"So, today is the day."
Erin looked up from her computer as she nodded. Ever since Curtis had tried to kill her, ever since Matt had taken over her position as Section Chief, she'd found that she was eager to learn something new, something that fulfilled her and kept her busy. And that had led to her being under the tutelage of one very determined Penelope Garcia.
And then, she had ended up pregnant, and all their work would be in vain. There was no way that she could juggle a new career and a baby. She had been with the FBI for five years before she had gotten pregnant with Karen. And while this pregnancy was planned for some time in the future, the fact that it was coming now was messing up her entire plan.
"Yeah, today is the day we find out the gender of this little surprise bundle of joy. I can't believe that twenty weeks have flown by so quickly." Standing up, she crossed the office she now shared with Penelope and hugged her tightly from behind. "I'll be back in a few hours."
"I know," she replied absently. "Yeah, Prophet, it's that time. No, I'm focused on you. Fine." She looked up from her monitors and gave her a soft smile. "Prophet says that if it's a boy, you have to name him Samiel."
"Like that is happening." She laughed and turned the woman around. "Prophet, I know you can hear me. If we're having a boy, his name is going to be James. We've already discussed this. James for a boy, Claudia for a girl."
Penelope giggled at something the man said to her before leaning up and placing a tender kiss on her cheek. "Stay safe, and make certain that you bring me back a copy of all the data so that we can go over it together! This is so exciting, you know!"
"I know. And you can give me all the details, since I'm sure the doctor will sugarcoat a lot of what could go wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong. I promise. And you have to listen to me, I am an Oracle, after all." Penelope gave her another soft kiss before gently pushing her away. "Now go, before you're late. And I know that you cannot abide tardiness."
Erin smiled at the teasing tone in the woman's voice and felt herself relax a little, some of the anxiety over this appointment fading away. "All right. I'll see you soon, then."
Slipping into Dave's outstretched arm, she let him lead her out to the elevators. Alexandra smiled and gave her a small wave, and she returned the gesture before resting her hand on her bump. The smile on her face widened as she nodded and Erin snuggled close to Dave, resting her head on his chest. "I like seeing you this free. I was worried about what would happen after Curtis."
"After Curtis, I found a deep and abiding love. This is just an outpouring of that love. I'm so glad that you're able to come with me."
"Where else would I be? It is part of me, too." He kissed the top of her head as they stepped onto the elevator and she sighed, wrapping her arm around his waist a little tighter. "Though I hope that they take after you. That would be for the best."
She sighed as she shook her head. "No, I want a perfect blend. Your hair, my eyes, my wit, your intelligence. But most of all, I want them to be healthy. I'm fifty one, this shouldn't have even happened so quickly, even if the drugs did improve my fertility. And this really was a rash decision on our part. I didn't even think of the risks before I agreed. I just wanted…"
"I know." He stilled her words with his finger, and she kissed it, taking a deep breath before opening her mouth once more. "No, we're not going to talk anymore until we're at the appointment. If I let you talk, you're going to work yourself into a tizzy, and that is the last thing this baby needs."
She nodded before quickly saying, "A tizzy? Really?"
"Uh uh, no words. And yes, a tizzy. You're always good at doing that lately." He tugged her closer and she sighed, tapping her foot anxiously. Dave was right there, though, his hand slipping down to rest on her upper thigh, his thumb rubbing back and forth until she stopped. "We are all going to be fine."
"I know," she whispered, pulling out her phone and scrolling through the notifications. A text from Penelope had her smiling and she pulled away a little so that she could answer. The next response caused her to squeak in surprise a little, and she hurriedly stuffed the phone in her pocket so that Dave couldn't see what was on the screen.
"My, my, she does have quite the imagination, doesn't she?" he teased, and she groaned lightly. "Don't worry, I'll try to forget what I saw."
"You had better, bucko." She smacked him lightly on the chest and he just grinned cheekily at her. Shaking her head, she let her body resume its comfortable perch against his, dropping her head onto his shoulder. "So, do you really like the idea of using the name James?"
"I do. I think it is a sweet tribute."
She nodded and let him rub her back as they continued down and then headed out to his car. The drive to her OB didn't take long, and she once more began to nervously tap her foot as she filled out the information on the sign in sheet. "Erin Strauss?"
Her head shot up as she looked at the nurse and then back at Dave. "Here we go." She let out a huffy breath and stood awkwardly, her fingers thrumming against her stomach as she closed the short distance between her and the nurse.
"All right, we're going to take you weight first, if you want to slip your shoes off."
She nodded and stepped out of the black kitten heels before stepping onto the scale. She smiled slightly when she saw that she had finally gained three more pounds. "See, all that good food has finally paid off. Fettuccini Alfredo tonight?"
"That sounds delicious." She slipped her feet back into her shoes and followed the nurse into an exam room, holding out her arm so that she could take her blood pressure. "All right, turn around, Dave. I need to get changed into the gown."
"Ah, bella, I've already seen you naked, more than once."
"This is different. Now, turn around!" He nodded and did as ordered while she quickly stripped and then pulled on the gown, tying the ties in the front before taking a seat on the bed and pulling the blanket over her legs. "All right, I'm decent."
"That you are, Erin." She looked up at her doctor, a wide smile on her face. "I'm very pleased with this weight gain, after what you lost early on in the pregnancy. And your blood pressure is excellent. Doctor Fortner will be in in just a few minutes. Try to make yourself comfortable while you wait."
Erin nodded and laid back, staring up at the ceiling She found that the only way she could keep the nerves at bay was to count the tiles, and when that was done, she threaded her fingers together and just stared at a spot she found that looked like a heart. "You're working yourself into a tizzy again. Stop it."
"I can't, Dave. My mind is racing through the bad possibilities. This is when she does the amnio. This is when we wait until we get the results back. I don't do waiting well." She felt a few tears escape from her eyes to roll down her cheeks and she swiped at them with her hands, hating that she was so vulnerable in that moment.
"And if something is wrong with the baby, are you going to love it any less?" She heard the pain in his voice, and knew that he was thinking of his first child, the one who had only taken a few breaths, who had had a condition that the doctors didn't have a test for at the time. And she knew in her heart what her answer would be.
"No, I would not love the baby any less. They're mine." She cupped her hand protectively around the small bump and sighed as she closed her eyes, letting the tears come. "I'm just not ready for what the world will do to them if there is something wrong. I want to protect them from all the cruel, mean, petty, people who would label them before getting to know them. I, I couldn't bear them being hurt."
"I know." She felt his lips press against her forehead and she smiled a little, not opening her eyes. She wanted to pretend she was alone for the moment, that it was only her and the baby, and that nothing else mattered.
The door opening and closing jolted her back to attention and she opened her eyes, sitting up a little to look at Doctor Fortner. "Good afternoon, Erin. I see you brought Dave with you today."
She nodded. "It's the big appointment, and well, things came up…"
"I understand, I already got the email. I promised I'd send out the information as soon as we were done here. Along with giving you a CD with the ultrasound. Now, are you ready to find out what you're having?"
She nodded and smiled when Dave raised the bed a little so that she could watch the screen. "Everything's looked as it should so far, right?"
"Yes, everything has looked perfect so far. You have had a great pregnancy, despite the early morning sickness bobbles." The doctor gave her a soft smile and she found herself smiling back. "Now, let's see if baby is willing to show us what they are."
Erin nodded and tried not to wince as she spread the gel out on her belly. It seemed colder than ever, and she reached out for Dave's hand, wanting to anchor herself to something solid. The gentle wooshing sound filled the room, and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw the fuzzy image of her baby on the screen. Once more, tears filled her eyes, and Dave tightened his fingers around hers as they both gasped.
"All right, here's the head and then spine. And there's the heartbeat."
Erin smiled as she watched the doctor point out all the features. "And you don't see anything wrong? No abnormalities?"
"No, everything looks perfect, Erin. She is on track to be born in twenty weeks, her length and weight look good, and while this does not rule out any hidden issues, hopefully it settles your heart some. Now, I need to draw the fluid for the amnio. Do you want to watch me do that?"
She shook her head quickly, and Dave lowered the bed, blocking out the sight of the needle. She winced slightly as she felt the needle sink into her skin, and Dave was right there, holding on to her hand tightly and she grimaced a little as it continued on. "I won't get the results for three weeks, right?" she panted out, trying to ignore the slight residual pain.
"That's correct," she said as she wiped off Erin's stomach. Dave helped her to sit up and she slumped against him. "I know that it will be a long wait for you, but I will let you know the minute I get the results."
"Thank you," she murmured as she rubbed her bump lightly. Doctor Fortner nodded at her and left the room, giving them some privacy. "We need to get home now. I need to be back."
He nodded and handed her the blouse, and she slipped her arms out of the gown and hurriedly pulled it on before reaching out for her skirt. Once she was dressed, she slipped off the bed and put her shoes back on, looking at him expectantly. "All right, let me whisk you out to your chariot, my bella."
She laughed lowly and took hold of his hand once more, welcoming his lips against her cheek. "Lead on, o fearless one." Together, they walked back out to the car, and she sat heavily in the passenger seat, rubbing her stomach.
The drive back didn't take very long, but she found herself anticipating stepping into the tech cave once more. The moment the FBI building came into view, she sat up with anticipation and he chuckled lowly. "She'll be there, you don't have to worry about that."
"David James Rossi! You know better than to tease me like that!" He smiled all the wider and she sighed, shaking her head slightly. He pulled into the parking garage and before he had fully put the car in gear, she was opening the door and bounding out, heading over to the elevators as quickly as she could.
Before the car had come, David had joined her, slipping his arm around her waist. "Impatience never sat well on you."
"Hush." The doors slipped open and she darted inside, pulling him along before pressing and holding the six button. The ride took entirely too long and she sighed and tapped her foot in annoyance, trying to ignore his soft chuckles.
Once on their floor, she walked as briskly as she could over to the stairs. Penelope stepped out of the door, an anxious look on her face, and suddenly, Erin found herself grinning wildly at her. Her wife's shoulders slumped in relief as she took a few tentative steps forward, tears already tracking down her cheeks. "So, it went well, then?" she asked as soon as Erin was in front of her.
"Yes. Claudia Jean will be here in twenty weeks."
Penelope gasped happily and threw her arms around her neck, holding on to her tightly before tenderly kissing her lips. "Our perfect little girl! We need to tell our other children that they're going to have another sister."
"I thought that we could do that tonight." Erin began to feel very self-conscious as she realized that everyone in the bullpen was staring at them. Agent Anderson winked cheekily at her and she blushed deeply, hiding her face in the crook of Penelope's shoulder. "It's going to be all over the building in ten minutes, you realize that, right?"
"I do. And I'm tired of hiding our marriage. Everyone thinking you were still with Rossi was getting to me, it really was. And now I'm going to claim you as mine, once and for all."
Erin blushed at the sound of that, wondering what her wife had in mind. And then, Penelope's lips were covering hers in a very possessive kiss, her hand splaying out over the gentle rise of her stomach. "Nothing is ever as it seems," she murmured against her lips, smiling softly and letting herself be led into their office, content to begin the public stage of their relationship.