"Hey, Topaz."
Sylva poked her head around the door of her friend's bedroom, casting the singer a smile. "Wanna head down town? Copper's game - I think she wants to get out and do stuff and take her mind off Aaron - and we've bullied Nancy into coming along, so I thought I'd better come and ask you too."
It was the night following the fiasco of Connie's Corner, and, much to the relief of the band, Stefana had chosen to keep her wounds to herself, deciding not to mention in Diablo's live interview that she had been attacked by the drummer, though at one point she had hinted around the topic. She had not told Aaron, either, unable to come up with a good reason why she had been in Jewel's dressing room, so in the end nothing bad had come of it, and Copper, resolving to be strong, had tried her hardest to put on a braver face and stick things out as long as they took to get better. Consequently too, since the little chat in the dressing room the previous night, Nancy's fears about her friend's fidelity were allayed, and as a whole the group were functioning far more in their usual team formation. Talk had even ensued again about Violet's up and coming wedding, and Copper had surprised them all by saying that she wanted to help with the organisation, telling them that she wanted to 'exorcise some ghosts' in the process and ensure the sweet natured Teenangel's wedding went without a hitch. The day had been taken up with studio rehearsals and frantic calls to the local florist by Nancy at Taylor's behest, but at last it was evening and, with some time to themselves, Sylva had elected to suggest a girls night out, away from all the stress and pressure that they had been under. She had still not decided on how to tackle the issue of Jack, and in any case, they had been too busy since her discovery for her to do anything about it, but she hated to sit back and dwell on things, and was always up for a night on the town.
"Would it totally weird you out if I don't go?" Topaz glanced up from where she was sprawled on her bed, a magazine in her hands. Sylva frowned.
"Yes." She agreed. "You're usually the first out the door if we go out to clubs. What's up?"
"I'm kinda feeling off again." Topaz admitted.
"Again? Three times in one week?" Sylva demanded. "Right, then I'm calling a doctor to come see you, cos it's not like you to be ill and lethargic and quiet."
"I don't want a doctor...at least, not right now." Topaz said quietly. "Syl, close the door a moment, huh? I want to talk to you about something."
"Okay." Slowly Sylva did as she was bidden, coming to sit down on her friend's bed. "What's up?"
"It's been bugging me why I'm feeling like crap, too." Topaz owned. "Especially since it interfered with Dean's show and it's getting in the way of me doing things I usually do. I am tired and I know I'm not much fun this week...I feel bad about it, too. I know I haven't been the most helpful friend in the world over your dilemma with Jack and I'm sorry for it - I feel like I'm being a bad friend."
"You're being a weird friend, but not a bad one." Sylva shook her head. "Why all the seriousness, Topaz? What's up?"
"Well, I told you before that it was bad fish, when I was sick at Dean's show, but to be honest, it...wasn't the first time I'd felt funny in the last week or two, and, well, you know I haven't been sleeping so good. It began to occur to me that maybe there was a bigger picture and I just hadn't seen it yet."
"Mm...so?" Sylva asked.
"Well, I was in town this morning, you know, picking up my jacket from the cleaners for tomorrow's photoshoot and all that, and I stopped by the newsagent to see what last week's interview printed up like...by the way, the mag's on the dresser if you want to read it, I think they did a good job."
"Stop timewasting, Topaz, tell me what's up." Sylva said quietly, her blue eyes concerned. "What happened?"
"Well, I wasn't feeling so well there, and I had to sit down. And when I did so, something kinda caught my eye on the magazine rack. It was almost like fate or something, I dunno...but I bought it anyhow."
She flicked the magazine she was holding closed, handing it to her friend who took it, gasping as she registered what it was.
"Oh my god!" She whispered. "You think you're...?"
"I'm beginning to wonder." Topaz admitted. "See, there's something else. We've been real busy lately and it hadn't occured to me, but when I got in this afternoon I fished out my diary and counted days. I'm late."
"How late?" Sylva stared. Topaz bit her lip.
"Two weeks." She confessed.
"Holy..." Sylva fell speechless at this, and Topaz nodded.
"I kinda felt the same." She responded.
"What are you gonna do?"
"What can I do? Test, I guess, see if I am." Topaz shrugged. "I can't do it tonight, I didn't buy a test...I didn't want to be recognised and I certainly didn't want a tabloid scandal. I thought I'd read the article in here, check my dates and talk to you guys first."
"What'll you do if you are?" Sylva still looked shell shocked. Topaz sighed.
"That part I haven't thought out." She admitted. "I want to know either way before I start thinking about the next step. But from where I'm standing right now it doesn't look good. I was trying to see if I could work out when, since Cameron is in England so much we hardly see each other and that's a lot why it didn't occur to me before, since it seems kinda impossible. But I guess it's just possible it could have happened the last night he was here - you know, around your twenty first party? I wasn't totally sure I was good for us to sleep together at the time, but I worked it out and I thought it'd be okay. Guess I could have been wrong." She looked sheepish. "Thing is, I was kinda game to take the gamble anyway, even though neither of us were prepared. It's kinda like that when he's here, I want to make the most of it and so does he. I told him that I was okay, that I was safe that night. I...might just have miscalculated, looking at the evidence."
Sylva took a deep breath, thinking things over.
"I'm glad in one way and worried in another that it's Cameron's, if you are." she said finally.
"Who else's would it be?" Topaz looked hurt. "I've been faithful to Cameron, you know that, and I'm not the kind of girl I used to be with guys. It'd be damn impossible for it to be anyone else's baby!"
"I know, I didn't mean to question it." Sylva said hurriedly. "That's not what I meant. Just in a way it's bad since he's so far away."
"Well, we might be panicking over nothing yet." Topaz shrugged. "I might be totally off with my calculations and it might just be a bug I picked up someplace. Till I know for sure I refuse to think about it too much either way."
"So the next step is a test." Sylva observed. Topaz nodded.
"I'm gonna talk to Nancy and Copper. Cynthia also, I think it might be helpful to tell her too. Actually, I want her to get the test for me...to arouse less suspicion. Like I said, we don't need a tabloid scandal, at least till I know for sure."
"Makes sense." Sylva agreed.
At that moment there was a knock on the door, and the keyboardist exchanged glances with her friend.
"Come in." Topaz raised her voice. Copper swung open the door, Nancy in tow.
"Are we going out or not?" She asked.
"I'm not but you guys can if you like." Topaz smiled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep Syl ages."
Sylva frowned.
"I don't think we should go." She said slowly.
"Hey, go. I'm not gonna be abducted while you're out or anything." Topaz's eyes twinkled, but there was a gravity in them too. "I probably should have left telling you till morning, but I guess I needed to spill."
"Tell? Tell her what?" Nancy frowned.
"I think I might be pregnant." Topaz said simply. Copper's eyes widened, and Nancy's jaw dropped. Despite herself Topaz laughed.
"Oh, for a camera." She bantered.
"You're not serious, are you?" Nancy recovered herself first. Topaz nodded.
"Yeah, fraid so." She responded. "I'm two weeks late...and feeling like god knows what."
Copper hesitated a moment, as if fighting with herself, but her compassionate nature took over and she came to hug her friend, sitting down beside her.
"I vote we have a girls night in with a good movie." She murmured. "All of us. I'll call out for pizza, if people are hungry."
"You don't have to..." Topaz began, but Nancy shushed her.
"Copper's right, and I'd rather stay in anyhow. We can go to a club any night, but it isn't the same if you're not feeling right."
Topaz smiled.
"Thanks. You guys rock." She said gratefully. "To be honest I didn't want to be alone tonight. I've a lot of stuff I need to think about."
"Well, how about we settle one of those things." Sylva suggested. "I'll go down and ask Cynthia for help...she can go down to the 7/ll and get a pregnancy test, then you'll know tonight which way it is."
"Okay." Topaz looked relieved. "Thanks." She grabbed her pillow, getting to her feet. "Well, if we're going to hang out in the lounge with a good movie, gonna have to be comfortable."
As the group headed down to settle themselves in the lounge, Sylva hurried down the steps to the basement to consult Synergy and ask her for help. She emerged not long later, the hologram in tow.
Cynthia cast Topaz a concerned look.
"You look pale." She commented. "Whatever this test tonight proves, Topaz, I advise you see a physician."
"I intend to, when I know what I'm going to see him for." Topaz nodded. "I don't want to be like Sirena and get told in a public place when anyone could be listening."
"Very wise." Cynthia smiled.
"Here, take my purse with you." Topaz fished in her bag, handing it over. "And thanks for helping, Cyn."
"No problem." Cynthia responded. "Now to make myself utterly untraceable..." As she spoke her holographic form shimmered and her appearance changed, her sleek curls becoming long brown braids and her violet eyes turning a bright shade of blue.
"Coooool." Sylva dropped down on the sofa, impressed. "Hey, and while you're out, Cyn, if you see any good movies on DVD for hire..." 
"Something funny." Copper put in. "Please, no romance films. I really can't take them at the moment."
"Funny flicks are good with me." Sylva nodded. "But something classy, Cyn, nothing corny and tacky and dumb, okay? And one with plenty of cute guys, if you can find it."
"I know." Cynthia laughed.
"And of course, you're welcome to join the huddle." Copper assured her. Cynthia grinned. Then she was gone, and the four Jewels settled down to wait. Nancy flicked idly through the music channels.
"Nothing on." She reported. "One channel is doing a 'hits of the late nineties' thing, another is having an r&b weekend and they're playing Blade, and another is playing that awful boy band that won't go away."
"What about on films?" Topaz curled up in the armchair, hugging her pillow to her chest. Nancy obediently flicked forward.
"Horror, Adventure, mindless brain exploding violence, something with that guy who was s'posed to be sleeping with Jem twenty years ago only much older...Nick Mann? And some heartwarming cartoon about sweet little rabbits. Bleuch."
"Watership Down is a classic." Copper scolded her. "I used to read it all the time as a kid."
"Well, I'm sorry, rabbits just aren't my thing." Nancy responded dryly.
"I think I saw the film." Sylva remarked. "Can't say it made much sense in places."
"That's because you have the IQ of a flea." Nancy retorted.
"You guys, please..." Topaz held up her hands. "If you're gonna bicker I'd rather you went out."
"Sorry." Nancy frowned. "Guess it's instinctive."
"Topaz, you sure you're okay?" Copper sounded concerned, although there was a troubled look in her eyes.
"I will be when I know." Topaz replied. "Look guys, I don't wanna be fussed over, either way. In the end I might have to make a very tricky choice in a few days and I might need some head space. I know you all care and tonight I'm glad of the company, but just a warning, huh?"
"We got ya." Sylva nodded. Topaz frowned.
"I have goosebumps." She admitted. "Cynnie's gonna get back with that thing and I'm gonna run screaming to lock myself in the bedroom." She toyed with the pillow idly. "It's kinda sinking in that I could be."
"Will you tell Cameron?" Copper asked gently. Topaz paused, then shook her head.
"If I am pregnant, then...then no. On that I'm already decided." She replied. "Ever since I met him he's talked about being a doctor, it's his dream and I won't screw it up by landing that kind of news on him. He'll hare out here if he thinks I'm pregnant with his baby, which I damn well could be, so help me, and I'm not having that. I want him to get his dream...so I'm not telling him either way. And nor are any of you to. I love him too much to screw up his future when I'm the one who made the duff calculation. Not him. You hear me, you guys? Noone is to say a thing to him if this test comes up positive. I know he'll be here in a few weeks, and if I am, well, God only knows how I'll handle that situation, but it's my problem to handle my way, okay? I don't want anyone else getting involved."
Before anyone could respond, the doorbell rang and, exchanging looks with her friends, Topaz got to her feet, going to let Cynthia in. Wordlessly she took the bag, heading upstairs.
"Should we go up there?" Sylva looked anxious. Cynthia took a seat, shaking her head.
"I think she needs to do this alone." She murmured.
"Think she is?" Nancy wondered.
"She said she was two weeks late." Sylva looked troubled. "And she hasn't been herself. I dunno."
"What...what do you think she'll do?" Copper asked. "She...can't get rid of it, surely? I mean..."
"That is up to Topaz." Cynthia said gently. "She has to decide on her own."
"Cyn's right." Sylva nodded. "It's her body and it's her choice. Besides, she might not be."
"We're jumping the gun." Nancy mused. "But if she is, what happens to Jewel?"
"What do you mean?" Sylva looked startled.
"Well, if you have a baby, don't you take maternity leave?" Nancy demanded. Copper noddded.
"Nancy's right." She said quietly. "But for now, all that matters is Topaz and that she's okay. She hasn't been well this week, after all - and whatever it is, she needs us. We just...well, we just have to be supportive if it comes up positive and do our best to help her. Whatever she decides to do."
A silence fell over the room at this, only broken as Topaz rejoined them ten minutes later, as silently as she'd left. One by one all gazes turned to her, not knowing what to ask or how to broach the subject. Slowly she sat down, grabbing her pillow and hugging it tightly.
"Topaz?" Sylva murmured, for there were tears in the singer's eyes.
Topaz raised her gaze to her friend's.
"Oh God..." She murmured. "I'm going to be a Mom!"