Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.
Claire frowned and tapped her finger on the calendar. She was late. She was due to start her next pack of pills today, and she still hadn't had her period. That wasn't like her. She was always on time. The suspicion that had been slowly forming in the back of her head started to ease its way to the front. The nausea she'd been having lately didn't alleviate any of her concerns. She sighed and made a decision. She'd stop at the drug store on the way home tonight and buy a test. By this time tomorrow she'd know.
Claire frowned at the stick. It couldn't be. She read the directions again. She had to have done something wrong. Nope. She followed them perfectly. She checked the stick again. The answer was the same. She was pregnant. She wrapped her arms around herself, wondering how she was going to tell Bobby. With a sigh, she stripped off her robe and stepped into the shower, bracing herself for the rest of the day.
Bobby glanced at his watch, silently urging the bad guys to hurry up and finish the deal so he could get back to the office and talk to Claire. She'd seemed so distant yesterday afternoon when she told him she wasn't feeling well and just wanted to spend an evening alone at home. He could count on one hand the number of nights they'd spent apart since getting together 8 months ago, and all of them had been when he was out of town.
"Here they go." Darien said beside him.
"Huh?" Bobby asked, turning to glance at his partner.
Darien looked at him; it wasn't like Hobbes to drift off during a stakeout. "Here they go man, the deal's about to happen. Get ready." He paused, putting a hand to his ear. "Alex says she's ready on her end, she'll follow us."
Bobby nodded, forcing his mind back to business. He saw the two groups exchange briefcases, then threw Golda's door open and jumped out with his weapon drawn. "Freeze! Federal agents! Put your hands in the air!" He saw Alex coming out the door of a vehicle on the other side of the street and knew it was over.
They were cuffing the bad guys when Darien caught Bobby checking his watch again. He signaled someone else to take over what he was doing and pulled Bobby aside. "Are you ok? You've been watching time all day."
Bobby frowned. "I'm worried about Claire. She went home alone last night, and was kind of weird yesterday afternoon. I want to get back to check on her."
Darien smiled, immediately understanding why he'd been so weird. "Take off. We can finish up here, and I'll catch a ride back with Alex."
"Are you sure?" Bobby asked, already turning to head for the van.
Darien shooed him off with one hand. "Get out of here, I'll see you later." Bobby almost sprinted to the van and left.
Alex came up to Darien. "What was that all about?"
"He's heading back to the Agency. He's worried about Claire. He said she was kind of weird yesterday."
Alex nodded knowingly, before punching him lightly in the shoulder. "C'mon, let's finish rounding up the bad guys."
Bobby told himself to calm down as he walked down the hallway towards the Keep. He'd managed to get his heartbeat mostly under control as he walked through the door. "Hi Claire." He greeted, looking around to see if they were alone.
She looked up at him, and the smile she gave him helped calm his nerves. She stood up and came over to kiss him lightly. "Hello handsome." He smiled back at her, her greeting making him feel like the luckiest man on earth. She wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head against his chest. He tentatively put his arms around her back. "We're alone." She assured him. "The Official and Eberts left for a meeting about an hour ago; they expect to be out all afternoon." After hearing that he held her a little more securely.
They stood that way for several minutes, enjoying the embrace before Claire sighed and pushed away. She went back and sat at her desk, looking steadily at her hands in her lap. "Bobby, I have something I need to tell you, and you may not be very happy" His heart dropped into his stomach again.
"You're going to tell me its over aren't you?" He asked.
Claire looked up, startled. "No, not at all."
Bobby relaxed smiling at her again. "Then how bad could it be?"
"I'm pregnant." She said simply. For several minutes, he stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Pregnant." He asked feebly. She nodded, her gaze returning to study her hands. "Are you sure? I mean, I thought you were on the pill."
"I am, but nothing is 100% effective. And I'm very sure, I took a test this morning, that's why I asked to be alone last night." She looked up at him. He was grinning broadly.
"You aren't upset?"
He moved towards her, drawing her to her feet. "Should I be?"
She returned his smile. "No, I just wasn't sure how you were going to take it." Bobby went to his knees in front of her, laying his head on her belly, his arms going around her waist.
"Hi little one." He greeted, placing a kiss against her belly. He looked up at her. "I'm going to be a daddy." His grin got broader. "I'm going to be a daddy!" He came to his feet, scooped Claire up and spun her around.
She clung to him, laughing in delight. "Yes you are."
He set her down, his face suddenly drawn in concern. "Oh my gosh. I shouldn't be spinning you. It will make you sick. Are you ok? Are you feeling all right?" Claire pressed her lips against his.
"I'm fine; I've been having a little bit of nausea, but nothing too bad yet." She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. He went to his knees in front of her again, shaking a finger at her belly.
"Now don't you go making your mother sick, do you hear me?" He said. Claire laughed. He looked up at her. "How'd I do? Think I'll be all right?"
"You'll be fine." She looked down at him, hands framing his face. "I love you Robert."
He stood up again, pulling her against his body. "I love you too Claire." They were standing that way, holding each other when the door to the Keep opened.
"I guess this means everything is ok?" Darien asked dryly. Alex was a step behind him. Bobby and Claire separated, but stood holding hands.
"Yeah, everything is great." He told his partner. He looked inquisitively at Claire. She sighed and smiled at him.
"Go ahead. You're going to burst if you don't tell him."
Bobby looked back up at Darien. "I'm going to be a father." Darien and Alex looked at Bobby and Claire in stunned silence for a moment. "Claire's pregnant." Bobby clarified. Darien whooped and rushed at Bobby. The two hugged, and Darien picked Bobby up the same way Bobby had picked Claire up. They pounded each other on the back, before separating. Darien gave Claire a tamed down kiss on the cheek, and embraced her lightly.
"Congratulations." Alex told Bobby, embracing him, while Darien kneeled on the ground and started talking to Claire's stomach. Alex looked over at Darien and smacked him across the back of the head. "Get up you buffoon. The baby can't hear you yet." Darien rubbed his head, grinning as he got to his feet. Alex took Claire in a tight embrace. "I'm so happy for you." She whispered in Claire's ear, rocking her. When they pulled apart, both women had tears in their eyes.
Bobby shook his head. "Only women can find something to cry about when given the happiest news of their life." He told Darien who nodded in agreement. He pulled Claire back into his arms.
"I hate to rain on the parade, but what are you going to tell the Official?" Darien asked hesitantly. Bobby held Claire a little tighter when Darien asked the question.
Alex shrugged for them. "Who cares? He'll just have to deal with it. Right now, I say we cut out early and celebrate. Beers for us, and club soda for Claire."
"Here, here!" Bobby agreed, and they all filed out of the keep.
Claire frowned and tapped her finger on the calendar. She was late. She was due to start her next pack of pills today, and she still hadn't had her period. That wasn't like her. She was always on time. The suspicion that had been slowly forming in the back of her head started to ease its way to the front. The nausea she'd been having lately didn't alleviate any of her concerns. She sighed and made a decision. She'd stop at the drug store on the way home tonight and buy a test. By this time tomorrow she'd know.
Claire frowned at the stick. It couldn't be. She read the directions again. She had to have done something wrong. Nope. She followed them perfectly. She checked the stick again. The answer was the same. She was pregnant. She wrapped her arms around herself, wondering how she was going to tell Bobby. With a sigh, she stripped off her robe and stepped into the shower, bracing herself for the rest of the day.
Bobby glanced at his watch, silently urging the bad guys to hurry up and finish the deal so he could get back to the office and talk to Claire. She'd seemed so distant yesterday afternoon when she told him she wasn't feeling well and just wanted to spend an evening alone at home. He could count on one hand the number of nights they'd spent apart since getting together 8 months ago, and all of them had been when he was out of town.
"Here they go." Darien said beside him.
"Huh?" Bobby asked, turning to glance at his partner.
Darien looked at him; it wasn't like Hobbes to drift off during a stakeout. "Here they go man, the deal's about to happen. Get ready." He paused, putting a hand to his ear. "Alex says she's ready on her end, she'll follow us."
Bobby nodded, forcing his mind back to business. He saw the two groups exchange briefcases, then threw Golda's door open and jumped out with his weapon drawn. "Freeze! Federal agents! Put your hands in the air!" He saw Alex coming out the door of a vehicle on the other side of the street and knew it was over.
They were cuffing the bad guys when Darien caught Bobby checking his watch again. He signaled someone else to take over what he was doing and pulled Bobby aside. "Are you ok? You've been watching time all day."
Bobby frowned. "I'm worried about Claire. She went home alone last night, and was kind of weird yesterday afternoon. I want to get back to check on her."
Darien smiled, immediately understanding why he'd been so weird. "Take off. We can finish up here, and I'll catch a ride back with Alex."
"Are you sure?" Bobby asked, already turning to head for the van.
Darien shooed him off with one hand. "Get out of here, I'll see you later." Bobby almost sprinted to the van and left.
Alex came up to Darien. "What was that all about?"
"He's heading back to the Agency. He's worried about Claire. He said she was kind of weird yesterday."
Alex nodded knowingly, before punching him lightly in the shoulder. "C'mon, let's finish rounding up the bad guys."
Bobby told himself to calm down as he walked down the hallway towards the Keep. He'd managed to get his heartbeat mostly under control as he walked through the door. "Hi Claire." He greeted, looking around to see if they were alone.
She looked up at him, and the smile she gave him helped calm his nerves. She stood up and came over to kiss him lightly. "Hello handsome." He smiled back at her, her greeting making him feel like the luckiest man on earth. She wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head against his chest. He tentatively put his arms around her back. "We're alone." She assured him. "The Official and Eberts left for a meeting about an hour ago; they expect to be out all afternoon." After hearing that he held her a little more securely.
They stood that way for several minutes, enjoying the embrace before Claire sighed and pushed away. She went back and sat at her desk, looking steadily at her hands in her lap. "Bobby, I have something I need to tell you, and you may not be very happy" His heart dropped into his stomach again.
"You're going to tell me its over aren't you?" He asked.
Claire looked up, startled. "No, not at all."
Bobby relaxed smiling at her again. "Then how bad could it be?"
"I'm pregnant." She said simply. For several minutes, he stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Pregnant." He asked feebly. She nodded, her gaze returning to study her hands. "Are you sure? I mean, I thought you were on the pill."
"I am, but nothing is 100% effective. And I'm very sure, I took a test this morning, that's why I asked to be alone last night." She looked up at him. He was grinning broadly.
"You aren't upset?"
He moved towards her, drawing her to her feet. "Should I be?"
She returned his smile. "No, I just wasn't sure how you were going to take it." Bobby went to his knees in front of her, laying his head on her belly, his arms going around her waist.
"Hi little one." He greeted, placing a kiss against her belly. He looked up at her. "I'm going to be a daddy." His grin got broader. "I'm going to be a daddy!" He came to his feet, scooped Claire up and spun her around.
She clung to him, laughing in delight. "Yes you are."
He set her down, his face suddenly drawn in concern. "Oh my gosh. I shouldn't be spinning you. It will make you sick. Are you ok? Are you feeling all right?" Claire pressed her lips against his.
"I'm fine; I've been having a little bit of nausea, but nothing too bad yet." She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. He went to his knees in front of her again, shaking a finger at her belly.
"Now don't you go making your mother sick, do you hear me?" He said. Claire laughed. He looked up at her. "How'd I do? Think I'll be all right?"
"You'll be fine." She looked down at him, hands framing his face. "I love you Robert."
He stood up again, pulling her against his body. "I love you too Claire." They were standing that way, holding each other when the door to the Keep opened.
"I guess this means everything is ok?" Darien asked dryly. Alex was a step behind him. Bobby and Claire separated, but stood holding hands.
"Yeah, everything is great." He told his partner. He looked inquisitively at Claire. She sighed and smiled at him.
"Go ahead. You're going to burst if you don't tell him."
Bobby looked back up at Darien. "I'm going to be a father." Darien and Alex looked at Bobby and Claire in stunned silence for a moment. "Claire's pregnant." Bobby clarified. Darien whooped and rushed at Bobby. The two hugged, and Darien picked Bobby up the same way Bobby had picked Claire up. They pounded each other on the back, before separating. Darien gave Claire a tamed down kiss on the cheek, and embraced her lightly.
"Congratulations." Alex told Bobby, embracing him, while Darien kneeled on the ground and started talking to Claire's stomach. Alex looked over at Darien and smacked him across the back of the head. "Get up you buffoon. The baby can't hear you yet." Darien rubbed his head, grinning as he got to his feet. Alex took Claire in a tight embrace. "I'm so happy for you." She whispered in Claire's ear, rocking her. When they pulled apart, both women had tears in their eyes.
Bobby shook his head. "Only women can find something to cry about when given the happiest news of their life." He told Darien who nodded in agreement. He pulled Claire back into his arms.
"I hate to rain on the parade, but what are you going to tell the Official?" Darien asked hesitantly. Bobby held Claire a little tighter when Darien asked the question.
Alex shrugged for them. "Who cares? He'll just have to deal with it. Right now, I say we cut out early and celebrate. Beers for us, and club soda for Claire."
"Here, here!" Bobby agreed, and they all filed out of the keep.