Sleepless Sundays

David had went to bed with the knowledge that Erin was pregnant. She was curled up next to him sleeping peacefully. But he couldn't sleep. Thoughts of his first wife filled his mind, and their son who was stillborn just weeks before his due date. And as much as he didn't want to have those thoughts right now that he was getting a second chance he couldn't push it far enough from his mind.

Ever so carefully he untangled himself from her and slipped out of bed. He told her he wanted this. He wanted their baby. He wanted a future. And now everything was so unclear to him. He was so afraid.

It was nearly three in the morning when Erin found him in his study. Hunched over a stack of papers, trying so hard to focus. "David." her voice was soft. "What are you doing?"

He turned giving her a slight smile. "I couldn't sleep." he turned his attention back to the papers in front of him. "I thought I would do a little work on my new book."

Erin crossed the study, making her way over to him. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

"Yeah."

She ran her hands over his shoulders. "You're tense." she said. "What's going on?"

"Nothings going on." he tried to assure her. "Why don't you go back upstairs." he suggested. "You need your rest."

Erin knelt down in front of him. "You need yours. too."

He brushed her hair back away from her face. "You're sleeping for two." he said, softly. "That's much more important. I'll be up in a bit."

"Don't do this, David." she whispered. "Don't shut me out."

"I'm not shutting you out." the tone of his voice outweighed his words.

"I love you." she took his left hand in hers and pulled it to her lips. She placed a soft kiss into the palm of his hand. "Just talk to me."

"Come here." he pulled her up and into his lap. "I love you more than anything, you know that. I don't think I've ever been this happy..."

"David." she interjected, gently. "Its okay." she assured him. "I know that you're thinking about James. And Carolyn. And that's completely normal. You should think about them. I'd be more surprised if you didn't."

He simply nodded.

"Thinking about your first son doesn't mean that you're not grateful for this baby. Or that you're not happy." she told him. "As this pregnancy progresses you'll probably think about them a lot. And that's okay. One child cannot replace another rather they're walking this earth or looking down from the heavens."

David's lips gently brushed against hers. "Thank you." he whispered into her hair. "I can't help but think you're speaking from experience."

Erin gave him a fleeting smile. "Not from the experience that you had with Carolyn." she replied. "Grant and I lost a baby between Grace and Dash. I wasn't very far along, about eight weeks. The thought still cross my mind now and again."

"Why didn't I know about this?"

She shrugged. "It was a long time ago." she told him. "I got pregnant with Dashiell soon after. But my experience isn't the same as yours."

"A loss is a loss." he told her. "They shouldn't be compared."

"I just want you to know that I understand." she cupped the sides of his face. "If you need some time alone with your thoughts that's okay. And if you want to talk about it that's okay too. Don't be afraid either way."

He stole a quick kiss from her lips. "Let's go back to bed."

Erin pulled him back to her, her lips seeking out his. "I think that's an excellent idea."

"Oh yeah." he teased. "What exactly did you have in mind, carissima? Weren't just telling me how I needed my rest?"

She rose to her feet and held out her hand to him. "Who said I had anything else in mind?"

David placed his hand in hers. "Because I know you." he replied. "How I'm going to handle you with all those raging pregnancy hormones I don't know. And my poor team at work..."

"Hey!" she feigned offense. "I'm not that bad. It's difficult being in charge."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Something tells me the Bureau is going to have a little shake up during the next eight months or so."

"Something tells me you need to be on your best behavior." she smirked. "Pissed off Chief Strauss and Pregnant pissed off Chief Strauss are two entirely different things."

"I vaguely recall your first pregnancy." he pretended to think back. "I also recall all the young agents you reduced to tears with a mere glance."

"Touche." she volleyed. "I was a Special Agent in Charge back then. Things are different now."

David nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right." he said. "Now you have multiple departments of agents to make cry."

"You're so incredibly lucky Agent Rossi."

"Oh yeah?" he smiled. "How so?"

"Because I love you and that should keep me from killing you during this pregnancy. At least you should hope so."

"You wound me, carissima."

Erin smirked. "Besides I have to have someone to yell at in the delivery room."

David arched an eyebrow. "Delivery room?" he questioned, tauntingly. "I have to be in the delivery room?"

"Its only fair that all my anger be directed at the correct person."

"The last time I checked it took two to tango."

"We should go back to bed and test your theory."

-Finished

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