AN: I love this pairing and I keep waiting for this to happen even though Nora Roberts (written by her pen-name JD Robb) says that this will end the series if it were to ever play out in the books. Enjoy my creation for the In Death series :D
It was a good morning for Lieutenant Eve Dallas. Every morning that she got to spend in bed with her husband, Roarke, was a very good morning. She was currently lying on his shoulder as he stroked her back softly, absentmindedly. She loved mornings like this, when there was nothing to worry about. No case with its leads to be chased and no meetings that needed immediate attention. It was a wonderful, peaceful morning. Of course that would be when the mysterious sickness of the past couple of days would hit her. Eve bolted for the bathroom and just barely made it in time. Roarke was right behind her, holding her hair out of the way while she emptied the contents of her stomach in the toilet. After she was finished, she sat back against Roarke and closed her eyes.
"How long have you been feeling sick?" he asked quietly.
"I'm fine I swear," Eve replied internally cringing for being found out. Roarke just looked at her until she finally said, "On and off for about a week. Usually I'm able to hold out till you're gone before the puking starts."
"Darling Eve, why would you want to hide the fact that you're sick from me? You know I would stay here with you and take care of you." Roarke asked even while knowing the answer.
"That is exactly why!" Eve replied throwing up her hands. "You don't have time to take care of me when you are needed to take over all that remains of the free and independent world."
"Nothing is more important than my darling wife Eve. You have to at least know that after all these years." Roarke said starting to get upset. As usual she was refusing to let him take care of her, he thought they were finally past all this.
"I just don't want you to be worried about me. I'll be fine in a couple of days promise." Eve said.
"You'd best be or I'm dragging you to the doctor!" Roarke threatened.
"I will be I'm not going to see some doctor." Eve replied firmly. She hated going to the doctor above all else.
"What do you want to do now?" Roarke asked needing to take care of her. "Go back to bed? Watch TV on the couch? How do you feel?"
"I feel fine, but just in case do you want to cuddle with me some more? We can watch TV from the bed too." Eve responded.
"That sounds lovely." Roarke agreed.
They both laid back down on the couch and Roarke turned the TV on to the news and put it on low and then just held on to his beautiful, stubborn wife until they both started to get hungry. After brunch Roarke had to go to his office so he had Mavis swing by to look after Eve for him.
When Mavis arrived Eve was curled up in a ball on the couch. The TV was still on, but she didn't seem to be paying it much attention.
"How are you feeling?" Mavis asked kindly.
"Better now" Eve responded absentmindedly before going back to staring into space. "I should be okay for a little while, if the pattern keeps up anyway"
"How long have you been feeling sick?" Mavis asked concerned, she knew her friends aversion to hospitals and doctors well. Knew Eve would have to be dying in-order for any of them to be able to force her to go. So anything Mavis could diagnose would help in the effort to get Eve the attention she so obviously needed.
"It's been coming and going for about a week. It always happens about an hour or two after I first get up and then it happens randomly throughout the day. Sometimes I get sick when I wait too long to eat, sometimes when I smell something that my stomach just seems to not like, it's just so random I don't always know what sets it off." As Eve described her symptoms Mavis started to get a very clear idea of what was going on.
"Eve you may not like this, but I think you should take a pregnancy test." Mavis said slowly.
"NO!" Eve shouted. "There is no way that I am pregnant trust me."
"Eve I know that you think that, but what you are describing sounds just how I felt when I was about three to four months pregnant with my Bella-Boo and if I'm wrong what could be so bad about peeing on a stick just to prove me wrong. Though you must realize that if I am wrong we will force you to the doctors to check you out to make sure it's not something serious that could kill you." Mavis said. "I'll even buy it so the person at the counter will just think that the famous ditzy Mavis is pregnant again and you are there for moral support. Everyone knows we are bffls and that's what we do for each other."
"Fine" Eve agreed testily. "But you are paying for it. I don't want some stupid sales clerk to think there is any chance in hell that I'm knocked up."
"Whatever you say Eve" Mavis replied cheerfully already imagining the absolute cuteness of the probable baby.
They went out to the nearest drug store and Mavis found a pregnancy test and went to the clerk to check out. The sales woman got all excited and Mavis responded in the predicted way; getting all girly and excited about the prospect of the new baby and generally acting like her normal Mavis self to keep the charade that the test was for her and not for her friend sulking in the background. Once the test was bought and paid for, they went back to Mavis's house. Bella was spending the day with her daddy in his shop and Eve didn't want to take the test in a place where Summerset could appear at any second and catch them.
"Okay let's just get this over with" Eve said as she stomped off towards the bathroom.
"Remember just pee on the stick and then set it on the counter. Then come out here so that we can wait together and check to see what it says together." Mavis replied ignoring Eve's grumpiness and settling on the couch
"Sure, sure whatever." Eve said closing the door behind her.
Once Eve had finished her business and set the test on the counter she hurried out to join Mavis on the couch to watch TV for the next five minutes. Neither really paid all that much attention to it, Mavis was bouncing in her seat in excitement and Eve was filled with terror, panicking about what would happen if Mavis was right and she really was pregnant. After the five minutes were up Mavis sprang to her feet and waited for Eve to get up, but she couldn't, she felt like she was rooted to the couch.
"If you can't check I can do it for you." Mavis said kindly.
Eve looked up at her with eyes filled with gratitude. "Please?" She asked her voice shaking.
"I'll be right back." Mavis replied.
Mavis hurried toward the bathroom and looked at the test. Just as she thought it was positive. Eve is going to be so upset, but this is exciting news. I bet Roarke will be so happy he has always wanted kids, but he would never dream of pressuring Eve into doing something she didn't want. Mavis thought as she picked up the test and whipped it off so it wouldn't leak pee on her carpet while she carried it across the room to show Eve. Eve looked at it and seemed to know immediately what it meant as she turned very pale and started to look sick again.
"Eve, it's going to be alright. I promise. Everything is going to work out don't worry." Mavis said trying to console her.
It didn't work all that well as Eve started to sob hysterically. "B-but what if this isn't what he w-wants? W-w-what if he l-l-leaves me? W-what if we are terrible p-parents? W-what about my j-job Mavis? It's d-dangerous I can't have a k-k-kid with my job" Eve kept going, but it got more and more incomprehensible as she started to cry harder.
Mavis pulled her close and started rubbing her back soothingly. "One he's not going to leave you. You know he loves children and he loves you so never ever worry about that. Two, you won't be terrible parents because both of you had terrible parents so you know exactly how not to be. You know a child needs love and care and hugs and kisses and not what either of you go growing up. Also, when you don't know what to do Leonardo and I will help you because we have a baby and know some of the tricks to get him/her to go to sleep and what to do when he/she won't stop crying no matter what you do and you're ready to just throw him/her out a window to get some peace and quiet. You will also have Mira to help keep you both sane when you think you can't do it. Three female cops have become pregnant before so the department knows how to deal with this. You will have to tell them though, and soon. That also means that you will be taken off the streets, but that is for the safety of you and your baby. Besides it will help you get used to being behind a desk when you get promoted and need to do more desk work and less street work." As she was speaking Eve started to calm down, dry her tears and really listen to what Mavis had to say and realize that it all made perfect sense. "There we go. See? Everything is okay. Now let's get you cleaned up and take you home so that you can tell Roarke."
"Will you stay with me and help me tell him?" Eve asked timidly.
"Of course, we are besties and that's what besties do." Mavis hugged Eve tightly and then took her off to the bathroom to remove the traces of her tears from her face. Then they went back to Eve's house. Thankfully, to Eve's way of thinking, Summerset was nowhere to be seen, so the two went upstairs and sat on the giant bed, turned on the TV and settled in to wait.
When Roarke returned home he immediately went to the screen in the stairwell and asked the panel there who was in the house. When it showed that Eve and Mavis were in their bedroom he felt immensely better that Eve wasn't alone, she was sick and needed to be watched over whether she wanted it or not. Thankfully he knew Mavis played dirty so she could put up with whatever Eve threw at her which was probably why she was still here. When he got upstairs he was surprised to see that Eve was fast asleep curled up against Mavis's side. The TV was on playing softly and Mavis was stroking Eve's hair slowly. He looked up and realized Mavis was staring at him. "Hey" He whispered hoping that Eve would stay asleep. "How is she doing?"
"She's fine." Mavis replied. "Come on over and lay down with us."
Roarke walked over to the bed as quietly as he could, removed his shoes, and then climbed onto the bed next to Eve. He reached out and took over stroking her back letting his mind drift off.
Eve woke slowly, feeling warm bodies all around her and a warm weight on her feet. When she opened her eyes she saw that on one side Mavis was sleeping lightly and on the other Roarke was slowly stroking her back and watching the TV. The news was playing softly. She knew he knew she was awake, but she didn't want to break the quiet so she just waited for him to speak first. "Mavis says you are going to be fine." Roarke finally said softly.
"If Mavis says so then I trust her… I guess." Eve replied doubtfully. Glancing at Mavis she confirmed that her friend was still fast asleep. She was supposed to help tell him! Eve thought angrily, glaring at Mavis's sleeping form.
"Why are you upset with Mavis?" Roarke asked, obviously he caught the look.
"She's asleep when she's supposed to be helping me." Eve pouted.
"What was she supposed to be helping you with?" Roarke asked confused.
"With telling you…" Eve trailed off nervously. Immediately looking down at the bed and playing with the blanket to avoid looking at his eyes.
"Telling me what?" Roarke asked gently taking her chin in his hand to force her to look at him.
"Whatever it is, it will be okay and I will still love you."
"Sure, that's what you say now." Eve said still not meeting his eyes.
"Darling Eve, please just tell me what's going on." Roarke pleaded.
"I…I'm…I'm pregnant" Eve finally blurted out. "Mavis suspected that was what was wrong with me after hearing my symptoms; so we went out and she bought a test and then we, well I, used it and then we checked and it was positive so yeah." Eve rushed on watching as Roarke's face filled with surprise and then joy.
"Oh darling this is wonderful news!" Roarke exclaimed before kissing her fiercely.
"And this is where I leave so I don't get scared for life." Mavis said before scampering out of the bed.
Eve broke the kiss to glare at her. "You left me to tell him by myself after you promised." She exclaimed angrily waving her hand through the air.
"But it felt so much better telling him yourself didn't it?" Mavis replied with a wink before skipping out of the room.
"I personally liked it better that you told me yourself rather than letting Mavis do it for you." Roarke said silkily.
"Well there is that I guess…" Eve said still pouting.
"Now then, no more of that! We need to get down to the business of celebrating this little bit of news" Roarke said with a grin, his hand snaking down to land on her still flat stomach. "And don't ever doubt for a second that this isn't wonderful news. I'm so happy Darling Eve and I love you so much. You are never allowed, even for a second, to think otherwise." And then he proceeded to show her just how happy he was; worshipping every inch of her body, paying special attention to her stomach. Once he was done and they were starting to breathe normally again he spoke again, "Now we need to have a serious conversation, when do you think we should tell Summerset, and Mira, and my family?"
"Summerset never, Mira and your family I guess should know soon." Eve replied looking a little scared at the prospect of telling people.
"Darling, we will have to tell Summerset eventually. He is bound to notice you know" Roarke teased.
"No I don't think he would. I think I could get away without him ever noticing." Eve replied with a nod.
"And how will you accomplish that?" Roarke asked with a slight chuckle.
Eve opened her mouth to reply and then shut it again. "I'll let you know when I figure it out." She finally replied.
"You do that darling" Roarke said with a laugh, "That aside you will also have to tell Commander Whitney. I don't want you to get hurt out there. I don't want to lose this baby before it is even here I love you both too much for that." Roarke added softly stroking her stomach.
"I was planning on telling him before the week was over. I don't want anything to happen either. I think I love this baby, whenever it feels real anyways. Most of the time this feels like a dream and I have no idea how it came about." Eve admitted sounding a little lost.
"I'm pretty sure you know how it happened." Roarke replied with a wink and a squeeze that drew a smile out of her, "but you're right, this feels a little surreal. I think we should tell Mira first, just so that we can talk to her about it as family, because you know you think of her as your mother, and as our counselor so that we know what to expect, so that you can work it out in your head like I know you want to. I can ask her over for dinner if you'd like."
"Yeah that would be nice." Eve replied.
"I'll go call her then and inform Summerset of the company coming over for dinner." Roarke said starting to get up to give her some space to think.
"Okay" Eve responded absentmindedly and then she looked up at him. "Just come back when you're done okay? I want to be with you."
"Of course darling, whatever you want." He bent down to kiss her head before leaving the room to make his calls.
When he came back she was asleep again so he decided to lie down beside her and take a short nap before dinner, after setting the alarm to make sure they got up in time to get ready of course.
AN: That's it for now ;) Please R&R :D