A/N: Oh My God you guys! I am so sorry! I know I haven't updated in ages but I have been so busy I could never find the time! This chapter is not very long but at least it is something. I promise there will be more to come soon!

Homeward Bound

I'll always thank fate for California. If we had had to stay in New York, if Erik and I had been forced to watch all our old familiar sites of Manhattan constantly blend with Raoul and Christine de Chagny I think we both would have lost it.

In California we could mix the unusual with the even more unusual.

But now this was all over. Our vacation had been wonderful; just what we needed…it had also been over far too soon.

I might had thought that the return trip would be easier for Raoul and Christine because they had already done it once before.

I was proven quite wrong though as Raoul became confused and thought he was supposed to get up on the conveyer belt and go through the X –Ray machine that checked carry on luggage. Erik narrowly prevented us being thrown in air port prison by pulling Raoul off the belt before anyone could really notice what he was trying to do.

Once again Erik had fixed it so that he and I would be sitting in first class while Raoul and Christine would have to tough it out in coach.

I did miss the city and I knew Erik did as well. On top of that we were both excited to get home and start preparing for the baby.

Erik was already mentally planning the layout of the nursery and the masterful crib for our child.

I was more than grateful for his enthusiasm. I had heard my fair share of horror stories from female co workers about being saddled with all the baby work while a confused husband or boyfriend 'ran out to the store.'

"Are you alright? How do you feel?" Erik asked me concerned, his hand rested on my leg.

I laughed, "I'm fine! Don't worry; when I start to feel uncomfortable you will know,"

He smiled at me. His hand moved, as it often did, to my stomach.

"Baby I told you; I'm not going to start showing for awhile. You can't really feel anything,"

"I know…I just can't believe our child is in here!" He had lowered his voice so that the passengers around us would not be able to hear what he was saying. Still we were getting dirty looks from a pudgy blond stewardess for talking through her explanation of the seats which could be used as a flotation device.

The flight home was not an easy one. We hit a lot of turbulence over Chicago and a frightened Raoul had come bursting into first class.

"What the hell is going on?" He demanded angrily as though Erik might have planned all of this.

"It's just turbulence…a rough patch of air," Erik tried to explain.

"Sir," The blond stewardess who had given Erik and I a cold glare before for talking now tapped Roaul on the shoulder.

"Sir you have to return to your seat,"

"One moment," Raoul turned back to Erik.

"Sir! I must insist!"

"One moment mademoiselle!"

"Sir if you do not return to your seat immediately I will—"

"You will what? Throw me off the plane? We are thousands of feet in the air!"

Erik sniggered, "You will forgive him won't you? He is only concerned over his future nephew," He touched my stomach.

We all realized then that this baby would be our get out of jail free card. The woman's expression immediately changed.

"Oh! Congratulations! I have two of my own…"

As I watched our flight attendant magically pull out a wallet full of pictures displaying her own blond chunky children and show them proudly to us I wondered if this was what I was headed for.

I had seen it dozens of times; how many baby showers had I been invited to since women my age began popping out children? The mindless chatter around bibs and teething and toys…would I become another pushy mother who showed pictures of her child to any stranger who would stop long enough to look?

Raoul was consoled after a brief explanation of what turbulence was and he returned to his seat.

"Erik do you think I am going to become one of those annoying woman I hate who goes around showing baby pictures to everyone?"

Yes,"

"Erik!"

He laughed, "All I am saying is that once this child is borne I know for one that I shall be so proud and so desperately in love with it that I intend to bore everyone silly with baby talk and pictures and I don't give a damn if people hate me for it,"

I put my head on his shoulder and smiled, "I guess so…but I don't even know anyone at work yet; I have no account of interestingness built up to balance out the baby talk,"

"Aren't you the boss?"

"Yes,"

"Well then as your subordinates are obligated to humor you,"

I laughed as Erik continued on his plans for my first day at work.

"You should call people into your office at random and force people to look at our child,"

"I will…Erik do you want a boy or a girl?"

"It doesn't matter,"

I gave his stomach a slight poke, "Come on everyone says that but no one means it! What do you want? A boy or a girl?"

"I honestly do not care Olivia," He took the finger I was poking him with and wrapped his own around it.

"Oh come on tell me! It's not as though it makes a difference,"

"Than why do you want to know?"

"Just tell me!" I kissed his cheek, "Please? Appease your wife wont you?"

"You know how many people have gotten in trouble following a policy of appeasement?"

"Erik! I won't be angry with you! It not as though I trying to invade your country or something,"

"Olivia darling you can invade my country any time you like,"

I hit his stomach again, "Erik I believe you invaded my country…and you certainly left your mark," I put a hand over my stomach.

Erik kissed my forehead and pulled me as close to him as he could considering the airline seats.

I considered Erik and I very lucky that we were still so attracted to each other. It was true we had not been married for very long, but I had seen the spark fizzle from other peoples unions in a shorter span of time.

For Erik and I though I believed this would not happen seeing as how, even pregnant and tired I just wanted to go into the bathroom and be one of those people who had sex on a plane.

It was good to see New York again. The distinct pattern of the Manhattan grid below was reassuring. We were almost home.

The plane landed without any problem. I already felt a bit more protective of myself. I had an awful flash of the plane crashing and I was not worried for my but for the tiny person growing inside of me.

After the flight, we were all exhausted. A brief struggle at baggage claim and we were in a cab headed for home.

New York had changed while we had been away. The air was much cooler now, especially when you compared it to California. A few of the trees on our street were turning red and the wind bit and we hurried to get inside our apartment building.

"I miss San Diego already," Christine said as she shivered just inside our door. She had left Roaul to carry in all of her luggage. Of course I had done the same to Erik but that was different, I was pregnant! I couldn't carry my huge bags full of clothes I would soon have to leave in the closet. At least, thanks to the baby boom in Hollywood, they were making fashionable maternity clothes!

I could sympathize with Christine's sentiment; the loss of San Diego's exotic palm trees and warm climate was a blow. Yet I was happier to be home. Our apartment looked exactly as it had when we had left. I liked to see Erik's and my things scattered about; our daily lives lying around in our home. It was a comforting sight.