Jack heard a baby crying and slowly sat up in bed. It was late at night. Mark was still passed out beside him. Climbing off the bed, Jack moved through the dark room and out into the dark hallway. He had to find the source of the noise. It was coming from Chica's play room. Although, when he opened the door... It wasn't Chica's room anymore. It had been turned into a babies room. In the center of the room sat a baby crib. Reaching out a hand to touch the side, Jack's eyes glanced up to see Mark behind him in the dark reflection of the window. Jack turned around, feeling uneasy. He expected Mark to say something. Instead, Mark walked right through him. Jack panted heavily. He was dreaming. This had to be a dream. Moving off to the side, he watched Mark stare down at the baby, growling out bitterly. "You took him from me"! 

Jack jumped awake, reaching out to touch Mark. He needed to feel real. Only as his hand skimmed the empty bed space beside him, Jack sat up. The sun was streaming through the windows, but Mark wasn't in the room. Slipping off the bed, Jack stood up planning to find him. When a sudden nausea hit him. Covering his mouth, he raced for the bathroom and hurled. Sinking to his knees in front of the toilet, Jack grumbled out bitterly to himself. "This sucks". Jack stiffly tried to stand back up, but his leg gave out under him and he fell onto all fours. Staring at the tile, Jack coughed violently spewing blood across the tiles. For a moment, Jack just stared at the dark blood in shock. Was he ok? He didn't feel hurt. Had throwing up dislodged something?

Mark came around the corner shortly after, lowering his phone from his ear as he started to say. "Hey, Jack? I just got off the phone with Rosemary. I told her- SHIT"! Mark ran to kneel beside him, yelling out franticly. "Jack? What happened?! Can you move"?! Jack let Mark help him to his feet, telling Mark in a quivering voice. "Tell me Rosemary said she can fix this"? Mark shrugged, admitting quietly. "I... I left that part out". Jack shoved Mark back, snapping out. "What?! WHY"?! Mark took a deep breath, trying to calmly reply. "I was worried that I wouldn't even be able to get ahold of her. I didn't want to scare her off by saying that...". Mark drifted off, averting his eyes away from Jack. Jack wiped his sleeve across his mouth, finishing off for Mark in a dry hurt voice. "That I was pregnant"? Mark looked back at him, stating coldly. "You're putting words into my mouth. I was only trying-".

Jack raised his hands to stop Mark, moving around him as he grumbled out. "Just stop, Mark. You're just digging yourself a grave. Just drive me there. Or I will go myself". Mark loaded Chica into the backseat and Jack climbed into the passenger seat. Together Mark drove back to Rosemary's house. Pulling up alongside the curb, they watched Nico lean over the railing with a grin. Mark hooked Chica to her leash and then followed Jack up to the house. Jack stopped short of the steps, asking Nico coolly. "Where is Rosemary"? Nico shifted his weight to his other foot, stating out after a yawn. "She's inside. Go on in. Your dog, on the other hand...". The moment Nico's eyes met Chica's, she growled loudly. Mark patted her, trying to get her to stop. She did, but only after Nico looked away from her.

Jack walked up the steps carefully, when Nico suddenly snorted. Jack stopped at the top of the steps, listening to Nico utter out suggestively. "Phew... The pheromones rolling off you are fierce. If you're here to borrow my treehouse again, I'm going to have to make you pay rent". Nico flashed Jack a wicked grin, but Jack didn't know what to say to that. So, he simply continued on into the house with Mark and Chica. As Chica passed by Nico, she growled again and this time Nico hissed back. Chica's tail curled between her legs and she scrambled into the house faster. Mark's eyes narrowed on Nico, but Nico just shrugged, telling him bluntly. "I'm a cat person". Jack wandered into the house to find Rosemary sitting on the floor with a smoking incense burner. As he approached, She raised a hand without opening her eyes. Jack stood in place, listening as she told him. "One moment".

He waited patiently, until she opened her eyes and stood up with her little incense burner. Cheerfully, she told them with a smile. "I like to mediate. It helps me relieve stress. So, why did you want to see me"? Jack glanced at Mark, stating a bit coldly. "Well, you're a witch, aren't you? Can't you read my mind"? Rosemary's eyes narrowed on him, sharply stating back. "I'm not psychic. My specialties are herbs. Now give me your hand". Jack knew he was being rude, but he couldn't stop himself. It was like his body just wanted to be mad at something, or someone. He extended a hand to her and she took hold of it to look it over. Mark moved closer to say something, when she dropped Jack's hand with a small gasp.

Mark pulled Chica closer to himself, asking curiously. "What did you see"? Rosemary rolled her eyes with a smirk, pointing to Jack's hand as she stated bluntly. "He's got blood on his sleeve. So, what did you want to see me for? Is he sick? Cause even I can't cure cancer". Mark opened his mouth, but Jack just blurted out dryly. "I'm pregnant. I need you to reverse it". Rosemary's eyes grew wide and she slowly sat down. Mark swallowed nervously, telling her. "We don't know for sure. He's got the symptoms of a pregnant person. All we know is that he drank one of your charity drinks. I think it... Made him sick". Jack shot Mark a fowl look. Even now Mark was still denying it. It hurt to hear. Rosemary gestured Jack to come closer, asking cautiously. "Can I feel"?

Jack shifted uncomfortably, reluctantly moving closer as he told her. "I guess... but there is nothing to feel...". Jack lifted his shirt a bit and Rosemary's warm hands gently touched the sides of his lean stomach. He felt her fingers pressing lightly into different spots. Then from the doorway, Nico drifted into the room, saying aloud. "He's knocked up. I can smell him from here". Rosemary lowered her hands, nodding to Jack confidently. Jack lowered his shirt as she asked softly. "Have you seen a doctor for an ultrasound"? Jack shook his head, pleading innocently. "There is one planned. I was just hoping you could help me get rid of this first". Rosemary leaned back in her seat with a small sigh, answering gently. "You've been coughing up blood, haven't you"?

Jack nodded, feeling his hopes sinking out of existence. Rosemary put her fingers against her lips, telling him sadly. "That is what I was afraid of. If I give you a potion to abort it... It might do you more damage than good". Jack wanted to ask her so many questions, but his voice was gone. Mark's voice was anxious, when he asked her loudly. "Why is he bleeding? Can you do anything to stop this? Even in stages"? Rosemary lowered her hand to answer seriously. "I don't know. This has never happened before, but I can guess what's happening to him". Rosemary turned her eyes to Jack as she told them both softly. "His body isn't designed to have children. My potion was designed to make a woman fertile. This combination has caused my potion to... possibly make some changes internally. Which is why you're bleeding. As this baby grows... You're body will shift things around to make it work".

Jack dropped to his knees, his voice nothing more than a whisper, when he asked terrified. "Are you saying this kid is killing me"? Rosemary slid off her chair to hold his shoulders, saying soothingly to him. "No... but the labor might". The room fell silent, until Rosemary told him gently. "Jack... They'll have to preform a C-section on you. And with your internal bleeding making you weaker by the day...". Jack started to hyperventilate. Rosemary cupped his face tightly, telling him quickly. "I might be able to help with that though. Just give me a minute. Breathe". Rosemary quickly climbed to her feet, snapping out to Nico. "Nico? Where did you put my remedy journal"? Nico walked up the stairs, leaning over the railing to push a journal off the top of a bookcase.

Rosemary caught it, telling Mark as she flipped through it. "I can stop the bleeding. But I'll need some time to work through how to fix this. I don't know exactly what it is doing to his body... I can try a few things though". Jack wrapped his arms around Chica's neck in order to settle himself down.  This is what he was afraid of.  Burying his head into Chica's fur, he forced himself not to look at Mark.  He just couldn't bare even the thought of how Mark was taking this.  To Be Continued...