My Challenge by Juicy
A/N: Ok that's not the real title. If you have a better suggestion, let me know. This was a challenge from Hamstertastic (on deviantART), because she wanted to see some DxA fluffy stuff from me. So, I of course ran for help. TCGeek, I thank you SO much for the aid and hope you enjoy this! I'll hold my vomit… But, here you have it, all. I hope you enjoy it. I've never done a fluff before. I'm a tragedy writer! So, wish me luck, and hold onto your hats! Enjoy…
Angela Stiles was barely able to keep a startled shriek from escaping her as she stumbled backwards, gently seating herself on the toilet. She quieted herself immediately, listening carefully for movement in the other room. To her relief, Derek stirred peacefully and continued to snore.
With a long sigh she slumped forward, burying her face in her hands. She was overjoyed from the great news she'd just received; slightly in disbelief and feeling a bit lightheaded, but ecstatic all the same.
This was the moment she'd waited for all her life. To be witnessing a positive pregnancy test. There was just one problem; Derek had absolutely no idea that he was going to be a father!
They'd spoken about having children of their own; it was something they'd spoken of a lot, especially during their honeymoon. They of course, hadn't planned on getting pregnant a little under a year into their marriage.
Suddenly, a familiar tune sounded in the bedroom. It was none other than Derek's cellular phone, ringing away and threatening to awaken him. She rapidly stuffed the pregnancy test into the trash bin, groaning as she piled putrid garbage on it to conceal it. The last thing she needed was for Derek to spot it, soon realizing that she'd been hiding it from him. He may become untrusting, and she cared for him too much to let that taint their marriage.
Derek groaned, pulling the blanket over his head as his phone did not cease to ring. Angie leapt into action, dashing out of the bathroom as quickly as her legs would carry her and answering the phone, breathlessly, with a whispered "hello?"
"Angie? That you?" a familiar voice asked on the other line. Angie sighed and unplugged Derek's phone from its charger, striding to the other side of the room so she could speak more clearly without rousing her still half-asleep husband.
"Yes, Tyler, it's me," she answered, still quietly.
"Hey, what are you doing answering Derek's phone?" he asked, either unable or not desiring to stifle back a chuckle as he answered his own question in his mind. "Wait, don't tell me, did you tire him out again last night?" the blonde laughed heartily on the other line.
Angie sighed and shook her head, repositioning the phone on her ear. "No, Tyler, I didn't."
"…Then who did?!" he asked with false surprise.
"No one did!" she snapped, quickly lowering her voice as Derek turned over on his side with a tired yawn.
"Gee, I'm just messing. But seriously, why are you answering his phone? Your day off's tomorrow! You're both late!"
"No we're not, today's our day off! I marked it in the calendar!" Angie retorted, tiptoeing over to the calendar on the wall. "Today's the 15th, it's our day off."
"Uh, Ang, today's the 14th," Tyler corrected, chuckling lightly. The other line went dead and Tyler shook his head with a huge grin, hanging up his phone as he stepped into Caduceus to begin his day.
"Derek, honey!" Angie shook him gently, receiving tired groans of protest. She pulled off the blankets and planted a tender kiss on his cheek, prodding him on and on until he finally sat up. "Babe, today isn't our day off… I'm so sorry. I'm usually so much more organized than that and everything, but it figures today's not the 15th…" she laughed nervously, fetching his glasses and placing them on his face. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, letting the words sink in.
"So. We're late," he reasoned, sighing deeply. Angie brought her hands to her face to brush away her quickly falling tears.
"Derek, I'm so sorry!" she cried. Derek, slightly taken aback at her response, could think of nothing to say, but rather responded by pulling her shaking form into his arms.
She buried her face in his shoulder and wept for a moment. The hormones were already kicking in, even this early in the pregnancy. She did her best to regain her composure, but she only felt like weeping more, noting the tension in the air. Derek had no idea why she was overreacting. He must've been worried. Who was she kidding? This was Derek here, of course he was worried! The slightest cough had him rushing for the thermometer!
"Ang…" he whispered in her ear quietly, stroking her hair softly. "It's okay, sweetheart. Really, we're not always going to make it to work on time… This was going to happen. Don't worry about it… Director Kasal will understand! C'mon, honey, don't cry…" Derek embraced her tighter, kissing her forehead tenderly.
She looked up at him and smiled. His eyes were so soft, yet so full of concern. She pulled him into a kiss and clung to him like a small child would a loved blanket. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent.
"You okay, sweetie?" he asked firmly, but with gentleness in his voice. He rubbed her back for comfort.
"Yes, I'm okay. We better get ready for work now…I really am sorry…" she mumbled.
"Angie, shhh. It's over with now, we're already late so we may as well take our time to get ready and just show up and explain what happened. Sound good?" Angie pulled him into a passionate kiss and nodded, brushing away the remaining tears from her eyes. Derek flashed that winning grin of his and returned the kiss. They shared a moment of silence, just staring at one another lovingly before getting themselves all ready for work.
--
On the car ride to Caduceus, Derek and Angie discussed their wedding and the honeymoon, laughing about the great times they shared in those days.
"Remember when you tripped after the priest said 'you may kiss the bride'?" Angie asked with a giggle, receiving a smile of confirmation from Derek.
"But I had pretty good aim and timing," he remarked with a laugh. "I still kissed you at the right time, didn't I?"
"Hehe, yes, you did," Angie replied, kissing him gently on the cheek.
"Well what about when tripped on your dress and landed face first in the cake?" Derek reminded, producing a blush from Angie.
"I try not to remember," she answered with a stifled laugh. "That was so embarrassing!"
"Aw, but you looked so cute with frosting all over your face!" he chirped. He pulled the car to a stop at a red light, turning to face her as she continued to blush. He kissed her briefly and pulled back with a grin. "You're always beautiful. Whether you're in a t-shirt and sweats, or with mascara running down your face. There's nothing in the world, Ang, that could lessen my love for you. I promise." He gripped her hand tightly and smiled brightly; kissing her with immense passion even as the traffic light turned green and the drivers behind them honked their horns impatiently. Only when the angry drivers got out of their vehicles did he finally take off. The two laughed as they drove away from the furious crowd.
Seeing what Derek was willing to do for her, she was feeling hesitant and afraid inside of how Derek would react to her news. He was so happy, and truly in love with her. Would a baby ruin their marriage? Was he even ready to be a father? Angie smiled on the outside to protect him, but on the inside her stomach flopped, twisted and turned. How would she tell him?
--
Derek pulled into the Caduceus parking lot and kissed Angie once more, embracing her tightly before stepping out of the car. Being the gentleman he was, he made way to the other side of the car and opened the door, extending a hand to help her up. She smiled and thanked him, kissing him on the cheek.
"I love you. You know that?" he asked, eyes slightly narrowed. He was focusing intently on his wife. He let the other distractions of the world around him fade away as he stared at her, slowly bringing his hand to rest on her face as he lost himself in her breathtaking eyes.
She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her in closer, shutting his eyes slowly as they kissed. He couldn't believe how much he was in love with her… She was the only one for him. He knew this to be true.
She pulled back reluctantly, remembering that he had asked her if she knew that he loved her. But as she grinned, he knew the answer. He returned the smile and pulled her back in to resume their kiss.
"Hey! No making out in the parking lot! You're giving me a complex here!" shouted a certain dark-haired researcher, as he strutted up with his arms crossed over his chest. He held a piece of paper limply in one hand.
"Sorry Victor, did you say something?" Derek asked, acting innocent with a cat-like smile.
"Don't you feed me that. I know you heard me Stiles," he growled, shoving the piece of paper in his face.
"What is this?" he asked bewildered, moving it about a foot from his face so he could make out the words.
"Read it, idiot. You must've done some of that in med school, am I wrong?" Before Derek could open his mouth to respond, Victor interrupted him with: "No. I'm not. I'm never wrong. I'm a genius! I don't have to read it for you, do I?"
"No, no, that's alright…" Derek answered, scanning the paper with care. "Oh, wow, I have tons of patients! I better get scrubbed up and ready to operate. Damn." He stole a quick kiss and rushed for the entrance, leaving Angie blushing and Victor rolling his eyes. She apologized to the researcher for being late and took off after him, but was stopped abruptly by a hand on her shoulder.
"Victor, I have to—"
"Have you told him yet?" he asked.
"Excuse me?" Angie asked, taken by surprise.
"Have you told Derek you're pregnant yet?" he clarified.
Angie felt the heat rise to her face as she stood there in the parking lot with the only one—correction, HOPEFULLY the only one—that knew she was pregnant.
"How did you know?!" she asked in utter shock.
"You mean he doesn't know? Man, Stiles isn't as sharp as people make him out to be! You're telling me he has no absolute idea?" Victor asked, shaking his head slowly. "I hardly ever see you and I know you're pregnant!"
"Victor, could you keep it down? I don't want all of Caduceus to know!" she growled through gritted teeth, gripping his arm forcefully.
"Oh, you want me to say it louder?"
"No! No, no, please Victor please don't tell anyone!" she shrieked.
"Okay, okay, don't pop a blood vessel," Victor murmured.
"…Is it really obvious?" she asked lowly.
Victor sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "It should be pretty obvious to everyone. Of all people not to notice, your own husband who's a surgeon for crying out loud! I mean, I hear you've had frequent trips to the bathroom, probably morning sickness right? And you do appear to have been eating more than usual. You're tired when you come to work… All the symptoms of pregnancy, I'm afraid. Derek's just too lost in the clouds to notice I guess," he explained with a tinge of irritation in his voice.
"Victor, please, you cannot tell anyone! I'm begging you!"
"Calm down, I'm not going to tell anyone! The chief already said he's going to make me take vacation time, for a very long time, if I don't help you and not tell anyone…" he grumbled. "But I'm doing this against my will! I wouldn't have done this--"
"Sidney knows too?!" Angie exclaimed, tugging at her hair as his statement finally sunk in. "Oh, this is bad! This is so, so bad!"
"You need to calm the hell down. You're acting like it's the end of the world. Sheesh, drama queen…" he scoffed.
"But Victor, what if this ruins our marriage? The rest of our lives?!" she screamed.
"Wow look at the time you better get going Nurse Stiles! Your doctor will need you in the O.R." Angie fought back her emotions and took off, rushing down the hall and into the operating room where Derek was being briefed by Sidney for the tumor excision he was about to perform.
"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Angie shouted as she burst through the doors.
"Just don't let it happen again, Nurse Stiles. Please, prepare to aid Doctor Stiles," Sidney replied emotionlessly, as usual. She nodded and got into her scrubs, immediately becoming a surgeon's assistant and no longer Angela Stiles, Derek's wife. When she was in the O.R., she was completely professional. At least, she usually was… She just couldn't take her mind off the fact that she was pregnant and two people--besides herself of course and not including her husband--knew it.
"Angie, drain!" Derek demanded with slight impatience as the operation progressed. Angie snapped back to reality and all but threw the drain at her doctor, shaking her head and apologizing repetitively.
"Please, Angie, you need to focus," he said sternly, draining the excess blood from inside the incision. She only nodded in response and returned to that thought…
How in the world was she going to keep this from Derek?
--
After the operation Sidney sent Derek off to get some papers signed in radiology while he spoke privately with Victor and Angie.
"Why are you helping me, Director Kasal?" Angie asked with sincerity.
"I know you're in a hard situation here, Nurse Stiles. I assume you're reluctant to tell Derek that you're pregnant, so I took the liberty of taking the workloads off the other Caduceus members and giving them to Derek. In the mean time, we can devise a plan to keep Derek from finding out before you're ready to tell him the news."
"That's very kind of you, but why go to all the trouble for me?"
"Angie, your performance in the O.R. depends on your mental state. You weren't focused today because you lack preparation for breaking the news to him. If you have a plan, with the help of Victor and myself, the one in charge of keeping Dr. Stiles as busy as possible, you'll be much more focused and perform better during operations."
"Director, that's a great idea!" Angie squealed as she threw her arms around him. Sidney chuckled and patted her back lightly. Victor just rolled his eyes, sighing.
"I have work to do, so let's get this over with," Victor mumbled.
"Right. Our goal is to hide all your symptoms. What's the most noticeable of your symptoms?" Sidney asked.
"He'll be suspicious if I keep rushing off towards the bathroom. And according to Victor, I overeat. I can't help it if I'm hungry! How am I supposed to hide that?"
"Victor, you'll be in charge of going to lunch with the couple to make sure Angie eats lightly. I guess that also puts you in charge of distracting Derek when she has morning sickness."
"Ugh, no way!"
"Dr. Niguel…"
Victor groaned and murmured: "Fine…"
"Hey dudes! What's up?"
"Dr. Chase, go the hell away before I call security," Victor snapped.
"Gee, who woke up on the wrong side of the lab bench this morning?" he asked with a smirk.
"Gentlemen, please. Dr. Chase, would you like to help us with something? It's a little secret. A surprise, rather. But you absolutely cannot tell Derek," Sidney warned.
"Okay, chief, ya have my word. What is it?"
"Angie is--"
"Cheating on Derek?! Oh my, whoa, dude, no way!"
"No you idiot! Angie is preg--"
"Oh is that some sort of new abbreviation? Okay, okay, don't tell me I'll guess. Angie is…" Tyler began to count on his fingers as he listed off the letters with what he guessed they stood for. "Probably; Regarding; Everything; Gory?"
Sidney sighed as the other two groaned and smacked themselves in the face with their palms.
"You imbecile! Do I have to spell it out for you?!" Victor exploded.
"…That'd be nice."
"Angie is pregnant. P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T," Victor stated, loud and emphasized enough to get through Tyler's thick skull but quietly enough so that no one else would hear him.
"…Dude! That totally rocks! Oh my gosh, I'm going to be like an uncle! I'm going to be an--" Victor quickly smacked an open hand over his mouth to hush him, while Sidney barked at the staff members to carry on with their duties.
"Tyler you're going to blow it! You can't tell Derek!" Angie hissed. Tyler seized Victor's wrist and jerked his hand from his mouth with a huff and crossed his arms. The doctor stared at the other three in disbelief, his expression completely serious. Sidney dodged his glare and fiddled with his glasses. Victor clenched his teeth in frustration and Angie was close to tears.
"Why can't I tell him? He's your husband; he's the father of your child! He deserves to know if anyone does! You can't keep this from him, he has to know," Tyler interjected.
"Tyler, please, I'm begging you! As a friend, please don't tell him! I will, I will tell him… Just not yet. I'm not ready. You have to promise me, Tyler! Promise!"
"I'm sorry Angie, but this is great news and it's not right to keep it from him! I can't promise you, I'm his best friend and it doesn't feel right to keep a secret from him."
"Humph, you're one to say something like that, you kept that whole 'death doctor' thing from him," Victor growled. Tyler's eyes traced to the ground and he did not raise them again for many moments. Victor was right. He had kept secrets from Derek before… Different or not, he was being hypocritical by saying it didn't feel right keeping a secret from him. Because he had before, and surely even more secrets than that had been concealed.
"...Fine. I won't tell. But you guys owe me big time," Tyler responded finally.
Angie brushed her tears away and gave Tyler a huge hug, thanking him repetitively.
"So what's the plan?" Tyler asked, smiling.
--
"So remember, if she's feeling the morning sickness coming on she'll tug her right ear. Watch carefully for that cue, Chase. Your job is to distract Stiles while the chief and I find something for him to do or give you the okay. One of us will wait outside the bathroom, and Angie will tell us if she needs more stall time or if she'll be able to make it back before she's missed. We can't let him get too suspicious by giving him too much work, so we'll use that as a back-up plan. Understood everyone?" The three answered 'yes' in unison, just in time. None other than Derek showed up, ready to take his late lunch break with Angie.
"Hey sweetheart," said Derek. Angie smiled and gave him a kiss, returning the greeting. "So, you ready to go to lunch? Or, early dinner, rather?"
"Yep," she answered. "Victor's going to come with us. That's okay, right?"
"Oh, um, sure I guess. But why?" Derek asked, puzzled. The four exchanged nervous glances.
"Victor's going to pay for your lunch for being such GREAT medical…people!" Tyler chimed in.
"Oh, um, that's right! Gee, thanks Victor!" Angie played along.
"Really, Victor? That's very kind of you! You're nice after all!" Derek stated with a grin.
Victor felt his blood boiling as heat rose to his face, turning his normally pale face a healthy pink, which soon turned into a tomato red.
"Victor, are you okay?" Derek asked lowly.
"Never better," Victor growled through clenched teeth as his brows furrowed. He clutched the material of his sleeve tightly with one hand and did his best to contain his anger, as well as trying to calm himself down. The veins popping up over his temples were very noticeable, unfortunately, and there was no doubt he was beyond pissed off. Derek felt the tension in the air and shuffled nervously in place, whistling quietly.
Angie tugged frantically at her right ear, covering her mouth with one hand as her face lost color rapidly. The other three noticed immediately, while Derek didn't have a clue. The problem at hand was that none of them had any idea what they would do to distract him. Then suddenly, out of no where, Tyler collapsed.
"Tyler!" Derek yelled, dropping down beside him. "Tyler, buddy, can you hear me?"
"We'll, uh, go get help!" Sidney shouted, rushing off with Victor and the nauseous Angie. "That was some quick thinking…" Victor shook his head and sighed.
Derek checked Tyler's pulse and found it was completely normal. He continued to shake him, calling his name constantly.
Tyler coughed, twice. "Derek…" he rasped.
"Tyler, what is it? What's the matter with you?" the other asked worriedly. A crowd of people surrounded them, whispering quietly amongst themselves. They knew if anyone could help him, it was Dr. Stiles.
"Come…Closer…" the blonde whispered. Derek leaned forward to hear him better. Tyler clutched his collar and pulled him closer. "Getting… So dark…" Tyler coughed again.
"Did you eat something? What the hell is wrong damnit?!" Derek yelled impatiently.
"…I…"
"What?"
"…I… ate… too much… cheese…" he answered. A smile made its way onto his face, and that's when Derek knew he'd been fooled. The infuriated surgeon shoved the other and stood up, shooing away the crowd.
"Tyler, what the hell is the matter with you?! You had me worried sick! I thought you were terribly ill!" Derek exclaimed.
"Aw, don't be mad dude it was just a little joke," Tyler said softly.
"I was worried! Bastard! Don't play your damn jokes on me!" he roared.
"I'm sorry man… I didn't mean to scare ya. It was more like practice for this… Play. Yeah, I'm in this play at Amy's school! In the play I'm the guy that collapses from exhaustion in the woods! And then the lions find me!" Tyler laughed nervously, relieved that Derek had fallen for it. "So uh, how did I do? Was it convincing?"
"You're telling me, you jerk," Derek said with a playful shove. "You really had me going there. Next time practice on somebody else."
"I'll keep that in mind dude," Tyler replied. Victor appeared at the end of the hallway and was waving his arms frantically, apparently trying to get his attention. Tyler began rambling on about nothing, avoiding eye contact with Derek so he could focus on his colleague. Victor held up 5 fingers. Thinking it through, while also trying to keep Derek's attention turned towards him, Tyler reasoned that 5 fingers meant Angie needed 5 more minutes. And that meant he would have to stall for 5 more minutes…
"Oh, speaking of plays!" Tyler squealed, ripping a Trojan Condom poster ad off the wall. "Look at this! Trojan, eh? Maybe it's the Trojans against the Spartans dude! Wow, I totally wanna see that! What about you Derek? C'mon, I'll buy tickets and everything!"
"Tyler, that's a condom ad. The company is Trojan," Derek stated with a chuckle.
"Oh, really? I didn't know that, ahaha… Who woulda guessed eh?"
"It says 'condoms' right there," Derek pointed out.
"Oh! I see. I thought it said 'condos'. Like some kinda Trojan vs. Spartan spoof or something! The fight for the condos!" Tyler laughed nervously. Derek wasn't buying it this time.
"Um, so what do you think of GUILT? Gnarly isn't it? Oh, did I tell you Amy's grades are on the rise? Isn't it great?"
"Uh… Yeah. That's great Tyler. I'm happy for you and your sister."
"Thanks Derek! You're the best, dude, you know that? You're the surgeon! Hey everybody, three cheers for the best surgeon at Caduceus, Derek!" Derek tried to call it off, but it was too late. Tyler had already begun the cheering and he finished it, too. By the end of it Derek was blushing lightly.
"Gee, thanks Tyler. Thanks for embarrassing me," Derek murmured.
"Don't be so modest, Derek, you eradicated GUILT! You're the man, dude." He patted his friend on the back and gave him a nuggie, but not before he realized Victor was now holding one finger up.
"We better go find Angie and the others and--" Derek began before Tyler threw his arms around him and hugged him, sniveling softly. "Tyler, what the—"
"I love you buddy, you're the best friend I've ever had!" Tyler cried, burying his face in his shoulder. "Man, I don't know what I'd do without you dude, you're like, my bestest buddy!" Victor smacked himself in the face with his palm and shook his head slowly from side to side, sickened with Tyler's pathetic act.
"Tyler, pull yourself together!" Derek muttered, grabbing his shoulders firmly. "Are you feeling alright?" He put a hand on the other doctor's forehead to check for a fever.
"I'm great! Totally okay, dude. Oh, look, they're back! I'll explain everything to the chief; you guys go on ahead to lunch. I'll see you when you get back!"
"Uh, okay, bye Tyler…" Derek said under his breath, linking arms with Angie as he headed for the car. Victor followed, shooting a glare back at Tyler and Sidney. Tyler just smiled and gave him a thumb's up, and Victor looked good and ready to just flip him off then and there.
--
"I'll have the uh, special today," Derek decided, smiling up at the waitress. She nodded and jotted it down.
"And you, ma'am?"
"Oh, I'll have the—"
"Ahem, salad…" Victor whispered with a little cough.
"The house salad…" Angie grumbled.
"Okay, and you, sir?"
"I'll have the special too," Victor replied. The waitress jotted down the final order and smiled at the three, making her way back to the kitchen.
"Excuse me," said Derek as he stood up and searched hopelessly for the bathroom.
Before Victor completed his sigh Angie had grabbed him forcefully by the collar of his shirt from across the table and snarled, eyes blazing.
"I am hungry and a house salad is not going to be enough to hold me off until the end of our shift! I'm going to starve! Is that what you want? I'll put you through hell for this, Victor!" she growled just above a whisper, still failing to keep from drawing attention to their table.
"I'm already in hell, Angie, already there… So if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me go now!" he seethed, grabbing her wrists gently as he pried her slender fingers off his shirt collar. "I'll create a distraction and you can eat my food, okay?" Angie gave him a quizzical look but finally nodded, seating herself again.
"So how exactly do you plan to distract him?" she asked.
Victor opened his mouth to answer when Derek took his seat beside Angie, apologizing for the brief interruption of their meal. She gave him a little hug and smiled, trying to buy Victor some time to formulate a diversion, and fast.
"Um, excuse me?" Victor asked lowly, halfway standing.
"Can I help you sir?" the waitress asked sweetly.
"Yeah, can we have dessert early? We work at Caduceus; we need to get back soon."
"Oh, of course, sir, what would you like?" she whipped out her notepad.
"Apple pie slice with whipped cream," he ordered. She nodded and strolled away. He took a deep breath and clasped his hands together, humming quietly to himself.
As the waitress returned with their biscuits, remarking that their meal would soon be ready, Angie's eyes just about bugged out of her head. She eyed the biscuits wildly, licking her lips slightly, but unnoticeably.
Victor noticed her behavior immediately, quickly formulating a topic for him and Derek to discuss so he could save his big, very unpleasant and life-degrading plan for later, when they would need more time.
Out of seemingly no where, Victor began ranting on and on about GUILT, asking Derek a boat-load of questions, which was very unusual for Victor to do. Angie sneakily stuffed three biscuits into her mouth and chewed quickly, and she handed one to Derek and Victor to hide her greed as best she could.
Derek thanked her and nodded as Victor continued on, answering each question he asked and wondering the entire conversation what was happening. There was just no end to Victor's mysteriousness.
"Why do you seem so interested in GUILT all of a sudden?" asked Derek. Victor's eyes shifted slightly towards Angie; she was staring endlessly at the empty basket of biscuits. "Um, Victor?"
"Shut up!" Victor snapped. Derek shuddered and apologized inaudibly, surprised by Victor's sudden outburst. "You always interrupt my thinking, Stiles, and I'm getting pretty damn sick of it! I'm the genius, I make the serums, I make your life easier with my high-technical machines, so don't get sassy with me! You save the lives, and I'll save your ass from being fired, understood?"
Derek's eyes were wide in shock. It seemed very abrupt for Victor to begin yelling at him, when Derek hadn't done anything wrong. "I understand… Victor…" he mumbled quietly. Angie's eyes were still glued to the empty basket.
"Here we are!" chimed in the cheerful waitress, placing their meals before them. She asked if they needed anything else, and Victor simply waved her away as he began to eat. Angie glared at him from across the table, trying to eat her portion slowly.
"I didn't mean to offend you," Derek explained between bites. The researcher did not respond to any of his apologies or comments. He appeared to be deep in thought.
After a few minutes, Angie had devoured her salad and was still hungry, as she had warned Victor. She growled lowly every time Victor took a bite of the meal he had promised her. The apple pie slice with whipped cream, untouched, remained beside his plate. Angie was tempted to eat it herself.
When Derek wasn't looking, Victor put his plan into action. He began groaning lowly, holding his head in agony. The surgeon glanced back to his colleague, eyebrows furrowing. "Victor?"
"My head hurts…" he stated. He pushed his plate forward, as if he'd lost his appetite.
"I'll get that out of the way for you…" Angie offered, taking the plate and setting it beside her empty salad bowl.
"Are you alright?" Derek asked in concern, noting Victor's strange symptoms.
"I'm tired. I don't feel good," Victor answered.
"Can I get you anything?" asked the surgeon. The researcher shook his head, breathing heavily. "Do you know of anything that could've made you experience sudden fatigue and a headache?"
"It's possible… That it was the test rats…" Victor explained. "One was acting weird… It might've had rabies…"
"You were messing with rabid rats?!" exclaimed Derek. He looked at Angie a moment; she was nibbling on Victor's meal quietly, but she immediately turned away to give her husband a concerned glance.
Victor used that window of time to dab whipped cream on his lips, making it appear that he was foaming at the mouth. He groaned loudly, slamming his head on the table. He would kick himself for that later; his eye was certainly going to blacken.
"Victor!" Derek shouted. He shot up from his seat and knelt next to Victor, placing his hand on his back gently. "Victor, can you hear me? Answer me!"
"I…" Victor began slowly.
"What?"
"I need… fresh air…" he whimpered. Derek helped him to his feet and escorted him outside, leaving Angie to complete the remainder of his meal and her husband's. She paid for the bill and joined them.
"I-Is Victor okay?" Angie asked innocently, bringing her hands to her face as she squeezed tears out.
"He needs to be vaccinated. He shows all the signs of rabies," Derek replied. Victor's blood ran cold and it suddenly hit him that his little act was too convincing. It took several injections in the abdomen to cure rabies, nowadays. Rabies in lab rats during this time of year was severe; less pain meant a lesser chance that the rabies could be completely cured.
"You know, I'm feeling much better now!" Victor interrupted, wiping the whipped cream from his mouth. "Fresh air certainly does wonders! I think we should get back to work now, it's probably all in my head."
"Normal people don't complain of headache, fatigue, and foam at the mouth out of nowhere, Victor. And you said it yourself; you've been tampering with lab rats. You probably have rabies, and you need to be vaccinated." Victor began to interject when Derek led them to the car and drove hastily back to Caduceus.
When they arrived, Victor did his best to fight, but Derek simply wouldn't let it be. He had a security guard help him escort Victor inside, and then it was off to be treated.
"No! I don't have rabies! I was just kidding! I really don't have rabies! You can't do this to me, I command you to release me!" Victor exclaimed as the guard and a few nurses did their best to restrain him. The security guard pushed him down forcefully, repeating that it would be alright. A nurse rushed in with sedative, and by the time the gurney with the struggling researcher reached the double doors, he was out like a light.
"Think he'll be alright?" Angie asked, impressed with Victor's genius plan. He'd even gotten the other staff in on it! Luckily, Victor would've thought ahead, and known not to tell them his real reasoning. He did not disappoint, that was for sure.
"I'm sure he will be," Derek answered, planting a kiss on her lips. She giggled and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him. The way he smiled at her made her feel rotten. She wondered how long this act would have to continue…
--
"That's quite impressive, Victor. I had no idea you'd planned this so far in advance," said Sidney as he walked into hospital rm. 205.
"Yeah, you're the man!" shouted Tyler with a genuine smile. He slugged Victor on the shoulder playfully.
"Don't touch me…" Victor seethed.
"Lighten up, dude, you were awesome," Tyler replied. "They even got you all hooked up to IVs! We've got some pretty cool staff here!"
"Your heart rate is quite high," Sidney remarked. "How are you doing that?" Victor seized him by the tie and pulled him closer, growling lowly.
"They weren't in on my plan; they thought I really had rabies! I got 20 real rabies vaccines in my abdomen!" Victor exclaimed. Sidney sighed, prying Victor's clammy hands from his tie. He pressed his glasses to the bridge of his nose and shook his head as Tyler filled the room with obnoxious laughter.
"Oh, oh that's rich! Oh man!" Tyler shouted, holding his sides. "That's too funny! They really fell for it! Dude, that's the funniest damn thing I ever heard!" The surgeon laughed so hard that tears filled his eyes, and he had to recover his breath for an extended amount of time after the fit was over.
Victor wasn't amused. He was sweaty, had chills, and every movement caused him to flinch. He bit his lower lip and shut his eyes, overcome by the heaviness of his eyelids. He was paler than usual.
"I can't believe this," Sidney growled. "You'll be out of work for days."
Victor's eyes shot open and he quickly sat up, cursing immediately after doing so. He groaned and lied back down slowly, holding his sides as he breathed shallowly through clenched teeth.
"You'll be out of work for days," Sidney repeated. Victor was too exhausted to fight, and simply agreed with a slow nod.
"Victor," Derek said as he strolled in, Angie hanging onto his arm. "How are you feeling?"
"Like crap," Victor answered. Derek looked down at Angie, and she gave him a tender kiss before releasing his arm.
"I'm sorry to hear that." The surgeon paced to Victor's bedside and checked his charts and took a look at the monitors. Victor sat up slowly and glared at Angie. It was at that instant that Angie realized Victor hadn't meant for this to happen. He had fooled the staff ordered to restrain him as well as Derek. She mouthed "sorry" and frowned. He shook his head and lied down again.
"So tired…" he whimpered. He tried kneading his abdomen gently to be rid of the radiating pain, but it only seemed to make things worse. He rested his hand on his chest lightly and let his other arm fall beside him on the bed.
"You look bad, dude," Tyler stated. "Ha, you'll definitely have to name the baby after Victor for this one!"
"DR. CHASE!!" Angie and Sidney exclaimed in unison. He covered his mouth and his eyes widened. Derek couldn't have looked more bewildered if he tried.
"…Oops…"
--
"And that's how it happened," Tyler confessed, explaining the whole plot with everyone else's help.
"You all kept this from me…? I…" Derek stared down at his shoes.
"Derek, honey…!" Angie cried, throwing her arms around him. "I am so, so sorry… I was just…"
"Sorry? Why are you sorry? I'm… I'm going to be a father!" Derek shouted. He hugged her tightly and spun her around. "I couldn't be happier! …I'm just, disappointed that you felt you couldn't tell me. You know how much I love you. I couldn't ask for more, Ang… Why did you try to keep it from me?"
"Derek, I… I was afraid of how you would react. I thought you'd feel differently about me… Or that, you wouldn't be happy…"
"Angie," Derek began, placing his hand on her face. "I told you before, nothing will ever change the way I feel about you. You have to believe that. Honey, this is the best news I've ever received. We'll finally have a family…" He pulled her close and kissed her sweetly, running his hand through her hair.
"I'm just…Sorry you had to find out that way." She glared at Tyler, who was blushing. Derek smirked and walked over to Tyler, who was ready to high-tail it out of there if he decided to throw a punch at him. Instead, he was hugged.
"You're going to be an uncle, Tyler," Derek stated as he slapped him on the back.
"Y-Yeah…" Tyler choked out. "And you're going to a fa--…Oh, my Derek is growing up!" He hugged him back and wept happily, giving Derek a nuggie and punching him in the arm. When he finally regained his composure, he wiped away the tears rapidly and smiled.
By this time, Derek's eyes had also welled up with tears of joy, and a smile spread across his face. Angie let out a sigh of relief.
"Sorry, Angie…" Tyler murmured. She smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it briefly.
"Don't be. Thank you, Dr. Chase," she told him with a sincere smile, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you, Director." She hugged him, and he laughed heartily as he rubbed her back. "Oh! I almost forgot about you, Victor. Thank you very much." She hugged him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, to which he grumbled.
"Get outta here already," he muttered. Everyone in the room laughed, filled with joy and relief that the news was dealt to Derek and that everything would go back to normal. No more stalling, life-degrading acts, or craziness. Well… Almost. Things were bound to change after the baby arrived. But that wouldn't be for a few more months. The Stiles had plenty of time to prepare for that day. For now, they would return home for the week. Sidney was kind enough to give them the remainder of the week off for doctor appointments and early preparation, orders of business that needed attended to.
"Goodbye, everyone," said Derek with a grin. They all bade him farewell, except for Victor who had fallen asleep. Derek laughed, shook his head, and took his wife by the arm. "Ready to go home, dear?"
Angie smiled, nodding as she kissed his cheek. "Let's go."
--
Derek and Angie Stiles sat together on the couch, candles on the coffee table and on the dressers. All wrapped up and cozy in their blanket for two, they caressed one another and kissed.
Angie giggled, noticing that Derek couldn't stop touching her stomach. "Derek, enough," she said between laughs.
"But I can't!" he interjected. "Your tummy's going to get big soon. Isn't it? Yes it is!"
"Haha, you're so weird," she commented. She snuggled up to him and kissed his cheek, laying her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her stomach, cooing all the while.
"You're going to be just like your daddy! You'll grow up and be a surgeon, just like me! Yes, you will!" He kissed her stomach, enticing more giggles.
"What are we going to name it?" Angie asked.
Derek put his hand on his chin, obviously deep in thought. He looked around the room, naming random objects.
"No, Derek, I am not naming my child bookshelf," she stated firmly.
"Our child. I helped, you know."
"It's in my uterus, I'm going to give birth to it! How is that helping?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't tell me I have to tell you about the birds and the bees, Angie," said Derek sarcastically. "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much…"
"Ha!" Angie laughed. "Save it for the child, Dr. Stiles."
"Pft, you're telling the kid about the birds and the bees, not me! That's women's work." Angie crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, really? Well, I guess you won't be getting any more from me then…"
"No, no, I'm sorry," he apologized immediately. He took her hand and kissed it, rubbing it gently. "Sorry. We'll both tell it, okay?" She laughed and nodded in agreement. There was a brief moment of silence as both of them pondered. It wouldn't be easy picking a name with so many to choose from in the world.
"You know…" Derek broke the silence. She looked up at him, eyes questioning. "It doesn't matter what we name the baby. Because it's our baby, and no matter what its name, it will be perfect. We're going to have the best baby ever, and it's because it's ours Ang. It's… special." Angie smiled and rubbed his cheek, pulling him into a kiss.
"Yes. It is special. And we're going to be great parents, aren't we?"
"The best damn parents ever!" he exclaimed. She hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, leaning back against the couch with a deep exhale. "Wow."
Angie brushed her hand through his hair and kissed him once more. He smiled, but didn't look at her. When he did this, it meant he was thinking very hard, but not so hard that he couldn't pay attention to her. He did this quite often.
"It's amazing… That there's a little person growing in there. We made it together, Angie."
"We did."
He rubbed her stomach and smiled, laying his head against it. She laughed, asking: "What are you doing?"
"Listening," he answered.
"For what?"
"Shh. Hey, little one! Can you say daddy?"
"You're such a dork," she remarked. He looked up at her with a sheepish grin.
"But I'm your dork."
The two stared into each others eyes, smiling. Their eyes blazed with passion, and they met lips in a fiery kiss. When they pulled back, they both smiled again, eyes filling with tears of joy. It wouldn't be long before their baby would be kicking, and after that the birth. It seemed so far away, but for them, it would go by quickly. Before they knew it, their baby would be an adult and have children of its own. But through it all, they knew one thing; their love for one another would only grow stronger.
"…We're not really going to name it Victor, are we? I mean, really, you don't want it to turn out like Victor do you?" Derek inquired. Angie laughed and shoved him playfully.
"Be nice!" she giggled. He laughed and pushed her back, both of them enveloped in their laughter. "You just wait until my belly's big! I'll outweigh you and then you'll be sorry!"
"Oh yeah?" he challenged.
"Yeah!" she shouted confidently, climbing in his lap as she pulled him into a kiss. "Surrender?"
"Never!" he declared. She kissed him once more. "…Okay." They both laughed, embracing one another happily. Their lives were about to change forever. But they would take it, one step at a time, never losing that passion. They would be parents; and it would be a proud day. Just a few more months, and their dreams would come true.
--
"Look what I brought you!" exclaimed Tyler, placing an apple pie slice on Victor's tray. "Since you never got to finish your piece at the diner."
Victor clenched his hand into a fist and launched the pie at full force at Tyler's face. Tyler wiped the pie from his face and threw it back at Victor, who was now overcome with anger.
"You immature little--!" he threw his entire tray at the cackling surgeon.
Sidney walked by, and noticing this, sighed, shaking his head. "Some things never change…"