Chapter 2
Nathan stood there in shock for a minute or two, sheepishly running a hand through his hair. He wanted to kick himself for being a complete jerk. Sure, he and Kristin had their issues, but he genuinely wanted to see her. Even though he and Wendy… Well, they were indeed just friends, though he suspected that Wendy hoped they'd eventually be more than that. Nathan had to admit he cared for both women, but his feelings for Kristin were much deeper than what he felt for Wendy. Even so, Kristin had walked out his door, so why would he need to justify anything to her? Because it was plain to see she still had feelings for him, even though she said she didn't, his heart answered back.
Although she'd hid it well, he knew Kristin was near tears, and it was all because of him. He'd noticed the hurt in her eyes as soon as he'd made that idiot comment. He had to make things right. He decided to wait, hoping to see her return to the lobby so he could apologize, but he then felt a light tug on his arm. He turned to see Wendy.
"I thought we could walk to our rooms together," she said softly. She paused and lowered her gaze. "Things didn't go so well with Dr. Westphalen, huh?"
He sighed and shook his head. He knew she'd seen what happened anyway, but he held his tongue, knowing it'd gotten him in too much trouble already. "You go on ahead, all right? I wanted to try and apologize."
She nodded but didn't move.
"I promise I'll be up shortly. Second floor, right?"
She nodded and handed him his key before turning to leave. "Good luck, Captain."
"Thank you, Doctor," he called, moving to take a seat on one of the chairs and picking up a travel brochure from a nearby table. He didn't want to seem like a creepy stalker watching the ladies' room.
After a small eternity, he finally heard a squeaking door; looking up, he was relieved to see her and immediately went over to her. "Kris, please, let me explain. I didn't mean it quite like that." He could see her eyes were a little puffy and red, confirming his suspicions about her crying.
She shook her head. "There's no explanation needed. You…you didn't have to wait for me either. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."
"Yes, I know; I just…" He sighed. "At least let me make it up to you. Let me buy you a drink; we can talk about the furniture like you wanted."
She thought for a moment. "We do indeed need to talk, but I can't right now." She glanced at her watch. "I'm late for a meeting, but we'll get in touch later. My room number's 253."
She left before Nathan could tell her his number, but as he glanced at his key, he guessed they were right down the hall from one another, judging by the number sequence, his room being 273. Well, getting together to talk would be fairly easy now. He just hoped he could keep himself from saying anything more that he'd end up regretting before this impromptu shore leave was over.
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After a boring and uneventful meeting coupled with an equally boring and uneventful breakfast, Kristin was eager to get back to her room. Seeing Nathan had thrown everything off, including her confidence and hormones. And what was worse, she was in the midst of yet another panic attack, feeling as though she couldn't breathe.
"Pull yourself together," she chided herself. "You don't have time for this nonsense." Indeed, she didn't, since she had a lecture to give right after lunch. However, the baby was suddenly voicing its annoyance by her panic attacks as well in the form of Braxton Hicks contractions. Although the false contractions weren't a worry in themselves, she knew that her stress and panic was affecting the baby, something that could have long-term effects if she couldn't get a handle on it.
She shut her eyes tightly and tried to calm her breathing. Perhaps lying down would help, she decided. And as long as she was in her own room, she took off her blazer, revealing her rounded belly. Kristin absentmindedly brought a hand to rub her abdomen. "Don't worry," she whispered. "Mummy's doing her best to take care of you and her. I promise I'll try to calm down."
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Wendy knocked on Nathan's door and waited patiently for him to answer. He'd been rather aloof after his encounter with Dr. Westphalen, but she couldn't say she didn't understand why either. Her empathic senses knew full well what the problem was, but she did her best not to pry. She did, however, feel the need to attempt to make him feel better. He had said he wanted to rest, but she was hoping to coax him out of his room.
When he answered, however, he didn't look too pleased.
"I…I was thinking of going to the seminar this afternoon. Would you like to come?" she offered. "Perhaps it would give you and Kristin a chance to speak."
A brow rose as he allowed her to enter. "You actually want me to speak to her?"
She laughed softly. "You sound surprised."
"Well, considering the look you were giving her earlier…" He sighed and sat down on the bed. "I know we haven't exactly spoken much about this…not in great detail yet, but…" He motioned between the two of them with his hand. "The situation with us..." He trailed off, unsure of how to word it.
She gave him a nod. "I think we already know what's between us, and that's Kristin."
His brow furrowed.
"I think we both know that there is no us," she replied. "I'm not going to lie; I care for you, and I know you care for me, but you seem to forget I can feel your feelings as well…the ones you don't voice out loud." She was sure to hold is gaze. "What I felt from you the minute you saw Kristin…well, I know you're never going to feel that for me."
There was a long moment of silence as Nathan took her hand in his. "I am truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you."
She waved a hand. "You can't break what was never started. It was merely an infatuation. Besides, I think my mother would have a few choice words for me if she found out we ever thought about dating."
Nathan laughed softly. "Your mother's bark was always worse than her bite."
"Well, be that as it may, it's been far too long since you've been on the receiving end of that bark," she replied with a smile. "I really am fine just being your friend."
"Me too," he confirmed.
"Good. Now, about the seminar…"
He shook his head. "I'm not sure I should overstep my boundaries. Kristin said we'd get together privately. If I show up at her lecture, it might just complicate things. And I'm not so sure she's forgiven me for being a complete jackass earlier."
"Maybe not," she agreed, "but you know you're going to have to face the music sometime." She paused. "Do you think I should speak with her?"
"What?"
"I mean, after the lecture."
"You're still going to the lecture?"
"Of course," she replied. "Contrary to what you might think, I am a fan of her work. Besides, she thinks I hate her, and I thought this might assure her I don't. I know it's a rather strange and uncomfortable situation we've suddenly been thrown into, but I want to do everything I can to ease that discomfort."
After thinking a moment, Nathan shook his head, however. "You don't know her like I do, though. I'm not sure she'd be too keen on taking any sort of advice from someone she doesn't know…especially a woman who may or may not be dating her former lover." And after the confused look Wendy gave him, he added, "That's what she thinks anyway."
"So I take it you're not going?"
"No, and I'm not sure you should either. We're here all week; there will be other lectures."
Only Wendy shook her head. "Hiding in your room isn't going to resolve anything. I'm still going, and I'll trust my instincts about speaking with her. I want to want to talk with her one on one before we leave anyway, if only just to set her straight on some things. I think I owe that to her, and when she sees that's all I'm trying to do, I think she'll put her guns away."
"Or only aim them at me," Nathan said flatly.
Wendy put her hand on his shoulder. "You need to show her that she had no reason to pull them out in the first place."
"Be that as it may, I pulled mine out too, so she only retaliated."
"Why don't you just wait and see what this evening brings? If I can speak with her and explain some things, I think you two will be able to speak without the weapons, if you catch my drift."
He held up a finger. "Just make sure you-"
"Don't worry; we'll be fine," she told him. "And if you change your mind, you know where to find me and her."
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The next thing she knew, Kristin was being rudely awakened by a knock on her door. It took her a few minutes to remember she'd been napping. She mumbled, "Just a minute," and pushed herself up to answer it. "Lucas?" she said, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "How…how did you know I was here?"
"The…the captain mentioned this was your room, and I thought I'd come by and say hello. We're all on the second floor too."
However, Kristin noticed how nervous he suddenly seemed. Her brow furrowed, wondering what could possibly be bothering him, but she also knew better than to question it. He'd let her know if he wanted to talk about it. She stepped aside to let him in. "Really? That's very coincidental."
"But not necessarily a bad thing," he replied.
"I am sorry we haven't gotten a chance to speak much since I left. I did explain why I had to go, though."
Lucas nodded. "No, I understand. I mean, it was hard at first. We missed you. I still miss you, but…we're okay. How've you been?"
"I'm glad to hear it," she replied, offering him a seat. "I've been fine. The new job's been going well. And how are things on the boat?"
"Good…they're good. Same old, really. I don't work that much in the labs anymore."
Kristin couldn't help but notice how he looked anywhere but at her when he spoke, however, piquing her curiosity even more. "Oh, yes; I heard that you're now Chief Computer Analyst. Congratulations."
He flashed her a proud grin and then looked down at the floor. "Yeah, it's pretty cool." He then cleared his throat. "Can…can I ask you something, Doc?"
"Of course, Lucas; what's the matter?"
He rubbed the palms of his hands on his knees and kept glancing towards her: specifically her abdomen. Kristin suddenly realized she hadn't put her jacket over her blouse and he could easily see her rounded belly and put two and two together.
"Oh…oh, dear," she muttered. "I didn't realize…" She moved to grab her blazer to cover up.
"Is it…? Did you and the captain…? Or did you and someone else…?" he stammered.
"The captain," she replied quietly. "And he doesn't know yet. Hardly anyone knows," she said, wringing her hands together.
After a long pause, Lucas said, "That's not why you left, is it?"
"No; not at all. I didn't even… I didn't even know I was pregnant until a short while ago. I just wanted to speak to the captain in person, but we've been having trouble getting together. If not for this situation, I'd still be worrying about how I was going to tell him." She turned to look at him. "Please, don't tell anyone about this?"
"I promise, but you have to talk to the captain…soon."
"I know, I know," she replied. "I've just been so worried about-" Suddenly, her alarm went off on her mobile phone, cutting off her words. She moved to shut it off. "Oh, no. I…I'm so sorry, Lucas, but I have to run. I have ten minutes to get downstairs, and I probably look a mess." She walked towards the bathroom.
"You look fine, Doc…really," he replied. "But I understand. Um, we'll talk later maybe?"
"You will do what I asked?" she called after him.
"Sure thing, Doc. You can trust me."
She then heard the door shut behind him.
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Kristin hated being late. No, there probably weren't going to be any reprimands for her lack of punctuality, but she didn't like to keep people waiting, especially people who were depending on her. Still, she'd only be about five minutes late, so perhaps it wasn't the end of the world. It was just very annoying.
As she dashed down the corridor to the elevator, she was somewhat surprised to see Dr. Smith waiting for the same elevator. Kristin swallowed her pride and gave her a cordial, "Hello," as they both stepped inside.
"Hello," the younger woman replied. As the doors closed and the elevator started to move, she continued, "I wanted to thank you."
A brow rose. "Thank me? Whatever for?"
"Secretary General Noyce told me that you had input on your replacement, and if not for you, I probably wouldn't have a job on the seaQuest right now."
"Oh, I see; well, you're very welcome, but I didn't really do anything. You were the most qualified for the position, and your credentials reflected that. You only have yourself to thank." Kristin then decided to change the subject, since speaking about the seaQuest was not at the top of her list at the moment, especially not with Nathan's new girlfriend in her midst. She let out a frustrated groan. "I didn't realize the elevator was going to have to go up to the eighteenth floor. I'm late for a lecture right now, and this is only making me even later."
"I know," Wendy replied.
A brow rose.
"I mean, I was going to attend the lecture as well. I…I'm a huge fan of your work, and I'd like you to know it's an honor to be able to hear you speak."
Kristin blushed. "I…I had no idea. When we met downstairs, you didn't seem too-" Suddenly, the elevator lurched and shook before coming to a halt and going dark. "Are…are you all right?" she asked, feeling around for her mobile, which had a flashlight function. She then searched for the door panel to bring up the emergency lights and hit the alarm.
"I'm fine," Wendy replied. "Unfortunately, I think you're going to be more than five minutes late for that lecture."
Kristin sighed. "Indeed. Hopefully, we won't be in here too long."
"You're not claustrophobic, are you?"
"No, thank goodness. Are you?"
Wendy shook her head and then replied, "Usually if it's something that takes a long time, they'll explain on the intercom. Since they haven't done so, I think-"
Just then, a man's voice came through the intercom. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, we're fine, but the elevator just stalled on the twelfth floor," Kristin said.
"Yes, ma'am, we are well aware of this, but it's going to be a little while before we can get you out. You're actually stuck between the twelfth and the thirteenth floor, and we're waiting on a technician to come fix it."
"Exactly how long is a little while?" Wendy asked.
"It could be a couple of hours, but I promise we're working as fast as we can. If you need anything, just push the intercom button and talk. We'll be here to answer."
"Thank you," both women muttered.
Kristin let out a sigh and took a seat on the floor.
Wendy followed suit and decided to break the silence. "About before…I am sorry if you thought I was being rude."
"Oh, don't worry about it. If I was in your position, I might have done the same thing. I realize what you might think, but please know that Nathan and I are nothing more than friends now."
"Kristin… Um, may I call you Kristin?"
She nodded.
"Thank you, and you can feel free to call me Wendy. But I think you might be a bit confused. You see, Nathan and I…"
Kristin put her hand over Wendy's. "You don't need to explain at all. In fact, I'm glad he's found someone else. When he and I parted ways, I was worried he'd be alone and broken; I'm actually glad it isn't that way at all."
"But Nathan and I are just friends," Wendy said, gently moving her hand away.
"We said the same thing for a long time; we were worried it might be seen as fraternization, but since you're technically a civilian, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'm surprised Nathan hasn't told you that."
"No, you don't understand," the younger woman replied. "There's nothing between Nathan and me. We thought there might be, yes, but I realize now it was just an infatuation."
Kristin's jaw dropped open slightly. "Does Nathan know?"
Wendy gave a soft laugh and nodded. "You see, he and my mother used to date…and I think I was enamored by the idea of him more than anything else."
Kristin suddenly became nervous, however, feeling her breath begin to come in short spurts. "I…I hope that wasn't because of me, dear. I…I certainly didn't plan this, and I had no idea you were going to be here. Yes, I'd been speaking with Nathan, but it was only because we have a few unresolved details to work out about the furniture. I wasn't trying to…" She swallowed hard in an effort to calm herself, only it didn't help. She shut her eyes tightly, trying hard to slow her breathing, but it didn't seem to help. "Wendy, I…I'm not feeling very well. I-"
Darkness closed in around her before she could finish her sentence, however.
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The next thing she knew, she heard Wendy's voice calling her name.
"…Kristin?"
Her eyes suddenly snapped open, seeing Wendy's concerned face above her. It took her a few moments to realize she was lying on her back. She brought a hand to her head. "I…I'm sorry; I must have-"
"You fainted," Wendy told her. "Are you feeling better now? You said you were feeling sick."
Kristin felt her face grow warm as she gave a nod and tried to sit up.
"Easy," Wendy urged, moving to help her. "You don't want to sit up too quickly."
"Thank you," she said quietly before leaning back against the wall. "I've just been a… I've been a bit nervous about some things in my life, and that has resulted in occasional panic attacks and nausea. It's…it's nothing to be alarmed about. I'm sure once I-" She suddenly noticed her blazer lying on the floor in front of her.
Wendy followed her gaze. "You were sweating," she explained. "I…I wasn't trying to…" She moved to sit next to her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "How far along are you?"
"Four months, give or take a bit." She suddenly felt her voice begin to tremble. "I…I've just been so afraid to tell him. I didn't even think I would be able to… We never worried about contraception. And now I don't even know how to tell him or if he even wants a child in his life after Robert. I…I don't…" Her breath started coming in uneven pants once again.
Wendy suddenly took her by complete surprise by wrapping her arms around her. "Shh," she soothed. "This isn't good for you or the baby. You need to try to calm down."
Kristin nodded against her shoulder. "I…I know, and I know part of it is me probably being more worried than I need to be, but I can't help it." She gently pulled away and wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks. "The sad fact of the matter is that I'm a forty-four-year-old pregnant woman. I am not afraid of raising a child on my own; I practically raised my daughter on my own, so I could easily do it again. But I am afraid. I'm afraid of the possibility of the child being unwell…and I am terrified of what I'm going to say when he or she is old enough to ask about their father. If…if Nathan doesn't want to be in this child's life, how will I answer that?" She felt her eyes well up with tears once again. "I just couldn't bear it if he were to deny his child."
Wendy was quiet for several minutes while she did her best to try and keep Kristin calm. "You're not being very fair," she finally said.
"I…I know; I'm basing my fears on speculation but-"
"That's not quite what I mean," Wendy interrupted.
Kristin's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I understand being afraid. I…I've never been pregnant, but being a doctor, I am well aware of the worries that come with it. I think every parent is a little afraid whether it's their first child or their fourth, you know?"
Kristin nodded quietly. "I suppose."
"Being afraid isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just shows how much you love your child already," she pointed out.
"But I want Nathan to love him or her too."
"He will," Wendy assured her.
"But I don't-"
"I wasn't quite finished," Wendy replied. "Please, just hear me out."
"All…all right," Kristin replied.
"As I said, you're not being very fair…not just to Nathan, but to yourself. I know I don't know you personally, but I know enough people that have told me about you. Nathan talks about you quite a bit actually."
"He…he does?"
"Of course. When we're off-duty, sometimes, he'll bring you up out of the blue. And everyone, including him, mentioned how strong you are."
"I'm not as strong as they think," she scoffed. "If they saw me weeping on the floor of an elevator, I doubt they'd say I'm strong."
Wendy shook her head, however. "You're wrong. Do you know what Nathan told me once?"
"No, but I suppose you're going to tell me."
She nodded. "We were working on the quarterly medical reports; I assume you're familiar with those?"
"Unfortunately, yes," she replied flatly. "I hated those with a passion."
"You and me, both," the younger woman confirmed. "Well, we were taking a well-needed break, and I had asked him how you ever got through it. He shook his head and said he wasn't sure, but that you were always a boomerang."
Kristin raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I understand the reference."
"However life throws you, you come flying back stronger than ever. At the time, it was only hearsay, but after meeting you in person, I can definitely see it."
"I highly doubt that." She gave a shake of her head. "In the short time we've been talking, all you've seen me do is lament about my problems. That's not taking how life throws me very well at all."
Wendy put an arm around her shoulders. "Do you recall everything from my resume?"
"That was some time ago," Kristin replied, her eyebrows knitting together. "And not every detail, no. Why do you ask?"
"I don't expect you to remember every detail. What I meant was if you recall my special abilities?"
"Oh…I do recall something…I think. You're an empath, aren't you?"
"Not just an empath, but a telepath as well." She held up a hand. "Don't worry, though. I'd never invade your privacy. However, I can't exactly control what people throw out for me to hear; they just don't realize they're giving it to me."
"I hadn't considered that. I suppose it gets rather noisy."
Wendy smiled softly. "I'm used to it by now. But getting back to my point, you've given me several thoughts and feelings, so I've already felt your strength. You can't deny it doesn't exist."
Kristin shrugged. "Perhaps not, but I certainly don't feel very strong right now. If I can't even muster up the strength to tell Nathan the truth…"
"Yes, you can. You admitted that you're just afraid of what might or might not happen. You just have to face your fear."
"But what if my fear becomes reality?"
"Then you'll deal with it," Wendy replied. "You're a boomerang, remember? Besides, I know you're wrong about the captain. He won't turn his back on you."
Kristin met her gaze. "You've felt things from him too?"
She nodded. "I just didn't know what exactly I was feeling until we met in the lobby. Now I understand."
After a long pause, Kristin said, "I have to admit, I never expected this, getting advice from the woman I thought for sure was my sworn enemy."
Wendy laughed. "I think everyone thought we would be. Nathan didn't think I should speak with you; he thought it wouldn't go well."
"I think it's about time we prove him wrong."
"Indeed," she agreed. "Unfortunately, it's going to be a little while before he'll get to witness it."
Kristin placed her hand over Wendy's. "I really don't know how to thank you, though."
"I didn't really do anything, except help you to see what you've had all along."
"Well, I do appreciate it." She bit her lip. "Do you think we'll be in here much longer?"
"I don't know," Wendy replied, eyeing Kristin carefully. "You're still not feeling very well, are you?"
She gave a shrug. "I'm not sure if it's just the effects of my worrying or something more. But, no, I'm not feeling particularly well."
Wendy suddenly went into doctor mode. "You should be lying down then," she said, helping her lie back. "Are you in any pain?"
"Not…not exactly. Braxton Hicks, yes, but nothing more. But I feel…I feel like I might faint again."
"When's the last time you ate or drank anything?"
"I…I ate breakfast, but nothing since then."
Wendy glanced at her watch. "It's going on well after two now; that might be the problem, but you're taking prenatal supplements, yes?"
Kristin gave a slight nod, closing her eyes. "And I haven't missed any," she mumbled.
"Good, that's good, but you…you need to stay with me. What about anemia? Have you been tested for the pregnancy-related anemia?"
"Y-yes…but that doesn't mean…"
Wendy nodded. "I know that doesn't mean it can't show up at any time. Which makes me wonder…are you sure that your panic attacks were just that?"
"I don't understand…"
"The shortness of breath, the tiredness, the fainting...while they can be classic signs of what can happen as a result of a panic attack...you could be anemic. When was the last time you were tested?"
"Oh, about a month ago. The panic attacks started shortly after that."
"I think we have our answer as to what's going on with you now," Wendy replied. "I'm just going to hit the intercom button and find out how long it will be until they get us out of here, all right? I'll be right back."
"All…all right…" she muttered, closing her eyes as the world around her faded into darkness.
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When she opened her eyes next, Kristin noticed that she was no longer in the elevator. And the gentle beeping sound told her she was in a hospital somewhere. She tried to glance at her surroundings, but the moment she lifted her head, she winced in pain.
"Easy," she heard a familiar voice say. "You really shouldn't sit up yet."
"Na- Nathan? What are you…? Where…where's Wendy?"
"She went back to the hotel for some rest. You two were in that elevator for over three hours," he replied, moving to pull a chair towards the bed so he could sit.
"We were?" She brought a hand to her head. "I don't… The last thing I remember was talking to Wendy. I wasn't feeling very well, and-"
"Shh," Nathan said, gently stroking her hair. "You don't need to explain. I already know."
Her breath caught in her throat. "You…you do?"
He nodded. "Yes, and we're going to be having a long talk a little later…when you're feeling up to it. First, though, I need to let the doctor know you're awake." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll be right back."
Several minutes later, Nathan returned with Dr. Marquez in tow.
"Kristin, glad to see you're awake," Dr. Marquez said. "Though I didn't expect for you to end up here."
"I…I know, and I'm sorry. I…I was trying to do what you said, but-"
The doctor held up a hand. "I'm not going to yell at you, dear. What I meant was it was my fault. The moment you told me about your panic attacks, I should have realized what the underlying cause could be. Since you had told me about the stress you'd been experiencing, I never thought more of it. That was my mistake."
Kristin swallowed hard. "Is the baby going to be all right?"
"Oh, yes," the doctor assured her. "The baby is just fine, and you will be too. You're just experiencing pregnancy-induced anemia, which you probably guessed. I've prescribed a stronger prenatal vitamin with extra iron that will alleviate the problem. You were also a little dehydrated, but that's most likely the result of being stuck in an elevator for several hours, so we have you on an IV drip. But I want to remind you to be sure you're eating and drinking properly. But after your IV finishes, you should be able to go home, though I recommend taking the rest of the week off work until your body adjusts to the new vitamin."
"I'll make sure of that, Doctor," Nathan answered for her.
Dr. Marquez smiled and patted Kristin's hand. "As long as you don't have any questions, I think I'll leave you two to talk."
"Thank you, Doctor. We'll be in touch."
"Definitely. You two take care now," she said before leaving.
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Once they were alone, there was an awkward silence that hung in the air. Since she felt more coherent, Kristin decided to break it. "How long have you been here?"
"I was waiting right outside the elevator as soon as I heard. I…I was worried about you and Wendy."
"You thought we'd kill each other?"
He smiled. "At first, yes, but when I saw Dr. Smith helping the technician carry you out…" His voice trembled slightly. "I think my heart stopped for a moment." He shook his head. "And when I found out about the baby…" He took her hand. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's not that I didn't want to." She brought her other hand to her belly. "I tried. I just wanted to tell you in person. You know, the furniture."
"I knew you didn't care about the furniture," he said with a laugh. "But I do wish you would have just told me right away, even if it was over the vid-phone. I would have gotten away. You had said it wasn't an emergency…"
"We've still got a little while before he or she makes an entrance; I wouldn't call that an emergency."
"You know what I mean." He sighed. "But I am glad I know now." He moved his hand just above her belly and looked at her. "Is…is it all right if I…?"
"Of course," she replied. "It is your child, and I…I want you to be involved as much as possible."
"I'm glad to hear you say that because I really don't want to miss a thing with the baby…or with his or her mother."
A brow rose. "What are you saying?"
"I mean, if you want me. I know why you left, but now with the baby… I don't want to be living separately from my child, and I still love you. And you said you still cared."
"I…I do care for you. I still love you," she confirmed. "But I also have to wonder if you're out of your mind."
"Wh-what?"
"We can't be alone for five minutes without arguing, it seems. You do remember what it was like, don't you?" She shook her head. "I don't want our child raised in an unstable environment."
He sighed. "I do remember what it was like, but do you also remember when it all started?"
"I don't think it matters when."
"I meant what was going on in our lives. You were working double shifts at the hospital, and the rebuild was running into snags." He shook his head. "We took it out on each other."
"Then why didn't we stop after things became more normal at work?" she countered.
"Old habits die hard?" he offered lamely.
She gave a snort. "You're not helping."
Nathan gave a sigh. "Okay, you do have a point. We did do a lot of things that I don't think we're particularly proud of, but that doesn't mean we can't try again. And now that we're aware of the problem, all it takes is a little effort on both our parts."
"So what exactly are you saying? That we should get married?"
"Sure, why not?"
"You're such a romantic," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, the last thing I want is you feeling obligated to put a ring on my finger just because-"
"I don't," he insisted. "And if you want romance, I'm more than happy to oblige. I didn't say when. I would like to put more than five minutes' thought into it." He paused. "When is the baby due?"
"Late spring. Why?"
"Well, because I doubt you'll want to be walking down the aisle when you're nine months pregnant…or would you?"
"Not really…but I suppose being married before the little one arrives would be ideal." She put a hand on his arm. "But if we get to the point where we start fighting again…"
"We'll talk about it. Worst-case scenario, we'll get counseling, but I've a feeling we won't fall into that trap again. So what do you say about an early spring wedding, a late spring birth?"
She laughed softly. "I think we could make that work."
He moved to kiss her softly. "But don't think I won't be asking you properly very soon. It will be the most romantic night of your life, I assure you."
"That sounds like a plan."
"There is just one more detail to work out."
"The seaQuest?" she guessed. "I'd never ask you to leave it. I know it's where you want to be."
"I appreciate that, but I didn't quite mean it that way. I don't want to leave it either, but I won't have my wife and child living separately either."
She gave him a look. "But what about-"
He shook his head. "I spent half of Robert's life out at sea, and I missed out on too much. I won't have that again. We can discuss the details more, but if you're going to be my wife, you go where I go. What do you say?"
"I say spring should be a very interesting season this coming year," she replied after a moment.
He kissed her again. "Indeed, Mrs. Bridger; indeed."
A/N: To my anonymous guest reviewer, the reason I haven't been updating is that my laptop had broken. Now that I've gotten a new one, I'll be writing and updating as soon as I can. Please be patient.
Thanks to all readers and reviewers for the constant support and patience. A huge and heartfelt thank you.
