SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS
Chapter 55—Bed Rest Blues

A/N: My immense gratitude to my friend Robin for her help on this chapter. Every time I lost my way, she was there to steer me back on course, and I don't think I would have ever finished it without her support. This chapter is dedicated to Ruby and the family and friends she left behind.


Troy sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table and his laptop open on his lap. The television was on, but he wasn't really watching it. He'd turned it on for background noise since Gabriella had fallen asleep shortly after dinner. Maybe it was a good thing, he mused, that she was still recovering from her surgery the previous day. Her need for extra sleep made it easier for her to adhere to Dr. Grant's strict order for bed rest. Still, Troy missed the companionship they usually shared every evening after work. Sometimes they took a walk around the neighborhood, worked on a project together, or simply curled up on the couch to watch a movie.

Movement in the doorway caught his eye, and he looked up as Gabriella shuffled into the room.

"Hey, hon. Do you need something?" he asked solicitously.

She nodded. "A change of scenery and some company."

He smiled and patted the couch beside him. "I have just the place for you." He leaned forward to set his laptop on the table and watched her circle the couch and sit wearily, tucking her feet under her. She looked adorably rumpled in track pants and his Berkeley sweatshirt. She leaned into him, her soft curves molding against his body, and he shifted to support her weight more fully. He moved her hair aside to nuzzle her neck, and his smile widened when she let out a contented sigh.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Okay," she replied. "Just… kind of out of it."

"That's normal with the medication you're on," he assured her. "We'll start reducing the dosage tomorrow, and that should help." He slipped his hand under the hem of her sweatshirt to rub her belly. "How's the little one doing?"

She moved his hand lower so he could feel the baby's movement. "It's been moving a lot today. It even woke me up a couple times earlier."

"It must be making up for sleeping all day yesterday." He curved his palm along the bottom of her abdomen. "I'm sure there are times when you wish you could make it stop for a little while, but for me, this never gets old, feeling it moving around inside you."

Gabriella covered his hand with hers. "I can't complain. As long as it's moving, I know that it's okay." She gestured towards his laptop. "What are you working on?"

"I was reading about the UCS football team's post-season," he answered. "Matt e-mailed me about the new team physician. He apparently became fast friends with Coach Sterling, and Matt is concerned that he's putting players back in before they're ready."

She turned to look up at him. "You don't work there anymore, Troy. Why does it matter?"

"I still care about the players and don't want to see them get hurt. The ortho clinic is full of kids who played through injuries because they didn't want to let their team down."

"And you never did anything like that, right?" she teased.

"Maybe once or twice," he admitted. "But it wasn't so much for the team. It was for a pretty girl in the bleachers that I was trying to impress." He kissed her neck. "Apparently it worked."

"Apparently so." She reached over to pick up the remote control. "Is there anything good on TV tonight?"

"I wasn't really watching it. If there's something you'd like to watch, go ahead."

She flipped through the channels but didn't find anything that piqued her interest. "How about a movie?"

"Depends," Troy answered. "Are you going to make me sit through another chick flick?"

"Hey, those chick flicks usually turn out well for you," she pointed out coyly. They often missed the endings of romantic movies when their kissing and fondling grew heated and they retired to the bedroom for their own romantic liaison.

"Yeah, but that's not really an option while you're on bed rest," he pointed out.

"Then we might actually make it to the end of the movie."

"Okay, you win," he chuckled, shifting her so that he could stand up. "I'll go make some popcorn while you decide which movie you want to watch."

She clapped her hands excitedly, and he couldn't help but smile as he made his way to the kitchen. He pulled out a package of microwave popcorn and poured drinks for both of them while the microwave hummed. When the timer dinged, he removed the bag, shook it, and poured the steaming popcorn into a bowl. Then, balancing the bowl in the crook of his elbow, he picked up the drinks and headed back to the living room. He'd hoped to reclaim his spot on the couch, but Gabriella had spread out so that she was lying flat with her arms wrapped around the throw pillow he'd been leaning on. He moved closer and grinned, not all that surprised to see that she was already fast asleep.

He laughed to himself. "Looks like I get to pick the movie after all."

...~«ώ»~...

By Thursday, Gabriella was feeling better, and was growing increasingly frustrated that she was confined to bed. On Friday morning, she slowly came awake to the feel of familiar solidness and warmth surrounding her. She was nestled into Troy's sleeping form, with her cheek pressed against his chest and her legs tangled with his. She breathed in the manly scent that was uniquely his and smiled. He always smelled so good. His hand was curved around her bottom, and she wiggled into it, enjoying the way his hand flexed possessively. Her fingers skimmed over the ridges of his chest and dipped lower, seeming to act of their own volition. Her lips formed a kiss against his skin as she palmed him through his boxers and stroked him slowly. He quickly hardened in her hand, and she continued to stroke and tease, waiting for him to awaken. A soft moan rumbled low in his chest, and Gabriella lifted her head to watch a smile spread across his face.

"Mm, baby, don't stop."

She laughed softly, empowered by his desire. Stretching up, she kissed the underside of his chin and nipped at the stubble on his jaw. In an instant his mouth claimed hers, and heat flared between them. His fingertips dug into the flesh of her backside, pulling her into closer contact. She'd planned to simply give him some morning pleasure, but her intentions were swept away in the raging inferno that consumed her. All she wanted was him inside her. He apparently wanted the same thing. A breathless squeak escaped her lips when he suddenly rolled them both until she was on her back and he was on top of her. His hips thrust insistently against hers as he raised her hands above her head and held her there. She closed her eyes, waiting eagerly for the blissful joining of their bodies.

"Please, Troy," she begged.

And then… he stopped. His muscles tensed, and he lifted off of her and moved away. Confused, she opened her eyes to see him lying on his back with his arm draped over his eyes.

"Troy?" She touched his stomach, and his muscles twitched under her hand.

"Don't."

"What happened?"

"Just give me a minute."

"I was trying to give you more than that," she teased, dipping her fingers under his waistband.

"Gabriella." He caught her wrist to halt her ministrations. "Please stop."

The fire that had raged between them was doused by his icy tone, and Gabriella frowned.

"Troy, I don't understand… What's going on?"

He lifted his arm to look at her as if she was crazy. "Dr. Grant said we shouldn't have sex while you're on bed rest. Why would you start something you can't finish?"

"I'm on restriction, but there's no reason I can't give you a nice morning wake-up call," she argued.

"I wish it could be as simple as that," he sighed. "It's too easy for us to get carried away. Do you realize how close we just were to crossing the line?"

"Not close enough," she muttered.

"Damn it, Gabriella, I'm serious," he scowled. "We can't take chances like that."

"Well, excuse me for trying to satisfy my husband's needs." She touched his arm, and her expression softened. "Troy, you've taken such good care of me this week, I just wanted to do something nice for you. I didn't expect anything in return."

She tried to move closer to him, but he suddenly threw back the covers and stood.

"I don't need my seven-months-pregnant wife—who's on bed rest—getting me off because of some sense of payback or obligation. From now on, just… just… keep your hands to yourself!"

Troy regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth, and the shock and hurt that flickered across her face was almost too much to bear. He stood there, frozen in place, trying to figure out how to fix it. She made the first move, climbing out of bed and heading to the spare bathroom.

"Honey, I'm sorry," he called after her. "I didn't mean that the way it came out…"

Her answer came with the slam of the bathroom door. Frustrated, he turned on his heel and went to the master bathroom for a very, very cold shower.

By the time he emerged from the bathroom, Gabriella was back in bed and appeared to be asleep. He considered waking her to apologize, but decided that they could both use some time to cool off. He quickly dressed for work, made breakfast and lunch for both of them, and slipped out the front door.

...~«ώ»~...

All day, Troy felt like a jerk for so harshly rejecting Gabriella's advances. They'd begun many mornings that way, but this morning was different. He'd been in the midst of an extremely erotic dream about her, and when he'd awakened to find that the sensations he was feeling were very real, something inside him had snapped. Instead of lying there and enjoying the pleasure she was offering, he'd pounced, so focused on his primal needs that for a few moments, he'd forgotten about Gabriella's restriction. He'd been on top of her—a no-no during her pregnancy—about to pull her panties off and bury himself inside her. She'd been right there with him, turned on and ready to shrug off the doctor's orders and make love with him. But then he'd regained his senses and pulled away, leaving both of them frustrated and confused. He didn't remember exactly what he'd said after that—most of his blood supply had left his brain and moved south at that point—but he couldn't forget the look of hurt on Gabriella's face.

He'd read about pregnant women's body insecurities, and also about how some men were turned off by their partners' bodies in the third trimester, but he was the complete opposite. He loved seeing her body change and grow to accommodate his child inside her. She had no idea how sexy she was at this point in her pregnancy, with her body full and lush, her breasts larger, her core always wet and ready. But he hadn't told her any of those things that morning. He'd told her to keep her hands off, which was actually the last thing he wanted. He wanted her all the time, and he needed to make sure that she knew that.

Troy's beeper chirped on his hip, and he forced his mind to focus on his work. There was no reason why his patients should suffer because of his rough morning. So he pushed it out of his mind. When he got home, though, he promised himself that he'd find a way to make it up to Gabriella.

...~«ώ»~...

On the way home that evening, Troy picked up a bouquet of flowers and a couple of take-out dinners from Ruby's, one of Gabriella's favorite restaurants. When he got home, he was puzzled to see a strange car in the driveway. There was a Hastings parking tag on the back bumper, so Troy guessed that one of Gabriella's colleagues had stopped by to visit. He quickly gathered his belongings, jogged up the porch steps, and unlocked the front door. When the door swung open and he stepped inside, he stopped short, and his eyes narrowed at the scene before him. Gabriella was spread out on the couch with her computer open on her lap, just as she'd been for the past several days when he'd returned home. But this time, there was a young man in a chair pulled up beside her, his arm draped on the arm of the couch behind her as he leaned forward to look at the computer screen. Nick.

"Hi, Troy." Gabriella's voice broke the awkward silence. "How was work today?"

"Fine." He bent over the back of the couch to give her a quick kiss, and then leveled a hard stare at Nick.

The younger man shifted uncomfortably. "Hi, Dr. Bolton. We were just, uh, going over some notes…"

"Nick is holding extra study sessions this weekend to help my classes prepare for their final exam," Gabriella explained before turning back to Nick. "I hope they realize how lucky they are to have such a dedicated grad student. I know I do."

He blushed at the compliment. "I've learned so much from you this semester." He looked over at Troy. "She's an incredibly smart woman."

"I know," Troy replied icily. "I'm married to her." He held up the take-out bag in his hand. "Sorry, Nick, I'd invite you to stay for dinner, but I only brought home enough food for two."

"It's okay, I was about to leave anyway," Nick answered. "She's getting tired. A few minutes ago she dozed off while I was talking."

"I did not!" Gabriella protested lightly.

"Pregnant women tend to get tired more quickly," Troy told him pointedly. "Especially if they work too hard when they're supposed to be on bed rest."

"Don't worry, I made sure she kept her feet up and didn't overdo it."

"Oh, I didn't realize you had a medical degree," Troy shot back.

"Troy." The warning in Gabriella's tone was clear.

Nick hurriedly stood and began gathering his things. "I'll let you know how the study sessions go."

"Good," she replied. "I'll see you at the meeting next Tuesday."

"If you get cleared to go back to work," Troy interjected.

Gabriella grimaced. "Surely I will. I have final exams to give next week."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed," Nick told her. "It's not the same there without you."

Troy reached over and opened the front door. "See you later, Nick. Thanks for stopping by."

Nick took the not-so-subtle hint and moved towards the door. With one final wave to Gabriella, he stepped through the doorway onto the porch, and a moment later, the door slammed shut behind him.

When Troy turned back to look at Gabriella, she was glaring at him. "That was rude."

"Well, forgive me for not being thrilled to come home and find my wife entertaining another man."

Her frown deepened. "What's that supposed to mean? He's my graduate student, Troy."

"And most graduate students don't hang out at their professors' homes when no one else is around."

"They do when the professor calls and asks them to come," she responded defiantly. "He's helping my students prepare for a final exam that I wrote, and I wanted to make sure he understood all the notes I gave him."

"You couldn't do that over the phone?" he pressed.

"What's your problem, Troy? Dr. Lentz has been here plenty of times to go over lesson plans or discuss research, and you've never had a problem with that."

"Dr. Lentz is in his sixties! And he doesn't look at you the way Nick does."

"Oh? How does Nick look at me?"

"Come on, Gabriella. Don't act like you've never noticed the way he stares at you. It's like he's a dying man and you're his last meal."

"You're being ridiculous," she shot back. "He doesn't think of me that way. I'm his mentor—that's all."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Why on earth would he be attracted to a married woman who's seven months pregnant and on bed rest?" She looked at him pointedly. "You certainly made it clear this morning that you aren't."

"Whoa, I never said that," he argued. "I tried to explain—that wasn't what I meant. It came out wrong."

She pushed up off the couch and stood with her hands on her hips.

"Well, then, what exactly did you mean?"

Troy sighed. How had such a little thing gotten blown so out of proportion? She circled the couch, and he put his hand on her arm.

"Look, can we start from the beginning? I brought flowers and dinner from Ruby's for you. Let's eat, and then we can talk."

She looked up at him and shook her head sadly. "My head hurts, and I'm not hungry. I'm going to go lie down for awhile."

Troy opened his mouth to argue, but then thought better of it. "Can I get you anything? Pain pill? A glass of water?"

"Sure," she answered.

"I'll save your dinner for you and heat it up when you're feeling better."

"Thanks, Troy."

He reluctantly released her arm, and without another word, they went their separate ways.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy and Mark both had to work the next day, Saturday. Kelly was off, and Troy had hoped that she could spend some time with Gabriella, but she'd already committed to a day of Christmas shopping with her brother's wife. Gabriella's headache had lasted throughout the previous evening, preventing the talk they'd planned, so for the second day in a row, Troy's mood was dour. When Mark sat down at the lunch table, his friend barely acknowledged him.

"Okay, Bolton, what's up with this mopey crap?" He tilted his head. "There's nothing wrong with Gabi, is there?"

"She's fine," Troy answered.

"So what's the problem?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Mark shrugged. "Suit yourself." He took a bite of his lunch. "Funny thing happened in the ER this morning…"

"You know what the problem is?" Troy interrupted. "We would've had the whole misunderstanding settled last night if it hadn't been for that… that punk."

"Okay, I guess we're talking about it now. Why don't you start from the beginning."

Troy ran his hand through his hair. "Gabriella and I had a little tiff yesterday morning. No big deal, just a misunderstanding. So last night, I bring her flowers and a nice dinner, and who do I find in my house? Nick. Her slimeball graduate assistant."

"What was he doing there?"

"Going over notes for a study session. He's covering her classes while she's unable to work."

Mark leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "So he's helping Gabi… And how exactly does that make him a slimeball?"

"He just… Who does he think he is, coming to my house and hanging out with my wife? And you should've heard him! 'I made sure she didn't overdo it.' As if he's responsible for taking care of her. And he was gushing about how smart she is…"

"She is smart," Mark inserted.

"Whose side are you on?" Troy demanded.

"Depends. Did he try to put the moves on Gabi?"

"No, but the way he stares at her, like… like he thinks the sun rises and sets with her. It's disgusting, and she acts like she doesn't even notice it."

Mark leaned forward. "Dude, you don't actually think there's something going on, do you? I mean, I don't know this kid, but I certainly know Gabi, and she would never do something like that."

"There's nothing going on," Troy confirmed. "It just… pisses me off, seeing the way he fawns over her."

"Yeah, because you never fawn over her," Mark scoffed sarcastically.

"That's different. She's had a rough pregnancy, and I have to keep an eye on her blood pressure, make sure she eats and takes her prenatal vitamins…"

Mark looked at his friend thoughtfully. "Maybe that's part of the problem."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Look, man, you've been in hyper-overprotective-husband-father-to-be mode for months. She's not a china doll. She's a grown-up who's capable of taking care of herself. The problems she's had with her pregnancy have nothing to do with bad habits or neglect. Sometimes things just happen."

"I know," Troy argued. "That's why I worry so much about her. This pregnancy—our baby—means a lot to both of us."

"I get that, but what I'm trying to say is, there's a lot more to Gabriella than her pregnancy. She's a wife, a daughter, a professor, a friend, a mentor. Maybe instead of focusing all your energy on pregnant Gabriella all the time, you should get reacquainted with all the other things you love about her."

Troy slouched back in his seat. As much as he hated to admit it, Mark was right. Gabriella was sweet, sexy, smart, passionate, kindhearted, and so much more… he'd fallen in love with those attributes long before they'd even discussed marriage or babies.

He nodded as ideas began to form in his head, and then looked sideways at his friend. Damn, had Mark Davis really just given him real relationship advice?

Mark seemed to reach the same realization and crossed his arms smugly. "Oh yeah, deal with it, Bolton. I'm the new relationship expert. You can call me Dr. Love."

Troy couldn't help but laugh. "I think I'll leave that nickname for Kelly to use."

Mark's pager vibrated on the table, and he picked it up to read the message. "Dr. Love is needed in the ER," he announced as he stood.

"Hey," Troy called as his friend departed. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Mark answered with a grin. "I'll send you my bill."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella was napping when Troy got home from work, allowing him time to carry out his plan before she awoke. When everything was ready, he returned to the bedroom and gently lowered himself onto the bed next to her. She was lying on her side with her arms around his pillow and her nose buried in its softness. She looked adorable, and he couldn't help himself—he reached out and skimmed his fingertip along her cheek, brushing away a curl. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked up at him with a mixture of trepidation and confusion.

"Hi," he smiled.

"What time is it?"

"Almost six. How are you feeling?"

She rubbed her eyes and stretched. "Pretty good. I graded reports all afternoon, and then decided to take a nap. I meant to be awake by the time you got home."

"It's okay, sweetie. Dr. Grant said you should sleep when you're tired. I'm glad you're feeling better."

Gabriella nodded and sat up, allowing Troy to rearrange the pillows so that she could lean against headboard. The insecurity he'd seen in her eyes the night before was still there, and he reached for her hand and took a deep breath.

"Honey, there are a couple things we need to talk about," he began. "First of all, I need you to understand that when I stopped you yesterday morning, it wasn't because I'm not attracted to you. Quite the contrary. When I woke up and you were touching me, it was amazing, but it almost went too far, and that's why I stopped. Not because I didn't want to make love to you. Everything about you, even now… especially now… is sexy and fascinating and adventurous, and I love that you want me every bit as much as I want you. But we have to be careful and follow Dr. Grant's instructions, and unfortunately that means, at least for two more days, no sex."

"I'm sorry, Troy. I really didn't mean for it to get out of hand. I just wanted to give you pleasure because I love you, not because I felt obligated to."

"I know. And I'm sorry for getting upset with you. I was frustrated, and I didn't handle it very well." He bit his bottom lip. "Just like I didn't handle it well when Nick was here."

"I should've told you that he was coming over, but after our rough morning, it didn't even cross my mind." She leaned forward with an earnest gaze. "Troy, I am not attracted to Nick. He is my graduate assistant, and that's all. He's never said or done anything to imply that he has any personal interest in me. Whether he looks at me a certain way or not, it doesn't matter. The only man whose eye I want to catch is yours. I love you."

He moved closer and gathered her in his arms. "I love you too, baby. I never doubted you, I just didn't like the feeling that he was moving in on my territory. He's done a lot to help you this semester, and I'm grateful for that."

"I'm glad," she murmured into his chest.

"There's one more thing," he added, pulling back so he could look at her. "I was wrong the other day when I said that you're the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world." Insecurity registered on her face again, and her eyes darted away. He tipped her chin up with his finger to bring her gaze back to his. "What I should've said is that you're the most beautiful woman in the world, and your pregnancy makes you even more beautiful."

For a moment she looked stunned, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace.

"Thank you, Troy. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"You'll never believe this, but Mark, of all people, pointed out to me that I've been so focused on the pregnancy that I've neglected the woman I married."

She looked at him strangely. "Mark? Mark Davis said that?" He nodded, and a slow smile spread across her face. "I've always known Kelly was good for him, but wow, that's nothing short of miraculous!"

He chuckled. "The love of a good woman can bring a man to his knees. I've learned that firsthand." Gabriella smiled and tried to lean back into him, but he held her at arms' length. "Don't get too comfortable, sweetheart. I have a surprise for you. We're going on a date."

She frowned. "How are we going on a date when I'm stuck on bed rest? Where are we going?"

Troy scooted to the edge of the bed and stood. "Oh, not too far. Just to Venice."

"Venice, California? That's almost 400 miles away! Are you crazy?"

"Crazy about you," he grinned. "And no, not Venice, California… Venice, Italy! Don't worry, though. You won't need your passport, and I promise that you won't get airsick."

He lifted her out of bed and carried her to the living room. She sucked in a breath at the sight before her. He'd moved the furniture out of the way, spread a blanket and piled pillows on the floor, and lit candles around the room. There was soft music playing, and in the center of the blanket was a picnic basket with a pizza box on top.

"Margherita pizza?" she asked excitedly.

"That's right." He sat her down on the pillows and then settled beside her. He opened the basket and began pulling out wrapped food items. "But first we have some Italian bread and olive oil, followed by a nice Caesar salad. And of course, gelato for dessert."

"This is wonderful, Troy! I can't even remember the last time we had an indoor picnic!"

"Then it's been too long." He tore off thick chunks of bread for each of them and set the olive oil between them.

She released a soft moan. "Mmm, this is so good!"

He chuckled. "I wish I could take credit for making it, but I stopped at that new Italian trattoria near the hospital on the way home."

"Good choice," she nodded. "What made you decide on Venice?"

He pulled lids off the salad bowls and unwrapped forks. "Remember, back in college, when we couldn't always afford to go on real dates? We used to talk about the places we'd like to travel to someday, and Italy was on both of our lists."

"I can't believe you remembered that." She leaned back on the pillows and smiled at the memory. "We had several duplicates, I think." Her eyebrows creased and she shuddered. "I'm glad you didn't choose Mexico. My stomach still can't handle that stuff."

"I know," he nodded. "And I refrained from a night of Japanese cuisine until you're allowed to eat sushi again."

They both ate their salads and bread, and then Troy pulled out a wine bottle and two glasses.

"Would you like some vino, my dear?" Gabriella looked at him skeptically, and he chuckled. "Okay, it's not really wine. It's sparkling grape juice."

"In that case, I'd love some. And a slice of that pizza."

With a flourish, he poured her drink and then offered the open pizza box to her. She took a big slice and bit into it enthusiastically, nodding her approval.

"Delicious."

"The only thing we're missing is the proper environment." Troy turned on the television, and the screen filled with a colorful outdoor scene. The person behind the camera, most likely a tourist, panned around to show the narrow cobblestone streets of Venice. He crossed a footbridge over a small canal and stepped into a waiting gondola, and the boat moved away from its moor and into the canal lane.

Troy grabbed a piece of pizza, leaned back on the pillows, and slid his arm around Gabriella. She snuggled into him, and together they ate and watched as the gondola maneuvered deftly through the narrow canals. Suddenly, the canal opened into a huge waterway that teemed with activity and boat traffic.

"The Grand Canal," she murmured. "It's beautiful!"

"Someday, we'll go there for real," he promised. "Maybe on our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary." He laid his hand on her belly. "Our oldest will be in college by then, but the younger ones… well, maybe they can stay with Uncle Mark and Aunt Kelly while we're gone."

She looked up at him, clearly touched. "You're already planning our twenty-fifth anniversary celebration? Making travel plans? Thinking about where our kids will stay?"

He gave her a soft smile. "Of course. I'd tell you where we're going for our fiftieth anniversary, but I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"That may be one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me," she murmured. "It's… wonderful… that you're making plans for our life together. Not just next month or next year, but way into the future. We have our whole life together to look forward to."

"Why do you sound so surprised?" he teased gently. "Are you planning to cut me loose before then?"

"No!" She shook her head vigorously. "Never!"

"Well then, it's a date. We'll ride a gondola in Venice, taste wine in Tuscany, explore ancient ruins in Rome, shop in Milan, and sample every imaginable flavor of gelato."

"That sounds perfect."

Gabriella snuggled into him again, and they ate and dreamed as their virtual gondolier sang them a love song. It was, she decided, the very best bed rest she'd ever experienced.