Thanks for all the great reviews on this story so far! Patience is always appreciated, and the plot will pick up very soon. Ryan/Natalia are very complicated, complex, under-written characters with well-written and established pasts on the show, and exploring them in the context of a relationship first is necessary to the story so that they can be understood and more closely explored as individuals later. So, as stated earlier, the plot will pick up, promise. Enjoy.


Pliant

Nine

Eric looks upon his wife as she sleeps heavily, burrowed into the duvet, her hair tussled and framed around her face, which is unnaturally pale. She'd come home a couple of nights before completely exhausted and unable to stomach any kind of food. He tried giving her some toast, but after a few bites, she pushed it away, opting for sleep instead. He doesn't think he's ever seen Calleigh this miserable, and he prays that she will not feel like this for the whole pregnancy. Her irritability has reached an all time high because of how sick she's always feeling, and he does his best not to aggravate her, if he can help it.

Today, he took the extra step and he turned off the ringer on the phone in their bedroom, put both their phones on vibrate, and he turned off the alarm clock so that her rest will not be disturbed. Their doctor's assessment of the pregnancy so far unnerved him; Dr. Maynard, a woman of about fifty with long, graying hair, bony fingers, and glasses that aged her about twenty years, told them that Calleigh's pregnancy would be risky, that her labs weren't good. She basically told them that the baby was draining her because of the vomiting and the tiredness. She wanted to closely monitor her progress every four weeks instead of six because she was having a rough start. She was actually losing weight when she should have been starting to gain, and she presented slightly dehydrated.

Since then, Eric has been waiting on her hand and foot, determined to get her to drink fluids when he couldn't get her to eat. He discovered online that fresh fruit is the best to help the morning sickness ebb. He stocked up on pineapples, strawberries and kiwis because those are her favorite fruits. He makes sure now to put the mini trash can on her side of the bed, so if she feels the need to throw up right away, she can do so into the bag without getting out of bed.

Calleigh stirs, sighing as she turns onto her back, opening her eyes slightly before closing them again. Eric stretches his body along hers, his hand reaching over and gently pushing her tank top up to her breasts before he splays his hand over her abdomen. He's been doing that a lot lately, feeling her abdomen, ever since she told him that they were going to have a baby. Her belly is still toned and flat, but that will change soon. She's five weeks along right now, so of course she's not showing yet, but he thinks maybe in a few weeks, he'll be able to feel a slight change. The goal that they are both striving for is to make it to twelve weeks. The first weeks of the first trimester are a treacherous time for mother and baby, so, with as sick as Calleigh has been with this baby, Eric is worried. It's not so much the vomiting that makes it bad for him; a queasy stomach is to be expected with early pregnancy, but it's the malaise that has overtaken her that bothers him even more. She's become so weakened that the thought of getting out of bed makes her even more miserable.

Tiredness is one thing, but pure exhaustion is another. It's to the point where she can barely function and he wonders if they should make an appointment to see Dr. Maynard sooner.

Eric knows that once the nausea and vomiting passes, Calleigh will get her energy back. He knows that she can't wait to get back into her running routine. Up until the pregnancy, Calleigh has always been diligent about her daily runs. He knows that she must feel strange, not having done it in several weeks, but resting is the only way she can possibly accomplish anything else through the day.

Still, he is excited about the prospect of having a child with Calleigh. This is what they've been wanting, and it's finally happening. They are making a family together and he can't wait to have a house full of children eventually. God knows they have plenty of space.

He kisses her cheek softly.

She stirs and she turns onto her side and settles against him, burrowing her face into his neck.

"What time is it?" She asks quietly.

"It's three in the afternoon," he says.

She offers a hum of acknowledgement before she kisses just under his jaw.

"Why'd you let me sleep so long?" She drawls sleepily.

"You needed it," he says. "How's your stomach?"

"Better," she reports. "I'm actually kind of hungry."

He grins. "It's been a while since I've heard you say that."

"Well, it's been a while since I've felt hungry," she says as she sits up a bit. "I'm gonna go downstairs and get something."

"No, I'll get it," Eric offers. "Stay in bed."

Calleigh sighs. "Eric, don't do that...I'm pregnant, not an invalid."

"The doctor said that you need rest," he insists and she tilts her head to the side.

"I did...I am," she says. "But I think I'm allowed a little trip downstairs to the kitchen, love."

Realizing that he may be overreacting just a bit, he grins. "You're right...I'm sorry."

She gets out of bed and she stretches before she exits their bedroom.

He follows and they go into the kitchen together.

"I'll make you something to eat."

She turns to him angrily.

"Eric."

"Calleigh, don't look at me like that," he says firmly.

"Are you going to do this for my entire pregnancy?" She asks.

"What?" He asks, calming down. "Take care of you, let you get some rest, and feed you to your heart's content? You make it all sound so bad..."

At that, she smiles, but still holding on to the last vestiges of her frustrations.

"I appreciate you taking care of me," she says, putting her hands on his chest. "I love you. But I don't like it when you hover."

He sighs. "I'm sorry, I just want you and the baby to be healthy, that's all."

She hugs him and rests her head onto his chest. "I know. I want what you want."

He holds her tightly.

"I won't hover," he compromises. "But no heavy lifting...and that includes laundry."

"Eric..." She groans.

"I'll do it..."

Calleigh looks up at him, shaking her head.

O-o-O

"I think we should start getting ready," Natalia says as she hooks her arms around Ryan's neck.

He kisses her cheek as he caresses over down over her arms, over her breasts to her abdomen. They are in the tub together, and the water is still warm, and they haven't quite finished their glasses of wine. They have to be at Zoe's party in less than two hours, and at the pace they're going now, they will not make it on time.

"You said that twenty minutes ago, 'Lia," he chuckles. "You don't seem to be in a big hurry."

"You don't either," she teases. "You know you have free will here."

"Not when it comes to you."

She turns to look at him incredulously. "That is totally not fair. How do I infringe upon your free will?"

"Well," he says, kissing her lips softly. "You're beautiful, ten times smarter than I am, amazing and quite persuasive and I love you. How could I possibly have the will to say no to you?"

She smiles, straddling him. "So basically what you're saying is that not only are you my boyfriend..."

She pauses to kiss him lovingly.

"You're my man-slave..."

"Oh no, I didn't say that..."

"I think you did," she giggles. "You said you don't have the will to say no to me."

"Most of the time," he clarifies.

"Oh so now it's most of the time, huh?" She laughs as she settles back into him. "So, are we going to get dressed or no?"

"Yes," he says.

"Well you're not moving...do you want to go to the party tonight?"

"Only if you want to go," he shrugs and she turns to look at him again.

"Only if I want to go to your ex's party?" She asks.

He grins. "I think something's about to come up..."

"What?"

"That's what we'll tell her if she decides to call," he says. "Something came up and we couldn't make it. I'm comfortable right here."

Natalia smiles and kisses him.

O-o-O

Calleigh stalks into the break room and once there, she heads straight to the fridge, ignoring Valera, Natalia, and Walter when they greet her. She opens up the fridge and retrieves a bottle of water and she goes into the cabinet to get some crackers. She begins to eat them quickly so that she doesn't vomit. She is so sick of everyone hovering and asking her questions about the baby...she really just wants to be left alone.

She drinks down some water before she eats some more crackers.

"Calleigh..." Walter calls tentatively.

"What?" She asks more harshly than she intended and he takes a step back.

"Are you doing alright?"

"You know what, Walter?" She begins, now in a fury. "I swear to GOD if someone asks me that goddamn question one more time today I will shoot them! I'm not alright because people won't leave me alone!"

With that she walks out, crackers and water in hand.

"Whoa," Maxine breathes, that after holding her breath at Calleigh's obvious bad mood.

Natalia gets up and catches up with Calleigh down the hall, ticked off herself.

"Hey," Natalia calls. "Calleigh, stop."

"Leave me alone."

"No," Natalia says. "I hate to say it, but you're being a bitch today, and you know I wouldn't say it if it weren't true."

Calleigh gives her a scathing look.

"That's not going to work either," Natalia says. "Everyone in this lab cares about you...we're cops, we look out for each other, that's what we do. You're pregnant and it's great and everyone's excited and happy for you. We all just want the best for you. I get that you're hormonal and moody, and it's not you, necessarily, but you've got to cut us some slack, honey."

Calleigh deflates and she begins to cry and Natalia hugs her.

"I just don't feel well," Calleigh sniffles. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Cal," Natalia assures.

Calleigh pulls away and she wipes her tears. "I'm so miserable. I can't wait for this morning sickness to go away."

"I know," Natalia sympathizes.

"The doctor said I'm supposed to spend at least four hours out of the day resting," Calleigh laments. "I can't even sit still for thirty minutes. And Eric won't let me do anything around the house and we argued about that this morning...he's been doing all the cooking and cleaning...God love him, but that man is driving me crazy. I just want to think and do something for myself!"

"Okay," Natalia says.

"I'm not an invalid."

"Yeah, but...you're pregnant," Natalia smiles. "That's one of the best parts of being a woman...we make the babies and get all the attention and love."

Calleigh nods, smiling.

She is excited about being pregnant, it's always what she wanted, but she honestly hadn't been expecting all of the attention and she hadn't been expecting that the first trimester would be so miserable. The doctor's words to her scared her, but she doesn't know what to do about the sickness other than what she's doing, and she is doing her best not to strain herself. But she's sure that once the morning sickness passes, she'll be able to enjoy the rest of her pregnancy. She now regrets being so mean to Walter, but that came out of nowhere. Her moods have been constantly shifting, and she tries to control it, but it feels good once she releases some of her irritation.

Still, Natalia is right. She is being quite the bitch, and she needs to try a little harder to keep her tone and moods in check.

"Feel better?" Natalia asks. "Get it all out?"

"Yeah," Calleigh sighs, then she hugs Natalia again. "Thank you darling. I love you."

"Love you too," Natalia says with a smile. "It'll be alright."

The women pull away and Ryan comes up beside Natalia and Calleigh hugs Ryan suddenly, catching him off guard. He furrows his eyebrows before he wraps his arms around her.

"Hey..."

"I love you," Calleigh says before she pulls away, smiling. "I feel so much better."

Ryan nods, not really knowing what just happened. "Good."

Calleigh heads to her lab.

Natalia chuckles and Ryan raises an eyebrow.

"What was that all about?" He asks. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah," Natalia grins. "Mood swing."

"Oh," he says. "Glad I missed out on that."

"Where are you off to?"

"AV lab," he explains. "You?"

"I'm going to get a soda," she says. "Wanna come with real quick?"

He nods and they walk together. His hand sneaks a caress down over her lower back before he playfully pinches her ass.

She smacks his hand away and looks at him.

"Stop it," she warns with little conviction, smiling.

"So it's been two days and Zoe hasn't called," he says once they make it to the vending machines.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She asks. "I mean, since we didn't show up to the party."

"She's probably having a good time here in Miami," he shrugs. "I told her to enjoy herself while she was here."

She puts her dollar into the machine and punches the button for a Dr. Pepper.

"You two are friends, right?"

"Yeah. That's why I'm starting to feel kind of bad about missing her party."

Natalia smiles as she retrieves her soda.

"Well, something did come up," she purrs as she steps closer to him.

"Mm, dirty girl," he whispers huskily.

"Hmm..." She giggles. "Then why don't we make it up to her? Take her out to dinner or something?"

He sneaks a kiss from her. "That's why I love you...ten times smarter."

"And don't you forget it," she says as they head out.

On the way back, they both find Zoe waiting in the reception area.

"Just the two people I wanted to see."

"Hey Zoe," Ryan says.

"Hey," Zoe says. "I missed you two at the party Saturday..."

"Yeah uh..."

Natalia grins. "Something came up. Got called in unexpectedly."

"Oh," Zoe nods. "Was it that murder at that school?"

"We can't discuss our cases," Ryan explains. "Anyway...uh, 'Lia and I want to make it up to you."

"No, it's fine," Zoe says.

There is an underlying tension between all of them, and they fall silent for a few moments.

"So I came here to ask if you two wanted to have lunch," Zoe says with a smile. "My flight leaves late tonight, so I can't have dinner."

"Well, I have some work to catch up on," Ryan says regretfully. "'Lia?"

"I can go," Natalia says.

"Then we can turn it into girls' lunch," Zoe says. "Besides, I'd actually like to hear more about you in person because Joy couldn't stop talking about you."

Natalia smiles bashfully. "Okay...let me get my purse and we can go."

"Alright," Zoe says.

Natalia heads to the locker room.

Ryan looks at Zoe.

"How'd the party go?"

"You'd know if you'd have come," she counters playfully, then she sighs. "Look, it's fine. And I'm sorry for the way I acted that day when I came to see you. It's just been so long since we last talked and then I saw that you were in a relationship and...I'm sorry."

He nods. "It's alright, Zo."

Natalia comes back, her clutch purse in hand. "Let's go."

"Great," Zoe says.

"I'll see you later," Natalia says, squeezing his hand.

The women get onto the elevator and wave. Ryan waves back.

O-o-O

Natalia laughs as she wipes her hands on her napkin.

"He did not..."

Zoe pauses to catch her breath between giggles. "Yes he did...Ryan's mom was so pissed, and as punishment, she made him take the class for a year."

Natalia laughs even harder and she inhales deeply.

"She has pictures," Zoe says.

"That is funny," Natalia giggles. "Ryan in tights."

"It was hysterical," Zoe adds.

Both women calm and begin to eat more of their lunch.

"Mm, this is so good," Zoe marvels. "They don't make food like this in Boston."

Natalia suggested that they go to Matilda's, a Cubano restaurant near the beach. It is Natalia's favorite restaurant, and she is glad that Zoe is enjoying it.

"The flavors are so different and they blend together," Zoe says. "This is so good."

"See? I told you."

Zoe takes a sip of her drink.

"So Natalia, how long have you and Ryan been together?"

"Four months," Natalia smiles. "It's been so amazing...Ryan is a good man."

Zoe nods. "I'm glad that you two are happy."

"Thanks," Natalia says.

Zoe takes another sip of her drink. She's trying to swallow the hard ball of jealousy and bitterness, but she can't. What she had with Ryan had been the best thing that ever happened to her. Even after they fell apart, she still loved him. She lived with him for four years, they shared everything, and she was his fiancee for a while, and the things they went through together had an impact on her, and that's hard to let go. So now, as she looks at Natalia, this exotic, gorgeous, and different woman and thinks about how much Ryan obviously loves her, she can't let go of what she used to have with him.

"Did Ryan ever tell you about us?" Zoe asks.

"Yeah," Natalia says. "He told me that you two were engaged to be married."

"We were," Zoe confirms. "But a lot of things happened between us and we weren't ready...we weren't ready for any of it."

"What happened between you two?"

Zoe looks at her. "What did Ryan say?"

Natalia furrows her eyebrows. "Basically the same thing you said...why?"

"So, he didn't actually tell you what happened between us? Do you know about his gambling addiction?"

"Oh yeah," Natalia says. "Yeah, I knew about that long before we got together. But he's dealt with that...is that what broke you two up?"

Zoe sighs. "Not exactly...it wasn't the gambling. That I could've handled. I..."

"What?" Natalia asks with a nervous chuckle. "Did Ryan commit murder, or something?"

"I think that you should talk to him about it," Zoe says, deciding not to reveal everything to Natalia. She's not that kind of woman. But she will plant the seed in Natalia's head that Ryan was holding back partly out of jealousy and partly out of concern. "He should be the one to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Natalia asks.

"Talk to Ryan," Zoe insists. "It's best...you two are so happy, and...maybe it won't be a big deal, and maybe if you never ask him, it'll be alright. But...if it comes up, he should be the one to tell you because I know you two love each other. I can tell. I'll get the check."

Natalia picks up her drink and takes a long, thoughtful sip.

O-o-O

Calleigh walks into the house and she sighs as she kicks off her heels and then goes into the den and plops onto the couch, dropping her purse onto the floor. It has been a long, trying day, and she wants to sleep more than anything. She feels a bit achy, but more than that, she's completely drained physically and emotionally.

"Calleigh?"

"In here."

Eric comes out of the office and he finds Calleigh slouched on the sofa, looking worn out and pale. He's glad that he put on some water so that he can make her a cup of tea, knowing that she will appreciate it. He goes over to her, and he sits next to her and she looks at him, remorse in her glistening eyes. He reaches over and caresses her cheek and a tear falls onto his thumb. He gently draws her to him and she rests onto his chest.

"Don't cry, carina," he whispers.

"I'm sorry," she sniffles.

"Me too," he says. "I shouldn't have pushed you..."

She sits up and wipes her tears. "God...I've been unbearable lately, haven't I?"

"No," he assures. "Carina, you haven't been unbearable. I understand. Being sick everyday would make anyone a little cranky."

She looks into his eyes and he kisses her softly, smoothing over her hair.

"I love you," she says.

"I love you too," he says before he kisses her cheek. "Want some tea?"

She nods and he takes her hand and they go into the kitchen.

She sits down at the table in the nook and rests her forehead in one hand, and rubbing her stomach with the other. She swallows thickly as she feels what little contents she has in her stomach slosh around and swirl.

"What kind of tea do you want?" He asks.

"I don't care," she groans.

"How about peppermint?" He asks. "It's good for your stomach."

"Fine," she says.

He makes her tea then he sits it in front of her with a couple of slices of toast.

"Thank you," she says gratefully.

He sits at the table with her. "You need to eat a full, balanced meal..."

"I would if I could keep it down," Calleigh says.

"Well I was reading online about how to help with the morning sickness," he explains. "And it said that fresh fruit, carbs and incorporating exercise should help."

"Maybe we can go walking early tomorrow morning, then," she says. "I'm good with the toast right now."

"At least eat some soup," he says.

She shakes her head.

Once she is finished with her tea and toast, Eric picks up the dishes.

Calleigh stands up and a wave of dizziness befalls her, and she wavers on her feet. Eric catches sight of her wavering gait, he puts one hand on her lower back and the other on her abdomen to steady her.

"You alright?" He asks.

"Yeah...just dizzy."

He stands with her for a few minutes, holding her steady until the dizziness passes so that he can get her up to bed.

"Think you can make it upstairs?"

She groans, shaking her head. "I just want to lay down. I-I need to lie down."

He scoops up her lithe body into his arms and he carefully carries her up to their bedroom. She wraps her arms around his neck, her eyes getting heavy. Once there, he gently sets her onto the bed then he goes over to the dresser and fishes out a pearl colored camisole and a pair of pajama pants for her. She takes them gratefully when he hands them to her and she slowly, tiredly peels off her clothes one article at a time and he takes them for her. She takes off her bra and he takes that and then he puts her clothes into the hamper at the end of the bed.

She sits on the edge of the bed, summoning up the energy to put on her night clothes. Despite her being so sick, Eric thinks that Calleigh is the most gorgeous woman, with her long, blonde hair flowing over her shoulders, intensely beautiful green eyes, and soft skin. She is always a vision to him and nothing could ever change that.

She finally pulls on her camisole, but doesn't bother with the pants as she lays down.

"Get under the covers, carina," he says, turning down the comforter.

She gets under the covers and burrows, letting the exhaustion take over.

He leans down and kisses her forehead.

"Thank you," she says in barely above a whisper.

"Get some rest," he says.

"Stay with me, Eric."

He changes his clothes then he gets into bed next to her and she brings his arm over her waist. He slips his hand under her camisole and splays his hand over her abdomen. She closes her eyes, reveling in the warmth of his body against hers, his hand on her skin. The warmth spreads throughout her entire body and calms her, lulls her.

In a few minutes, she drifts off to sleep, her heart full of gratitude and respect for her husband.

O-o-O

Natalia is in the kitchen washing the dishes after dinner when she hears a thump then a mumbled curse coming from the hallway.

"Ry, you okay sweetie?" She asks, turning off the water.

He comes into the kitchen. "Yeah I'm fine...just stubbed my toe on one of the many boxes you have yet to unpack."

She rolls her eyes. "You should be more careful."

"And you should finally unpack," he says, wrapping his arms around her waist. "How long have you been living in this place?"

"Few years," she says.

"'Lia..."

"I know, but it's just stuff I don't really need," she says.

"I'm just gonna go through them one day," he says.

"Don't go through those boxes," she says. "I'll find some place to put them."

"'Cause the office is already full," he mentions.

Her house is homey, he supposes, he likes being at her home with her, but she hasn't exactly moved in completely. But then again, he thinks that's just part of her personality, or a family trait, actually because her youngest sister, Anya, is much the same, with boxes and things hanging around that need a place. He's accepted that Natalia is not quite as neat as he is, she does just enough to where he is still comfortable. Her decorating sense she definitely gets from her mother, though. The warm color tones, the plush furniture covered in blankets for even more comfort, the large cherry wood dining room table for her family when they come over. The furniture is nice, a bit too big for the house she's in right now. Still, he loves her.

He kisses her cheek and she smiles slightly. He can tell that something has been on her mind, and he remembers to ask her about lunch with Zoe.

"How was lunch this afternoon?"

Natalia debates on whether or not to bring up the conversation she had with Zoe about the reasons why the engagement had been broken off. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things, whatever he told or didn't tell her will not matter because she loves Ryan so much. She's completely in love with him, and she trusts him implicitly, so she decides that she will not ask him.

"It was great," she says. "Zoe and I had a great time..."

"What?" He asks when she begins to giggle.

"She uh, told me about your stint in ballet school."

He chuckles. "Worst year of my life."

"You cut your sister's and her friend's hair!"

"I didn't mean to cut that much of it off," he explains. "So my mom made me take ballet with Ever. To make me more...sensitive to girls' feelings."

She smiles, caressing her hands down his chest. "Well, you are sweet, caring...and very sensitive to my feelings."

He raises an eyebrow at her. "You're never going to let me live it down, are you?"

"If your mom ever shows me the pictures," she says. "Nope."

He shrugs. "That's okay...your mom showed me pictures of the concert you and Christina went to so..."

"Okay, okay, I'll let it go."

He winks at her and that makes her heart skip a beat.

"I love you," she says.

"I love you too," he says before he kisses her lips softly.

"Yeah?" She asks, smiling against his lips.

"Mmhm," he says as he deepens their kiss.

He picks her up and sits her onto the counter as he kisses her. His hands slip under her blouse and caresses over her abdomen.

"Ry, much as I would love to make out with you," she smiles. "I made some food for Cal and Eric for a few days so I'm going to go drop it off at their house. She's exhausted and I know he's tired too."

"Alright," he says. "I'll go with you."

She kisses him. "I need to call first."

She slides off of the counter then she picks up her cell phone and dials the Delkos' house number.

"Hello?"

"Hey Eric," Natalia says.

"Hey," he says.

"I made some food for you and Calleigh for a couple of days," she says. "Is it alright if Ryan and I come over and drop it off?"

"Sure," Eric says. "But Calleigh's knocked out."

"I figured," Natalia says. "We were just going to stay for a few minutes."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye."

Natalia packs up the containers then Ryan takes them before they head out.

They make the twenty minute drive over to Eric and Calleigh's house and they get out of the car.

The lights in the front room are on, and Natalia knocks on the door.

A few moments later, Eric opens up.

"Hey," he says, opening the door wider to let them in.

Natalia hugs him then Ryan shakes his hand and hugs him.

"I made Calleigh some soup," Natalia says. "It's in the big container, and then I made some lasagna, garlic bread, and salad for you. There's some plain bread and a fruit salad for Calleigh too."

They go into the kitchen and Eric puts away the food.

"Thank you, Natalia," Eric says. "I really appreciate it. Calleigh's going to enjoy the soup."

"It's no problem," she says. "Calleigh had a little mood swing today at work..."

Eric chuckles. "Yeah...the mood swings are...difficult. I have to get used to seeing Calleigh more emotional than usual. It's mostly the weepiness she's dealing with now. She cries about the littlest things."

"Aw," Natalia says as they walk to the front door. "Well, hopefully she'll start feeling better soon."

"She will," Eric says as he opens the door. "Thank you again. Calleigh will really appreciate this."

"You're welcome. Give Calleigh our love."

"I will," Eric says.

Ryan and Natalia head out and Eric waves to them before going back inside the house.