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As always my Tuesday was super super busy meaning it's a short chapter tonight. Quite short unfortunately and all in Riker's pov but enjoy the Rare sweetness.

Ch. 9 By the Fire

(RIKER)

I wake up to the feel of silky lips laying a feathery soft kiss on my lips. I smile keeping my eyes closed and brushing my fingers into her hair. My lips part, gently caressing Clare's lips and I smile when I break from the kiss.

"Good morning Captain Clare."

"Good morning Number One," she smiles, "and happy anniversary."

"It's an anniversary?"

"You don't remember?" She questions sitting up and crossing her arms over her beautiful breasts.

"How could I forget? I drove everyone crazy talking about you," I grin sitting up and uncrossing her arms which I then put around my neck. "Two months ago on this night we met and made love and conceived the child that brought us together. Even though you utterly shattered my heart the following night the night we met and made love is one of my favorite days ever," I tell her cupping her face and then seizing her lips for an ardently loving kiss. "We should go downstairs and get some breakfast, in fact I'm sure if we don't appear downstairs in a few minutes that your mom will come knocking at your door," I comment.

Today is Thursday February 22nd and aside from being an anniversary for us it's also Clare's first appointment with her OB/GYN. The appointment is at ten and it's our last day in Toronto because we play Oshawa tomorrow night. So Clare is taking the day off from school, her mom already called and told them she wouldn't be in and it was family business which was technically true. Clare and I also get the house to ourselves this evening, her parents are having dinner with my parents and Adam is going to hang out with my brothers, Ell and Rydel are going out or staying in, not sure really. I got some help from Adam and my sister planning a romantic evening for me and Clare. She will be coming out for her break next month so it will only be another three weeks before I see her again but after that we'll be apart until summer except when I can fly out to be with her in Toronto.

"You'd think she'd calm down by now, I'm already pregnant, she's been getting to know you for the last several days and you've slept in my room each night," Clare remarks as she gets out of bed with a yawn.

"She's just being a protective Mom, it's a good thing and I'm sure something you will be," I tell her as I get out of bed as well.

After dressing and getting ready we go downstairs and eat breakfast, Adam and Glen leave first since Glen is dropping Adam at school. Clare's mom stays until we've finished breakfast, tells us she wants to know everything the doctor says and to have fun tonight, but not too much. By the time we're done with breakfast and Clare's mom talking it's time to leave for the appointment. We found a great OB/GYN who has other high profile clients and therefor a discreet office for privacy. She's in a high rise near downtown and there's a back entrance straight to her office. We've already apprised the office of the situation and yesterday, when Clare came to the hotel after school, we found an OB/GYN in L.A. who will work with the one here since Clare is spending the summer with me in Los Angeles. Even though the doctor's office is private and discreet we still bundle up to disguise ourselves before going.

"Welcome you must be Clare and Riker, Dr. Maitland will be right in I just need to get your weight and vitals," the nurse says after showing us to a private exam room as soon as we walk in the door. We already filled out a family health history and all that so there's no paperwork to fill out. The nurse gets Clare's weight and vitals then gives her a gown to change into, the nurse leaves and Clare changes then sits on the exam table and after a minute there's a knock at the door.

"Hi I'm Dr. Hannah Maitland," the doctor says walking in and shaking our hands. "So Clare you're tenweeks we'll get a scan today and have a look at development. We'll also discuss testing today of course you can change your mind about some tests as your pregnancy progresses and you'll be asked again if you want the tests when it's nearing the time you can have them done. I've spoken with Dr. Keen already and I will send him a full briefing of this visit along with all test results so he's prepared because I believe your next visit will be with him in March."

We get a scan first and can clearly see a little human developing, all though right now our tiny baby looks more alien than human. Doesn't matter to me though as soon as I see it I grin and take Clare's hand, thrilled to see our child even as this small picture. While she does the scan the doctor talks to us about fetal development and that Clare's stomach will probably start showing a little extra curve in the next couple of weeks. She'll begin to look pregnant and it will happen pretty fast as our baby grows. After the scan the doctor gets a urine sample and blood sample from Clare to run tests. She also gives us a list and information on all available and all mandatory prenatal testing. Last she tells us what to expect and asks if we have any questions. We don't have questions yet but my mom has been pregnant five times so she can probably answer most of our questions anyway.

"How was the appointment?" Mom asks when we get to the hotel to have lunch with my family.

"It was good Dr. Maitland is very nice, we got a scan," Clare replies taking it from her purse to show them and there's a collective cooing over the picture.

"It's good that you like Dr. Maitland, hopefully Dr. Keen is just as nice," Mom says.

"I hope so too, Dr. Maitland was great she explained everything and was very sweet we were both very comfortable with her," Clare tells them.

Much of the discussion over lunch is about the baby or Clare coming out for March break. She's flying to Seattle and she'll be with us for the last two tour dates and then she'll be with us in L.A. for her whole break. After lunch we spend the rest of the afternoon with my family since this is the last Clare will see of them until she comes out for break. We kick back in Ross and Ell's room for a while and then we go down to Queen Street, Clare is bundled with sunglasses a coat and a scarf. We're all pretty bundled in coats, most of us have hats and sunglasses, some of us are wearing scarfs. It's still fairly early in the afternoon so school isn't out yet. Clare stays well bundled and hidden but the rest of us get recognized a few times, not by kids but by parents and every time they stop us to ask for pictures or autographs Clare does her best to hide behind my parents. We return to the hotel a little after four, Adam will be here soon to hang out for the evening. Clare hugs everyone and bids them goodbye before we leave. On the way home we pick up food from Clare's favorite restaurant and take it to her house.

"I'm going to light a fire, will you get us some drinks and put the food onto plates while I light a fire please?" I request of Clare when we get into her house.

"Dinner by the fire sounds amazing," Clare grins giving me a gentle kiss.

I go out to the garage to get some firewood and old newspaper to start a fire. I move the sofa back a little so we have plenty of room. Clare gets out a picnic blanket just so we don't get anything on the living room carpet. She brings over our plates and I bring our drinks, we sit next to each other in front of the fire and eat in silence, just enjoying each other's company. After we eat I clear our plates and then sit down with my knees bent and my legs open, Clare gets between my legs and leans against my chest. I wrap my arms around her and lightly kiss her jaw.

"Is there anything you wish we had done while I was here that we didn't get to do?" I ask Clare as I take her hands under my hands and interlace our fingers.

"Hmm, I would have liked to go ice skating I know you play hockey and I did skating for seven years. But I didn't want people to find out about us and renting a whole rink so we can be private is expensive."

"I promise you we'll go ice skating at some point, probably after people know about us and maybe after the baby is born. I didn't know you were an ice skater," I comment.

"Yeah Mom signed me up when I was little to get me to socialize with other kids. I started at six and kept doing it until thirteen. I still skate at the rink occasionally but by thirteen I was doing so many other things I didn't really have time for skating anymore. I still like to do it though."

"Then I promise you we will go ice skating and you can show me everything you learned in all those years. Anything else you wish we would have done?"

"Only that we'd had more time together," she says.

"Well you'll be coming out to me in a few weeks and we will spend every possible minute together," I tell her.

"There's one more thing I'd like to do before you leave."

"What's that?"

"I'd like you to sing to me, without being on stage and having to look out at the audience."

"Your own private concert? I can do that but all our instruments are on the bus," I comment.

"Adam has a guitar I'm sure he won't mind," Clare says getting out of my arms.

"I thought Adam plays bass?"

"He does but he plays guitar too he just prefers bass," she replies going upstairs. She returns a moment later with an acoustic guitar and hands it to me. I cross my legs and strum the guitar; Adam has it in tune and Clare smiles sitting across from me.

"This is one of our early songs," I tell her as I begin playing. "You're on my mind, every night, and in the morning when I wake. Don't leave me lonely, can you just hold me, together before I break. I just can't breathe without her, without you. I'm so lonely, without her, without you. Cuz today, you are all I need. There is something, I see in your eyes, oh and it gives me butterflies. I just can't stop thinking you make me weaken. Don't you know I will be true? I just can't breathe, without her, without you. I'm so lonely without her, without you. I just can't be without her, without you. Cuz today you are all I need. I'm going crazy without you, I'm going crazy without you, I'm going crazy without you. I just can't breathe without her, without you. I'm so lonely, without her without you. I just can't be without her, without you. Cuz today you are all I need."

"I like that song," Clare smiles leaning over to give me a soft kiss.

"This is by my favorite band McFly, I love this song," I tell her and start playing the melody. "Do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do, do. Do-do-do. Today, I'm laughing the clouds away, I hear what the flowers say and drink every drop of rain. And I see places that I have been, in ways that I've never seen. My side of the grass is green. Ooh I can't believe that it's so simple it feels so natural to me. If this is love then love is easy. It's the easiest thing to do. If this is love then love completes me. Cause it feels like I've been missing you. A simple equation, with no complications to leave you confused. If this is love, love, love hmm it's the easiest thing to do. Do, do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do do. Do-do-do, do you. Feel the way that I do? Do I turn your grey skies blue? And make dirty streets look new? Hmm and the birds sing, tweeheeheeheeheeheeheet, tweedleedeedeedee. Now I know exactly what they mean. Ooh I can't believe that it's so simple it feels so natural to me. If this is love then love is easy. It's the easiest thing to do. If this is love then love completes me. Cause it feels like I've been missing you. A simple equation with no complications to leave you confused. If this is love, love, love, hmm it's the easiest thing to do. Do, do, do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do. Wooh ooh ooh wooh ooh ooh oooh! Wooh ooh ooh wooh ooh ooh oooh! Wooh ooh ooh wooh ooh ooh oooh! What is it you want, Clare? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon Clare. Oooooh no if this is love then love is easy. It's the easiest thing to do if this is love then love completes me. Cause it feels like I've been missing you.
A simple equation, with no complications, to leave you confused. No if this is love, love, love. It's the easiest thing to do. Do, do, do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do. Do, do, do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do, do. Do-do-do, do."

"That was a very cute song but is my name really in the song?" Clare questions when I'm done singing.

"No I changed it for you, in the original song it's Mary," I grin. She leans over and kisses me and then I sing "Always" for her because it's our song. I love singing to her on stage but this is so much better because it's just us and I can look into her eyes and watch her smile the whole time I'm signing.

"I love that song, I love that song so much," Clare smiles when I'm done singing. She crawls over to me taking the guitar from my hands and gets in my lap capturing my lips.

"It's snowing outside," I smile when we break from the kiss several minutes later.

"Yes it does that a lot in Toronto," Clare giggles.

"Get your coat on," I tell her.

Clare smiles and we grab our coats from near the door. She gets her keys and we go out to the street. It's a clear night and we can see all the stars. There's a light snow falling on us and we walk with my arms around her down the block. We're not really going anywhere in particular just walking down the street together. When we reach the end of the block I stop her, turning her to me, my arms go around her and I capture her lips for a loving kiss. My lips caress hers, my tongue gently licking across her bottom lip and my arms hold her close.

"I love you Clare," I tell her.

"I love you Riker," she grins.

"You know what else?"

"What?" She asks and then bites her lip tenderly.

"I'll hold you close, always," I smile and ensnare her lips for another blistering, passionate and deeply loving kiss.

Update Sunday will probably pick up the next day at school with Clare pov.