Noel acquiesced and Ranger had to laugh at her comment on him always knowing somebody. ”It’s that special ops. Veteran network. We’ve been bonded by the universal experience uh someone shootin’ at us. A lot.”

While the guy Demore knew who worked at a private clinic in Queens had never served with Ranger, Ranger had been able to rely on him for discrete medical care. At least, that was according to Ranger’s mission reports. Ranger had only been reintroduced to the man since deaging. Ranger trusted Demore and his predeaged self.

The chicken had not been overcooked by needing to be left on the hot griddle a little longer. The last batch of bacon was just a little extra crispy. That was a bonus. Ranger plated a breast, some bacon, and broccoli and set it by Noel. Normally he was fairly good at eyeballing about how much food she would eat, benefit of having been her for a time, but he wasn’t sure that time. He set a small ‘build your own guac’ station near her. She could make it if she was up to it, include only a few ingredients, or dump everything in like Ranger had in his bowl.

Ranger tossed both of the pupperonis some bacon off his plate as he sat down with his own food. While he had been loading plates and moving food around to the counter, Ranger had been on his phone. He only had to let his own food sit and cool for a few minutes before he set the phone down and said, ”SUPER has doctors on staff, but they don’t usually do house calls... ‘R maybe I just don’t have the clout t’ make ‘em do one.” Ranger cut into his chicken breast, ”Recommended f’r an emergency we go t’ the hospital.”

Striking out on a house call from a SUPER doctor, Ranger sent a text message to Demore’s doctor buddy, Doctor Putney, asking if he was in the office and could see someone for Ranger. Ranger specified there was no red running on the ground but still concerning. That done, Ranger dug into his food. Bacon for him, bacon for pups, chicken and guac for him, strip of chicken for pups.

Ranger couldn’t help but spoil dogs.

Ranger’s phone chimed and he looked at it. ”Looks like Demore’s bud is at work… … Says he’ll help out.” Ranger looked over at Noel. She looked like she was done eating. The bacon and broccoli were the clear winners. The chicken looked a bit shredded and then discarded. Was she sensitive to chicken? The trash had the chicken packaging on the top when she opened it earlier.

Ok then. Demore's connection it was. Tonight rather than tomorrow. She'd run out of time to solve this herself so they were going to a professional. "Not an emergency." She'd repeat that all the way to the grave if she had to because just tossing a few cookies was well within the "it could happen to anyone" parameters.

Noel cut the chicken up a bit more and distributed it between doggie food bowls, almost getting bowled over herself once the dogs heard meat hit bowl bottom. She washed her hands rather than lick them. A change of clothes since she'd gained a few new flecks of blue, a brush through her hair so she could braid it back and keep it out of the way for next time, and she was ready. Begrudgingly she had to admit that the boots that Ranger had acquired in his time as her were comfortable.

Michael drove. That gave her plenty of time to doze off with her head against the passenger-side window. She woke with the slowing of the car and plenty of time for her anxiety to kick in.

"If I have to put on a gown you owe me... I dunno. Ice cream or something." Actually establishing a scale of indignities and what he might owe her for having to endure them was a great diversion to keep her from psyching herself out as they walked in, signed in, and waited to be called back.

"Blood draw is less of a deal. I've never been afraid of needles so- maybe that's taking the dogs out an extra time." Honestly, he would have done nice things to ease whatever her discomfort was, but now it felt more contractual.

"If the doc defers to you or only talks to you because you're the man and the personal connection, I get to drive home."

A nurse called them back and Noel was balling her fists. There was something really harrowing about walking into a place where you were vulnerable and at the mercy of others. They took her weight, blood pressure (don't forget to breathe), temperature, height, and other baseline information like "when was your last menses" (Noel had some theories, but ultimately was unsure) and "are you sexually active" which was the first time in living memory that she'd answered yes to that. Noel was telling the nurse about having an IUD for birth control when Demore's bud made his entrance.

Ranger cleaned up the kitchen while Noel got ready to go. Ranger didn’t dress fancy for work that day and there was no need to change from jeans and a plaid button up to go to a clinic. Clean up allowing him to eat more of the bacon and try to teach the puppers tricks with the bacon.

They didn’t learn anything. Dammit and Reveille were too focused on the bacon to pay attention to what Ranger wanted. Eventually Ranger just tossed them the bacon and let them go back to their chicken.

When Noel was ready they went down and climbed in the hellcat tamer. Ranger smiled to himself when he saw Noel in boots. They were one of the pairs he had bought when he was in her body. After a few days dealing with shoes Ranger wanted to return to the wonder that is walking in boots. Forgetting how to tie laces is what finally drove Ranger to go buy some. While Ranger was buying one pair, why not buy several pairs. Ranger didn’t know how long the swap would last and if he would need to have black or brown, rubber or leather sole, short or tall heels. So Ranger bought several pairs.

That was an expensive day.

Ranger drove to the clinic as Noel dozed in the passenger seat. Over the past month Ranger had needed to spend some time reacquainting himself with driving manual transmissions. He could fly a helicopter now, but it cost him how stick shifts work. Ranger only had a few points where the transmission got angry at him.

Noel woke up as Ranger pulled in to park. Her comment about if they made her wear a gown made Ranger chuckle.

”Deal.” Ranger said, suddenly hoping that they made her wear a gown. Ice cream was a small price to pay for seeing her with her ass out. Sure that could happen at home, but he wasn’t about to object to it being out more.

As they walked in, got signed in, and waited, Noel went on to cover what she got if such and such happened. Ranger nodded along and agreed to all the things. When she mentioned that one case would have her driving home Ranger said, ”If y’ wanna drive home, y’ can. If Putney does that… I don’t know, what’s somethin’ y’ really want from me? I’ll do that.”

The nurse called Noel and directed the pair of them back. Ranger noticed that Noel had balled her fists so he took her arm and wrapped both hands around one of her fists as they walked. They went through the battery of physical measurements and then asked personal questions. It was when Noel said that she had an IUD that Putney walked in.

Doctor Putney was a hair over six feet without a hair on the top of his head. He had a kind smile surrounded by a salt and pepper goatee. Still more pepper than salt. He was fit but not in the way that most of the people at BlacTac were fit. They were fit light people who were ready to fight bears over salmon. Putney was fit like how a tech executive likes to keep their body in shape.

“Hey there you two. Michael, good to see you again. You… Look a bit younger. Demore mentioned something about that... Noel, good to meet you, I’m Charles Putney. I hear you’ve got something going on. Sudden vomiting, tiredness.”

Doctor Putney took a clipboard from the nurse, “Thank you, have you done a blood draw yet?” The nurse answered in the negative, “Okay well let’s get one.” The nurse left to collect what she needed to take the sample

Turning back to Noel he asked, “How long has this been going on?”

"Tiredness? A week, maybe more. It's been a bit of a stressful spring with some major life changes, job stuff, you know. The vomiting is exclusive to today. I mean, twice today. A puke here or there isn't unheard of.

Noel wasn't sure if the doctor introducing himself to the Ranger first counted for her treat scale, but she had predicted blood draw. Neat. She was already racking up the medical frequent flyer points.

"Dizziness? Headaches? You're eating enough, not crash dieting for that summer bod?"

"Negative for dizziness. Mostly I'm just so tired I can't keep awake, even with an early bedtime. Headaches can be a regular part of my day. I... like food more than bikinis?"

He outlined how and where he would use the stethoscope before doing so, directing Noel in how and when to breathe. She appreciated that even if it did involve hands up under her shirt.

"Heart sounds strong and regular. Lungs sound clear. No shortness of breath or…?" She was already shaking her head no.

"Ah well you hit 30 and your body starts falling apart, right?" Though he did do a double take between her paperwork and her face.

Maybe they should start using different birth years.

"We can run a full battery. You'll need to pee in a cup."—dammit. She hadn't put that one in the list— "Your blood pressure looks a bit elevated, but you did mention stress. We'll just have to keep digging. Headaches and vomiting are the only things that stand out so far as concerning to me. Are we taking lay you out fist migraine or just an annoyance?"

Noel had slept on the way over instead of strategizing with Ranger. Demore being who he was… did that mean they could talk about their powers freely with this Putney guy? She glanced at Ranger, unsure of how to ask.

Ranger found himself something to lean on while Dr. Putney went about his work. He was a professional and did a lot of talking through what he was doing before and as he did it when making contact. Demore had said he was a good guy. Smart and respectful.

Everything seemed to be going routine to Ranger and Dr. Putney seemed to be going through the motions of collecting the pieces he would need to puzzle out what the issue was. Until he read Noel’s age and did a double take. Ranger smiled at Putney when it happened. That made twice in one day that Dr. Putney was seeing people looking too young for how old they were. Though Ranger was someone he had seen before the deage.

Eventually the doctor worked his way around to talking about the headaches. Noel looked at Ranger. Ranger was already thinking that some of the headaches might be related to her mutation. He’d had a few from her mutation. Noel’s eyes looked like she wanted to ask something. Maybe… if she should share her power with Dr. Putney?

When Ranger had met with Sabine, they discussed Ranger hiding his power. It was in the interest of self policing the agency that Ranger not be known as a mutant. There was no way Dr. Putney didn’t know Ranger was a mutant though. Putney had seen his fair share of the aftermath from BlacTac’s work. He was one of the pre-Jude options for medical care. Ranger’s showing up with holes and burns on his gear and not a scratch on him was likely a good indication.

Ranger trusted in old Ranger. That trust had served him well so far.

”I trust ‘im.” Ranger said to Noel. He gave her the option to reveal it but let her know he thought it okay without saying what it was.

The nurse came back in holding everything she needed to perform the blood draw. She directed Noel where to place her arm before she wrapped a band around the biceps. As she pulled out a wipe to use on Noel’s arm she said, “This might be cold.” After she wiped Noel’s arm with the disinfectant she grabbed the vacutainer and attached the needle to it. “Okay. You’ll feel a pinch, but stay still.” The nurse inserted the needle into Noel’s arm and then very carefully inserted a bottle into the device. After a moment of pressure, blood started flowing into the bottle. When it was full the nurse removed the bottle and set it in a small container beside her. She then removed the tourniquet, gently pressed gauze into the site as she pulled out the needle, and once the needle was out she pressed more firmly. “There we go. The nurse smiled from behind her mask, a crinkling forming at her eyes. She applied a dressing and said, “All done.”

After writing on the sample bottle, the nurse stepped out.

“Okay. We’ll run some tests and your nurse should be back in a bit for a urine sample. I’ll check back once we’ve finished the testing. If you think of anything or need me just ask a nurse to fetch me… Or have Michael text me.” Dr. Putney said before he left as well.

”So… Now… we wait. An’ I guess y’ take a potty break in a minute.” Ranger said. His worry had prompted him to insist Noel get checked out. He had been fine with everything once a plan was in place. The course of action was laid out. Now… There was nothing to do but wait. Sit there in the room and wait. There was nothing he could do for Noel now. That was the worst for Ranger.

Ranger took hold of Noel’s hand. That was something he could do.

When Noel went to the bathroom, there were instructions on the wall for how sanitize and a tray waiting for her sample. She left it, washed her hands again, and let the front desk know it was in there before popping back to the space where Ranger waited.

In the end, she'd chickened out on telling Putney about her mutation. This way, she assured herself that he wouldn't dismiss anything suspicious just because her brain was involved. Visions of brain tumors danced in her head right up until the moment she squeezed herself onto the paper-covered bed next to where the Ranger was swinging his legs, and put her hand back where it belonged in his.

She was starting to get the impression that he was more worried than she was.

"Whatever it is, we'll handle it." That's what they did. She was a cleaner by profession, if there was a problem she made it go away one way or another. And they were just starting tests here. They might not get "the" answer today, but eventually they'd get some information.

She settled just a mite closer so she could lean her head against his shoulder. "Besides. Peeing in a cup wasn't on the list. What do I get for that one?" She was ready to open negotiations, maybe a bit sad that she'd put ice cream so far off on a gown. Seemed like a gown wasn't in the cards (and she was so, so okay with that).

"C'mon. If you're gonna bribe me, bribe me properly."

A knock at the door kept her from teasing Michael further. Teasing was better than stewing. They just had to get past whatever news Putney walked in with.

"Good news. We've already got some answers for ya. Congratulations! You're pregnant!" He offered a paper to whoever would take it and

She felt like she'd been gut punched. She could hardly breathe out the first question that came to mind. "IUD?"

"We'll need to take that out, but--"

She met Putney's eyes, feeling decidedly sick.

He stopped, looking a little confused for a moment and started again.

"Oh. Hey, there you are. I've got some good news! We've already got some answers for ya. Congratulations! You're pregnant!"

Noel paled, feeling like she'd had the air knocked out of her with a hit to stomach. "Wha- What about the IUD?" She raised her eyes to meet Putney's.

While Noel was providing her sample, Ranger jumped up to sit on the exam table. He took it as a good sign that all that was being done so far was blood and urine. If Dr. Putney had suspected something more immediately needing some kind of scan he would have said so Ranger thought. It was a good thought.

Ranger scooted over a little on the table when Noel returned. Making sure she had room on the exam table, in the exam room, where they were for her exam. It was only fair that the one examed got to sit on their own table. Noel got on the table and put her hand in his. Ranger gave it a light squeeze.

”Yeah. We’ll handle it.” Ranger agreed, giving Noel a smile. The hardest thing was not knowing. Whatever it was, once they knew, they could act. Ranger was good at action. Action was comfortable.

After Noel leaned her head on Ranger’s shoulder, Ranger had to laugh. Noel was right, peeing in a cup wasn’t on the list of bargains. ”Uh… Let me think.” Ranger already owed taking the dogs out an extra time and he had already told Noel she could drive home if she wanted. No gown meant no ice cream for her. Ranger felt he was the one most short changed there. No Noel butt. Truly that was the greater loss.

"C'mon. If you're gonna bribe me, bribe me properly."

”Hey! Y’ were the one makin’ y’r own bribes… Fine, y‘ get-” Ranger stopped short as there was a knock at the door. Ranger’s back stiffened slightly as Dr. Putney opened the door. The man’s face was blank until he spoke.

"Good news. We've already got some answers for ya. Congratulations! You're pregnant!"

It took a moment to register. Pregnant. Noel… Was pregnant. With a child. With what he could only assume was his child. Suddenly he was filled with a mix of joy, anxiety, excitement, fear. He would be a father. He would be a father!

Ranger turned to Noel who was looking at Dr. Putney.

"Oh. Hey, there you are. I've got some good news! We've already got some answers for ya. Congratulations! You're pregnant!"

Ranger blinked, he’d heard that already. Noel was still looking at Dr. Putney as she asked about the IUD. Her eyes tracked upwards.

Quick as he could, Ranger shot a hand up in front of Noel’s eyes. Had he not they likely would have been on an endless loop.

"We'll need to take that out, but-- Um... Michael? Why?"

Ranger glanced over to see Dr. Putney was looking at him before he used the hand that was blocking eye contact to wave at Dr. Putney in a way to indicate to give him just a second.

”Y’ were creatin’ a loop.” Ranger said. ”Noel...Y’r… We’re… Pregnant.” Ranger couldn’t contain himself any longer and wrapped Noel in a hug. Sure there was a lot to worry about with Noel being pregnant, but in that moment there were two things winning out. First, Noel didn’t have a brain tumor. Well, probably not. That hadn’t been specifically ruled out. Second, his wife was pregnant. Well, almost wife. All-but-legal wife. That would need to be addressed. It actually mattered now!

She got a hand over her eyes which meant she was about to do something bad. Michael explained and Noel had to upgrade her transgressions to already did a bad thing. Michael pulled her in close and no doubt could feel the fine tremor wracking Noel's body. Her eyes were going off and she was squeezing them shut, but it was more than that. It was a violent need to do something and a total inability to do anything.

It was so much worse than a tumor.

"Sooo. I am not sure what that was, but I can tell this is unexpected news." Unexpected was a nicer way to say "unwelcome" it seemed. The doc for his part, was trying not to intrude, but he didn't have all night to stand and wait. "We've got a lot of options. Day after pill or manual evacuation."

"No!" She was absolutely pissed--balling her fists into Ranger's plaid shirt and keeping her face stuffed into the folds there, but she was more mad it happened than anything else. She couldn't even think that far ahead, didn't want to hear it. How could it be true? She'd had an IUD! That was supposed to work!

"No matter what you decide," he continued, unphased, "I've got a two piece gown for you. We'll need to do some measurements to figure out where you are exactly. We can even wheel a cart in and see if we can get a heartbeat" He set the generic cloth pile down on a nearby surface. "I'll leave you to discuss and I'll knock before I come back. If you need anything sooner, just pop out and get the front desk's attention."

Shoot, shoot, shoot!

Everything about Michael's attitude seemed to have flipped. The worry seemed to evaporate. That's because he didn't have a body snatcher invading his personal space.

Whatever it is, we'll handle it is what she'd told him. This was... this was so much more permanent than she'd been thinking.

"We can't have a kid, Ranger."

It didn’t take long for Ranger to get an idea of how Noel felt about being pregnant. Before she even said anything he could feel her emotions literally vibrating through her. Her reaction tempered Ranger’s own. Ranger’s jubilant hug changed. He was no longer hugging Noel out of excitement, he was holding her as she worked through news that lay somewhere on a scale between unprepared for and horrified by.

Perhaps it was easier for Ranger to be excited by the news. He was not in Noel’s unique memory situation and had not taken measures to prevent pregnancy as she had. Not to mention she was now the one who had to decide how to move forward and would have to deal with the consequences of whatever she chose. Ranger could only be there, on her side.

Doctor Putney could read the room. He knew the news was not received as ‘good’ as he had originally stated. He mentioned options, which Noel was either not ready to hear or not willing to consider. She had Ranger’s shirt in both fists and had buried her face. Ranger stayed quiet and just held her. She would talk to him when she was ready. He just held her, slowly moving one hand up and down her back.

When Dr. Putney left, he did so after explaining what they needed to do next and that he was leaving a gown. Looked like Noel was getting that ice cream! Though Ranger could tell she would rather not get ice cream for this particular reason.

Measurements. Find out how far along Noel was. See if they could get a heartbeat. It was hard for Ranger to not still be excited. Though he knew he shouldn’t get too excited. As Dr. Putney had said, there were options. Not having the baby was many of those options.

When Noel spoke again she said that they couldn’t have a kid.

Ranger didn’t say anything at first. He nodded his head as he pushed down on his own feelings. ”Okay. We can’t have a kid.” Ranger finally said. He wanted to allow Noel to do what she wanted, but he did want to understand. After a beat he asked quietly, ”Why not?” He genuinely just wanted to understand. He hoped his tone conveyed that.

"Dangerous jobs. Not to mention that I just started this job and already I'm going to have to take a break or ride a desk. I'm not giving up my job. I'm not staying home. And we don't even take care of our dogs right. And the dogs would gobble a baby right up. Do we have to get rid of the dogs?" Once she'd started, it was just every fear tumbling out one right after another. Because that's really what it was. Not anger. Fear.

"It's forever with a kid. Not just 18, forever! You can't just drop them off and come back two weeks later!" Which was basically what they'd done when de-aged. "We don't live in a permanent residence. We're not even actually married. We don't have help, or support. I don't have friends on my own, I basically only know people you know because I can't keep up with relationships or conversations or pop culture or... or... I won't know it. I might really fuck this up. Like. Really-really. I can't guarantee that I won't accidentally take something really important from it.

And. And I have no patience or experience with kids. I'd be more confident fist fighting a crocodile underwater."

Ranger let Noel talk. Once she started she kept on rolling. Reason after reason. Her long string of reasons carried the impression that she had thought about it before. There were too many good reasons to not have a kid too close together. Several of her points were remediable, others would be constant possibilities. Noel’s power possibly hanging over the child or their relationship with it like the sword of Damocles.

”Okay.” Ranger said when Noel wound down. ”We’re not ready t’ have a kid. What’s the course of action... terminate it?” It was one thing to be okay with someone taking that route for any number of reasons, but once you knew that it was your unborn child. It changed the feelings. Made it harder to just let it go. Ranger shook his head and spoke again, ”We do work dangerous jobs. I cain’t argue with y’ there an’ I would never ask y’ t’ give up y’r job ‘r ride a desk. Neither of us could stay sane only pushin’ papers f’r a livin’. I could always give more responsibility at BlacTac t’ others. Jude has run almost the whole place himself. If I make him a full partner in the business an’ only run Alpha Team goin’ forward… That’d free me up more often t’ care f’r the kid. Sure there’d be times where I’d have t’ be gone f’r odd stretches of time, but never more than a week. An’ never so long while the kid is young. Benefits of bein’ the boss. Y’ pick y’r jobs.” Ranger gave a reassuring smile and continued.

”We can find another place, somewhere better suited t’ us, our bears, an’ a kid. We can get married f’r real. In a chappel ‘r just at a courthouse. I have friends an’... Maybe we can find y’r family.

I didn’t realize I was feelin’ so strongly on this… … There’s every reason t’ not have the kid, from a rational perspective… But it’s our kid. It won’t be easy, doubly so from most people with our lines of work and y’ power… I’m not sayin’ f’r sure keep it… Just, maybe… Maybe entertain the idea?”

He said terminate it and Noel felt a visceral thrum through her whole body. It was the right thing to do, the responsible thing to do.

Just the idea of it made her feel ill. She'd shouted no before because, in her heart of hearts, she just wanted time to think it through, to talk it through. She should be shouting yes. But this was a situation she never thought she'd get to.

"Never in my life did I think I'd be here in a loving long-term relationship." She swallowed hard. Somehow she'd found someone so good at rolling with the punches and finding ways to juke her power. He'd bend over backwards just to make things work, he sure sounded like he wanted to make this work. "If it'd been me and just me... well, this wouldn't have happened, but if it had maybe I could have talked myself out of it."

Why couldn't it have just been a tumor?

"Why...? What benefit does a child bring? To people like us? Isn't that one more thing to be used against us?" To distract them. To worry and split their time or focus?

"What if I don't like it? I just like you. There's not anything more to give." Or... more likely it wouldn't like her.

But then again, he'd said it was "ours". Both of them. A definite and permanent tie. They were both fixers and problem solvers, if there was anyone who could solve this problem... who could make this work...

A knock at the door surprised her into action. Noel hopped down and started shucking her boots so she could get out of her pants. "Not dressed. Just gimmie 60 seconds." She yanked her top off. A few months ago, she'd have been mortified to do that in front of anyone, especially Ranger. She grabbed the two cloths and puzzled them out. There was one rectangle with a hole for her head that just sort of draped around her like a too-short and too-worthless poncho. The other was a wrap-around and tie situation, rather like an apron. The effect was that she felt rather covered, even her cheeks were tucked in, but her belly was exposed and there was easy access to any part of her.

"You owe me ice cream." She jabbed her finger into his shoulder and hopped back up to the bench, realizing too late that she'd just left her clothes all higgldy-piggldy on the ground.

"Come in!"

Having a kid was not something that had been on Ranger’s radar. Sure, he would like to have kids but it had always been a ‘someday in the future, maybe’ thing. Now that it was truly on the table… Ranger couldn’t deny that he did want to have a child. Noel by contrast was more opposed, but the mention of termination had shaken her.

It was a hard topic, and Ranger had changed his own tune by mentioning it.

What did a child bring?

”Joy, headache, another reason t’ fight.” Ranger said. Noel had mentioned that a child was one more thing that could be used against them. That was true but Ranger also saw having a child as a reason to do more, work harder, move mountains to create a place where that never happened to the child.

What if Noel didn’t like the child?

”I… Don’t know. There’s supposed t’ be some hormonal bondin’ somethin’ that helps with that, but that’s all I know about it... Maybe- Maybe y’ll surprise y’rself. Find that y’ have more capacity t’ like an’ love than y’ thought y’ did. Y’ never expected t’ love me, but here we are.” Dealing with an outcome of them falling in love.

Ranger softly took both Noel’s hands in his. ”I’m here f’r y’... Whatever y’ decide. I’ll always be here f’r y’. An’ I’ll always be there f’r our kid. God help anyone that tries t’ hurt our kid ‘r use it against us.” Ranger knew that he would move mountains, literally if necessary, for Noel. There was no doubt in his mind that he would do the same for any child of his. And if someone tried to hurt his child… He would rain holy hell upon them.

When the knock came at the door Noel had yet to change. She called out to give her sixty seconds before she hopped down to quickly disrobe. Ranger sat on the paper covered exam-table-bed-couch-thing and smiled softly at Noel. It wasn’t that long ago that she wouldn’t have just changed with him sitting right there. Ranger appreciated the sight no less. He was only slightly disappointed in the lack of bare ass when she had donned the two-piece gown.

There was always time for bare ass later.

Noel jabbed Ranger in the shoulder and he had to laugh when she said that he owed her ice cream. ”Y’ got it.” Noel hopped back up to sit and Ranger wrapped one arm around her and then kissed the top of her head. ”All the ice cream y’ want.”

After Noel called out that Dr. Putney could come, the door opened and he stepped in with a cart with equipment on it in tow. His gaze swept over the floor where he noticed that haphazard clothes disposal onto the floor. He didn’t comment on it, he just stepped around anything he needed to and for the most part was able to navigate the cart around the clothes. Only once needing to brush something aside with his foot.. It was not his first rodeo.

Oh, he was here for her decision, was he? "That's not how this goes, cowboy. It's not just my decision." He was in it for life? Well then he got a say in the rest of that life. His DNA donation, his vote. He could just chew on that because they needed to put this conversation on hold. Dr. Putney was rolling in with a computer screen and a few wired things on a cart. Her hand found his pretty quick.

"To figure out our timeline, all I need is a measuring tape and for you to lay down flat, legs straight. I brought the cart, 'cause... well I never get to use this thing. That's up to you if you want to see more. Most who decide against proceeding don't want to. I suspect you have some questions, regardless of what you decide. If one pops up, just shoot it off. I'll answer anything I can to the best of what I can."

That meant Ranger was officially kicked off the table. Rats. Noel's anxiety kicked up. Her brain was screaming vulnerable as she laid out flat. Ranger was there. He'd punch through anything that might actually hurt her.

"What do I do with my hands?"

Putney blinked like that was a brand new question. "Whatever you want so long as you don't try to block my way. I'll talk you through before I do anything."

Okay, so maybe Noel looked as spooked as she felt. He was talking to her like a restless horse. Noel moved one hand under the small of her back and the other went to Ranger. There. See? Plenty safe. She would have to make a conscious choice to do something now.

"I'll touch your abdomen. If I can feel the top of the uterus, then I'll measure from pubic bone to the top edge. One centimeter per week, is the going rate." She nodded and he pushed into her stomach with strong fingers, lower than she expected but then she'd never really thought about where a uterus might be.

"Here we go. I found it right here." He marked the spot with a finger and fetched the tape measure. Putney did it all on top of the cloth and then transferred the spot he'd marked on her belly to a spot on the tape measure which he then held up to show off for the crowd.

9 centimeters. How could it be 9 centimeters? 9 weeks sounded like a lot. There was no bulge in her tummy, nothing but queasiness to indicate that really anything was different.

"The way the cycle is counted, 2 weeks pregnant is before you've even ovulated. Crazy, but that's just how it goes." So for the math, 7 weeks ago... Noel had just poured over her timeline and she knew that was suspiciously close to when they'd decided this was a forever thing.

"What else is on the cart?" She recognized a shiny silver speculum, which was absolutely no fun, but none of the rest.

"The IUD comes out today, no matter what you decide. You can schedule with your regular Gyno for a replacement, but it's possible the extra hormones are what's making you feel sick on top of sick. Taking that out should help. And, if you're interested, we can try the wand ultrasound to see what we can see. I'll take some measurements that can help your OB. Excited? Ya wanna see?"

It was clear that at least one of them was excited. What had Dr. Putney said? He never got to use that machine?

"Okay. The IUD comes out." She didn't even have to look at the Ranger to know that he wanted to see it up on the screen. But, like a rescue puppy, Noel knew that if they saw it... they'd want to keep it. That's how that went, right?

"I want to see it." Her words were sour and undecided. "He wants to. I can just close my eyes if I have to." She amended until it tasted right again.

Putney got her legs into stirrups. Joy. She squeezed her eyes shut as he talked her through the removal. It wasn't bad. Just a bit of a pinch. Of course. Then he was getting the wand ready. It was clear where that was headed.

A steady and low stream of "shit, shit, shit, shit" streamed from her lips and Noel wasn't typically a curse word sayer, nor did she seem to realize that she was both watching the screen, and squeezing the everloving hell out of Ranger's hand.

That wasn’t how it worked. Noel wasn’t making a unilateral decision. Ranger got a vote. The sentiment was nice, but what if they both wanted something different. There was only the pair of them. In a tie, which way did it fall? In favor of the baby if split? Three out of four possible ways equals having the baby? The opposite of course being true.

Or, perhaps, it was an invitation to express his opinion and it be given a true weight. A true consideration on her part, beyond just making arguments for or against.

Ranger would have time to mull it over while Doctor Putney was carrying on with the next phase of their visit.

Noel was directed in what to do. Her needing to lay down necessitated Ranger hopping to his feet and making room. The look on Noel’s face prompted Ranger to stay close. He found himself a nice place where he could be beside Noel but out of the way. He left his hand near so she could take it if she wanted. She took it.

The pattern of explaining all contact before moving forward continued as Dr. Putney talked through what he was doing next and what it meant. One centimeter per week. The doctor pressed in on Noel’s abdomen and once he found her uterus he held his finger in place as he retrieved a tape measure. Ranger watched as he pulled it out to nine centimeters. That meant nine weeks. Ranger was in the middle of figuring out what nine weeks ago was when Dr. Putney saved him from having an incorrect realization. It was six weeks ago.

Ranger blinked. Six weeks ago. That fit in nicely with when they became all but married. When they had sex, first while swapped and then as themselves.

Had- had their swapped sex led to the pregnancy?

Noel asked about what else was on the cart. Ranger looked over. There was a monitor, wires, the metal duckbill that doctors used to access women’s downstairs, and other things. Putney provided answers. IUD comes out first. That explains some of what he had. Then an ultrasound. To see what they could see. To see.

Ranger’s heart jumped into his throat and his grip on Noel’s hand firmed for a moment. They possibly could see the child, their child, that day. Noel said she wanted to see it before amending that Ranger wanted to. It was true, so true. The only thing Ranger was afraid of was that once he saw it… Not keeping it would tear a hole in him.

Moving forward took some reconfiguring. Feet in stirrups, Putney in a front row seat. Ranger stayed beside Noel. Holding her hand as the IUD was removed.

To his credit, Dr. Putney was ever professional. Talking them, mostly Noel, through the process as he went and remaining clinical the whole time.

Then came the wand. Ranger had not realized the ultrasound would be done in the manner it was done. The shape of the device made it readily apparent how it would be done.

It wasn’t often that someone surprised Ranger with their grip strength. That day Noel did. As Putney worked the ultrasound Noel released a string of profanity. Mostly confined to long strings of shit. While she did, she applied enough crushing force to Ranger’s hand that had he been paying attention to it, he might have been worried about if his power would need to protect it. He was not. His eyes were glued to the screen where he could see something. It wasn’t a large something, but it was there. Ranger didn’t need Putney to point out where the baby was.

Ranger lay his other hand on Noel as he looked at the screen. When he finally turned to look at Noel he had the broadest grin on his face. He noticed that contrary to what she had said, her eyes were open and uncovered.

”O-our, kid.” Ranger said it with a hitch in his voice. Seeing it had made it too real. It was no longer some nearly academic discussion about them having a child. Seeing was believing and Noel truly was pregnant with their child."That's- That's ours."

There was no way Ranger could not vote to have the child.