PART THREE – DEMONS OF THE PAST

"That's really about it, Jan." Ian said as Anne stood up to finish getting dressed and leave. Annie had been visiting Ian every two weeks for nearly two months now, and the Green Branch agent was finding himself more and more relieved with every visit. Masterson was not only handling this pregnancy fairly normally, but she had also shown no signs of recognition of Loomis from his days at The Resort.

This was a possibility that had terrified Ian at the beginning- so much so that at times he nearly forgot his training as a Green Branch Rocket. He had been constantly checking himself- stopping himself from calling Agent Masterson by her real name, from mentioning the words "the resort", from referring at all to Team Rocket. However, Loomis' fears had turned out to be groundless. He had nothing to fear from Jan Masters, as the woman clearly had no recollection of him. Loomis grew more and more relieved with each visit as this fact became clearer and clearer to him.

Annie smiled at Ian and shook his hand, then turned to leave. When her hand touched the door, however, she hesitated. Annie turned back to Loomis, her face a mask of uncertainty. "Ian? Listen, I- I lied. There is something I haven't told you.

"What is it, Jan?" Ian asked, more than a little unsure that he really wanted to know.

Annie stepped over to Ian's stool and sat down, her eyes looking to the office floor. "Well…" she began, then hesitated.

"Really, Jan, you can tell me anything you like." Ian said in his best professional manner.

Annie's eyes met Ian's, then darted back to the floor again as she said quietly, "It's just that- well, I'm afraid."

Ian looked at Annie, searching her eyes carefully. "Well, that's understandable, you know. I mean, your first baby and all…"

"That's not it." Annie interrupted, offering no further explanation.

Ian looked at her with confusion. "What, then?"

Annie looked to his eyes once again. "Ian, what are the odds of a baby being a copy of its parents? I- I mean, are they predisposed to be like their parent, or what?" Annie felt foolish even asking, but it was a dread that had been preying on her night and day for the past two weeks since her last visit.

Loomis looked at her, correctly sensing what she was fearing her baby would become. "Jan, a baby is its own person, just as capable of becoming anything as anyone else." He said softly.

Annie's eyes turned to the floor again. "I'm scared, Ian. You see, I-" Annie hesitated, hardly able to believe that she was considering telling him what she was about to say.

"What, Jan?" Ian persisted.

"I- I haven't always been the most stable of people. In fact, I spent a good part of my life in-" Annie paused here. How could she explain to anyone the horror she had seen and felt at The Resort? "In a hospital of sorts." She finished curtly.

Ian's throat went dry. He knew exactly what Annie meant by 'hospital'… "a hospital? You mean a… psychiatric hospital?" he said softly, choosing his words as carefully as he could so as to minimize the possibility of a rush of memory.

Annie silently nodded as she looked at the floor. She had never felt she would be able to admit to her time at the Resort, but she was finding Ian strangely easy to relate to, whatever the reason.

Sensing her worst fears, Ian put his arm around her, partly in order to comfort her and partly in order to attempt to gauge her reactions to him. He knew that if Annie was considering drastic measures- such as aborting the pregnancy, there would be hell to pay from Giovanni. "Jan…" he began carefully. "There is no evidence that your baby would have the same problems you've experienced because of genetics."

Annie looked up to him, finding comfort in his words. "Really?" she asked meekly.

"Yes." Ian continued, confident that he was winning her faith and trust flawlessly. "All the tests show that your baby is developing the way it should, and your symptoms are all on track… everything points to you having a very healthy baby so far… and I can tell you now that I don't think your baby will have any problems like you're afraid it will."

Annie's face registered an uncertainty. "How can you be sure?" she asked.

Loomis sighed. "Well, truthfully, Jan, I can't. But in my professional opinion, I have to say that I know this baby will be all his or her own person. Whatever has transpired in your life or your mind before now- Well, it's irrelevant. It makes no difference. Your baby will have its own life, and that life will be whatever you choose to steer it toward." Ian finished and looked to Annie with apprehension.

Annie smiled softly. "Thank you." She said quietly as she gazed at Ian.

"Anytime." Ian grinned. "Actually, you know, what you've been thinking- it's really a normal side effect of pregnancy."

"The uncertainty?" Annie asked, surprised.

"Yes. Along with all the other- ahem- more fun symptoms you've reported." Ian said with a chuckle.

Annie glared at him, but her smile didn't fade. "You laugh at my nausea?" she accused.

"I wouldn't dream of it, dear." Ian said with a smile.

Annie's glare disappeared as she stood to leave. "Well, I guess I'll be back in two weeks, then." She walked to the door once again, and hesitated. She turned back to look at Ian once more as Ian began to get nervous again. Why wouldn't she just go? "Thank you." Annie said softly, and opened the door to leave. As she walked out and stopped by the receptionist to schedule her next appointment, Loomis retreated to his office for the 30-minute block of "recovery" time he always set aside after a Jan Masters appointment. Ian collapsed in his chair, downed a tranquilizer, and wondered just who this pregnancy was harder on. With a sigh, He turned to the wall and removed the painting once again to open the secret door and report back to Giovanni on the progress of the pregnancy.

CHAPTER FOUR: JEOPARDY