Part (4/6)

It was a week and four days since her first visit with Addison. She was drinking the stupid tea, eating healthy foods, doing those ridiculous breathing exercises whenever she felt overwhelmed and taking short naps in her office whenever she could.

She still hadn't looked up at the ultra sound screen and she still hadn't told Cooper. Today she was feeling a little different, not bad, just different. Today she had decided to eat out for lunch. She was craving Greek food and there was this great little place down the street that served the most mouthwatering gyros.

As she made her way down the street a storefront caught her eye. A gorgeous handcrafted mahogany crib sat in the store's display case. For some reason she wanted to take it home. She wasn't really sure why, but she just did.

The store, as it turned out, catered to expectant mothers and babies. She stood in front of the store an admired the crib a little longer while.

"Charlotte?"

She jumped in surprise and then turned around. Standing behind her was Violet Turner, Cooper's impossible best friend.

"Oh…hello," she said nervously. She took once last look at the crib and then headed anywhere that wasn't near the therapist who hated her guts.

0oo0oo0

"You know, I think your ex is kind of nuts," Violet told Cooper.

Cooper looked up from his computer. "Yeah I know that."

Violet flopped down on the couch in his office. Cooper was not taking her seriously at all.

"Cooper," she whined. "She was staring at crib today. I swear to god, just standing in front of that Mommy and Me store staring at a crib.

He sighed, but said nothing else.

His silence piqued her interest. She leaned forward. "You know something, don't you?"

"It's between Charlotte and me."

"But it has something to do with a baby. Is she pregnant Coop? Is that why you've been so quite?"

Cooper closed out of the window he was working on and swiveled his chair towards her. "She's not pregnant."

"Oh." A pause. "Do you want me to talk to her? As a therapist," she added.

Cooper leaned back into his chair. "She's fine."

"Cooper she's not fine. She going all maternal on us."

"She was just looking at a crib," Cooper reasoned.

"That's not really normal for Charlotte."

She watched Cooper get up and leave and she knew immediately where he had gone. To Charlotte, always to Charlotte. Sometimes she wished she had never ratted the blonde out. Cooper and Charlotte probably would have still been together if not for her. And let's face it, apart those two were just dysfunctional people; together they were actually happy semi-normal people.

0oo0oo0

Cooper stood just outside of Charlotte's office. He was about to knock, but then thought better of it and just walked in. He was sincerely surprised to see Charlotte sleeping on her expensive black couch. Sleeping at work was a big no-no for her.

He crept closer and she let out a little moan in her sleep before turning onto her side. She looked beautiful, he thought. Very carefully, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. Charlotte let out an adorable little sigh and he smiled.

He looked at her once more and then turned away. There was something else wrong with this picture. On top on her desk sat a black traveler's coffee cup. He had dated Charlotte long enough to know that she only used disposable containers. It was easier to get rid of in an emergency, or at least that's what she told him. He shrugged his shoulders and took a sip. It would be a shame to waste it. He grimaced when he found out that it was not coffee he was drinking, but tea instead.

Charlotte King does not drink tea.

He set the cup down and left immediately. Something was definitely wrong with Charlotte.

0oo0oo0

"I swear," Cooper exclaimed. "It was like I walked into some crazy eighth dimension."

"Coop, calm down," Violet told him.

He had just come back and they were in the break room because he needed something to wash down that horrible tea with. He poured himself a cup of coffee and continued to rant to his best friend.

"She was sleeping! In her office!"

Violet reached over and poured herself a cup of coffee too. "I know it's hard to believe, but Charlotte's not a robot. She does need to sleep."

"In her office?" He gave Violet a pointed look.

"Okay, that's a little strange."

"And she was drinking tea Vi, tea! She hates tea. She thinks it tastes like flowery crap."

"She is a coffee drinker," Violet agreed.

Just then Addison walked in catching the end of the conversation. "Who's a coffee drinker?" The redhead asked.

"Apparently not Charlotte," Cooper grumbled.

"Cooper snuck into Charlotte's office found her asleep on her couch and then tried to steal her coffee only to find out it was tea. Now he's freaking out," Violet explained.

"I am not freaking out," Cooper said unconvincingly.

"Uh, huh," Addison said hesitantly. She refilled her mug and then left without saying anything, which was weird because the redhead liked good gossip.

Cooper turned to Vi. "That was weird right?" He asked her. "Tell me that was weird. Addison was all nervous. Why would she be nervous?"

"Yeah, that was weird," Violet agreed.

"This all adds up to something Vi. Baby crib, sleeping, tea and a nervous Addison." He thought about it for a second and then he knew exactly what was going on. And apparently so did Violet because at the same time they both said…

"She's pregnant!"

"So what are you going to do?" Violet asked.

He let out an exasperated sighed. "I don't know. I never wanted to see her again."

Violet snorted. "That's a lie."

He glared at her.

Violet shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it is." She sighed. "How do you really feel about her?"

"I love her Vi."

"Do you forgive her?" Violet asked.

Cooper bit his bottom lip. "I don't know."

"Oh, come on. She's a shark. You knew that before you got into a relationship with her."

"You don't even like her." He accused.

"I don't have to like her. I just know that you were happier when you were with her. And besides even when you're not with her all you do is rant and rave about her."

"I do not."

"Okay, then what were we talking about his morning?"

"Charlotte," he admitted.

"And who are we talking about now?"

"Charlotte. Okay I see your point." He drained the last of his coffee and then left. Violet had a patient to see anyways and he had to find out if Charlotte really was pregnant. She should have a file here, if Addison is her doctor. Why else would the redhead be so nervous?

Dell was missing from his post at the front desk, which was perfect. Stealth did not come naturally to looked around and then dropped to the ground behind the desk. He opened the filing cabinet, fingered though a few files before locating Charlotte's. It was actually pretty thick. He found notes from Pete from when Charlotte couldn't sleep, before finding notes detailing Charlotte's visits with Addison. He was right. She was pregnant, but she was also high risk. That part worried him.

He knew he should be furious with her for lying to him, but he couldn't suppress the happiness he felt for her and himself.

Someone cleared their throat behind him and he looked up to see Dell standing above him.

"I'll get out of your domain. Sorry."

0oo0oo0

Charlotte was having the strangest craving for tuna, hot sauce and pickles. She found the tuna, but her practice didn't seem to have any hot sauce or pickles. She frowned at the tuna sandwich sitting on the plate in front of her. The hot sauce and pickles still didn't appear, but someone else did.

Cooper walked through her office door as she was frowning at the tuna sandwich sitting on her desk.

"Did that sandwich do something to you?" He asked.

"No it's just missing something." She looked up to see him carrying a giant stuffed giraffe in his arms. There was a pink bow tied around the creature's neck.

"Oh, yeah. What's it missing?" He asked.

"Hot sauce and pickles," she answered unfazed by his disgusted expression. She pointed to the stuffed animal. "What's that?"

"A giraffe." He put it on her desk. "Hot sauce and pickles? Really?"

"I'm hungry." She picked up the giraffe. "For me?"

"Yep. It's for the baby."

She dropped the giraffe. "Excuse me?" She frowned and then said. "Did Montgomery tell you?"

"No, but Violet told me that you were staring at a crib this morning."

Charlotte crossed her arms. "It had great craftsmanship. I was just admiring it."

"And you're drinking tea."

"I love that stuff." She had a little trouble saying that with a straight face and Cooper picked up on it.

"And you were sleeping in your office when I came in this morning."

"Late night?"

"And your file says you're high risk. And that you've miscarried before."

Her lip trembled just a little when he mentioned the miscarriage and this too did not go unnoticed. "You had no right to look at my file," she snapped.

"It's my baby too. You did not make it by yourself and you are not asexual despite what people say."

"People say I'm asexual?"

"That or that they totally want to do you," Cooper said with a grin. "I'm talking about a huge amount of guys."

"Lot's of guys, huh?" She tried not to smile or seem amused.

"Some girls too. Violet totally digs you."

She let out a huff of laughter. "Shut up."

"Anyways," Cooper continued. "I came here to congratulate you, well us really. I don't even care that you lied to me, because that's such a Charlotte thing to do. And most importantly, I'm going to be here for you whether you like it or not."

Charlotte stood and gave him her famous death glare. "No you will not. You've made it clear that you don't want to be with me. You told me to go to hell, remember? You can't just come in here with your sweeping gallant gestures…you just can't! You only care about the baby, not me. Just go away, okay?"

"I'm not going away. I care about you, Charlotte, so you're going to have to deal with it." Cooper walked out and left her alone to think on what he said.

She sighed and stared at the stuffed creature he had left on her desk. It really was thoughtful of him. She always wondered how a guy she found on the Internet could turn out to be so…so sweet. She loved him, there was no doubt about that and he loved the baby she was carrying.

She placed a hand on her stomach, picked up the giraffe and held it in her other arm. "Look what your daddy gave you."

She couldn't make Cooper go away. She didn't want him to. She missed him, but she just had to know if he really loved her and not just the fact that she was carrying his child. He did say that he cared about her.

Later that day she went back to that store and bought the crib. At least she had hope now.