What I'm looking for 3/3

[cybertoothtiger]

Author: Cybertoothtiger
Rating: M for post-sexual content. (Hee.)
Summary: Teri considers her options when she thinks she might be pregnant.
A/N: Don't own it. I think I'm going to stop it here. DISCLAIMER: The medical advice contained in this fic is fictitious and should not be considered a viable solution to actual situations. In other words, don't try this at home, kids. Talk to a real doctor.

Teri watched until the hills and bays of San Franscisco disappeared behind the clouds, then settled back in her seat. All in all, it had been a good visit. She wished she could have spent more time with Jack. It was hard to believe he was unattached, but Teri sensed there was some sort of heartache behind his calm demeanour. It had been difficult to leave him. She knew he probably wouldn’t wait around for her. She wouldn’t, if she were him.

 

Still, last night had been great. Despite what had happened, deep down, she knew she would have regretted not sleeping with him. Her mother always told her that youth was for accumulating the experiences that would be worth taking out and polishing in old age. Jack Bauer would be a particularly shiny memory. Time enough to be responsible later.

 

Teri gave a contented sigh and picked up the in-flight magazine from the seat pocket.

 

The dark-haired girl beside her reached into a bright yellow Duty-Free bag and pulled out a carton of Marlboroughs. She unwrapped the package of cigarettes and offered one to Teri.

 

“No, thank you. I don’t smoke.”

 

“Oh, sorry.” The girl, who was about the same age as Teri, had a mild Italian accent. “Do you mind?”

 

“Not at all,” Teri smiled. “Be my guest.” She’d been living in Italy for the past eight months. She was pretty much immune to second-hand smoke.

 

The girl nodded and lit up, carefully and elegantly directing her exhale into the air above her head.

 

Teri leafed through the magazine. Vietnam was being touted as the next hot tourist destination. Teri wondered what the boat people her parents had helped out a few years ago would think of that. A sharp pain made her wince and she pressed a hand to her lower abdomen.

 

“The smoke, it’s bothering you?” the girl beside her asked.

 

“No, I’m fine. It’s just a cramp. I get them when I… ovulate.” The implication hit her and her eyes widened. “Oh, shit.” She groaned and leaned forward, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “Shit, shit, shit. I am so fucked!”

 

The girl was alarmed. “What? What? Do you want me to call the stewardess?”

 

Teri glanced at her seatmate ruefully. “No. Really, I’m fine.” She leaned back. “I’ve just been an idiot, is all.”

 

Realization dawned on the other girl’s face. “Oh. Did you – oh. A boy?”

 

Teri nodded. “A boy. We… it broke.” She finished lamely.

 

The girl was suddenly all business. “How long?”

 

“What?”

 

“How long since you…?”

 

“Oh. Last night.” Teri calculated. “About 12 hours, now.”

 

The girl gave a short nod and tapped her cigarette into the ashtray between the seats before handing it to Teri. “Hold this.” Teri took the smoke and watched as the girl stood on the edge of her seat to rummage in the overhead bin. When she stepped down she held a small make-up bag in her hand. She sat back in her seat and pulled out a flat, round case from the bag. She handed it to Teri, exchanging it for the cigarette.

 

“Okay. You take three of these right away. No baby.”

 

“What?” Teri was confused.

 

“It is the Pill. You take three now, baby doesn’t like it. Poof.” She flicked her fingers to illustrate a small puff of smoke.

 

Teri looked at the package in her hand, uncertain. She wasn’t positive, but she suspected getting an abortion in Italy would be difficult. But she didn’t know for sure that she would get pregnant. What if Jack’s swimmers weren’t strong enough to survive this long? Or what if they were, and taking the pills didn’t work? Would they hurt the baby?

 

“I don’t know…”

 

Teri closed her eyes. This was craziness. She needed time to think.

 

Jack’s voice came back to her. “Marry me, Teri.” Obviously, he hadn’t been serious. She couldn’t count on that. And even if she could, did she want to? There was an undeniable connection between them, but it hadn’t been enough to keep her from getting on this airplane. She was nuts to even consider that it might be enough to make a family with the guy. She hardly knew him. He seemed nice, but what if he was a total psycho? Shit.

 

Besides, she had so much she wanted to do first. She wanted to finish her internship, and then she’d been thinking about which museums to apply to in the States.

 

She counted forward nine months. A Christmas baby. She’d be done in Italy before she started to show, really. Even after, she could still work, her parents would help her. They’d be freaked, but they had never let her down.

 

That’s if she were pregnant. In all probability, there was nothing to worry about.

 

“You don’t have much time.” The girl’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

 

Teri took a deep breath. She’d always believed in fate. That the universe brought you what you needed at the right time. A calm settled over her. She knew she couldn’t do this. Her eyes open, she handed the package back to the other girl and took a step into the unknown.