Once again - MANY THANKS to Karen, she's the Bestest beta ever, and Vasalysa - who keeps the cheese to a minimum, and offers endless advice and help. What would I do without the two of you?

Comments are always welcome at Geek

Because of the three week delay, Dill was almost eight months pregnant by the time she and Iona arrived at the Saratoga. For such a tiny person, she was huge. She sat strapped in her seat, terrified, remembering the first time she'd visited the 'Toga… how the doors had opened and she'd peered out straight into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. She was so nervous that as soon as the doors opened this time, she ran to the head and lost her lunch.

Iona watched her thoughtfully. She was getting seriously worried about Dill. Although she'd been monitored on the Washington, they hadn't picked up on how tired she really was. But Iona had known her all her life. Although Dill was still up and moving, that spark of energy she always had had drained away. Iona hoped that this meeting with McQueen went as smoothly for Dill as the one with her father had.

Iona stepped down out of the transport, scanning the faces, looking for McQueen. Did he know Dill was coming? There didn't seem to be any silver haired, blue-eyed men waiting. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement. Two men in flight suits had come through a doorway to her right. She turned to see. That one, she thought. The smaller of the two, in the black. She could see him scanning the people getting off the transport, ignoring the taller man next to him who was grinning and talking to him. She allowed herself to linger on the sight of the taller man, his short brown hair sticking up like it had a life of it's own. She could see the excitement in his eyes. Who was he waiting for, she wondered? Suddenly both men straightened, their faces a picture of shock. Then the black clad man's face closed up. It was like watching a wall go up, she thought. He paled and looked distraught before his face went totally blank, and he turned smartly on his heel and almost bolted from the room, leaving the other man staring at him in disbelief.

Hearing a gasp from behind her, she turned to see Dill white as a sheet, hand gripping the doorframe as her legs gave way.

"Dylan!" she cried, rushing towards her. But she was beaten to Dill's side by the tall man, as he pushed past her with unbelievable speed.

"I don't know what's got into him." he said, gently lifting her down from the transport. "But you could've told us. I mean, you're…well…you've er…aww hell, Dylan, are you…y'know?" he asked.

Iona stood and stared at him blankly as he easily, but carefully, settled Dill on her feet, holding her up with an arm around her shoulders. "She's having a baby, if that's what you mean." she told him automatically.

He blushed. "Well, y'know, I thought maybe she might have just got fat, maybe. It's not like I know a whole lot about babies and stuff."

Dill nodded. "Yes, Coop, a baby. That's it." she muttered, not believing what she'd just seen.

The man named Coop turned to Iona. "I'm sorry, I'm forgetting my manners… but I thought Dylan here was going to fall." He grinned at her, his whole face lighting up. "I'm Cooper Hawkes." He stuck out his free hand.

"Iona Campbell." she answered, shaking his hand in return. "And I take it that fleeing figure was the famous Ty that I've heard so much about?"

He nodded. "That was the Colonel, yeah. I think maybe he got a shock. I'll take you to your quarters, though I think the colonel was kinda hoping Dylan would bunk with him." He raised an eyebrow. "But I guess that ain't gonna happen. I mean, you're too big to fit in a bunk with him now."

Still supporting Dill, he hoisted her bag onto his shoulder and led them towards their quarters. Cooper chattered away happily, seemingly oblivious to their silence. He left them at the door and with a cheery smile, turned to Dill and said, "You make sure you come and visit us. The girls are gonna freak when I tell 'em about the baby."

Dill shook her head, "No, Coop. Let me talk to him first, please?"

He looked unsure and disappointed, but nodded. "OK." He said, before heading off back up the passageway.

Iona shuffled her into the room where she collapsed sobbing onto the bed.

"What am I going to do? He ran away! He took one look and fled! Iona… what am I going to do?" she cried.

Settling herself on the bed next to her, Iona took her in her arms. "Talk to him, that's what you're going to do. It was the shock, I'm sure. You should have told him earlier, Dylan. He had a right to know. Springing it on him was rather naughty."

"Naughty? Gracious, Iona, you sound like that teacher we had in infant school! 'Dill Mackenzie, you are a very naughty girl'!" she laughed, despite her tears. "I know you're right. You always are. But what if he won't talk to me?"

"Of course he will, silly! And if he doesn't, he'll have to talk to me. You may not be able to punch him at the moment, but I sure as hell can!" Iona laughed. "Why don't you have a rest? You'll feel better for it. I'll go and see if I can't find you a nice cup of tea from somewhere, OK?"

Dill nodded. "OK, I'll try. I am rather tired, and Hamish is kicking hell out of me again."

"Good girl. I'll be as quick as I can. I'm sure there's some handsome Marine out there just waiting to help me!" Iona winked. She headed for the door. Now where was that big handsome marine, she wondered?

McQueen flew through the 'Toga's passageways, his mind racing, fury on his face. Crewmen ducked out of his way after a single glance. Someone had clearly pissed off Colonel McQueen big time, and they didn't intend getting the backlash.

How could she? The thought raced through his mind on a continual loop. How could she? A "Dear John" letter would have been bad enough… but to come here and rub his nose in it! To say he was furious would have been an understatement. But underneath, and adding to the fury, was a dreadful sense of loss… of abandonment, rejection, hurt and humiliation. So he continued to stalk around the ship, trying to work it out. How could she do this to him? To flaunt herself like that in public? To let everyone know in the most obvious way possible that she was leaving him for someone else? Dammit… had left him. His fury grew as he thought about it. Hell, it must have been just after he left! That meant it was some snot nosed jerk from the Community! His fists clenched as he thought about how much he'd like beat the crap out of whoever it was. Hell, a good beating wasn't enough. The way he felt now, it'd be murder for sure! He stopped, leaning against a wall for just a second. He felt as though his heart would burst. She knew how he felt about not being able to have children… hell they'd talked about it! He thought she knew, and then to turn around and do this to him! He shook his head. To think that he had trusted her… asked her to be his wife! How could she do this to him? Did she really hate him that much? Beside himself with rage and grief, he braced himself and headed for the gym. That punch bag was going to die again today!

That was where Iona found him an hour later. She'd wandered the ship looking for him and had finally grabbed hold of a passing crewman. "Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find Colonel McQueen, please?"

"He might be in his quarters, ma'am." was the reply.

"Well, could you show me where they are?" she asked curtly.

The crewman nodded and took her to McQueen's door. Getting no reply to her knock, she turned to the crewman. "Where else might he be?"

"Well, he might be on the bridge, but you can't go there, ma'am" he added quickly, seeing the glint in her eye. "Or he might be with the Wildcards. We'll try there first, ma'am."

He took her to another door that had a drawing of cards on it. This time the tall marine who'd helped Dill answered her knock. "Iona Campbell, right?" he grinned.

Seeing that she'd found someone else, the crewman left with a quick, "Good bye ma'am. I hope you find the colonel."

She nodded at him, and turning to Hawkes, said, "Cooper, isn't it?" At his nod, she told him, "I'm looking for McQueen. Do you know where he is? Is he here?"

Shaking his head, he gestured her inside. "The guys might know." He turned. "Any of you know where McQueen is?" he called.

A chorus of "No.", " On the bridge?", " In the gym?" rang out.

Hawkes nodded. "Let's try the gym. When he's wound up, he tends to go there."

"Show me." Iona said simply.

Opening the door, and asking Hawkes if he would take Dill some tea, she slipped inside the gym. There were a few people in there, but she could see McQueen pounding a punch bag. She was determined that he was going to talk to Dill, she'd been so happy to be finally about to see him, so excited about telling him all about the babies, wanting to share everything with him, and he'd turned and walked away from her; Iona wanted to slap his face.

Walking over to him, she spoke. "There you are."

"Who the hell are you?" he growled, giving her an icy glare.

"Iona Campbell." She stuck out a hand. "It's possible you may have seen me earlier, before you ran away!" she spat.

He looked her over, frowning. "I have no idea who you are." he said. Then a fragment of conversation came to his mind. "Iona…the same Iona who told Dill the monster was going to eat her?

"One and the same. Dylan is my best friend, and there are so many things I'd like to say to you right now, but I'll hold my tongue." she snapped. "I was looking forward to meeting you. What a let down you turned out to be. You did exactly what Moira said you would. Dylan is in no fit state for you to do this to her. You need to talk to her."

McQueen bit his tongue. The nerve of this woman telling him what he ought to do! "I really think that's my business, don't you?" he told her coldly. "No one asked her to come all this way. She could have sent me a letter."

Iona stared at him. "You heartless bastard! Why do you think she didn't tell you earlier? Because she was scared you'd do just this! Have you any idea how much it's taken for her to do this?"

"Frankly, I don't care." he said coldly, turning and walking away from her.

She grabbed his arm, refusing to be shaken off. She shouted at him, "You don't care? Then why the hell did you ask her to marry you?"

He forcibly removed her hand from his arm. "I asked her because I thought we had something!" he snarled back, conscious that people were looking at them. He glared around the room, forcing them to look away. Calming himself somewhat, he growled, "Because I didn't realise she was going to do this to me!"

He turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Iona staring after him, sure she'd missed something.

Dill meanwhile had not rested. As soon as Iona had left, she'd headed up to the small observation room that she would always think of as her and Ty's. She sat staring out at the stars, talking to her babies, pointing out the passing hammerheads and ISSCV's. Repeating to them everything she knew about their father, feeling that now it was even more important. If he no longer wanted anything to do with her, or them, then she needed to be able to remember for their sakes.

Sighing, she stroked her stomach. The babies were for once still, as if the sound of her voice had lulled them to sleep. She sat with tears streaming down her face. She could hardly believe the look she'd seen on his face… the way he'd looked at her, at her stomach and then turned and left. While she'd been sure he would be delighted, that tiny voice that had haunted her, taunting her with her mother's words, had been proved right. It choked her to admit it, but her mother had been right. He'd walked away, just like she'd said, and now she was stuck… How could she go home and face the ridicule? Her life would be miserable and her children told endlessly how worthless their father was. That was what she couldn't bear. The thought of having to listen to her mother denigrate the man she loved tore at her heart.

Dill shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. He'd told her that he would have liked to have been a father, so why was he running away? Shouldn't he have been pleased? Yes, she should have told him earlier and maybe it was a shock, but to just turn and run… And he knew what her mother thought of him. Why? Why did he do it? She thought he loved her. She must have been wrong. She wished she didn't love him. She sat there so still for so long that eventually she fell asleep.

McQueen ended up where he always did, outside the quarters of his best friend Commodore Glen Ross. Talking to Glen helped. He trusted him and knew that he would listen before he passed judgement. He took a deep breath and knocked.

Ross's deep voice answered him. "Who's at my hatch?"

"Colonel McQueen, sir."

"Come in."

Ty stepped through the door and saw Ross sitting in his favourite armchair, strumming on his guitar. "I hope that this is not business, Ty. I heard Dylan was aboard… a very pregnant Dylan. So why aren't you with her?"

McQueen stood there, not knowing what to say. * Damn scuttlebutt will beat you every time! * He thought.

Ross looked up from his guitar. Seeing McQueen's face, he sighed. "Sit down, Ty, and tell me all about it." Quirking a smile at the affronted look McQueen wore, he added, "And that's an order."

McQueen sat in the other chair with a huge sigh, running a hand over his face. He said, "It's over, Glen… me and Dill. She's found someone else."

Ross sat up with a jerk. "What?" he demanded. "What the hell are you talking about? That girl is devoted to you!"

"She's pregnant, Glen." His face fell for an instant, letting Ross see the hurt. "And it sure isn't mine."

"How can you be so sure it's not yours? She wouldn't do that to you, Ty. You know she wouldn't."

McQueen was silent for a long while. He didn't really want to discuss it, even with his best friend. But, he figured, Glen knew why Amy had divorced him. In a small voice he whispered, "I can't have kids. It can't be mine."

Ross leaned forward. "Have you spoken to her? Has she actually told you that she's found someone else?" He took in the awkward way McQueen shuffled in his seat. McQueen was one of the stillest men he'd ever known, and yet here he was fidgeting like a schoolboy in front of the headmaster.

"You haven't, have you? What exactly did you do?" Seeing McQueen fidget more, Ross yelled at him. "You did something stupid again, didn't you? I really just don't believe you sometimes, Ty. You expect the worst of everyone. Have you been waiting for this? Sure that one day she'd drop you? Is that it? Get your sorry behind out of here and go talk to her! Do it. NOW!"

"It can't be mine!" McQueen yelled back as he stood. "How can it be? The Docs told me there was too much damage!"

Ross stood up and yelled in his face, "Then get a paternity check! But whatever you do, you go and talk to that girl, Ty, or I swear this time I will kick your arse from one end of my ship to the other!" He grabbed Ty by the shoulders and propelled him towards the door, yelling, "And don't come back until you've sorted this out!" as he pushed him out of the door.

McQueen stood in the passageway scowling. Pulling himself upright, he marched off in the direction of Dill's quarters. He was going to sort this and get her off his ship ASAP!

Knocking on the door, he was surprised to find it opened by Hawkes. "Get out, Hawkes. I need to talk to Dill!" He was in no mood to be polite.

The door opened further. Iona stood there. "Well, at last! But you're too late, she's not here." She looked worried.

"Where is she?" he asked, his heart lurching at the thought that she might be gone.

"We don't know. I asked Cooper to bring her some tea while I talked to you. She was gone when he got here." She turned to Cooper. "About what… an hour ago?" He nodded.

"Stay here." McQueen barked. "I know where she is." He turned to go, but felt Iona's hand on his arm. Turning back, he glared at her. "Let go of me!"

"Listen, you bastard! She loves you. Don't you hurt her anymore than you already have, or you'll have me to answer to!"

"I suppose I don't count? She can hurt me as much as she likes? But that's OK, isn't it? After all, I'm just a tank, and everyone knows we don't have feelings like real people!" Ty snarled at her, letting the full force of his fury show before he turned and stomped off.

Cooper took Iona's arm. "Ah, he's OK, really." he said. "He's not always like this. Usually if he talks about Dylan, he smiles, and you should see him after a mail call." He looked serious for a moment. "He really loves her, you know. That's what the girls say, anyway." At her smile, he blushed. "I don't know about that stuff, but that's what they say."

She was exactly where he'd expected her to be. He stood in the doorway looking down at her asleep, her head resting against the wall, a hand on her stomach. With a deep sigh he settled himself down next to her, waiting for her to wake. He didn't want to wake her himself. She looked so peaceful, and he was reminded of how much he loved her. It tore at his heart to see her looking so pale… so thin and ill looking. Seeing her in the doorway, he'd been instantly transported back to the first time he saw her. The difference in her appearance now was not just her obvious pregnancy. Gone was the sparkle in her eyes, her curves that he loved so much. Instead, she looked worn out, like she hadn't slept in weeks, and so pale it made him look tanned. She snuggled up to him in her sleep and his heart nearly broke. How could she do this to him? He watched her hand as in her sleep it gently rubbed her stomach. He could see movement. Puzzled for a moment, he realised it was the baby moving. He watched as the movement increased. Carefully keeping one eye on her in case she woke up, he reached out and placed his hand on her bump… and felt the baby pushing under his hand. The feeling was indescribable. He sat with his hand on her stomach, totally absorbed in feeling her child's movements. He could feel a black pit of sorrow open as he wished it were his.

"That's Hamish you can feel." came her voice. He tore his hand away guiltily. "No, it's all right." she whispered, reaching for his hand and placing it firmly on her stomach. "You might as well get introduced now. This is Hamish. He's just like his father, an early riser; he keeps me up half the night. He's always on the move." She looked up into his face, seeing the wonder as he felt the baby's movements. Moving his hand further down, she smiled. "And this is Cameron. He's the quieter of the two. Probably a thinker, like his dad."

"He must be real proud." he whispered bitterly.

She stared at him, realisation hitting her like a punch to the head. Her voice became intent… disbelieving. "That's why you ran away?" Disbelief turned into anger. "You thought they were someone else's. You thought I'd come to say goodbye!"

"I can't have kids, you know that. How can they be mine?" he growled at her, taking his hand away from her stomach. "How could you do this to me, Dill? I thought you were different… that you cared… that you loved me." He waved at her stomach, his own anger showing in his voice. "You must have got busy right after I left."

"Got busy? Just what kind of a slut do you think I am? To go from your bed to someone else's as soon as you left?" Dill was really angry now, shouting at him.

"Just what exactly did those doctors tell you? Because I can tell you one thing you, you bloody, buggery, bollockhead!! These babies are yours! Both of them. Twins, McQueen. For someone who can't father children, you sure decided to prove them wrong big time! I haven't slept with anyone else! Why would I want to? The only man I want is sitting here beside me acting like a prize pillock! I ought to punch your lights out, and if I wasn't so damn fat, I would!"

"I can't have kids!" he yelled back at her. "Don't you think Amy and I tried? It was my fault! I fire blanks!"

Dill stood up and thrust her stomach at him. "Does this look like you fire blanks? You stupid son of a bitch! That war wound of yours has obviously healed! Because Hamish here is certainly not a figment of my imagination, any more than the throwing up I've been doing for the last eight months is!" She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm.

"How do I know they're mine?" he yelled, standing up himself.

"You total bastard! " she yelled, swinging at him.

He avoided her punch easily, catching her fist in his hand. "Well, what am I supposed to think? You show up here, the size of a house, not a single word have you told me about it! You had 8 months to tell me! You obviously had your reasons, the main one being these are not my kids! I can't have kids! How many times do I have to tell you? Just how much more humiliation do you want to heap on my head?"

She pulled her arm free and ran from the room. He ran after her, catching her by her arm again and pulling her round to face him.

"Get your hands off me!" she practically screamed at him. "I don't ever want to see you again! I can't believe my mother was right all along! You're a selfish, cold, heartless bastard! You just don't want them to be yours, do you! Well then, they won't be. They'll be mine! Don't you worry yourself about us, we'll manage just fine without you! I hope you rot in hell!"

"Of course I want them to be mine! But I can face facts, and the fact is, I CAN'T FATHER CHILDREN!"

This time she swung with her left fist and connected with his jaw. He grabbed for her hand. The ring she wore, the diamond he'd given her, must have cut him… she had blood on her hand. The fact that she was still wearing his ring shocked him.

"And you can just give me that damn ring back too. Let the bastard who knocked you up buy you his own one!" He grabbed her hand to pull the ring off.

"The bastard did give it to me!" she screamed. "But you want it back? Here, have it! It's probably paste anyway! You wouldn't have wanted to waste your money on the real thing for a cheap slut like me, would you!"

"I never thought you were a slut!" he shouted back at her, her words slowly beginning to sink in.

"Oh no? But you're ready to believe I would agree to marry you, the man I love, by the way, and then just jump into bed with someone else first chance I get!"

"What was I supposed to think? You could have told me earlier. Why did you leave it so long?" As he said it, he realised why. "You thought I might do what your father did!" he said in a shocked voice. "You thought I'd do that!"

"And you did." she whispered, her heartbreak in her voice. "You took one look at me and you ran away."

"Dill! Listen to me!" he pleaded, as she wriggled to be free of him. "Please! I'm sorry." He pulled her back into the tiny room, and sitting down, forcefully pulled her onto his lap. Burying his face in her neck and wrapping his arms around her, he had to hold her there until he'd finished saying what he had to. "Oh, Dill." he half sobbed. "I saw you and straightaway thought you'd come to say goodbye. I just don't understand how you got pregnant… I was told it was impossible. I'm sorry, Dill. I am, I swear!"

"I think it's a bit late for a lesson on the facts of life, Ty." Dill said mournfully. "I would never leave you, not ever. I don't know how it happened. All I know is that it happened. You're right; I should have told you earlier. I was scared you'd run away. I should have trusted you, but you should have trusted me too." She gently touched his jaw where she'd hit him. "Oh, Ty, I cut you. I'm so sorry. I'll never hit you again, I promise." She leaned forward and gently kissed the small scratch.

"I know, I'm sorry too. I should have known you wouldn't do that to me." he whispered, kissing her neck. His hands gently rubbed her stomach, running up and over her bump.

She shivered. "Ty, you better stop that. It's making me feel… well, it's making me feel."

His fingers lightly brushed her breasts, larger now with her pregnancy so advanced. "You know, Dill, I've never thought about it before… and I would have laughed if anyone had said it to me, but…I find this whole thing, your bump, the babies moving, your huge breasts, just… enormously sexy." He looked at her, waiting for her to laugh at him.

She kissed him, tasting every inch of his mouth. She sucked his tongue into her mouth in a ferocious kiss, letting him know exactly how she felt. When she came up for air, she could feel how he felt, his arousal pushing against her thighs.

"God, Ty, you have no idea how much I've wanted you. How I've wished I could feel your arms around me, especially early on, before anyone knew. We can't go to my quarters, Iona's there." She kissed him again and gently licked his face, cleaning the blood from his jaw line, making him shiver.

"We'll go to mine." he breathed, his voice low and husky, his desire evident in every word.

Hand in hand they left, McQueen pulling Dill along behind him. He stopped a passing crewman and sent him with a message to Iona, to tell her he'd found Dill. "We don't want anyone knocking at the door." he winked.

They were barely through his door when they started pulling at each other's clothes. In a matter of minutes they were both naked, with Dill lying on his bed as he sat on the edge, trying to work out the logistics of it.

"Well, as I see it," he smirked, " you get to be on top, or I'll squash the babies." He shook his head. "Gosh, Dill, twins. Well, I guess you don't do anything by halves, do you?"

"Stop pretending you have no idea what to do and kiss me. At this rate they'll be born already!"

He lay down behind her, kissing the back of her neck even as his hands gently found her breasts and began to knead them, rolling the nipples in his fingers. He pressed himself against her, letting her feel how hard he was. "You are so beautiful, Dill" he whispered. "Are you sure we won't hurt the babies?"

"Not if we do it like this." she moaned, reaching her hand up to slowly stroke his navel, making him tremble with desire. "Or even better, like this." she said, getting to her knees and pulling him up behind her.

Holding onto her hips, he pushed her down so she was on her hands and knees and very gently eased himself inside her, worried despite her words. He gasped as she pushed back onto him. "Come on, flyboy. I think you can go a bit faster than that. I don't know about you, Ty, but I really need this, so…"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" he whispered, as he began to thrust inside her. Slowly at first, but picking up speed as she thrust backwards onto him. He held her tight with one arm wrapped around her hips as he began to pound himself into her, losing his control as his orgasm threatened. It had been too long, and quickly he found himself on the edge, desperately trying to hold on until she had come. She sensed him tensing and thrust backwards faster, forcing him over the edge, until he exploded inside her and collapsed gasping across her back.

"Oh god, Dill!" he gasped, as he rolled off her and pulled her to him. "I can't believe we just did that!"

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it." she giggled.

"You know I did." he whispered, kissing her forehead, his hands lazily rubbing her breasts. "I think I better do something for you, though. After all, you came all this way." He grinned.

He pushed her onto her back and began to kiss his way over and around her bump and swirling his tongue over her nipples. He kissed every movement made by the babies, whispering to them as he slower edged his head lower, until she could no longer see him. Feeling her writhing underneath him, he smiled gently and pulled her legs apart enough for him to move his head lower, to search out her little nub in the by now hot moist depths of her centre. His fingers slid inside her, searching for just the right spot to make her moan and call his name. He sucked and nibbled at her clit, making her buck her hips up into his face. He held her down with one hand as he increased his pace with his fingers, matching it with sucks on her little nub. By the time he felt her fluids gush onto his hand, she was writhing on the bed, moaning incoherently. He smiled as he licked her clean. He could taste himself inside her. God, but she tasted good.

He moved up the bed to kiss her and hold her in his arms.

"Hamish?" he whispered. "Where the hell did you dig that up from?"

"Don't forget Cameron." she murmured, snuggling up to him. "Don't you like Hamish? I think it's lovely. So what do you want to call them?"

"Whatever you want Dill. Hamish is fine."

"Good. Hamish McQueen…sounds lovely."

"Don't forget Cameron McQueen." he whispered. "Twins, Dill… wow."

"Indeed." she mumbled her voice soft as she drifted off to sleep.

Pulling the covers over them both, he held her close, his hand on her bump possessively. It wasn't long before he, too, was snoring gently.

Next : Chapter Four
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