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Seated on the bathroom floor with the back of her head resting against the cold tiles, her eyes closed Kelly wished the nausea would just go away. Her doctor called it morning sickness; she called it all day sickness as she couldn't be sure when throughout the course of day, it would rear its ugly head. After several weeks she still couldn't figure out what the trigger was or find the ultimate cure. She let out a barely audible sigh.
Opening her eyes she saw the room spinning and so she quickly closed them again praying that her stomach would settle and the headache she felt on top of everything else would miraculously go away. This was not good. She was supposed to be out of the apartment in a few minutes, yet she was still seated next to her porcelain friend, dressed in a shirt and sweatpants, without any makeup on and with her hair living a life of its own. She felt the tears on her cheeks and quickly brushed them away with the back of her hand. The last thing she needed were red eyes.
With all her willpower she pushed herself up and crossed the short distance to the sink. Turning on the tap she let the cold water run splashing her face several times. This was Brandon's last evening in Los Angeles and although she had purposely avoided him over the last few weeks, she still had to say goodbye. Straightening up she held the sink with both her hands staring at the reflection of her pale face in the mirror. What was she going to tell him? She held her breath. "Go after your dreams Brandon and be amazing as you always are. By the way I'm having your baby, so if you happen to be somewhere nearby in the future, we would be happy to have you".
She smirked, that was the most stupid thing she could think of. Albeit all of it was true, but it still did not explain why she was keeping her pregnancy a secret from the baby's father.
It had started so innocently. All she wanted to do was to wait until she was sure that she'd be able to hang onto the baby. At that time, it seemed like the right thing to do, their relationship was complicated after they called off their wedding and she was in no hurry to screw up his life with an unplanned child. Then came the offer from Washington, his chance of a lifetime, it just further complicated everything. She had never wanted to be the one who held him back just when he was about to reach for the stars. She knew him and no matter what their status she knew what would he do if she told him about the baby.
Turning off the water she dried her face with the white fluffy towel. Just one last evening together and he'd be gone and what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. Staring at her reflection in the mirror she shook her head sadly, even she couldn't convince herself that her intentions were right.
Hanging the towel back on the rack she headed outside, bumping into Donna whose eyes got wide as soon as she spotted her. "You're still not ready?"
"No, but I'll be..." Before she could finish the sentence, the nausea returned again and instead of heading to her room Kelly made a U-turn for the bathroom, the last remains of her lunch finding their way out.
"Kelly, what's going on?" She could hear Donna's worried voice coming from behind her when she found herself in front of the sink few minutes later.
"Nothing. I'm fine, Don. Must have been something I ate." Kelly tried to brush it off quickly placing her toothbrush back into the glass and turning off the water.
"Kel, I might have been quiet till now, but that doesn't mean I haven't noticed anything." Donna pushed, resting her hand on Kelly's shoulder soothingly.
Closing her eyes Kelly took a quick breath before she turned around facing Donna. It was time to confess, this was her best friend after all. "I'm pregnant."
"Does he know?" Donna asked calmly not for a second doubting that Brandon was the baby's father. Over the last few weeks, she figured out that Kelly was pregnant and who the baby's father was.
"No, he has no idea. I'd like to keep it that way until he leaves tonight." Kelly said pleadingly.
"Why? Kel, this doesn't make any sense. No matter what's happened between the two of you, he would stay here and help you raise the baby."
"That's the point. Brandon's starting a new in Washington, working for the New York Chronicle, that's his chance of a life time. I don't want to be the one to hold him back." Kelly said animatedly.
Donna shook her head before speaking again. "Shouldn't that be his decision to make? The Brandon I know would give anything to stay here with you and his child, if he had a say in the matter."
"See I made it easy for him, he doesn't have a say this time." Kelly said quickly not willing to discuss the subject any further. She'd already made up her mind and there was no reason to change it.
"I'm going to get dressed. We're running late anyway." Kelly mumbled walking past Donna and out of the bathroom.
***
The Peach Pit was filled with Brandon's friends all of them acutely aware that another member of their high school family was leaving town. They should be used to it by now. First Brenda, what felt like ages ago, then Andrea and her family, Dylan and now Brandon was leaving too. It would just be the four musketeers staying in Los Angeles, Kelly felt a hint of nostalgia as she watched Brandon amongst his friends.
She was going to miss him more than she was willing to admit. She had almost told him about the baby a few minutes ago when he had taken her hands and dragged her outside so they could be alone for a moment and say goodbye to each other. Donna was right, no matter what happened between them if she had told him, he would have stayed. But she couldn't do it. Instead, she told him she had no regrets and set him free.
She knew he'd do an amazing job in Washington; she couldn't take that away from him. Closing her eyes, she felt the tears in the corner of her eyes. The realization that she'd have to go through the pregnancy alone finally hitting her for the first time, she felt her head spinning again.
***
The hospital, they've been there so many times over the years for one or another. Brandon scanned the waiting room looking at his friends faces. Sitting here and waiting for the news about Kelly was not how he imagined his last evening in Los Angeles. When he saw her sliding down from her chair in Peach Pit, Steve catching her in the very last moment, he had felt sheer panic. But there was one person whose reaction was even more hysterical, Donna. At first, he didn't give it any thought. She was Kelly's best friend of course she was worried, but now nearly an hour later his instincts were telling him there was more to it. He was a journalist; his instincts were never wrong.
So, as soon as he saw Donna heading to one of the vending machines down the hallway he stood up and followed her under the pretense of grabbing a much-needed cup of coffee. "What's going on Donna?" He questioned her once he was sure they were out of earshot of their friends.
"I know as much as you do Brandon." Donna said softly, looking away under the glare of his searching eyes. Not able to hold his look first sign of lying, check. "No, I fear you do know more than I do." He stated calmly.
Donna's eyes took in his face. She knew more, she knew a hell lot more than he did. Could she tell him? From the moment Kelly confirmed her suspicions Donna made it clear that she thought he had a right to know, but could she break Kelly's trust?
Standing in the middle of the hospital hallway, conflicting thoughts running through her head she faced an internal battle where she had to choose between friendship and what she thought was right. Looking into Brandon's eyes she rested her hand on his arm leading him further down the hallway as she started to talk. Two minutes later to everyone's surprise a livid Brandon Walsh stormed out of the hospital without saying goodbye to any of his friends.
***
Waking up the next morning Kelly looked around taking in her surroundings. She was obviously in hospital, but for a moment she couldn't figure out how and why she was there. Turning her head to the other side she noted the IV drip in her arm before she spotted Brandon asleep in a hospital chair in the corner of the room. Just one look at him was enough for all the memories to come flooding back. His goodbye party in Peach Pit, passing out as it later turned out from dehydration. The later one was a reason for him to be worried, yet it didn't explain why he was in her hospital room when he should have been on a plane to Washington.
Before she could analyze the situation, any further Brandon's eyes opened. She could spot a brief smile flash through his lips when he saw her awake. "What are you doing here?" Kelly asked the most pressing question on her mind, her voice quiet and raspy.
Pushing himself up Brandon crossed the short distance and moved next to her hospital bed his eyes on her. "I did the one thing you never wanted me to do, Kel."
"Brandon..."
"Shh..." He put a finger to her lips silencing her before she could say another word. "I've already heard from Donna what you have to say. Now it's my time to talk." He said softly.
Kelly's eyes grew big everything clear now. Finding out about his child from her best friend was admittedly a reason enough to ditch his flight. "When Donna told me yesterday about our baby, I was livid." He admitted.
"Even now after a lot of thinking and time to process everything, I'm not going to pretend that I'm fine with you trying to keep the pregnancy a secret from me. At the same time, I do understand your reasons and I have to admit it's flattering to know that you were willing to raise this baby alone so I could fulfill my dreams." The soft smile returned bringing Kelly at least a slight relief.
"But as I do have a say in this after all, I called the Chronicle yesterday and told them I'm not coming. I'm staying here and taking up my responsibilities as this baby's father." Brandon said, his eyes resting on her still flat stomach for a brief moment.
Kelly felt the tears in her eyes again, those damn hormones it felt like she'd been constantly in tears for the past few weeks. "You're not going to regret this?"
"Are you kidding me? Never." Brandon grinned, brushing the new tears away from her cheeks.
"The only thing I'd regret would be moving away without knowing about this baby."
"I'm sorry." Kelly mumbled looking on the ceiling.
"I know, Kel. Working for New York Chronicle was a great opportunity in itself, but the main reason why I accepted the offer was because I needed a change. Having a baby, a real human being depending on the two of us is going to be a hell lot of a change." He grinned.
"Besides you know how they say that things do happen for a reason?" He watched her nod in reply. "Maybe there is something bigger and better waiting for me around the corner." Leaning down Brandon pressed a kiss on her forehead.
"I guess I'll have to thank Donna for this." Kelly smiled softly as he pulled away from her.
"Yeah, speaking of Donna. I've already promised her that she can be the baby's godmother." Brandon chuckled.
"I'm barely four months into the pregnancy and we're already picking godparents?" Kelly raised her perfectly arched brow in disbelief, not that she was going to oppose his choice as she planned to do the same.
"Mhm." Brandon confirmed grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Just wait for the name battle."
Kelly groaned upon the idea. "We're not naming it before it's born."
"We're not going to call it IT until it's born." Brandon countered quickly an amused expression on his face.
"Very funny." Kelly rolled her eyes in feigned annoyance.
"I thought so Kel." Brandon chuckled before pressing the nurse button.
"We have to let them know they have a patient to take care off. I want to see you out of this hospital bed as soon as possible."
"Hopefully they'll bring me something to eat as well. Whatever they gave me in that IV is working and for the first time in weeks I'm starving."
"I'm glad to hear that. You had me worried yesterday." Brandon admitted.
"I was scared a bit as well. But this little one is going to be fine and that's all that matters." Kelly smiled softly.
"I'll have to keep a better eye on the two of you, I don't want you to make these hospital stays a habit." Brandon smiled watching as a door opened and a nurse walked in ending their solitude.
Brandon Walsh stayed true to his word and drove Kelly crazy with his over protectiveness until their son was born five months later. They didn't call him "it" for long instead easily agreed on Benjamin, Ben for short, the same day they found out they were having a boy. Donna indeed became Ben's godmother, while they asked Steve to be his godfather. Although they initially agreed not to put any pressure on themselves and hurry into relationship, they might have been not ready for, by the time Ben was born they were a couple again, finally getting married shortly after his first birthday.