Notes: Thanks to Mari and Sammy for their help with this one – particularly when I overthink :-)
Readers and REAL McRollers – Thank you for your amazing support! Your enthusiasm continues to thrill and delight.
Special thanks to katydid13, whose comment in her review of Mari's Reserved sparked this story.
Hope you enjoy!
Natural Assumption (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
"Chin and Kono should be back from court any minute," Steve said. "Once Danny gets here with the forensic report we should all take a look."
Catherine nodded her agreement. "Yeah." She noticed his brow crease as he looked over her shoulder, and she turned to see Max walking across the bullpen toward Steve's office, a large paper bag in his hand. "Are you expecting Max?"
"No. Maybe he's got something new on the victim." He waved Max inside.
"Thank you, Commander, I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all."
Max turned to Catherine. "Lieutenant, I'm glad you're here. I had thought perhaps you might have already left for your reserve duty."
"No, it's not for a couple weeks." She glanced at Steve, and he shook his head, mirroring her confusion. She looked back at Max. "How'd you … know about that?"
Max looked at Steve. "As you might recall, Commander, you took a phone call at the end of our conversation on Tuesday and stepped into the hall." Steve nodded, and Max looked at Catherine. "I had a meeting in another part of the building and overheard the Commander talking to someone about your upcoming assignment." He turned back to Steve. "I apologize, I did not intend to eavesdrop, but you were right outside my door."
Steve waved off the apology. "It's fine. What's up, Max? Did you have more information on McAllister for us? Everything looked pretty straightforward from your report."
"No, this is actually a personal visit. I came to offer my congratulations on your news." He handed Catherine the large bag.
She raised her eyebrows. "Our …"
"... news?" Steve finished, a similar expression on his face.
Max nodded. "After your rather insistent questions regarding the Zika virus on Monday and again on Tuesday, in particular as regards to transmission, incubation, and gravidity, I naturally assumed …" He looked at Catherine pointedly as she pulled a pregnancy and childbirth book out of the bag. "I'm sorry it's such an ordinary bag. I tried to find an appropriately decorative one, perhaps with alphabet blocks or small ducks, but could not locate one large enough," he lamented as Steve, forehead creased in confusion, began pulling a large yellow teddy bear out of the bag. "It's obviously too early to know the sex, but I'm told yellow and green are gender neutral colors. Though, of course, all colors are actually gender neutral, it's societies that place–"
"Max!" Steve interrupted, quickly shoving the bear back in the bag, looking out the glass panels of his office to make sure no one else was there to see the toy. "That's a little … premature, we're … Catherine's not …"
"I'm not pregnant," Catherine said, her voice decidedly more calm than Steve's.
"Oh," Max said, clearly surprised. He paused, and they could almost see the thoughts realigning in his head. He looked between them. "But then surely you are trying to conceive, because the informational briefing for department heads and the subsequent electronic memos disseminated by the Department of Health relayed sufficient details on the virus for law enforcement personnel. One visit for additional information could be explained by the reason you provided, Commander, but two …" His face revealed his skepticism.
Catherine and Steve shared a look, and she sighed, smiling.
Steve's expression softened, and he turned back to Max. "Yes. We are."
Max nodded, happy everything made sense again. "Then I will repeat my congratulations. I'm certain it's only a matter of time."
Catherine grinned. "Is that your medical opinion?"
"Of course I could not give a medical opinion without an examination of you or of any fertility test results available." He smiled. "No, that is my opinion, and my hope, as your friend."
She reached over and squeezed his arm gently. "Thank you, Max."
Steve smiled, and echoed, "Thank you."
Max started to turn, and Catherine said, "Oh, and Max, we're actually not telling too many people about this." She glanced at Steve. "Until we … have something to tell."
Max nodded understandingly. "Of course. I am well known for my discretion in personal matters. My brother once entrusted me with the knowledge that he was going to propose to his–" He stopped, noticing both Steve and Catherine looking at him with raised eyebrows. He cleared his throat. "Ah, that is, perhaps, a bad example. One from which I learned a valuable lesson about keeping secrets. He's forgiven me now." He straightened, nodding resolutely to them both. "You can rely on me, Lieutenant, Commander. I won't let you down."
That night, Catherine returned to their bedroom after taking Cammie out for the last time. Steve sat propped against the headboard, reading the book Max had given them with a highlighter in hand.
She smiled in amusement, climbing into bed beside him. "You didn't get enough information from Danny's book?"
"You never know, there might be something here that wasn't in the other one." He placed the capped highlighted in the book to mark his place and set the book on his nightstand. Turning back to her, he said, "Makes it a lot more real. Reading about all the things you're gonna go through."
"Steve–"
"I also know you're not going to tell me when you're uncomfortable or in pain."
She arched an eyebrow at that. "Do you want to be the pot or the kettle in this scenario, Commander?"
"Cath …"
She sighed, a small smile on her face. "I'm pretty sure there are going to be times I won't be able to hide it." She put a hand to his cheek, focusing his gaze on her. "But you know what? It's going to be totally and completely worth it. Every second."
He smiled reflexively at the thought, though she could see it was still tinged with concern.
"And you know, it's not going to be all discomfort and pain," she continued. "There are going to be so many amazing moments."
"I know, I just–"
"I know," she said, keeping one hand on his cheek and touching his arm with the other. "You hate the idea of me in any kind of pain just as much as I hate the idea of you in any. But I can handle it."
"I know that. And I'll remember that. But I can't promise I won't also be … concerned … from time to time."
She kissed him lightly, touched. "I know, and I appreciate it. As long as you promise not to worry too much."
"I'll try. That I can promise."
She smiled indulgently. "And I promise I'll remind you of that promise when you do."
He chuckled. "Deal."
She shifted closer, and he lifted an arm so she could curl against his side. "So, how long before Max spills to everyone in the ME's office?" she wondered aloud, stretching an arm across his abdomen.
He mimed as if looking at the watch he was no longer wearing, and she laughed. He shook his head, dropping his hand to her arm. "I don't know why we thought we'd be able to keep it secret."
"You know, he probably wouldn't have assumed if you hadn't gone back a second time."
He shrugged. "I … had more questions. I don't regret going back to ask."
"I know you don't. I'm glad you did. Even if neither of us is going to be in a high risk area for our reserve duties. I know you don't regret it because you're thorough."
He nodded.
"And very caring," she continued.
He smiled.
"And adorable," she added.
He winced.
"Face it, Commander," she said, grinning up at him. "In the dictionary, under adorable? Your face."
He snorted. "Good thing no one uses a dictionary anymore."
She chuckled warmly, and he tightened his arm around her, his fingertips making small circles on her soft skin.
"Hopefully Max'll be able to keep it to himself until we have something to tell," he said.
She smiled, rising up to her knees and then straddling his hips. Her voice grew suggestive as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Well then, why don't we try to help him out with that …" she said and drew him into a kiss.
His hands went automatically to her hips, and he pulled her closer as he immediately responded, deepening the kiss.
When they came apart, he smiled and echoed Max's words from earlier. "You can rely on me, Lieutenant. I won't let you down." Though his expression was still playful, she could hear the conviction in his words.
She smiled, her heart full, and cupped his cheek, looking at him steadily. "Never," she said, sealing the promise with another kiss.
Hope you enjoyed!
Keep track of all the REAL World stories on our Tumblr page - mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com
You can still join our mailing list by emailing us realmcroll at yahoo dot com with Add me, please! in the subject line.
And find Mari on Twitter asking your opinions on all things McRoll in the REAL World! at Mari21763 and add #REALMcRoller