into a chair.