Gabriel

Sequel to "When Can I see you again?" This is another pure fluff about Robert and Sophie. They are still together, but not alone for long.

Chapter Two: Surprise, surprise

There it was, the second blue line, faint, but very clear. At first, Sophie stared blankly at the result, her first reaction was shock. "My God, I am pregnant!" She stood up and looked at her scared face in the mirror. She looked at the object on the floor again. "Can this be a false positive?" But she had read the instructions very carefully. She knew it couldn't be. Her shock then turned into excitement. "I'm going to have a baby; Robert and I are going to be parents!"

When Langdon asked Sophie to marry him she thought her life couldn't get any better, but now she would have his child, and this gave a whole new perspective to their life together. They would be a family, the family she never truly had. She was hysterical now; all she thought of was telling Langdon he would be a dad. In a rampage, she wrapped herself in her bathrobe and reached for the phone.

When his cell phone rang, Langdon was having a coffee break with some colleagues. He hoped it was Sophie, but he knew it was too early for her to call. This wasn't the worst, though. The display on his phone showed their home number.

He put the cup of coffee aside. "Sophie, are you home?" His tone was grave.

But what he heard in her voice was pure joy. "Robert, my love, please, come home immediately!" She wouldn't tell him the news over the phone.

Langdon didn't understand. "What happened, did the class go fine, why are you home so early?"

"There was no class, Robert. I quitted." He was supposed to be with her as soon as possible, not to ask a bunch of questions.

He almost jumped. "You what? Are you out of your mind, Sophie? This was-"

"Robert," she interrupted, trying to ignore his rudeness and keep herself calm. "I know it seems strange, but I can explain everything. Won't you please come home now?"

He didn't understand it at all. "Are you alright?"

"Never better. I'm waiting for you here, don't be late."

Langdon wanted to speak, but the line went dead. "She better have a very good explanation!"

He asked one of his fellows to tell his class there had been an urgent matter and that he wouldn't be able to be there for the second half of the class. Every possible explanation crossed his mind as he drove home, even the most absurd ones. Sophie had done so bad that the Professors didn't even want to hear the rest. Or she had been so good during the interview that the Director had decided it wouldn't be necessary to hear from her at all. Was she so scared to the point of giving up in the last minute and deciding not to speak? No, it was absurd, he knew she wanted nothing more than be a Professor at Harvard University. What then? Had she suddenly realized she didn't belong in the USA and wanted to go back to Paris? No, it couldn't be. He thought of everything, except for the simplest explanation that awaited him on the other side of the door he was staring at.

"Robert, what took you so long?" Sophie run to him the moment the door opened. She had rehearsed the lines so many times, but what came out was totally different from what she had planed. Langdon didn't even have time to ask. "We are going to have a baby!"

He chocked. "We are what?"

She couldn't tell if his reaction was good or not.

"Are you pregnant?" he asked reaching over to her stomach.

She put her hands over his "Yes. I did a pregnancy test."

"Sophie, I'm going to be a father!" Langdon couldn't restrain his excitement. He hugged her and kissed her fully on the mouth. "Thank you, my love."

She smiled and pressed her head against his chest. "Don't you think it's a good explanation for quitting the job?"

"You actually quitted it?"

She looked up at him. "Yes, I already talked to Mr. Hale about this."

"You told him you are pregnant?" He looked hurt at the thought of being the second to now the news.

Sophie laughed. "No, silly. I told him something else. He looked disappointed, but seemed to understand," she explained. "He even told me to call him again if I changed my mind."

"He will know in time," he said, hugging her tighter. "But darling, are you sure you are not mistaken? The test-"

"It doesn't lie, Robert."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I didn't want to give you false hopes."

"I love you," he whispered in her ears.

Her arms went around his waist. "I love you too."

"And I love him," he touched her stomach again.

"Her."

"Him."

"Her. You love her."

"Whatever, my Princess." Langdon leaned in to kiss her again, and this time her entire body responded.

He brought her to their bedroom, and gradually disposed her off her clothes, so they could properly celebrate the new life that was about to come.

Sophie awoke hours later in Langdon's arms. It took her some seconds to focus on her surroundings. When she did all she wanted was to go back to sleep, but it was already too late.

"How is mommy doing?"

"Tired."

"Want anything to eat?" he asked, regretfully disentangling himself from her arms.

"Yes, blueberries, Sir."

"Blueberries? But it's eh, too early for blueberries."

"I'm joking, silly," she sat up holding the sheets. "It's too early for carvings. But some pancakes would do me good."

He sighed. "Pancakes, alright."

Half an hour later Langdon returned with the food and two glasses of orange juice. Juices were his expertise, and she knew that.

Sophie helped him put the small table on the bed. "I'm glad you brought a lot of pancakes," she grinned. "You know, from now on I'll have to eat for two."

Langdon found a place close to her. "I know," he blinked. "And you'll also need to see a doctor soon."

Then it dawned on her. "A doctor? But what doctor?"

He put his glass on the table, pondering. "I don't know, but I can ask one of my friends who already have children. I'll do it tomorrow," he smiled broadly. "Do you think we'll be able to see if it's a boy or a girl?"

Sophie was amused with Langdon's happiness. He looked so silly, and so cute. "Of course not!" she laughed. "Don't be so anxious, dad."