A/N: I am going to write an epilogue for Black Rain still but it's going to be next week sometime I think :P

Chapter Two

Ethan slipped in the door, tossing his keys on the table nearby before he headed for the kitchen. "Krissy, you home?" He called out, the rustling of the take out bag causing him to strain to listen for a response. "I brought dinner!"

Ethan paused and gave a listen, not hearing any response. He let out a sigh in disappointment realizing that she was probably still at work. He set the bag on the counter and grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge, popping the top with one hand while working out of his coat.

Maybe he could catch a shower, before she got home. Ethan took a hefty sip, his and Lucky's conversation playing back through his mind as he headed to the master bathroom. He set the beer down on the dresser that rested just inside the bedroom door, his shirt button's half opened from his one handed efforts as he made his way down the hallway. He started to give it a better effort with his other hand free, but stopped the minute his gaze fell on the rumbled bed.

Kristina was asleep. He frowned looking at the clock, seeing that it was just after 6. Not exactly normal on any scale. She hadn't even climbed under the covers, had fallen asleep in her work clothes. Ethan felt worry sinking in fast as he made his way over and delicately eased himself down beside her, trying not to disturb her too much. It was as though taking her in his arms could somehow alleviate all his worry, the touch between them a confirmation of the least of his concerns, that she was just somehow overtired.

Normally something out of the ordinary wouldn't phase him all that much, but there was something in her eyes in the morning and all that talk about intuition and he was spooked. Her soft stir against him gave him a breath in relief as he snuggled his body against hers, bare chest meeting her back as he wrapped his arms around her.

Kristina felt the warmth of his body before she actually breathed him and a smile was already on her lips before she had a chance to open her eyes. She rolled over in his arms and snuggled up closer to him. "I was almost asleep." She purred against his chest. "I just meant to close my eyes for a hot second…"

"Busy day at the office dear?" He mused against her ear with a tender kiss.

"I had to call Ginger in on her day off because the steam punk butterfly collection clashed with everything. We had to completely revamp the secondary exhibition wing. But alas, crisis was averted. Maxie sent over some eggshell lace that we draped over this sort of burnt umber hide wall covering and it made up the difference somewhere." Kristina sighed in between the explanation with a hint of laughter playing in her voice as she let her hands roam his body playfully.

"So you've been hanging hide and lace all day?" Ethan chuckled.

"Don't forget the mechanical butterflies, baby."

"Right, how could I do that…" Ethan laughed out louder and as she felt the reverberation through his chest it only helped spur her own, easing the feelings of worry both had harbored.

"What about you? How was your day?" Kristina kissed softly against his chest, her smile only growing when she heard him hiss in a breath against the action, trying to find his voice.

"Well we had quite the exhibitionists on the floor. Dante had break them up by the penny slots." Ethan's amusement was waning, making way for the building desire that so many tender touches and kisses were inspiring.

"Sounds like quite the show."

"I wouldn't know." Ethan smirked as she rose up, capturing his lips with her own. It was a moment later when they came up for breath that he confessed. "I had my eyes closed the whole time."

Kristina shook her head with a smile. "Liar." She smirked as he rose up to meet her, bringing them both to a sit as they met in another passionate kiss.

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The Next morning…

Kristina stood over a skillet full of eggs, Ethan's dress shirt from the night before covering her to mid thigh as he came from the bedroom, hurriedly getting dressed. "Hey have you seen my…"

"You're wallet's on the table. I found it under the bed." Kristina smirked over her shoulder.

"Novel place." He shrugged. "Don't forget about the benefit…"

"I haven't. Maxie's on her way over with Sam. You better get out of here if you don't want to be caught in an estrogen bomb."

"Right." Ethan dashed over giving her a quick kiss on the cheek at that. "Thanks for the heads up." He chuckled as he palmed the wallet and headed for the door. "I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Seven," She nodded.

He was almost out the door when he popped back around the corner with a curse under his breath. "Hey I forgot. Rex might be bringing a package by the house this afternoon."

"I won't be here." She gave him a long hard look. "Tell him to slip it through the mail slot...Should I ask?"

Ethan licked at his lips with a smirk. "Probably not." He waggled his eyebrows at her and then slipped out the door with a call of " Bye, Love!" Over his shoulder.

Kristina sighed out a breath with a shake of her head. Over the years they had come to an easy sort of balance. Ethan didn't tell her about the not so legal and she didn't ask. So long as he didn't endanger anyone or go to jail she looked the other way. Con's were in his blood and so long as he kept himself out of trouble she wasn't about to ask him to stop. He was home on a regular basis and no one really got hurt…so…it was compromise of sorts.

They had fallen asleep in each other's arms the night before and well with the morning rituals and all there wasn't a good chance for Kristina to tell him that she might be pregnant. Wasn't it better to wait until after she knew for sure? She knew they needed to actually talk about it, but finding the time the last few days hadn't been easy and well there was the whole benefit tonight and getting ready and…God….Kristina let out another breath as she set the spatula down, frowning at the eggs, not even sure she could eat them.

'Nerves…not pregnancy.' She told herself quickly. God she better get a shower and changed before Maxie and Sam got there. Maybe she could eat by then…

30 minutes later…

Kristina sauntered through through the house, her hair still needing styling, make-up half finished as she walked in the dress that she'd picked out for the party tonight, the back still open from a lack of help zipping up the back. "I'm coming," she called as the echo from the door bell was slowly fading down the hallway. Kristina pulled open the door to find Maxie and Sam both standing on the front porch.

"You aren't ready to go out?" Maxie was the one that asked it as Sam gave her sister a look of concern.

"My dress doesn't fit." Kristina hadn't tried to sip it but she had a feeling, oh a bad feeling. "It's too little."

"You got it fitted three weeks ago." Maxie gasped as Kristina made way for her and Sam to make their way into the house. "Let me see it…" Maxie turned Kristina forcefully and grabbed the zipper near the small of Kristina's back fully intent on proving her wrong as she pulled it up as hard as she could, only to run into trouble just south of Kristina's shoulder blades…suggesting that her breasts were bigger.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. You're what? 24? Boobs stop growing after a certain point. I'm sure you're there." Maxie prattled off quickly, her mouth doing her thinking for her as she went along. "I mean high school, middle school, even maybe the early years of college, but I'm pretty sure you're done. I mean it's not like you're pregnant…" She broke off her little ramble with a laugh, until she took in the looks on Sam and Kristina's faces. "You're pregnant?"

"We don't know yet." Sam interjected, seeing tears forming in Kristina's eyes as she quickly inserted herself between Maxie and her sister. "I've got the test in my purse." She explained to them quickly.

"Oh thank God. The Pharmacy was closed for that renovation thing on my way home from work last night." Kristina breathed out in relief as Sam helped ease the zipper down and then slipped the box into her sister's hands. "I'll go take it now…"

Three minutes later…

The three of them sat in Ethan and Kristina's bedroom quietly. They still had another two minutes before they were supposed to look and everyone seemed on pins and needles. "We can get another dress while we're out today. It's no problem." Sam soothed her as she gently massaged Kristina's neck.

"Yeah." Maxie nodded. "I mean how long could it possibly take to find the perfect dress for the perfect evening."

"Maxie." Sam hushed her and Maxie just gave her a look.

"It's just a benefit," Kristina sighed glancing back at the bathroom door and then to the clock expectantly.

"You took both of them, right?" Maxie popped off.

"Why would I take both of them? How much pee do you think I have?"

"Ewww." Maxie cringed at the very thought. "I was just being thorough. Lulu took like four."

Sam and Kristina both looked to Maxie in wonder and Maxie immediately realized that they didn't know about Lulu's little announcement. "Lulu's pregnant too." She explained as she got to her feet and paced nervously at the foot of the bed. "Oh God. Do you have any idea what it will mean if you are pregnant?" Maxie asked Kristina with a gulp not even realizing that Kristina and Sam were still reeling from the news that Lulu was pregnant.

"Lulu's pregnant?" Kristina choked out, interrupting Maxie's current train of thought on herself, at least trying to. Without any sort of success.

"Yes! That's yesterday's news!" Maxie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Keep up! If you're pregnant then I'm like singled out…the only one not following this sudden trend."

"Maxie, they're babies, not a trend." Sam gasped out in horror.

"Yeah but if I want my kids to grow up with all of yours I have to get up with the program! And I don't know if I'm ready for the program." Maxie explained further.

"It's time." Kristina couldn't focus on Maxie's mini meltdown when her own test was waiting for her on the other side of that door…

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7:00pm…

Kristina might have realized that something wasn't exactly right had she not been so thrown for a loop. After the whole test fiasco there was shopping - and lots of it and she had a new dress and then there was a little work handling and refreshing her face and making sure she wasn't about to puke and before she knew it Sam and Maxie were departing to meet up with their own dates for this shin dig and she was waiting on Ethan in the darkened living room, still feeling a few shades of shock wavering over her.

The last thing she expected was opening the door to find Ethan at the end of the walk motioning her to follow him into the limo that awaited them on the street. That was the first moment that she had any inkling that something wasn't as she expected it. Kristina moved on autopilot praying that they could just get through this evening so that she could tell him all that she knew when they got home.

"You look absolutely spectacular, Love." he whispered as she descended the walk and met him there at the limo door. He kissed her as she allowed him to usher her inside. Ethan scooted over to wrap his arm around her not missing the shock in her features. "You seem a little shocked…"

"I'm…a little…it's been a long day and I wanted to talk to you but it can wait til after the benefit." She promised him. Hell she wanted it to wait, until it was just the two of them for the whole night. She needed that. She just had to hold it together a few hours longer.

Ethan took that in slowly with a frown and was slow to answer. "Are you sure you're up for this? You seem distracted."

Kristina was finally able to shake the shock and what not, knowing that she could explain it all soon as she met his eyes with a softening of her own and she smiled. "I'm fine. Out of shock and the limo is lovely." She leaned in and kissed him as if to show her appreciation.

"I'm glad you like it." He smirked. "So how long was your day, Darling?"

"Maxie, was a little obsessive. It was long." Kristina laughed. She didn't tell him why else it was though…

"Well forget about it. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself." Ethan reached across the seat and grabbed a bottle of champagne and Kristina clicked her tongue against her teeth feeling like such a goof. She had to say something. And yet…"You don't want a drink." Ethan figured her out with one look.

"Not just now," Kristina whispered as her hand rested over her nervous stomach. "But I can relax without it. I promise." She smiled.

There was another moment of silence that passed not so easily between them and Ethan settled back against the limo worriedly. It was as if they could read the air between them and while Kristina was holding out for his surprise he knew that she was absolutely beside herself and he couldn't stand for that. "What's going on?" He asked her finally as they pulled into the casino parking lot.

"What?" she looked to him with that same every surprised glance.

"Kristina. I am trying to impress you and you are so lost in thought you can't tell which way is up…what is going on?" Ethan asked her softly, imploring her gently for the answer to his question.

She met his eyes for a whole second - or maybe more he wasn't quite sure but it was intense and he felt his spirit falter a moment as worry settled in. It was like waiting for a shoe to drop, one after the other and he felt like he had been waiting all night he was already so nervous. He met her eyes without flinching though and waited for her response.

He just never thought…

"I'm pregnant," She whispered out in the darkness of the limo.