Note: Before I start I would like to say I don't know if Tallulah Bankhead and Bette Davis ever made a movie together. Also, in the real world, Tallulah Bankhead's last movie was in 1965. She died some time in 1968. I decided to use her in this story because I admire her work and she's my cousin. I also admire Bette Davis's work, but she's not a relative of mine. See my notes for movie recommendations. This story takes place in mid-November 1967, shortly before Thanksgiving. And now on to the story.

It had been a month and still Ellen couldn't get used to sleeping alone. She missed being with Mike, falling asleep wrapped in his arms, waking up to his gentle kisses and soft caress on her face, her neck, her breasts, all over her body. She wanted to be with him more than anything in the world. The two weeks after they got back from San Francisco he had spent every night with her and it had been wonderful. But now she was in Arizona filming a movie and he was back home in California busy with the band. She idly wondered if he missed her as much as she missed him. She called when she had a chance, but he was rarely alone when she called and he was not the type to talk about intimate things when his friends were listening. The movie would be done within a week and then she could go back home to Mike. The day couldn't come soon enough for her.

Outside the crew was setting up for the day's shooting and she could hear Tallulah Bankhead talking to the director. Glancing at her clock, Ellen noticed she was due for a makeup session in half an hour. Today they were filming her big scene where she tried to convince her aunts to sell their house. If she did this scene well, then she was almost guaranteed to get more movie roles in the future. This was what she wanted. She just wished she didn't have to spend so much time away from Mike.

She slowly sat up, fighting the nausea. Just her luck, her first movie, she was co-starring with Tallulah Bankhead and Bette Davis, and she was sick. She hadn't told anyone, especially Mike. She didn't need him worrying about her and she didn't need the director to find out. She needed this job. She would go to see Dr. Cole as soon as she got home if she wasn't feeling better. Once she got going for the day she usually felt better, but she was tired at night.

She made it to the bathroom just in time. She was just finishing when she heard the door to her trailer open and someone came in. "Miss Farnsby? Dahlin, where are you?" She recognized Ms Bankhead's distinct voice.

"Perhaps she's already gone to get makeup done," another voice said. It was Ms. Davis.

"No, they sent us to look for her. I don't know why. I'm a star, not some lowly techie," Ms. Bankhead said.

"Tallulah, calm down," Ms. Davis said. "She's probably here and is listening. She'll think you don't like her."

"I never said I didn't like her, dahlin, I just feel it's not my job to find her."

Ellen washed her face and exited the bathroom. "I'm sorry I haven't gone to makeup yet," she said. "I just got up. I'm afraid I'm not feeling well. I don't think it's anything too serious, though."

"Of course it's not," Ms. Bankhead said. "It's something women have been dealing with since the beginning of time, dahlin."

"Oh, no, it's not that," Ellen said. "It's not that time."

"I don't think that's what she meant," Ms. Davis said.

Ellen felt faint as she realized what they were talking about. Could it be possible? She thought about the symptoms she had been having, fatigue, nausea, her period was late. Oh god, how would she tell Mike? Was this what Madame Rose had meant when she said there was a big change about to happen?

"I'll make an appointment with my doctor for you later," Ms. Davis said. "Do you feel up to filming today?"

Ellen nodded. "Please don't tell the director," she said. "I need this job."

"Don't worry, dahlin," Ms. Bankhead said, "we won't tell anyone."

************************************************

Ellen sat on the examining table at the doctor's office, anxiously awaiting the results of her examination. Chances were she was pregnant. How did she feel about it? How would Mike feel about it? A baby was a big responsibility. Were they ready to make a commitment to each other and a child? She loved Mike more than anything in the world and this baby was a product of that love. It was part of them, something they had created together.

What kind of father would Mike be? From various comments he had made over the course of their six month relationship, she had pieced together his childhood. He had been five when his parents divorced and he hadn't seen his father since. He hadn't spent much time with his father before the divorce, either. Could he be a good father?

Maybe she wasn't pregnant and all the worrying was for nothing. Maybe it was just stress or a cold. Maybe she wasn't pregnant.

But chances were that she was. They hadn't been careful that last month they were together. Every night most of the month, most times more than once a day. She could have conceived at anytime, her birthday, when they were in San Francisco, after that.

Where was the doctor? She needed to know if she was pregnant. Then she would think about how to tell Mike, her friends, her family. Her mother. Her mother would not be happy. She still refused to accept Mike. This would just make things worse between them. And what about Mike's family and friends? How would they react to the news? Would they insist that she and Mike get married? Where wold they live? Her apartment was small and the lease would be up soon. Mike's house had more room, but how would Micky, Peter, and Davy feel about her living there? And how would they feel about a baby living there, too?

But what if she wasn't pregnant? Then she wouldn't have any reason to worry.

The doctor came in, holding a manilla folder in his hand. He pulled his glasses out of his pocket and put them on. He read the paper in the folder. "Miss Farnsby, I have the results of your tests. I can say almost without a doubt that you are at least two months pregnant."

The word echoed in Ellen's mind. How would she tell Mike? She suddenly felt weak and closed her eyes. She felt the tears start and didn't attempt to hold back. No matter what, she would always have a part of Mike in their child, she thought as she held one hand on her stomach. She was going to have a baby, Mike's baby. She realized this was what she had wanted most in her life.

End Part One

Part Two

"I know I'm not your regular doctor, but I need to ask you some questions," the doctor said.

"I'm not married," Ellen said, opening her eyes. She wiped away her tears.

"I didn't think so," the doctor said. "Do you at least know who the father is?"

The way he said it made Ellen feel as if she were wrong for doing the things she had with Mike. "Of course I know who he is," she said defensively.

"You'd be surprised the number of young women I get who don't know who the father is," the doctor said. "It's become even more common these days with the hippies and all that. There are ways to prevent pregnancy. You are aware of that, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir, it's just that, well, we never talked about it, it just happened. I just don't know how to tell Mike."

"That's your boyfriend?"

"Yes. He's wonderful and I know he loves me, but we've only been together for about six months."

"You do have options, Miss Farnsby. You could always give the child up for adoption. Or abortion. It's not legal, but I know a doctor who does them and I trust him. I could give you his number."

Ellen couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was actually suggesting she give up her baby, get rid of it. "No, doctor, that won't be necessary. This is my child, mine and Mike's and we will be the only people making decisions about what to do."

"Okay, calm down. I just wanted to let you know your options. If you do have to raise the child on you own, it will be very rough. You're young, healthy, you have plenty of time to have other children. I hope things work out well for you."

"They will," Ellen said.

"You'll need to make an appointment with your doctor when you get home. I can give him a call and tell him what is going on and have him contact you if you would like."

"Yes, please do so," Ellen said. "His name is Thomas Cole. His phone number is 212-555-7834. He knows how to contact me."

"I'll give him a call today. Please take care of yourself, Miss Farnsby, at least for the sake of the child. My nurse will give you some information on the way out."

"Thank you," Ellen said and left. The nurse gave her several pamphlets on health. She decided to read them later.

That night she lay awake in bed thinking about how she would tell Mike. She decided to wait until she got home. News like that should be told in person.

(I wonder what you will look like?) she wondered.

She drifted off to sleep and began to dream of another time, another place when something similar had happened. He had loved her then, hadn't rejected her. They had made plans, but their happiness was not meant to be. This time things would be different. She was sure of that.

End Part Two

Part Three

Mike was dreaming again, but this time it was different. He was living in some dusty little desert town. There wasn't much to do in the town since the saloon had burned down and the "ladies" had left shortly afterward. That didn't bother him at all. He had his own girl, a sweet little redhead named Jenny. He was waiting for her. They had to wait until dark to see each other because her father didn't approve, but it was worth it.

Everything had been okay until the day before when he had received word that Henry was coming to town and planned to challenge him to a gunfight. He couldn't run, not again. Henry always caught up with him. He just had the feeling that this time it would end. He was tired of fighting. He just wanted to settle down with Jenny and raise a family.

He heard her footsteps outside his door, heard her knock. He let her in, greeting her with a kiss. "I heard about Henry," she said, tears in her eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"What can I do? I can't run, people will say I'm a coward."

"I don't want to lose you, not now. I'm going to have a baby, your baby."

He didn't know what to say. A baby.

He heard more footsteps, the door opened. Henry. Gunshot. "Jenny!"

Mike could feel someone touching his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes to find Peter standing beside his bed. "Another bad dream?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Mike said, sitting up. "What time is it?"

"Five," Peter said. "Who's Jenny?"

"Huh?"

"You said something about somebody named Jenny," Peter said. "I was just wondering who she was."

"Nobody," Mike said, getting out of bed. "It was just a dream."

"Where are you going?"

"For a walk."

"At this time of morning in your pyjamas?"

"I'll change clothes and then go for a walk," Mike said, grabbing a shirt and jeans out of the closet. "I'll be back later." He shut the bedroom door behind him.

Peter stared at the door for a minute, wondering to himself if he should follow Mike or just go back to bed and forget what happened. He knew there were more to the dreams than Mike would admit. This wasn't the first time something like that had happened. And he knew Mike missed Ellen a lot. But she would be back in a few days. Maybe then things could get back to normal. Peter finally decided that Mike could take care of himself so he went back to bed.

Mike knew exactly where he was going. He was going to Ellen's apartment. She had asked him to keep an eye on the place and take care of her plants while she was gone. Sometimes he just stayed for a few minutes, sometimes he stayed for hours. It all depended on his mood. This morning he missed her more than he had lately. He just needed to be near her in some way.

He got her mail and stacked it with the rest. He noticed a postcard from her mother and glanced over it. Are you still with that long haired musician?' Judy hadn't even bothered to address him by his name. How would she react if she knew the whole story about their relationship? How would she react knowing that he was the one to take her daughter's virginity when she was 18? That it had been a mutual thing would probably not matter much.

He put the card back in the stack and went to check on the plants. They looked okay, but he decided they needed to be watered. As he did this he noticed how empty the apartment seemed to be without Ellen. She would be home in just a few days. He couldn't wait. He just wasn't the same without her.

He finished watering the plants and walked to the bedroom. The memories, that's what had kept him going the last month. He sat down on the bed and traced the pattern on the comforter with one finger. How many nights had they spent together in this bed? Too many to count. He laid down and reached for her pillow. He could smell the faint scent of her perfume even though she hadn't been there in a month. Strange how some things linger for so long. Clutching the pillow he drifted off into sleep, dreaming of Ellen.

He was awakened several hours later to the sound of the phone ringing. It took him several seconds to remember where he was. Who would be calling Ellen? Everybody knew he was out of town. Maybe it was Micky or Peter, just checking to make sure he was okay. He made his way to the phone, hoping the person hadn't hung up already. "Hello?"

"I'm trying to reach Ellen Farnsby. Is she there?" a male voice asked.

"This is her number, but she's not here," Mike said. "She's out of town until Friday. I can take a message, though."

"That would be wonderful. This is Dr. Cole. I'm just calling to give her the name of the OB/GYN I recommend."

"OB/GYN? What's that?" Mike asked.

"That's short for Obstetrician/Gynecologist. A woman's doctor," Dr. Cole explained.

"Is there something going on with Ellen that I should know about? I'm her boyfriend."

"Well, because of doctor/patient confidentiality, I can't tell you. Just give her this message. I recommend Dr. Jonathan Diehl. He's a good doctor. His office number is 555-3894. And tell her to make an appointment with me when she gets back to town. It's very important."

"I'll do that, Dr.," Mike said, trying to remember what and Obstetrician was.

"Thank you. Goodbye," the doctor said and hung up.

Mike hung up the phone. He felt faint as he suddenly realized what an Obstetrician was. A baby? Was Ellen going to have a baby? This meant one thing. He had to find that ring he had bought for her in San Francisco. This was the right time to ask her to marry him.

End Part Three

Part Four

Filming had ended and Ellen was getting ready to go back home, back to Mike. "Have you thought about how to tell him?" Ms. Bankhead asked her.

"I don't really know," Ellen said. "I have to tell him, he has a right to know, it's his child, too."

"Were you on good terms when you left?"

"Yes, but I don't know how things have been since I left. He's been fighting with his friend, he doesn't have much money. This isn't exactly the best time to tell him I'm pregnant."

"You have to tell him," Ms. Bankhead said. "And please let me know what happens."

"I will," Ellen promised.

Meanwhile, Mike had found the ring he had bought for Ellen in San Francisco. He had bought it knowing he would not give it to her right away. He would have to wait until the right moment and that seemed to be now. He would wait for her to tell about the baby first. But what if it was something else, what if she wasn't pregnant? Would he still ask her to marry him? It didn't take him a lot of thinking to answer that question. No matter what, he was sure this was the right time, they were ready to get married, baby or no baby.

Ellen got back late that afternoon. She stopped by her apartment first and dropped off her luggage. Her mail was piled on the table and her plants looked healthy, evidence that Mike had been there. She went to the bedroom to change clothes and noticed the bed was messy. Evidently Mike had spent some time there, too. Should she call him and tell him she was back or should she just go see him? She decided just to go see him. She wanted to tell him as soon as she could about their baby.

He was alone when she arrived at the pad. He was sitting on the couch, playing his guitar, totally oblivious to the rest of the world. She didn't recognize the tune, but she liked it. She stood quietly in the doorway just taking in the sight. His hair looked a little longer, curling around the collar of his shirt. It was the white one, the same one he had worn on their first date. His eyes were closed in concentration. She loved watching him play whether with the group or by himself like he was now. In her mind she could see how things could be in a year, watching as he sang a lullaby to their child.

He finished playing and she began to applaud. The sudden noise startled him and he looked up to see her standing in the doorway. He smiled and set the guitar down. "When did you get back?" he asked, walking up to her. He pulled her into his arms and held her close.

"I got back about half an hour ago," she answered, slipping her arms around his neck. "Did you miss me?"

"Oh yeah," he said, leaning down to kiss her. One kiss quickly drifted into another.

"We're all alone," he whispered against her lips. "Wanna go upstairs?"

"Actually, I'd like to go for a walk. I need to talk to you about something," she said, slipping out of his embrace.

"And then we can go upstairs?" he asked hopefully.

"Maybe," she said, smiling.

He grabbed his jacket and hand in hand they left. "How was the movie?" he asked.

"More work than I thought it would be," she said. "But Ms. Davis and Ms. Bankhead were real nice to me. They really made me real comfortable."

"Did you get their autographs?"

"Of course. You'll go to the premiere with me, won't you?"

"Sure. I love a good party," he said. "Is that what you had to ask me about?"

"Some of it," she said. How would she tell him?

They were passing a playground. A man was pushing a little boy on a swing. "Lucky kid," Mike said.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud," he said. "That kid's probably about the same age I was when my father left."

"That still bothers you sometimes, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, sometimes," he said.

Now was the time. "Have you ever thought about having children?"

"I don't know, maybe someday. I didn't exactly have a prime example growing up. Yeah, I'd like to have children someday."

Taking a deep breath she said, "How about June?"

"Doesn't it usually take longer than that?" He wanted to hear her say the words. Then he would know it was true.

"I'm pregnant, Mike. I found out a few days ago. It most likely happened on my birthday."

She wasn't sure how to expect him to react. Shock, denial, happiness, anything would have been better than what happened. Mike fainted. Micky had told her he'd had the same reaction when they told him they had asked her to dinner.

She knelt down beside him. "Mike, please wake up. I didn't think you would react like that."

Mike slowly opened his eyes. "Urgent Answering Service, don't do it," he said.

"Don't do what?" she asked, helping him up off the ground.

"I don't know. Did you just tell me what I think you did?"

"Yes, it's true," she said. "We're going to have a baby."

"What are we going to do now?" he asked.

"I don't know. Are you mad at me?"

"No, because I'm just as responsible as you are. We made it together." He paused for a second, thinking. "Your mother isn't going to be happy about this. Have you told her yet?"

"No, the only people who know are Tallulah Bankhead and Bette Davis."

"Great, they knew about it before me. Why didn't you tell me before? You should have told me first."

As soon as he saw the look on her face he knew he had said the wrong thing. He hadn't meant it to be taken the way she had. "I wanted to tell you in person," she said. "I wanted you to be happy about it." She turned and ran away from him, not even attempting to stop her tears.

He wanted to run after her, tell her he was sorry, but he knew she didn't want him around then. Maybe in the morning things would be better. He would go see her, tell her he was sorry, give her the ring. Maybe then things would be better. He went back home.

Peter and Micky were there when he got back. "Where have you been?" Micky asked.

"Uh, Ellen was here, we went for a walk," Mike said.

"Where is she now?" Peter asked.

"She went back to her place, I guess," Mike said. "I'm gonna go upstairs."

"Mike, did something happen?" Peter asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Mike said, going upstairs. He shut the door behind him and sat down on his bed. He'd go see her in the morning. Things would be better then. It was just hormones. So much was going on, she was just sensitive right now and he would have to be careful.

The Next Morning

He got up before anybody else and fixed himself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. He ate quickly and dressed. Making sure he had the ring, Mike left to go to Ellen's apartment. This was the right thing to do. He loved her, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

He arrived at her apartment and knocked on the door. No answer. He rang the doorbell. Inside he could hear her footsteps. She opened the door. She was wearing her robe and it was obvious she hadn't been awake long and that she hadn't slept well at all. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

He didn't say anything, just stepped inside and took her into his arms. He kissed her, a slow, deep kiss. At first she didn't respond, but then her arms wound around his neck. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him back with the same passion. He felt her tremble as he deepened the kiss, slowly parting her lips with his tongue. She met it with her own and he felt himself tremble with desire. If he didn't end the kiss soon he wouldn't be able to stop himself. He wanted her more than he thought possible. But there would be more time for that later. He had come there for a reason.

He reluctantly ended the kiss. She sighed in protest. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring. He held it out to her, taking her hands in his. "Ellen, I love you and I know you love me, too. Will you marry me?"

End Part Four

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